Blog

Q&A: Developing Grip Strength for the Deadlift

5/30/2021

Ryan, a member at my gym, sent me the following question. This is a very common inquiry.

Hi Al,
I was doing deads this weekend again and my grip strength over the double overhand grip definitely seems like a limiter. I was practicing (or at least trying to practice) hook grip, but that'll probably take a bit before it helps a lot.

Are there any grip strength exercises you recommend to help with the deadlift?
Thanks,
-Ryan

Hi Ryan,
Although there are all kinds of specialized grip implements available (there are a bunch at the gym) I think that the most useful approach to building overall grip strength would be to start using various types of thick handles.

At the gym we have a 2 inch axle barbell and a 2 inch chin-up bar plus a 2 inch vertical bar and a Rolling Thunder handle. Ask me about these next time you come in to lift and we can start working them into your training.

For when you are at other gyms you might want to think about buying a pair of Fat Gripz or wrapping a hand towel or cloth around a dumbbell handle in order to make them more challenging to hold onto. I have a pair of Fat Gripz that I can show you. They snap onto regular sized barbell or dumbbell handles.

A couple of other things:
- you can start to hold your last deadlift rep for as long as you can at the end of your final set.
-you can over-grip the bar when doing barbell and dumbbell exercises and chin-ups i.e. squeeze the bar harder than you actually need to.

Hope this helps,
Al

Q+A: Press Woes

5/14/2021

Hey Al,

I hope you're doing well, I miss seeing you and the crew.

I think back in the spring you invited me to send the odd email with training questions so here goes. I seem to be in a press plateau. Probably typical. A few months ago I got through a 5/3/1 cycle with a 100 lb training max (TM), started a new cycle with a 105 lb TM and could only get 2 reps on the last set of 5s week. So I reset back to a TM of 90. I realized after the fact I probably should have reset to 85 (go back 3 cycles from the last cycle I actually finished) but anyhow that's what I did. Now I've worked back up to a TM of 100. Just finished the 5/3/1 day and managed to get 2 reps on the last set, but damn it was heavy. I am not confident in my ability to get much farther - maybe I could get through a cycle with a TM of 105 but 110 seems impossible from here. I would have thought that with a reset I would have gotten some more reps on the AMRAP sets as I worked through these TMs a second time, but I got no more reps (sometimes fewer) and it has not felt any easier.

Switch to 2.5 lb jumps instead of 5 lb jumps? Reset again? Tread water? Something else entirely? Any suggestions welcome. I know the press takes patience but I could use a suggestion for what to do while I'm being patient.

On the cycle I am just finishing (still need to DL), my bench TM was 150, squat was 165, DL is/was 230. Other lifts seem to be OK

Hi Will,

Good to hear from you and happy to help.

First read through this and make sure your technique is dialled:

http://www.terminalcitytraining.com/blog/common-problems-in-the-overhead-press

Secondly, yes I think that 2.5 pound jumps in your TM are a good idea.

Third, have you tried the Boring But Big variation? The idea is that after your main lift you reduce the weight in the main lift a fair bit and continue with the movement by doing 5 sets of 10. This would count as your main accessory movement though you would want to get in some chins/pullups/ or rows to keep the shoulders healthy. I would keep the 5x10 very light to start. Maybe just the bar at first and then adjust upwards if it feels reasonable. Try it for the press. It can be applied to other lifts as well but just do the press this way for now. You will want to consider increasing calories and protein to compensate for the extra work.

The idea is to try and move the lift forward with volume since intensity increases aren't working so well.

Let me know how that goes. And, if you have more questions please ask.
Al

Carb Loading

4/30/2020

Tomorrow is the start of the Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000k. Christina prepares with gusto.

Finding Something Hard To Do During Social Isolation

4/29/2020

Terminal City Barbell Club members Christina, Heather and Al have signed up for The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000k. This running and walking challenge begins on May 1st 2020 and runs through August 31st. That leaves you with four months to complete the 1000k distance. This can be done in your own community. No trip to Tennessee required. For us this all started with a text from one gym member to Christina, who passed it on to Al, who then told Heather.

None of us have the running fitness to cover 10km every day so we will be starting with a lot more walking as we ramp up our running through the spring and summer.

Stay tuned to this blog for updates on our gym members.

Brought to you by Laz Lake, the creator of the Barkley Marathons.

https://runsignup.com/Race/TN/Memphis/TheGreatVirtualRaceAcrossTennessee1000K?rsus=100-200-5367cdad-6208-47f5-a02e-a1df61f9e424

If moving 1000+km isn't your bag then find something else to stretch yourself. Nobody other than extreme introverts likes social isolation and social distancing. Make yourself tougher, smarter, more skillful. Use this opportunity for good.

Terminal City Training Coronavirus Challenge Week: Home Triathlon #1

3/24/2020

Terminal City Training
Coronavirus Challenge Week: Home Triathlon #1

Thursday March 26th-Wednesday April 1st 2020
Accumulate throughout the day and week:

Time held in plank position (regular or push-up position)
Lunges per day. One point per leg. In-place rear-lunges.
Number of steps. Most phones should be able to track this.

