We have our first Columbus Grip Exclusive!

If you read the last Sweatin' post or if you were at La Fogata this past Friday then you already know that Beta Movement killed it. The group consists of Garrett and Drew (I will get their last names later) who are Columbus locals. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw their set this past weekend. This is the first track they've sent me but be on the lookout for more in the weeks to come. Above is the artwork off their upcoming self-titled EP which is coming soon.

Boys Noize - My Moon My Man (Beta Movement remix) (right click save link as to download)

[audio http://thegrip.wordpress.com/files/2008/06/mymoon.mp3]

Apparently, a lot of people were moved to read it, cause my hits went up tenfold!

So now, I'm gonna try to smut out my entries a little more frequently. LOL

So, I got my gear ready, and I'm all psyched up, ready to go...

You would prolly expect a fantastic, decent-looking, manly 29 year old guy like myself to be a beast in the sack, but if you were to poll past flames, they'd prolly tell you I wasn't sufficient.

Why?

Cause I'm still inexperienced.

It seems today that you gotta have like 10 kills or more in order to be considered a decent pilot.

And it's almost like there isn't a single dope jawn willing to fly with you if you do not have your wings.

Not to say that the women I'd dealt with in the past weren't dope.

I just think they expected a little more bang for the buck.

So yo... I like to take my time.

I like to hold and kiss and let my hands wander.

I like to tease myself with it until I can no longer hold back...

Then, and only then will I be ready to take it to the next step of bumping uglies.

Run it back, though... *record backspin*

When I'm in the midst of being intimate with a woman, I like to get a sense of her presence.

But I'd rather do that without actually seeing her.

So I'm utilizing touch, and feeling on her curves. The sensation of touching skin that is not your own is dope. Feeling the warmth...

And I'm listening to her. Not just the words coming out of her mouth, but the breath that pushed that sound out from her lungs. Inhale. Exhale.

And of course, I'm on her scent. The combination of say, her lotion and soaps and fragrances and just that human scent... The scent of the hair. The skin.

And last, but definitely not least: taste.

I'm a kisser. I'm a nibbler. And in the right places, I'm a sucker. I could spend the whole night kissing or licking or sucking... but most they be telling me to stop after a while.

I might be a closet cannibal. *MUNCH!* lol

...

All this is likely going on before we fully nekkid and lining up parts.

And sometimes I prefer this more than the act itself.

But in reality, there won't be no repeat visits if the actually stroke game is wacksauce.

Generally, I'm highly competent there... but sometimes, I fall short.

I once went for well over an hour, and was sore as hell in all the wrong places afterward... but I finished in 1st place. (or last place, depending on how you look at it.)

Also, I once only made it to roughly 10 minutes. Maybe less.

With NO finish. (I made up for that later.)

So, my main concern now and ongoing is to never have an equipment failure ever again.

But I don't wanna use no pills or herbal supplement.

I'm a young sturdy dude, and I know... I KNOW I'm more than capable of taking a woman there via conventional methods.

But if need be... I go back to the taste skill and NOM NOM NOM NOM all the way home.

I feel like I dropped the ball if I don't satisfy her.

As I prolly stated in one of my earlier blogs on here, the act is not to please me.

Only to please HER.

I'm not a selfish dude, so if I'm even doing it in the first place, it's not for me to get my rocks off or conquest or none of that other BS dudes be on.

I'm satisfied when she is.

I'm satisfied looking her in the eyes when we're just chilling.

I'm satisfied when I'm just holding her.

But just getting a nut off is trivial. I can handle that myself! LOL

14 hours in the blazing sun by a pool. Big maxi-brutes and dinos (large lights with an array of individual lights, think stadium lights on stands) competing with the sun. One hill to load in, one hill to load out. Lots of gear. Not enough guys.

And the tease of being right next to the pool, all day, and roasting and sweating, knowing that the pool was the hero, and there is no room in there for a sweaty grip.

That said, I usually forgive all of it at the end of the day. A job well done and all that. I also liked the material more than usual. Liking the material, that is kind of a unique thing, now that i think about it. We were shooting Santa hanging out by the pool, being harrassed and stalked by Melissa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melissa_Peterman), who was HILARIOUS! If you find yourself in front of a TV on 4th of July weekend, watch lifetime. The promos between all the christmas movies will be what we shot. We shot like 14 bits in the day. A pretty serious number.

One thing I notice about my job being a grip, even when it is hard, or even hellish, I still enjoy what I do. I have a really specialized skill that I have practiced and mastered and I still get to keep learning. I get to connect with people on a profound level, you go to war with these people. I got a serious grip workout yesterday, carrying 70 pounds of dirt (sandbags) and piles of metal up and down an incline all day. And, finally, the girls who work in production are cute. This is important.

I shared this with Scotty yesterday, while working in the fake gym for Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling. We decided to add a few excercises.

The Push It: Take some stuff, mostly metal, and put it in a wheeled cart. Load it with as much stuff as the wheels can carry. Now Push it around, up hills, through narrow doorways, onto narrow lift gates. This works both your legs and lower back. It's great for the butt! (you should see the heavy carts we push around!)

