Don't let your grip hold back your muscle
and strength development! Can
1 Ton
Hooks totally eliminate your grip as a limiting
factor in your back training? Don't
cheat yourself out of hard-earned strength
and muscle gains...read this now!
Your grip is the single biggest limiting
factor when it comes to maximizing your
strength (and muscle-building potential)
on pulling exercises that work the back
muscles, such as deadlifts, shrugs, bent-over
rows and chin-ups.
Quite
often, the larger, stronger back muscles
still have plenty of strength left in them
when your grip gives out and you have to
stop the set. I'm sure this is not news
to you. The question is...how do we solve
this problem that is most likely a major
factor holding you back in your training
in those pulling exercises?
1. Build your grip strength through specific
grip exercises
Developing
your grip strength is NEVER a mistake. A
strong grip is important not only for pulling
exercises but for pushing exercises as well.
But, as strong as you build your grip, your
back muscles are still going to be stronger.
It
is VERY difficult to be able to develop
your grip strong enough to parallel your
back strength in pulling exercises.
2. Use wrist straps
Straps
have been the traditional grip-assistance
equipment of choice for years. And they
do work reasonably well for this purpose.
Straps will definitely help you to use more
weight and hold onto it longer.
But
even the best straps WON'T totally remove
your grip strength as a limiting factor
(not to mention being time-consuming and
generally inconvenient to use). Your grip
still limits you even using straps.
3. Use 1 Ton Hooks
1
Ton Hooks are simply a beautiful concept:
they COMPLETELY remove grip as a limiting
factor in pulling exercises by attaching
your hands to the bar with strong solid-steel
hooks. Thick neoprene padding protects your
wrists, allowing you to lift the weight
in relative comfort.
Now, the concept is good, but do the hooks
score when you take them to the gym and
start using some REALLY heavy weight? Let
me tell you what I did to test these hooks...
The Torture Tests:
In
order to be completely sure these hooks
could perform as they claim to be able to
perform, I put them through 3 separate torture
tests. These tests were designed to push
the envelope on what the hooks are meant
to do for you in your workout.
For
pictures of the hooks in action, please
click here.
Test #1 - With and Without
The
first test I put the hooks through was a
"With and Without" test. I started
with a set of Bent-Over Rows with 225 lbs.
Without the hooks, I did a set of 13 strict
reps to failure. After a few minutes rest,
I tried the exact same weight using the
hooks.
With
the hooks, I squeezed out 21 reps. That
is am almost 40% improvement in rep number
simply by using the hooks (and let me just
clarify that I've been training for 15 years
and DON'T have a weak grip).
The
1 Ton Hooks passed the first test with flying
colors.
Test #2 - Strength and Endurance
The
next test (Strength/Endurance) would determine
how well the hooks perform over the course
of an entire grueling workout. You see,
grip fatigue is not only a factor in a single
set but it can quickly become a big problem
over the course of a full workout. By the
end of a workout, your grip may be so fatigued,
you're no longer able to hold onto anything
close to the weights your back muscles are
actually capable of moving. NOT the most
productive way to work out.
The
Strength/Endurance Test workout consisted
of barbell bent-over rows performed for
3-rep sets with near-maximal weights. I
took only 20 seconds rest in between sets
and when my back muscles fatigued, I dropped
the weight 10 pounds to allow myself to
keep going. I followed this pattern for
40 minutes straight with the entire workout
amounting to approximately 80 sets of bent-over
rows (grueling is the word!).
This
workout was taken from one of my "Specialization
Training" programs.
So
how did the 1 Ton Hooks perform during this
brutal workout?
Brilliantly!
Every
5 minutes, I tried 1 set without the hooks
to gauge their effectiveness. Due to grip
fatigue, I would have been unable to continue
with the same weights I was using after
only 5 minutes. The hooks allowed me to
continue training with heavier weights for
FAR longer than I would have been able to
without them. With the hooks, I was able
to stay at my starting weight for 20 minutes...4
times longer!
Without
a doubt, I was able to more fully work my
back when using the hooks. The hooks passed
this test with ease.
Test #3 - Maximum Weight
The
Maximum Weight Test was next. It was time
to see whether the hooks would cease to
be useful before I, myself, gave out. The
exercise: partial lockout deadlifts.
The
partial lockout deadlift is done by setting
the safety rails in the power rack to just
below the top position of the deadlift.
Since you're only moving the bar a inch
or two, you can use tremendously heavy weight.
This is one exercise where the grip wil
ALWAYS give out before you reach your true
maximum weight potential.
Without
the assistance of straps or hooks, the most
I had been able to hang onto with this exercise
was 6 plates a side, which works out to
585 lbs. Respectable, but plenty of room
for improvement. I could always feel my
grip give out well before my legs or back.
Using
the 1 Ton Hooks, I was able to work my way
up to using 9 PLATES PER SIDE, plus two
25 lb plates for the same number of reps.
This works out to 905 lbs on the bar. This
is an increase of 320 lbs, simply by using
the hooks! There are very few pieces of
training equipment around that will allow
you to increase your top-end weights THAT
much. With the hooks, I knew it was my maximum
because my body gave out before my grip
on the bar did. First time ever!
The
1 Ton Hooks were a definite success on this
final test.
---
My
conclusions:
If
you're interested in maximizing your back
development and strength, 1 Ton Hooks are
BY FAR the best investment in equipment
you will ever make towards that goal.
To
recap my results: an almost 40% increase
in rep number in a single set, a four-fold
increase in grip endurance over the course
of a workout, and a 320 lb increase in maximum
grip strength in the partial deadlift.
In
a nutshell, you will not only be able to
hold onto FAR more weight on your back exercises,
you will be able to hold onto it practically
indefinitely! The 1 Ton Hooks are superbly
constructed and very comfortable, easy and
natural to use, unlike traditional wrist
straps. They are also very convenient to
pack and bring with you to the gym, taking
up hardly any more room than a pair of training
gloves, an important consideration for those
who don't like to carry too much equipment
around the gym with them.
An
added bonus that I discovered with the use
of the hooks is a greater ability to focus
on feeling the back muscles working during
back exercises. This is accomplished by
being able to relax your grip somewhat while
still holding solidly onto the bar. Remember
that old weight training technique of "imagining
your hands as hooks?" Now your hands
literally ARE hooks!
Bottom
line: the 1 Ton Hooks rank among the very
best pieces of training equipment I've ever
used and I would HIGHLY recommend them.
They are well worth the very reasonable
$59.90 (US) asking price.
Give
them a try...you'll be "hooked!"
To
learn more about the 1 Ton Hooks and to
get a pair for yourself, please click here.
For
pictures of the hooks in action, please
click here.
Return
to Fitness Equipment Reviews Index Page