Substitutions permitted due to injury or limitation. Talk to Al.
Report your numbers to Al via email by April 3rd. Don't train or compete if you have a respiratory illness.

We will use “reverse strongman scoring.”
Example of reverse strongman scoring: If there are 10 athletes, then it would be 1 point for 1st and 10 points for 10th. All the points are added up at the end. The person with the lowest score is the winner.

Good Luck,
Al

Q&A: Gloves and Wrist Wraps

11/6/2019

Q: Hi Al. Sorry to bug you, but I’m thinking of getting some gloves for wrist support and I noticed that people also wear them during lifting sometimes. Do you think they could be dual purpose or are lifting gloves doing something different?
-N.
A: Hi N. Lifting gloves are generally used to prevent calluses and are usually a bad idea. They make lifting harder as it becomes more difficult to hold on to the bar. And, small well-maintained calluses are important to lifting.

Sometimes when doing high rep pinch work for grip strength work gloves are worn to spare the skin from too much wear and tear.
Wrist wraps are used for wrist support, especially in benching. They do provide support but have a negative aspect as well in that they don’t really contribute to the wrists getting stronger. They are useful when used judiciously.

Common Problems in the Deadlift

10/21/2019

Overarched back
It is common knowledge amongst lifters that the back needs to be set tightly for the deadlift. But more important is that both the front and back of the torso are tight. When tightened together they will balance out tension in the upper body and protect the low back from overarching, which can lead to problems. This is especially important for those with excessive curvature in their low back. The front and back of the body work together for full torso tension and protection of the spine.

Too frequent use of alternating grip
In order to develop a strong grip the hands need to be stressed appropriately. Use double overhand grip whenever possible. When this grip starts to reach its limits then start to condition yourself to using a hook grip. This will probably hurt a lot at first. It is best to start using the hook grip in some of your warm-ups to begin the adaptation process. Some find that the pain goes away with some diligent practice. Others don’t seem to get through the discomfort. When is the time to use the alternating grip? Maybe never. Unless you are competing as a powerlifter it is questionable if the positives of using this grip to allow for a heavier deadlift outweigh the negatives of using the grip. The alternating grip, when used to lift very heavy, can cause great stress to the bicep tendon and to the shoulder. For some this is worth the risk. Even so, it is best to use it only when necessary.

Not enough attention to keeping the bar on the legs
During the deadlift the lats have a job to do: to keep the bar on the legs. During lighter sets one can get away with having the bar come off the legs. It will not work so well when the bar is heavy. We need to remember that lighter weights are practice for heavy weights. If we do not lift the weight the same way when we practice then we cannot expect to lift it well when things get heavy. Do all your reps with the same intent.

Not finishing the pull
Lifters with very tight hip flexors may not even realize that they are not completely locking out the bar at the top of the lift. Focus on abs and glutes tightening together at the top. Both of these muscles groups will help protect the low back and help prevent over-extension. It may be necessary to do a lot of supplementary hip flexor stretching and glute strengthening.

Too much use of touch and go
There are many important elements to good lifting. These include setting proper tension and good breath control. Touch and go reps do not allow proper attention to either. Ensure that the bar stops on the floor each and every repetition and that proper tension and breathe are being reset every time.

Protect Our Winters

10/16/2019

Terminal City is now a supporter of Protect Our Winters Canada.

After Gary Robbins signed on with POW as an athlete ambassador we decided to join their retailer program to help promote awareness in our gym and the broader community.

We are glad to join with backcountry users and outdoor recreationalists who are taking steps towards advocacy.

We have skiers, climbers, mountain runners and backcountry hunters amongst our gym members. People who spend time in our Coast Mountains and other alpine and backcountry environments have strong personal reasons to care about climate change, habitat degradation, biodiversity, and wildlife populations. Protect Our Winters takes on some of the large scale advocacy, lobbying, and educational efforts in the climate arena that we need to see much more of.

Visit protectourwinters.ca for more information or to get involved.

Q&A: Push-ups

10/16/2019

Question: In order coach push-ups correctly with elbows somewhat tucked in, is it okay to place something under someone's chest if they're unable to go all the way to the floor? I can't think of another way to each the push-up, which I like to use as an accessory for people learning the bench press.

Answer: I think that's fine as one approach to use.

An option that I would also use and would generally prioritize would be barbell push-ups. To do this, place a bar on the pins (safety bars) of the power rack and braced against the uprights. Have your trainee perform push-ups against the elevated barbell. The barbell can be set at various heights simply by adjusting the height of the pins. The lower the pins are set the more difficult the exercise.

The benefit of doing barbell push-ups instead of doing push-ups to a block under the chest is that they will allow a greater range of motion while still allowing the difficulty to be adapted to your trainee's current abilities.

Race Report: 2019 Whistler Alpine Meadows Ascent Race. "that time a pickle chased me up a mountain."