The Sail. First we build some dexterity. Tie shoelaces to a pole that is suspended at full arm extension and casue full tension in the laces. Do this about 50 times. Speed is a factor.  (we tie big 8x8, 12x12 and 20x20 pieces of cloth and diffusion to large metal frames quite a bit.)

The Flag Move: Take a rigid 4'x4' foot flat piece of anything. Metal frames, foamcore, are preferable. and stretch your arms while carrying them. The key is to carry as many as you possibly can.  (we have these stacks of 4x frames, big metal empty pieces of aluminum most times with some form of gel on them, and floppies, 4 foot metal frames with black duvetine tight against it, with a extra 4 foot section that "flops" down to make a 8'x 4' black light stopper.)

The Ladder Dance: Take a fiberglass ladder, starting at 6' and moving up to 12' and move the ladder on your shoulder through crowded areas, calling out for people to be careful and watch the ends. You will build balance and strength as you use every muscle group in the body to keep the ladder safe.

I love my job.

Okay, now totally wreck the workout by eating the catering. Yesterday, they had Roscoes Chicken and Waffles.

Grip virüsü Orthomyxoviridae familyasına mensup örtülü bir RNA virüsüdür. Virüsteki nükleik asit 8 tane negatif anlamlı RNA'dan oluşur. RNA'nın kopyalanmasında hata oranı yüksek olduğu için, virüs genomu sürekli değişim halindedir. Ayrıca, aynı hücreyi birden fazla virüsün enfekte etmesi durumunda viral RNA parçaları birbirleriyle karışıp yeni genetik kombinezonlar oluşturabilirler. Bu nedenlerden dolayı vücudun bir grip türüne karşı kazandığı bağışıklık ertesi yıl ortaya çıkan yeni bir salgına karşı genelde etkisiz olur.

Belirtileri
* Halsizlik
* Öksürük
* Burun akıntısı
* Baş ağrısı
* Eklem ağrısı
* Boğaz ağrısı
* Kasılma
* İştahsızlık
* Baş dönmesi
* Aşırı derecede yorgunluk
* Kırılganlık
* Bitkinlik

Tedavi ve korunma
Grip, virüs enfeksiyonu olduğu için tedavisi yoktur. Antibiyotikler tedaviye yaramazlar, çünkü antibiyotikler yalnızca bakterilere etki ederler. Yaklaşık bir hafta içinde hastalık kendiliğinden iyileşecektir; ancak 3-5 gün iyice dinlenmek gereklidir. Bol sıvı tüketilmesi de salgıların rahatça dışarı atılmasını sağladığından iyileşmeyi hızlandırır.

Virüs, öksürük ve hapşırma ile yayılan damlacıklarla, ayrıca öpüşme ve tokalaşma gibi temaslar yoluyla da bulaşır. Bu nedenle hasta kişilere temas etmekten ve onlarla ortak eşya (havlu gibi) kullanmaktan sakınılmalıdır. Hasta olan kişi çevresindekilere hastalığı bulaştırmamak için eşyalarını ayırmalı, çok zorunlu olmadıkça dışarıya çıkmamalıdır. Binlerce çeşit grip virüsü olduğu için ömür boyu kalıcı bağışıklığı yoktur.

Grip Aşıları
Gribe neden olan çok sayıda virüs türü olduğu için, tamamen koruyan çok etkili bir aşı henüz geliştirelememiştir. Sürekli yeni grip virüsleri meydana geldiği için her sene en yaygın olması beklenen virüs tipleri için aşı geliştirilir. Bu yüzden aşının koruyuculuğu en fazla %80'e ulaşır ve bulaştığı takdirde hastalığın daha hafif geçirilmesini sağlar. Aşı her yıl Ekim-Kasım ayları içinde yetişkinlerde tek doz, çocuklarda yarımşar doz olmak üzere bir ay aralıkla iki sefer uygulanmalıdır.

Aşı olması önerilen kişiler şunlardır:

* 65 yaş ve üstündeki kişiler.
* Kronik hastalığı olan kişiler: Kronik kalp, akciğer, karaciğer, böbrek, şeker hastalığı ve benzeri hastaığı olanlar.
* Bağışıklık sistemleri zayıflamış olan kişiler: Kanser hastaları, bağışıklık sistemi hastalığı olanlar, organ ve kemik iliği nakli yapılan kişiler.
* Uzun süreli aspirin tedavisi alan çocuk ve gençler.
* Hastanelerde çalışan doktor, hemşire, hastabakıcılar; kreş ve huzurevleri çalışanları.
* Yüksek risk grubundaki kişilerle yakın temasta olan kişiler
* İlk 3 aydan sonraki hamile kadınlar
* 6. ayından itibaren bebekler

So what does The Spaceman Company produce you may ask?  Good question. The Spaceman Company is an ontological entertainment and marketing company. We produce a wide variety projects and act as a vendor to major studios and event production companies. Creating intellectual properties and unique original ideas is a specialty of this venture. We also do personal consultation on a wide variety of subjects relevant to everyday life. In some ways, the main product of The Spaceman Company is space.  We create space for people to be who they really are. We create space for people to love themselves unconditionally. We build and illuminate space for one's truest self to emerge.

Notice that as soon as I become a corporation, I become a "we?"

