I am excited to report that next week I will have a new DVD coming out: High Impact Grip Training: Block Weight Training.
To stay updated on updates regarding Block Weight Training, be sure to add your email to the box below.
All the best in your training.
Jedd
DIESELS,
After having won the Overall at the North American Grip Sport Championship, I found out that I won an automatic berth into next year’s Mighty Mitts.
Mighty Mitts, as Andrew Durniat calls it, is the SuperBowl of Grip, taking place on the main stage at the Arnold Classic, and featuring some of the strongest hands in the world. Mighty Mitts is where the best of Grip Sport clash with Strongmen in some of the most challenging tests of hand strength imaginable.
And with that in mind, I have one clear-cut goal that is intertwined into all of my training.
To Get As Strong as Possible from Now Until March.
This means, I have some GLARING weaknesses that I MUST address body-wise. My overall Absolute Strength pales in comparison to the other competitors, especially my lower back and hip strength.
As I outlined in this post, Squats: Start Doing Them Today, due to countless lower back injuries, I barely Squatted from 2008 until 2013. This has left my lower back and legs extremely weak.
With that in mind, I have begun an all-out onslaught on my lower body training, hitting Squats, Deadlifts, Hip Thrusts, Reverse Hypers, and other exercises that target the hips as hard as possible.
With the idea of getting the Hips and Glutes as strong as possible, I wanted to share a couple of variations of Hip Thrusts with you that I have been performing.
I first learned about Barbell Hip Thrusts from Niko Hulslander of Garage Ink. I could not believe the amount of weight he and his crew were doing in this lift, moving close to or even more than 500-lbs in the lift (I don’t recall what it was exactly anymore).
When I started doing this lift in late 2012, I could barely handle a set of 10 with 135lbs, that is how severely weak my hip complex had become.
Once I started doing the lift regularly, the pressure on my abdomen from the barbell was so severe, I was left with marks for days and days after doing them.
I tried wrapping a pool noodle around the bar, which helped to reduce the pressure, but the pool noodle just kept disintegrating after each session. I then moved on to a 2.5-inch thick axle. This worked for a while, but it belonged to my friend JT Straussner, so when he took it back to train with at his gym, I had to find something else.
I tried slipping a big piece of pipe over it and that worked pretty well, but since then I found something even better – the Saxon Bar.
The Saxon Bar is a loadable barbell that is used for pinching. I found that I could load this thing up HEAVY, and when I placed it flat over my abdomen, the pressure was spread out very nicely and I felt no pain at all.
Here is the Barbell Hip Thrust using a Saxon Bar in action:
The goal for each rep is to get a nice hard contraction and a pause at the top of the movement.
I have also found another variation that I like quite a bit – this one involves Thrusting against heavy band tension, using the Blue Jump Stretch Bands.
Right now, the limitation here is being able to harness down the bands. I have been able to slip them underneath the feet of my Squat Cage up to this point, but I want to modify the cage a big so I can rig more band tension without having to pin the bands beneath the cage. Again, with these, I am looking for a pause.
For both variations of the Hip Thrust, I have been performing 3 work sets of 10 repetitions, aiming for a nice pause at the top in a flat table position. This is after 2 to 3 warm-up sets to get used to the work set weight.
Generally, I will work the Saxon Bar Hip Thrusts on one lower body day, and then the next lower body day, I work the bands. The Saxon Bar Hip Thrusts take a lot more out of me, so I do those as a stand-alone exercise.
The Band Tension Hip Thrusts only load up at the very top of the movement, so they don’t take as much out of me, and I usually pair them with another exercise, usually involving a heavy loaded barbell in the cage, that I can use for Barbell Shrugs, Partial Deadlifts, or Holds.
I really love these two movements, and plan on doing them for quite some time. My Squats have been feeling much stronger since working these in, and I have no doubt they will help with Deadlifts, Farmer Picks, and other heavy lifts that work the glutes/hip complex.
If you are looking for ways to work the hips harder, these could be two lifts that you might want to try.
All the best in your training,
Jedd
I will be holding a venue for the second annual International King Kong Grip Challenge, taking place on October 25th, 2014. Here are the general details:
Events:
Weight Classes:
Prizes:
Confirmed venues and promoters so far:
Additional venues are popping up all the time, and this could end up being the BIGGEST Mega-Comp of all time.
If you are a promoter who is interested in taking part, please contact Eric Roussin by email at eroussin@rogers.com.
