Joe Kinney Style Gripper
12-week intermediate-advanced gripper program inspired by Joe Kinney's documented training. 3 sessions per week — sub-max volume, weekly max attempts, negatives, block sets, holds.
- Equipment
- Specialty Equipment
- Style
- Heavy
Start Joe Kinney Style Gripper for free
Capazity schedules every session, logs your sets and adjusts the weights from your own maxes — so you just show up and lift.
About this program
Twelve-week gripper program inspired by Joe Kinney's documented training methodology. Kinney was the first person to officially close the Captains of Crush No. 4 gripper (1998) and his approach has shaped how serious gripper athletes train ever since: 3 sessions per week (no more, never daily), one or two grippers below max for volume, the target gripper attacked for max-effort singles roughly weekly, plus negatives, block-set work, and Silver Bullet holds.
This template is written assuming the lifter can close a #2 reliably and is targeting the #2.5 / #3. Adjust grippers to your level — the methodology is what matters: train one or two below your max, attempt your target weekly, use negatives + block sets + holds. Hand health rules: full warm-up every session, never skip rest days. Inspired by Kinney's approach, not a literal recreation.
Every working session opens with a single high-rep squat set at ~65% (13-17 reps) — Kinney's systemic-strength opener. One set, every session, never twice.
Three days per week (Mon/Wed/Fri pattern). Day 1: Volume. Day 2: Heavy / max attempts. Day 3: Technique (block closes, credit card, holds).
The program
Here's week 1 of 12. Percentages are of your one-rep max (1RM). In the app, weights are calculated for you.
See it with your weights
Enter your one-rep max and every percentage below turns into a weight you can load.
Week 1
Day 1 Volume Day
Squat Single hard set of 15. Kinney's systemic-strength opener — one heavy squat set as a CNS primer for gripper work. 1 × 15 @ 65% Captains of Crush No. 1 Warm-up. Easy quick closes. 2 × 10 Captains of Crush No. 2 Sub-max — all reps clean, no grinding. 5 × 5 Captains of Crush No. 2 Hold Close, hold for time. 3 × 20 s - Day 2 Rest
Day 3 Heavy Day
Squat Single hard set of 15. Kinney's systemic-strength opener — one heavy squat set as a CNS primer for gripper work. 1 × 15 @ 65% Captains of Crush No. 1 Warm-up. 1 × 10 Captains of Crush No. 2 Build-up. 2 × 3 Captains of Crush No. 2.5 Sub-max attempts — Block 1 builds tolerance, no maxing yet. 3 × 1 (medium) Captains of Crush No. 3 Slow negatives. Close with 2 hands, hold open with 1, lower 5+ sec. 3 × 1 - Day 4 Rest
Day 5 Technique Day
Squat Single hard set of 15. Kinney's systemic-strength opener — one heavy squat set as a CNS primer for gripper work. 1 × 15 @ 65% Captains of Crush No. 1 2 × 10 Captains of Crush No. 2 20mm block set. 3 × 3 Captains of Crush No. 2 Credit card set. 2 × 3 Captains of Crush No. 2.5 Hold Hold close on #2.5. 3 × 15 s - Day 6 Rest
- Day 7 Rest
- Week 2
- Week 3
- Week 4
- Week 5
- Week 6
- Week 7
- Week 8
- Week 9
- Week 10
- Week 11
- Week 12
Weeks 2–12 are free in the Capazity app
Get the full 12-week program with every session scheduled, your weights calculated from your own maxes and each set logged as you go.
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