The thing about becoming a corporation is that you suddenly become somewhat more than an individual. You have a company to run! There are financial and business plans to develop, and stick to. Marketing of your company (you) becomes necessary. Suddenly, talking about yourself with gushing praise makes a little more sense. Would you buy you?  There is also production; are you being productive today?  If my product is space, am I providing the right kind of space that will encourage brand loyalty to The Spaceman Company?  Strategic partnerships become necessary.  A network of other like minded companies, striving for profitability and cooperation become real business choices. The office is really just a laptop, and whatever chair I am sitting in.

It is really, at this point just a mental shift. But, I think I want to follow this rabbit hole as far as it goes.

The Spaceman Company loves you.

It took me a little longer to get back into the swing of life after getting back from the forest (and i certainly did not work as hard as some!). I have spent the last few days trying to get back into life in the big city, and it has definitely been challenging.

She's a good friend, but we don't see each other that often due to conflicting schedules, so we got to catch up between lighting set-ups, which was nice.

This sort of thing happens a lot in the film industry - we develop occasional friends that we see when we're on a show with them or when we happen to run into them, not because we don't like them, but just because there never seems to be time. I'm off, friend's on a show. Friend is off, I'm on a show. I'm on a show in Utah, friend is on a show in Texas (not so much anymore, of course, but back in the day the LA crews used to travel a good bit more than we do now and it was one more excuse not to be able to return phone calls), and so on. We're happy when we see each other, but so many friendships (for me, at least) seem to get put on hold and picked up again at the whim of the work schedule.

It's amazing I manage to keep any friends at all, really.

Speaking of work, it's starting to slow down a little bit - the few TV shows that were shooting are wrapping up in anticipation of a SAG strike (which is now going to put me out of work even if it doesn't happen), so I'll have more spare time to catch up and do the stuff I didn't get to during the earlier strike-induced four months of unemployment.

At least it's cooled off some - it even rained a bit today. I've got the windows open now and I'm actually a bit chilly, which is very nice. I still have residual brain lag from the weekend heat, and the combination of hot and dry had convinced the neighborhood ant population to invade my kitchen looking for water, shelter, and cheap booze.

I've been using the hippy citrus spray, and it's not working that well, but I've always been hesitant to spray anything stronger on a food preparation surface. I won't have to worry about it for a few more days though, thanks to the rain.

1:20 am. First free minute to try and get a blog post going. I got a touch of video today, but there is no way I can get it up on our limited bandwidth. I decided to do this tonight, even though I am very tired.

Bugs. Yes. There are bugs. Bring bug repellent. Also, I have heard that if you take B1, mosquitoes don’t like your blood. Please confirm or deny.

The days are mild and sunny, the nights are cool and a bit damp. Word on the street is that it should get colder as the weekend progresses. Bring a good jacket, I didn’t.  Pack the extra blanket.

We are turning the electrical meter backwards with solar power. That is pretty dang cool.

There will be ice vendors.

The Do Lab crew is working 18+ hour days to bring you the best event we can. There is tons of equipment that we are putting all over the place. We have whole crews managing the logistics of this huge event. My request is simple, show the love. By the time most of you get here, we will have been working a long time. Be appreciative and generous. People of note to shower with love: Josh, Jesse, Dede, Aaron G., KJ, Monika, Brian F., Alphi, Travis, Tyler, Ian, Y2 and Brian Shaw, Heather Shaw, Charlie and Carl, Brent H and John G, Shena, Derek and Derek, Jedi and all the others I have forgotten or don’t know well enough to say. Bring presents.

It’s Jesslynn’s birthday and Charlie’s Friday! Sweet!

I forgot about the wild turkeys! Crazy.

Stay away from our power. Power? You brought ‘er!

Ok, Spaceman signing off for now.

With this kinda sun (LDN, you know!) you need to pump THIS kinda tune!

New Sean Paul people! Not sure if it's coming off a new album or if it's just a random track, either way - enjoy!

Sean Paul - "Grip"

Peace, Love & Sean Paul

SpeakerBox

There is one advantage-- free time.

We're often busy, it's true, but a lot of a PA's job is simply to be ready. While we wait for some to actually need us, we sit around, reading old scripts, checking Facebook or, say, writing a blog.

The best use of this free time, though, is to figure out what you actually want to do when you're no longer a PA.

Sure, you want to be a director, but odds are, you won't be. Still, they say shoot for the moon and land among the stars. So which star do you want to land on? Do you want to be a cinematographer? A production designer? An editor?

Now is the time to figure out what department suits you best. Every department has its own personality. A grip is very different from a hair stylist, and neither are remotely like a script supervisor.

I knew an old gaffer on a game show who was the most racist, sexist, homophobic person I'd ever met. On a hot day, he would say, "Boy, it is hotter than Satan's vagina out there."

Inevitably, someone would respond, "But Satan doesn't have a vagina..."

He would look at them sideways, and ask, as if speaking to a not-very-bright child, "Do you honestly think the source of all evil in the world is not a woman?"

I can't imagine a make-up artist who would say that.

When I was a senior in film school, I met a freshman who asked me what classes I'd recommend. I suggested a cinematography course, taught by one of my favorite professors. The kid told me he wasn't interested in cinematography. He wanted to be a director. He wanted to have a "vision."

