I take it you choose to keep ignoring my statement about greater contractile force for a reason?
While there will always be debates about support gear among even the lifters as opposed to the builders (two ply shirts, lever belts, wraps of various kinds are endlessly debated) this isn't one of them.
Those, with the exception of the lady with an actual physical malady in her hands and wrists, would benefit with a better workout if they lost their straps and yes that includes Cutler. It's also worth adding that throwing in a genetic freaks name to prove a point is like throwing in a Formula 1 or Nascar vehicle into a soap box derby debate.
All builders (those looking to develop and shape muscle as opposed to those looking for greater strength and power) work to create an intense contraction in the muscle being worked thus hoping to encourage hypertrophy (muscle growth). Any system, be it drop sets, super sets, super slow protocol, 21's, whatever that intensifies this gym work will, one hopes, mean greater gains in the gym. Still with me?
A quick test: flop your sorry asses down on a bench press bench and take a weight at arms length with which you can usually get lets say 8 reps. Let's say you're an average Joe and have worked your way to a respectable 300lbs. So your eight rep set will be somewhere around 225-250lbs. Now do a set with the hands open. The thumb hooked over but the fingers loose or better still pointing up (use a machine if you feel you might drop it). Now do a follow up set, after a rest, with a closed hand as you are supposed to do it (even a solid thumbless grip will do). Now do a final test set with the hands squeezing as though you wanna leave fingerprints etched forever in the knurling. Squeeze through the whole hand as hard as you possibly can. All things being equal as a lifter you should feel good for an additional 5% added to the bar and as a builder good for an additional 2-3 reps.
Not only that but your forearm will feel like a rock, the triceps will contract harder and so will the pecs. More so if you use a good builder style bench and focus on the contraction as well as that hard squeeze.
The way it works is by neural feedback. Basically your brain is fooled into making the working muscles contract harder because the feedback from the hands tricks it into 'thinking' the weight is heavier than it is and so more of the muscle fibers contract. There's some sports science to do with how much of a percentage of the fibers in a muscle worked contract when under duress and it is NEVER 100% (you'd be fucked in seconds if it was) but the squeeze makes more be used than not. If it was, for example, 15%, the squeeze adds another few percent.
Thus a better grip means a better squeeze equates to more fibers contracting so... you do the math.
So those that use the 'I want my back to feel more...' blah, blah WOULD if they had better grips.
Try the squeeze next time your in the gym. And lose the gay straps.
While there will always be debates about support gear among even the lifters as opposed to the builders (two ply shirts, lever belts, wraps of various kinds are endlessly debated) this isn't one of them.
Those, with the exception of the lady with an actual physical malady in her hands and wrists, would benefit with a better workout if they lost their straps and yes that includes Cutler. It's also worth adding that throwing in a genetic freaks name to prove a point is like throwing in a Formula 1 or Nascar vehicle into a soap box derby debate.
All builders (those looking to develop and shape muscle as opposed to those looking for greater strength and power) work to create an intense contraction in the muscle being worked thus hoping to encourage hypertrophy (muscle growth). Any system, be it drop sets, super sets, super slow protocol, 21's, whatever that intensifies this gym work will, one hopes, mean greater gains in the gym. Still with me?
A quick test: flop your sorry asses down on a bench press bench and take a weight at arms length with which you can usually get lets say 8 reps. Let's say you're an average Joe and have worked your way to a respectable 300lbs. So your eight rep set will be somewhere around 225-250lbs. Now do a set with the hands open. The thumb hooked over but the fingers loose or better still pointing up (use a machine if you feel you might drop it). Now do a follow up set, after a rest, with a closed hand as you are supposed to do it (even a solid thumbless grip will do). Now do a final test set with the hands squeezing as though you wanna leave fingerprints etched forever in the knurling. Squeeze through the whole hand as hard as you possibly can. All things being equal as a lifter you should feel good for an additional 5% added to the bar and as a builder good for an additional 2-3 reps.
Not only that but your forearm will feel like a rock, the triceps will contract harder and so will the pecs. More so if you use a good builder style bench and focus on the contraction as well as that hard squeeze.
The way it works is by neural feedback. Basically your brain is fooled into making the working muscles contract harder because the feedback from the hands tricks it into 'thinking' the weight is heavier than it is and so more of the muscle fibers contract. There's some sports science to do with how much of a percentage of the fibers in a muscle worked contract when under duress and it is NEVER 100% (you'd be fucked in seconds if it was) but the squeeze makes more be used than not. If it was, for example, 15%, the squeeze adds another few percent.
Thus a better grip means a better squeeze equates to more fibers contracting so... you do the math.
So those that use the 'I want my back to feel more...' blah, blah WOULD if they had better grips.
Try the squeeze next time your in the gym. And lose the gay straps.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for your comment. I'm looking for worldwise submissions, additions and constructive comments. I reserve the right to remove, edit and if need be go raving mad. :)