[Blarg]

Exactly. All three of us are starting at almost exactly the same place, too, so we can encourage each other not to slack off.

Here's something else cool and it should be encouraging. Me, the ectomoroph who has always had a weak grip, got my first #1 on July 12, and got it to 1/4 inch closed, maybe a bit less. Today, 7/27, I was messing around on the #2, and "set" the gripper in my palm with my left hand, and squeezed it just a bit so I could get my pinky on it -- and I got it to around 1/4 inch from closed! That's a HUGE increase in strength in only two weeks!

The funny thing is, I still have trouble on the last 1/8 inch even on the trainer! I really stink in the last 1/8 inch.

But going from 1/4" on the #1 to 1/4" on the #2 in two weeks is something I never dreamed possible! One day, but maybe many, many months out, not in two weeks.

Of course, it's not a close, and a close is what counts, but still...

I think working on negatives and trying to jam as hard as I could with the #2 primed my central nervous system to take a quick step up. My goal gripper was the #1(and still is, actually, since I still usually can't close it), but taking the advice of people on the gripper boards, I did some work on the #2 and it seems to be paying off very quickly.

I highly suggest reading grippermania.com and gripboard.com. The amount of specific knowledge these guys have about strongman sports and gripping equipment and training theories, etc., has really surprised me. There's a lot more to it than I thought, and those forums are really excellent and full of info. Very friendly attitude there too(much more so than here).

Good luck you guys -- do read that stuff, and start squeezin'! [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]