I asked him, "How do you know what kind of vision you have, if you don't know how to turn on the lights?"

That's why I think everyone should be a PA. Working in the office, I meet folks from every department, usually when they're asking me to get something for them. In a position like that, you quickly learn the types of personalities drawn to each position. The ACs are very organized and very professional; the hair and make-up people are always friendly, but rarely know exactly what they want; the art department just wants everything.

Being a PA is the best opportunity to learn who everybody is and what they do. And, possibly, what you will do.

Nothing worked, couldn't budge the bugger!

I did as much research on the subject as I could. Everyone seemed to be saying the same thing, that it was just one of those things that effected players of all levels, came on for no obvious reason and people guessing that dartitis is some kind of psychological problem.

Great explanation "it's unexplainable"!

One curious thing about all these supposed "explanations" is that they all came from people who seemed to be talking off the top of their heads. I couldn't find a single one that came from a doctor, let alone one from a Psychologist or a Neurologist.

You can see how people might think that it is specific to Darts when the only thing effected was their darts playing and not any other action. I wonder however how many people who suffer 'dartitis' have actually sought medical opinion or intervention due to the condition.

I did seek medical help and what I learned was interesting, informative and frankly depressing.

Ink

• A little on the pale side but easy on the eyes.

Line

• The ink is not being delivered consistently, leaving you with noticeable fading as you write. It looks like a pen going dead.

Design

• Press clip to retract point. I don't like this, I can not be bothered to think about whether I need to press the top or side of my pen when I wish to put it away. Pressing the top is automatic, don't confuse me.

• The clear barrel craze has a real purpose here, allowing us to see how the retractable side notch works.

Features

• The grip on this pen has deep grooves, which do manage to keep your fingers in place.

Smear-Proof

• For a cheap pen, it will not smear! The ink dries immediately. No matter how I tried, I could not manage to smear this ink.

Pooling

• Like most ballpoints, there is very little pooling when you hold this pen stationary on your paper.

Writing Time
I was able to write a long passage with this pen, having no skipping. The fading issue is due to the quality of the ink and does not get better nor worse with use.

While training with competitive powerlifters and strongmen, I have noticed a trend. Quite often, the Achilles Heel in the deadlift for powerlifters and the farmer's walk and other events for the strongman is grip, or namely the lack thereof. Very simply, you're only as strong as what you can hold. In the old maxim "grip it and rip it," you can't rip it if you can't grip it. The grip is also important for other sports such as martial arts, wrestling, hockey, and baseball.

Training for improvements in grip performance should be specific to the needs of the athlete. In his book Mastery of Hand Strength, John Brookfield notes that there are several distinct types of grip strength, including supporting, crushing, and pinching. A common misconception is that there is a high degree of carryover from one type of grip to another. Brookfield's assertion has held true in my experience in a variety of strength sports; if there is any carryover, it is minimal at best. This lack of carryover underscores the importance of identifying the predominant type of grip strength required for your given sport or activity. Once you determine what forms of grip strength are most important for your chosen endeavor, you can assemble an effective program to improve your hand strength and, in turn, your performance.

Why Train Your Grip? The Case for Surplus Grip Strength

Some might ask, "Why the need for specific grip training?" Won't training for your sport give you the ideal stimulus?" If it did, no one would ever lose a deadlift inches from lockout or drop a farmer's walk implement prematurely. If grip is the weak link, it must be given special attention.

Even if grip strength is adequate, I think that surplus strength can be advantageous to a point. Surplus hand strength will give athletes confidence to pull with maximum force with no fear of losing their grip. Anecdotally, I have noticed that when athletes have a deficiency in grip strength, they do not exert maximum force on the bar for fear of the bar ripping out of their hands. In a sense, the weakness in the hands inhibits the prime movers. Finally, since strength athletes are continually trying to lift more and more weight, the grip must remain one step ahead.

Tips for your grip

Straps

The typical trainee uses straps too often, period. Exercises like pulldowns, pullups, curls, and rows shouldn't necessitate the use of lifting straps in most cases. If you cannot perform these or other exercises without straps, a serious grip strengthening program might be in order. I should note that I am not totally against the use of straps, though. Medvedev has stated that straps should be used while doing the Olympic pulls from the hang, for example, and I agree with this. These exercises are for building power, not testing the grip. For those wishing to improve their grip strength, however, use of the various grip-enhancing devices like straps and hooks should be limited as much as possible.

Train One Hand at a Time

Because of the bilateral deficit, training one hand at a time yields better results than training them simultaneously. If one hand is weaker than the other, training it separately will ensure sufficient stimulation and bring up any weaknesses.

Variety is Key

Just as there is little carryover among the different types of grip strength, there is rarely carryover among similar types of grip of different widths (i.e. different diameter bars or different width pinch grip blocks). For example, I have seen several strongman competitors with impressive performances on thick bar lifts demonstrate only average strength when holding onto a normal diameter farmer's walk implement. The point is that when training the grip it is important to use various implements of different sizes to maximize strength in the numerous angles and positions of which the hand is capable.