10/4/2019

Scott Robarts photo

report by Christina Matheson
photos by Scott Robarts

On Friday September 20th I completed the Whistler Alpine Meadows Ascent Race. Looking at the stats you think, “a race under 6km? I got this! Easy peasey”. Then you look at the ascent. 1,200m, that’s 3,938ft up Blackcomb Mountain. Gulp.

RACE ROUTE & STRATEGY
Distance: ~6km
Ascent: ~1,200m
The race starts at Merlin's at the base of the Blackcomb Gondola in beautiful Whistler, BC. It then follows the Blackcomb Ascent Trail straight up the mountain to the Rendezvous Lodge at  an elevation of 1,860m.

I had mentally broken down the race into two sections
1. Base to mid-station (2.9km and ~550m elevation gain)
2. Mid-station to Rendezvous Lodge  (3.0km and ~610m elevation gain)

I’d only done the first half of this race course back in June and it took me 50 minutes. My goal for this race was to keep chill on the first half, take 50 minutes to get to mid-station and then an additional 1hr 10 minutes to get from mid-station to the top (based on my best Grouse Grind time of the season). Goal time 2 hours total for the race.

PRE RACE
The morning of the race I was very pleased at the 12pm start time. It gave me lots of time to get up, eat a leisurely breakfast and calmly prepare for the task ahead.  Or so I thought. I was about to leave for the start line when I realized:

1. There was mould growing in the tube of my hydration vest and
2. The zipper wouldn't zip up on my hydration vest

Okay people, this is where we say “don’t try anything new on race day” and “part of training is training with all the gear & food you’ll use on race day”. These are things I know, yet, I thought they were not applicable to me. I had decided at the last minute to pack my winter hydration vest which I hadn’t used since, well, winter and therefore, I ended up with a few problems.

No matter.

Solution to #1 - My trusty mate lent me his 2L bladder from his mountain biking kit. It didn’t fit my pack well but at least I wouldn’t get dehydrated during the race.

Solution to #2 - Body glide to the rescue!  My hydration vest is old and I refuse to retire it since I wore it during a marathon in Antarctica. I’ve been using lead from a lead pencil to lubricate the zipper so it will zip. Since I had not packed a pencil up to Whistler, I used body glide to lubricate the zipper and then hoped I wouldn’t have to take the pack off during the race.

I’m all set, but now I might be late for the race so I jog to the start line of the race.

3, 2, 1 AND THEY ARE OFF…

Within a minute of starting we’re on a path in the forest heading up Blackcomb Mountain. It’s a beautiful trail, hard packed and non-technical, that takes us up the mountain.

I’m taking it easy and conserving my energy for the second half of the race. I get to mid-station in 53 minutes. I’m a little disappointed that it’s 3 minutes past my goal time. But there’s nothing I can do about that. I focus on the second half and keep telling myself I’m going to finish the second half in 1:10. (Note: I later check my stats from training and it had taken me 58 minutes to complete the first section in June, not 50 minutes, so a time of 53 minutes ain’t that bad).

Every once in a while the trail leaves the forest and we get a beautiful view of the valley below and Whistler Mountain on our right. It’s exciting to see how high we’ve climbed.

On one clear section above mid-station, I look back and see a racer in a pickle costume emerging from the forest. I think it’s the race sweep.  A pickle is chasing me up the mountain.

Scott Robarts photo

On big climbs,I find it easier to mark my progress by checking my watch for my altitude, and not distance completed. I set my watch to display current altitude, knowing that the finish line is at 1,860m. The metres continue to tick over; 1,500, 1,550, higher and higher.

My watch hits 1,800m, at this point it’s time to go as fast as I can. I can’t see the finish yet, but it’s close. I pop out over a hill and a volunteer points the way to the finish line, it’s not far and it’s runnable. I high five the volunteer and run to the finish line. (Thank you Coast Mountain Trail Series for the runnable finish line as there is nothing worse than an uphill finish line - I’m looking at you BMO Vancouver Marathon).

I cross the finish line at 2:02.

LESSONS LEARNED and notes for next time
1. Poles - Next time I will train with poles. The terrain was more hard packed than I expected and poles would help me set a faster cadence to get myself up that mountain. I primarily trained on the Grouse Grind for this race. While the Grind is great for elevation training, the Grind trail is significantly different than the Blackcomb Ascent Trail. The Grind is all stairs, the Blackcomb Ascent Trail is hard packed. Next time I will add in weekly training sessions on Old Buck in North Vancouver with poles.

2. Train with the gear you’re going to use on race day - Next time I’ll train with all the gear I’ll use on race day and hopefully avoid the morning of panic to change water bladders etc.

Will there be a next time?

Heck yeah! Can’t wait for the Whistler Ascent Race in 2020 when I finish in under 2 hours.

Scott Robarts photo

Terminal City note: Thanks to Scott Robarts for the photos. Visit scottrobarts.ca for more photographs from this race and many other local running and bike races.