Entry Form: Download Here
How this contest will work:
As in any Grip Contest, the objective is to perform as well as possible on each event. Your best lift on each event will be sent in to the main promoter, Eric Roussin and will be added to the results for all the other events as well. So, you will be going up against lifters taking part in the overall contest in all corners of the United States, Canada, Russia, and Finland. Because there are multiple locations taking part in the same events on the same day, this sort of contest is called a Mega Comp.
You may use only one hand on each event. You may choose to use the Right hand on two events and the Left hand on two events, you can use your dominant hand on all the events, or in any combination you see fit. The only limitation is that once you take an official attempt with one of your hands, you may not change during that event.
All of the events being contest are Rising Bar events. This means that once weight is added to the loading pin, the overall weight is not reduced for later attempts. This means if you start out too high and miss your lift, you can not drop back down, so the best idea is to take a safe lift, to make sure you get on the board. You get four (4) attempts on each event to get your best score possible.
With the One Hand Pinch, the width of the implement is adjustable. Each competitor will be given time to test out the implement to see which width is best for them. Once you choose a width, you must stay with that width. We will begin with the narrowest width being used and then go up from there. The following widths are definitely attainable using the adjustable pinch device: 44mm, 48mm, 52mm, 56mm, 58mm, 64mm. Other widths may be attained as well as needed by lifters.
Individual Event Rules: (video demonstrations to come)
One Hand Pinch Deadlift: The lifter grips the plates in an overhand grip, with the thumb towards them and the fingers away. The lifter lifts the apparatus until the loading pipe touches a cross-bar sitting at 16.5″. The lifter must then return the implement back to the floor under control. 4 attempts
One Hand Axle Deadlift (Ironmind Apollon’s Axle): The lifter can use a straddle lift, where the bar runs between the legs, or a conventional lift, where the bar sits in front of the shins. The lifter must lift the bar off the ground so that the center of the bar and both ends are above the centerline of the knee caps and the legs lock out. Shorts must be worn. 4 attempts
Ironmind Hub: The lifter grips the Hub so that the finger tips of all 4 fingers and thumb contact the flat plate. They must then lift the Hub and loading pin to lockout and wait for a “Good” call from the judge. The lifter must then lower the implement back to the floor under control. 4 attempts
Ironmind Little Big Horn: The lifter grips the Horn and lifts the implement to the lockout position, waiting for a “Good” call from the judge and returns the implement to the floor under control. 4 attempts
In all of these lifts, the off-hand may be braced against the thigh in order to stabilize. The lifting hand, however, may not be assisted by bracing against the body and contact with the body is not permitted in the case of the Hub, Axle, or Horn. With the Pinch, it is very common and expected for the back of the loading pipe to contact the leg and does not disqualify a lift.
Additional Event at Wyalusing location:
Silver Bullet Hold: An optional fifth event will take place following the first four events, the Silver Bullet Hold. Men will crush down a #3 gripper onto an official IronMind Silver Bullet and hold it for time. The official IronMind Disk, weighing 2.5kg will be suspended from the Silver Bullet. Women will use a #1 Gripper.
Technical Demonstrations will be shot and posted here soon.
In the future, short clinics for the 5 events being held in the King Kong contest will be held in Wyalusing. Announcements will be made as they are scheduled.
Napalm Pinch Adjustable Pinch Devices can be order through my store:
Looking forward to seeing you and many others on October 25th, 2014.
Who will be the 2014 King Kong of Grip???
Jedd
DIESELS!
I have worked with a LOT of people over the years on their Gripper form, and the biggest thing I see with them is TECHNIQUE ISSUES.
We need to talk about this RIGHT NOW.
Technique is EVERYTHING.
You can throw everything else out.
If your technique is off when you try to close a gripper, you are reducing your chance for a successful close by AT LEAST HALF and maybe more.
The number one thing I see people doing is they place the gripper wrong in their hand right from the very beginning.
Specifically, they place the Gripper too deep in their hand…
…so WHY is this a PROBLEM?
Well, think about it this way.
How far do you usually miss by when you fail on a gripper attempt?
My guess is that you probably miss by around 1/4 inch.
Maybe it’s an 1/8th, maybe 3/8ths, but it’s probably right around there.
Well, in my experience people are placing the gripper between 1/4 and 3/8 of an inch TOO DEEP INTO THEIR HAND.
This is a problem because the farther the back handle is in their hand, the farther their fingers have to move the front handle in order to complete the close!
If you make the adjustment on the placement of the Gripper, your hands will have a bit more gas left in the tank because they won’t have to work over such a long distance.
This one change in your form could give you just the boost you need to finally close that gripper you have been trying to close.
And that is just one TINY technical adjustment having to do with how you place the thing in your hand.