Grip the Bar Correctly

One can grip the bars in two different ways: the hook grip and what could be termed the "reverse" hook grip. Art McDermott, CSCS, owner of Highland Strength & Fitness in Andover, Mass. showed me this grip and it immediately allowed me to hold more weight in strongman exercises like the farmer's walk and Hercules Hold. I often notice that people who have problems holding onto the bar do not grip it correctly. A simple tip is to wrap the thumb over the middle and index fingers as shown. Use the thumb to press down firmly on the fingers to hold them in place. This will ensure a firm grip on the bar. The hook grip is also effective, although those that are unaccustomed to it may find it uncomfortable or painful, especially when they first give it a shot.

Grip Exercises

Isometronic One Arm Rack Pulls

Start with the bar set between two sets of pins. It should be resting at about knee level. Brace the non-working hand on the thigh and pull the bar into the pins. Hold this for at least 6-8 seconds, pulling at hard as possible then switch hands. The main reason for pulling into the pins is that less energy will be focused on keeping the bar from tilting. Without this "distraction," you can put more energy into pulling straight up and taxing the grip as it would be in a deadlift or farmer's walk. If you are a strongman competitor and you have a contest with a thick bar lift, I recommend that you use the thick bar here as well.

Suitcase Rack Pulls with Bands

Like the isometronic rack pulls, this exercise will really tax the supporting grip. You'll be pulling against bands though, which gives it a different feel. I recommend double-looped light bands, but use what you have available. Like pulling into pins, the bands help to stabilize the ends of the bar. To start, set the bar at about knee height, tighten the abs, and stand up. Aim for a minimum of 6-8 seconds then switch. A thick bar can be used here, too.

Thumb Strap Hold

When using the "reverse" hook grip, the thumb must be strong to hold the index and middle fingers in place. Take a lifting strap and hook it to a cable machine. Make a fist, place the strap on the backs of those two fingers, and clamp down tightly with the thumb. A light dumbbell can also be held to replicate holding onto a bar.

Pinch Grip

Like the strap hold, the pinch grip will help strengthen the thumb, which is often the weak link. It can be done with two plates held flat side out, or with a pinch grip block and a loading pin or weight stack. A pinch grip block doesn't have to be anything fancy; a block of wood 1-2 inches in width with a hook or eyelet screwed in will work just fine. Better yet, make several blocks of different widths.

Thick Dumbbell Zottman Curls

This exercise really overloads the forearms and the thumb when the arm is pronated; you'll see much better results with a thick-handled dumbbell than with a normal dumbbell. Zottman curls can be done on a preacher bench or standing, and I prefer to use lower reps with heavier weight. These are not true Zottman curls, though, since the forearm is not fully supinated on the eccentric component; we avoid the fully supinated position because we're trying to bring the most amount of forearm musculature into play here.

Thick Dumbbell Row

Grasping a weight in a static position is one thing, but pulling it explosively towards you is another matter entirely. In this variation of the dumbbell row, we're using a thick handled dumbbell and trying to tax the grip as it might be in a grappling match (i.e. the opponent trying to pull his arm away from you). Set up just like a regular bent-over dumbbell row, and once you're in position, pull the dumbbell explosively upwards towards the hip, as shown in the picture. A thick handled dumbbell can be made fairly easily out of a short section of pipe.

Thick Bar Pull Up

Another easy (and cheap) way of building grip strength is with thick bar pull-ups. This version requires two short pieces of pipe to slip over the pull-up handles on most power racks. The pipe can be purchased at most hardware stores for a few dollars. Again, we're trying to tax the grip here, so explosive reps are the goal.

Leverage Bar

Since grappling sports are very dynamic, training the hands for grappling must be as well. The pulling and twisting of your opponent will test your grip at various angles, so I recommend using of a leverage bar of some sort. Leverage bars are not hard to make; with a little creativity, they can be improvised pretty easily. In the picture, I am using a loading pin with a small weight and a secure collar. A small sledgehammer will also work well. Aside from pronation and supination, be creative and use various angles and patterns at which you feel weak.

Wrist Roller

You may have done (or still do) these with the arms held out and in front of you. Stop! This is a forearm exercise, not a test of shoulder endurance. If you're interested in training your forearms hard, do it the right way. Straddle two benches or boxes and let your arms hang straight down as shown. Use heavy weight, and do lower repetitions. Be sure to roll it up with the wrist extensors and the wrist flexors (some call this "forward" and backward"). Rollers of various diameters can be used. Pictured is a roller I made from PVC pipe.

Grippers

For many sports, grippers will be of limited use. But they can assist in sports such as hockey, where a tight grip will afford the player better control of the stick. There are various quality grippers on the market, and it may take some searching to find which level of resistance you need.

Here are a few sample training programs:

Powerlifting and Strongman

Day 1
Isometronic One Arm Deadlift*: 6-8 second hold
Thumb Strap Hold: 12-15 second hold

Day 2
Suitcase Dead w/bands*: 6-8 second hold
Pinch Grip: 12-15 second hold
*Thick bars can be used for strongman training if an upcoming contest has a thick bar event.

Martial Arts/Grappling Sports

Day 1
Thick DB Row: 3-5 reps
Thick DB Zottman Curl: 4-6 reps
Pinch Grip: 12-15 second hold

Day 2
Suitcase Deadlift (no bands)*: 6-8 second hold
Lever Lift: 3-5 reps each (pronation and supination)
Wrist Roller: 1 rep each (wrist flexion and extension)
*A thick bar can be used here.

Hockey/Baseball

Day 1
Lever Lift: 3-5 reps each (pronation and supination)
Gripper: 3-5 reps

Day 2
Thick DB Zottman Curl: 4-6 reps
Wrist Roller: 1 rep each (wrist flexion and extension)

You probably noticed that I did not prescribe a specific numbers of sets. I intentionally omitted these recommendations because I've observed that the ability to perform multiple sets of grip exercises is highly individual. A little experimentation will show you how many sets you can tolerate before your performance drops off. Remember, too, that these are only sample training programs and exercises. There are many exercises and combinations that are effective, so let your imagination run wild if you don't have access to a specified piece of equipment.

References:

1. Brookfield, J. Mastery of Hand Strength. Ironmind Enterprises, 1995
2. Siff, M. Supertraining: 6th Edition. Supertraining Group, 2003.
3. Yessis, M. Soviet Sports Review: Vol. 19, No. 1, Michael Yessis, PhD, 1984

John Sullivan is a certified personal trainer, USA Weightlifting Club Coach and a USA Weightlifting Sports Performance Coach. He is the co-owner of Excel Sport & Fitness.

COC hand grippers are world renowned for being the best and hardest hand grippers. The table below lists all the COC hand grippers with the strengths needed to close them.

I had started my COC journey with the Trainer and the No. 1 hand gripper. It had taken me some time to close No. 1 and then after being able to close No. 1 around 3 - 5 times in a row I had purchased No. 2.

IronMind actually offers 5 levels of grippers - the Trainer, the #1, #2, #3, and #4. It's also not a given that "just any strong guy" can close a #3 gripper as evidenced a couple years ago when a gripster decided to test some well known bodybuilders and powerlifters at the Arnold Classic. Everyone who tried the #2 failed, with the exception of Manfred Hoeberl (who is a COC), failed to close a #2. ~ Cyberpump

Closing No. 3 and 4 places you in the hall of fame of gripsters. If you are able to close No. 3 or 4 IronMind (the makers of COC) will arrange a meeting with you and a certified judge that will oversee you closing the hand grip. In the world thus far just over 150 people have closed No. 3 (list) and just 5 have closed No. 4 (list), the latest being Magnus Samuelsson a former World's Strongest Man.

Below I have included a video of Magnus crushing the No. 4.

In a month or two I'll buy myself No. 3 and see how I go there. Hopefully by the end of the year I'll be able to close No. 3 and get myself into the list.

Thanks,

Marat

Inuyasha Theme Song

Romaji Translation

Aiiro ni chirabaru nanatsu no hoshi yo
Sorezore ni ima omoi wa tsunori uchikudakarete ai wo sakenda
Nigedasu koto mo dekizu ni yume ni sugaritsuku
Ikasama na hibi nado ni wa mou makenai

Mezameyou kono shunkan wo
Yagate bokura wo torimaku dearou
Musekaeru you na riaru na nichijou
Taisetsu na mono wa ... nanda'?!
Zeitaku na sekai no naka ni miekakure suru eien no kakera
Sawatte tsukande bokura no ima wo kicchiri aruitekou

"Koukai wa shinai" to, saki e susunda
Warau ka, naku ka? Kou ka, fukou ka?
Kekkyoku ima mo wakaranai kedo
Kawarihajimeta mirai ni hirumu koto wa nai
Sore ga jinsei no daigomi to iu mono deshou

Girigiri wo ikiru bokura no dashita kotae ga
Chigatta toshite mo omoikomi demo'
Tsuyoku negaeba ii
Honmono ni nareru hi made
Reikoku na sekai no naka de tsubusaresou na aijou no mebuki
Sawatte tsukande bokura no ima ni shikkari kizamikomou

Mezameyou kono shunkan wo
Yagate bokura wo torimaku dearou
Musekaeru you na riaru na nichijou
Taisetsu na mono wa ... nanda'?!
Zeitaku na sekai no naka ni miekakure suru eien no kakera
Sawatte tsukande bokura no ima wo kicchiri aruitekou

Saigo ni, warau tame bokura no ima wo kicchiri aruitekou

English translation

Scattered about are seven purple stars
Thoughts are brought together by each, crushing our cry out for love
Unable to escape from it, we cling to our dreams
We won't lose anymore to the everyday trickery

Wake up right now
Soon we seem to be surrounded
By the REAL world choking us
Your important person...is who?
In the luxury world, shards of eternity are appearing and disappearing
Touch and seize it, now let's precisely walk this way

"Without regret" we advanced to our destination
Will we laugh? Will we cry? Will we be happy? Will we be unhappy?
After all now, yet I still don't understand
In the future you start to change; don't falter
That's life's essence

We're living just barely, we sent our answer
Even if it's different, and gives the wrong impression
But it's a powerful hope
Until that day you become the real thing
In this cruel world, love's bud will probably be smashed
Touch and seize it, we now we engrave it firmly

Wake up right now
Soon we seem to be surrounded
By the REAL world choking us
Your important person...is who?
In the luxury world, shards of eternity are appearing and disappearing
Touch and seize it, now let's precisely walk this way

In order to smile in the end, we now walk precisely this way

***

Another theme song from my favorite Inuyasha! Yep, this time, it’s Grip by Every Little Thing. Lucky I have the English translation for the Romaji lyrics.