Imagine what else you will pick up on when you pick up CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination today.
CRUSH is a two-disk DVD that covers all the ins and outs of Gripper Training and it is loaded with technical information that you might not be thinking about.
I kid you not, I have seen guys going from missing the COC #1 to coming within 1/4 inch of closing the COC #2.5, just by making the right technical adjustments.
What are you waiting for? Pick it up today => CRUSH DVD
All the best in your training,
Jedd
P.S. CRUSH comes in digital or hard copy formats, so if you live overseas, you do not have to worry about paying big shipping charges or duties and other fees.
Six months ago, on January 1st, you probably had some pretty big plans for the year.
Maybe you called them “New Year’s Resolutions.”
Maybe you just called them “Goals.”
Regardless of what you called them, the question you need to ask yourself is “Have a Done What I Set Out to Do?”
If the answer is Yes, then GOOD JOB. I am proud of you.
If the answer is No, then now is the time to get back on track.
I want to help YOU attain the goals you have set out to do.
I am opening the doors to the Diesel Grip Task Force once again and am taking on 5 new Coaching Clients.
What does the Grip Task Force Entail?
1. Completion of Training/Health History Forms
I will send you forms which will need to be completed. These forms will cover various questions related to your training background and goals. This will help me get to know you and your training history. There are also some liability forms that must be completed.
2. Initial One-on-One Coaching Call
For 30 to 60 minutes, we will get on the phone or skype and discuss your forms and your goals. We will establish where you are at now in your development, where you want to go, the equipment you have to train with, the gym facilities you have access to, and other important information that will help us get going.
3. Weekly Programming Updates
Each week, I will send you a training plan based on your specific goals. I will email these plans to you and you will be expected to complete them after each workout. I must receive them completely filled out by the end of the training week so I can assess them and make adjustments to them for the following week.
Each program I design is individualized for each specific member in the Grip Task Force. To do one program for multiple individuals would be irresponsible. You are each different and will respond to different loads, volumes, rest, and other variables that we will monitor.
4. Bi-Weekly Coaching Calls
Every two weeks, we will get together again via telephone or skype to help move you forward with your training. During this time, I can answer questions that have come up, we can look and see what changes need to be made to your program, I can watch your technique on the more technical forms of Grip Training, such as Grippers, Two Hands Pinch, and Bending, and much more. These bi-weekly calls will be like attending a live Workshop with me, without having to miss the time from work or pay for travel costs.
5. Grip Task Force Facebook Group
I have a Facebook Group set up only for Grip Task Force members. Here you can ask questions of one another, as well as announce new PR’s and share videos of your success. That’s what it’s all about!
6. Complete Access to TheGripAuthority.com
In addition to the programming I send you, you will also get your own login credentials to my Grip Strength Coaching Site, TheGripAuthority.com. I started it in January of 2010, so it has 4+ years of content just sitting there, waiting for you to come and devour it.
7. Email and Text Access
In addition to the Coaching Calls every two weeks, you will also be able to ask me questions via email and text. I carry my phone with me everywhere, so you will be able to get a hold of me just about any time from 5:30AM to 9:00PM during the week and similar hours on the weekends.
If you are not happy with the results you have gotten so far this year, then let’s work together to make some changes and get you going in the right direction again.
In just a matter of weeks, you could see the following:
Look, all of these things are well within your reach.
The problem is, there is something holding you back from reaching them.
In many cases, it is a simple TECHNIQUE FIX that makes all of the difference.
I have seen people increase a full gripper size increase in crushing strength by making technical adjustments alone. In other words, jumping from the COC #1 to the #2, and even from missing on a #2 to routinely closing the #2.5.
In other cases, the lifter may in fact be doing TOO MUCH WORK and they are UNABLE TO RECOVER well enough to make noticeable gains.
Nothing is more frustrating than when you know you are busting your butt in the gym, only to see very little in return.
If the problem has to do with VOLUME, we will be able to iron all that out through our weekly training updates and bi-weekly coaching calls.
In other cases, you may not be familiar with the established drills that have the biggest impact on the grip goals you have. You may not realize how much you are not aware of – TOGETHER, we can change that.
You may have a weakness that is holding you back. Weak wrists are an INFAMOUS progress killer. In other cases, your thumb may be so weak it is crumbling on you when you need it the most.
These are the kinds of things we can only sort out through direct one-on-one conversation, and that is what the Grip Task Force is all about.
Now’s the time to take control of your training.
Let’s end 2014 with a BANG by working toward your Grip Strength Goals TOGETHER.
Join me today…
Expect an email back from me when you sign up…
Can’t wait to get started
Jedd