The good news is that, for an aspiring audiophile, EAC runs under WINE in Linux Mint (rel. 5) with no trouble. You can read a pretty concise formulation of the procedure required to make it happen here. That's the first route I went. It wasn't particularly easy from there.

See, I'm one of those wierdos who regularly keeps digital music in more than one format. I prefer "lossless" files, but the portable music players available to me (and my car CD player, that reads MP3) won't play those. Not to mention that they're bigger than lossy files. For this reason, I must have at least two formats available. My practice up to the present has been to keep FLAC on hand for home listening, MP3 for comparatively high-quality listening with devices that read no other format, and ogg for maximum compression with devices that can use it. (I do prefer to use free software and open standards whenever possible.) Properly speaking, then, I have three music libraries to manage. And I have a lot of music.

After some experimentation, I discovered that the familiar batch conversion tools that I intended to use in order to keep all these libraries straight (especially tagging in all those formats) would have to run through EAC. Those tools (WinXP versions) were a lot fussier in WINE. It's important to understand that I was trying to avoid, at all costs, the need to write a bunch of file- and filename-conversion scripts. Originally I began ripping the discs in EAC and pulling the raw .wavs over into Sound Converter. I quickly realized that Sound Converter didn't give me the flexiblity over the command-line encoding options that I needed, so that plan was out. I further realized that no tagging was being preserved in the EAC -> Sound Converter process, so I implemented a third step and a third piece of software, EasyTag, to (hopefully) pull info from CDDB. By this time, managing the directory structure and file info in just one format was a hassle. What's more, I could see I'd need to add another software step or two before it was a working chain. I dropped back to punt.

I thought, "Surely there's an easier way." There is. But it doesn't involve EAC at all, and that kept me from using it for a while. When I finally gave in it was a good day. The piece of sofware that will do it all for you (with most of the tweaks you want) is called grip. Grip works, and I'm glad. It uses cdparanoia to rip discs, unless you tell it to use another program, and that's fine with me. As far as I can tell, comparing rip-for-rip with EAC, cdparanoia makes a really accurate copy (provided your drive doesn't cache). In fact, you can tell cdparanoia to be stupidly accurate if you want. Grip encodes to FLAC, mp3, ogg, aac, and more, and it gives you full control over the encoding options. I just realized that I'm sounding like an ad for grip, which isn't intentional, but it's really so much better and easier - even easier than what I was doing in Windows. At least, it's easier while managing one format library at a time, which is what most sensible people do. With grip, once your "config" tabs are set up, you can reduce the whole process to a few clicks per CD (or less) and a sanity check on the autotagging. Grip creates linux-friendly filenames for your tracks and automatically puts audio files into a reasonable directory structure, which you have control over through tag editing prior to ripping. What a great idea.

Now I've arrived at the final juncture of library organization #1 much faster than I had hoped as a result of both grip and amaroK, a fully-featured and functional software jukebox (that's the fastest description I could concoct). But I'm still going to have to do at least one of the things I was originally trying to avoid: write a script to convert the FLAC library I have been recording to both MP3 and ogg, keeping the directory structure intact. Oh well. Some things can't be avoided. Unless there's an approach out there that hasn't turned up under any of my query strings. In any case, at least I can listen to a shuffled version of my entire lossless music collection while I write the script...

[ Note: if you didn't do a good job with your directory structure, amaroK will fix it all up for you (that's putting it lightly) with the "Manage Files..." --> "Organize Files..." command in the right-click menu. But beware running that command on your whole collection. It blows your CPU to bits. (Yes, intended.) ]

Inuyasha remains to be one of my favorite anime shows I have ever seen, second best to Rurouni Kenshin. I constantly watch the encore run in Hero Channel even though I already watched it a long time ago. The anime is classified as ‘shounen’ – action-packed anime whose lead protagonist are usually boys, and often referred as ‘for boys’. Other shounen titles include Prince of Tennis, Death Note, Naruto, Bleach and many more.

The manga was written by Rumiko Takahashi, and I’m currently downloading the scanlated volumes from the internet (oh, I wish that I knew who were the scanlators to give proper credits, but unfortunately it was not indicated in the manga copy that I have). But to tell you honestly, I rather much prefer the anime adaptation than the manga itself. I don’t know how to explain it, but if you have seen the manga version, then you’ll surely know what I mean. I was even quite surprised that the manga won the 2002 Shogakukan Award for the Best Shounen title for that year. Uhmm, maybe the manga was really good (given its nice anime adaptation) and I might be too early to rate it, when in fact I only started to download a few titles and I am NOT even halfway through it! Can you believe that I only download eight chapters when the latest volume release was just this May 2008 which ended in chapter 554, and still ongoing? Tssk… it is a long-term project for me, to think that the manga is still released in Japan, though it is said to be nearing its final story arc.

The 167-episode anime adaptation was produced by Yomiuri TV and Sunrise (like Kekkaishi) and directed by Masashi Ikeda and Yasunao Aoki one after the other. Even though it was officially premiered in year 2000 (in Japan), but until now, I still haven’t seen a hell lot of a conclusion in the story. The anime adaptation ended in chapter 356 of the manga. So basically all I’m seeing all the years are the encore runs and replays all over again, but that’s okay because I’m not tired to watch them at all. But I just wish for new anime episodes, something to look forward to, or is it better that the anime is unended?

Although there were four movies produced, these movies didn’t serve as a conclusion to the story either, and their plots exist independently from the original story line. I recall the time when Animax Asia premiered these movies every weekend of the month, and I’ve seen them all. These four movies are (1) Inuyasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time; (2) Inuyasha the Movie: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass; (3) Inuyasha the Movie: Swords of the Honorable Ruler; and (4) Inuyasha the Movie: Fire on the Mystic Island. My personal favorite is the third released movie, the Swords of the Honorable Ruler because Inuyasha’s brother Sesshoumaru made an appearance in there – and he’s got to be the hottest antagonist I’ve ever seen in the whole anime series (laughs)! Even though I also consider Naraku as a handsome guy, but he is still second-best to my Sesshoumaru.

The anime was broadcast in Japan and in other parts of Asia in its networks in East Asia, Yomiuri TV, and Nippon Television. The anime songs for the series are licensed by Avex Trax. I downloaded quite a few songs, but I hope I can complete the whole set. I only downloaded Change the World by V6, My Will by dream, I am by Hitomi, Deep Forest by Do As Infinity, Unending Dream by Nanase Aikawa, Dearest by Ayumi Hamasaki, Grip! by Every Little Thing, Every Heart by BoA, One Day, One Dream by Tackey and Tsubasa, Come by Namie Amuro, Angelus by Hitomi Shimatani, and Brand New World by V6. I still haven’t found a copy of Shinjitsu no Uta by Do as Infinity, and Itasura na Kiss by Day After Tomorrow, as well as all the movie theme songs.

The story centers about the high school girl Kagome Higurashii, who was transported into the feudal world of Inuyasha through an old well. There she accidentally broke the Shikon no Tama (Jewel of Four Souls) into pieces, which is utterly dangerous because any creature that would use these broken pieces in a bad way may be dangerous. Inuyasha, who was a half-demon also pursued to get all the pieces by himself, but he ended up pairing with Kagome in this quest since Kagome is the reincarnation of Kikyou, a former priestess who stood guard of the of the jewel and Inuyasha’s beloved. There, the two meets Miroku, a lascivious monk I say, who asks every girl he meets to be the mother of his future children, Sango, a demon exterminator who is in the quest for revenge against Naraku, and Shippo, a cute fox demon. The main villain is Naraku who is responsible for the misunderstanding between Inuyasha and Kagome, Miroku’s curse hand, and the death of Sango’s family. Sesshoumaru appeared once in a while to add conflict elements (and he’s so cute!) but I know deep inside that he’s a very compassionate guy. Ha-ha!

Here's the exclusive new single from Sean Paul, called 'Grip'. Sean Paul is putting the finishing touches on his next record due to come out soon. Currently featured on the D'aville record and the new Eve single, we can just image what hot riddums Sean plans to come out on for his new album. More Info to come soon no doubt... Yah Mann!!!

.:: Listen/Download ::.
here

.::.

Racquet grip is a very essential part of stroke, because a faulty grip will ruin the finest serving. It is a natural grip for a top forehand drive. It is inherently weak for the backhand, as the only natural shot is a chop stroke.

To acquire the forehand grip, hold the racquet with the edge of the frame towards the ground and the face perpendicular, the handle towards the body, and "shake hands" with it, just as if you were greeting a friend. The handle settled comfortably and naturally into the hand, the line of the arm, hand, and racquet are one. The swing brings the racquet head on a line with the arm, and the whole racquet is merely an extension of it.

The backhand grip is a quarter circle turn of hand on the handle, bringing the hand on top of the handle and the knuckles directly up. The shot travels ACROSS the wrist.

This is the best basis for a grip. I do not advocate learning this grip exactly, but model your natural grip as closely as possible on these lines without sacrificing your own comfort or individuality.

Having once settled the racquet in the hand, the next question is the position of the body and the order of developing strokes.

All tennis strokes, should be made with the body' at right angles to the net, with the shoulders lined up parallel to the line of flight of the ball. The weight should always travel forward. It should pass from the back foot to the front foot at the moment of striking the ball. Never allow the weight to be going away from the stroke. It is weight that determines the "pace" of a stroke; swing that, decides the "speed."

Let me explain the definitions of "speed" and "pace." "Speed" is the actual rate with which a ball travels through the air. "Pace" is the momentum with which it comes off the ground. Pace is weight. It is the "sting" the ball carries when it comes off the ground, giving the inexperienced or unsuspecting player a shock of force which the stroke in no way showed.

A great many players have both "speed" and "pace." Some shots may carry both.

The order of learning strokes should be:

1. The Drive. Fore and backhand. This is the foundation of all tennis, for you cannot build up a net attack unless you have the ground stroke to open the way. Nor can you meet a net attack successfully unless you can drive, as that is the only successful passing shot.

2. The Service.

3. The Volley and Overhead Smash.

4. The Chop or Half Volley and other incidental and ornamental strokes.