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Eventually you get to what I call the Owen Hart Point.
This is where you finally feel like “Enough is Enough and It’s Time for a Change.”
That’s where I was this summer, and 5 months later, I’m 20lbs lighter.
All the best in your training.
NAPALM
I couldn’t believe the contraction I was feeling in these when I tried them.
All the best in your training.
NAPALM
Video #2 in the #31DaysOfQnA
Video #1 in the #3aDaysofQnA
I’m often asked by readers and viewers what is the best way to get started with Oldtime Feats of Strength, like bending and tearing things.
There’s one single feat of strength that I believe you should begin with…
First off, feats of strength require you to be able to produce tremendous pressure with the hands, so you should begin with something that checks that box.
Next, aside from being able to latch onto something hard with your hands, you also need to be able to make what you’re bending or tearing do what you want it to.
You have to be able to overcome whatever it is that you’re working on, so this introductory feat has to involve movement as well as the tension requirement
On top of all that, your first feat challenge needs to test you mentally. Often, when trying to bend or tear something, your mind gives up long before you hands do or your body does.
So you can’t just start bending paper clips or wire hangers. There’s gotta be some sort of mental challenge to it.
Finally, and I think this is something that a lot of new feat fanatics forget about, is there needs to be a low level of risk involved. This way, you don’t hurt yourself, and screw up not only your new hobby, but also all the other strength training and other strength goals you have.
For instance, it’s really easy to go overboard with steel bending, or pop something in your shoulder, because of the increased levels of strain.
As a bonus, it’s nice if the thing you’re starting off with is fairly affordable and easy to get, so you’re not blowing through paychecks and combing the edges of the internet trying to find some rare stock to work with.
So with all these factors considered, I believe the perfect feat for you to start out with is CARD TEARING.
Card Tearing teaches you not only about the application of force from your hands into the cards, but also how you can direct this force into the deck at various angles.
Once you learn this, it’s a much easier jump to bending nails, steel bars, horse shoes, etc.
Before you know it, you’re bending and tearing everything in sight!
While it may not seem so, tearing cards also requires mental fortitude, because it isn’t by any means easy, and you have to push yourself to complete the tear.
Finally, cards are available EVERYWHERE! From the local super market, to the various dollar stores, to ebay, casinos, and more – decks of cards are constantly at your fingertips.
For all these reasons, and probably more that I’m not thinking of, if you’re thinking about getting started with oldtime feats of strength, your best bet is Card Tearing, and I’ll show you everything you need to know in my ebook, the Card Tearing System
Thanks and all the best in your training.
NAPALM
P.S. If you’re not sure if you’re strong enough to start tearing cards, don’t worry – I got you covered with an extensive exercise index in my Card Tearing eBook Grab Your Copy Today!!!
The 2021 version of August of Arms is going to be completely INSANE!
It’s gonna be the best time you’ve had training all year long, and the 31 Most INTENSE Days of Your LIFE!
If you’re ready to take on the challenge, put your info in the box below.
This will ensure you’re among the FIRST ONES on the list who get access to August of Arms 2021!
Hey DIESELS!
Today, I’m going to share with you one of the Finishers from the 2021 August of Arms Program – it’s one I came up with years ago, and I just recently added it back into my program.
This is called Rope Curl-ups, and yesterday I did these with more weight than I ever have.
It’s nice to know that all the Arm Training I’ve been doing has paid off in MORE STRENGTH.
Soon, it will be time to make these things SWELL UP BIGGER THAN EVER!
The 2021 version of August of Arms is going to be completely INSANE!
It’s gonna be the best time you’ve had training all year long, and the 31 Most INTENSE Days of Your LIFE!
If you’re ready to take on the challenge, put your info in the box below to make sure you’re the FIRST ONES on the list who get access to August of Arms 2021!
I can’t wait to do this program, and I hope you’re just as excited as well.
Thanks and all the best in your training!
NAPALM
Men’s Overall Standings
Position – Competitor Name – Total Points – Flask Points – Crusher Points – Grab Ball Points – Little Big Horn Points
1 – Tanner Merkle – 18.5 – 13.5 – 3 – 1 – 1 = “THE KING KONG OF GRIP”
2 – Jesse Pynnönen – 29 – 1 – 8 – 18 – 2
3 – Carl Myerscough – 32 – 17 – 1 – 3 – 11
4 – Jedd Johnson – 39 – 2 – 17 – 7 – 13
5 – Harri Tolonen – 39.5 – 5 – 4 – 10 – 20.5
6 – Arto Joronen – 41.5 – 3 – 10 – 8 – 20.5
7 – Gilbert Goodman – 42 – 11 – 14 – 12 – 5
8 – Luke Raymond – 47 – 4 – 35 – 5 – 3
9 – Joel Dircks – 51 – 10 – 5 – 13 – 23
10 – Pupchenko Ivan – 52 – 7 – 11 – 25 – 9
Complete results can be found here: https://www.gripboard.com/index.php?/topic/53144-2020-international-king-kong-grip-challenge-results/
<h1>King Kong Videos</h1>
<h2>Flask</h2>
<h2>2.25″ Crusher</h2>
<h2>Grab Ball</h2>
<h2>Little Big Horn</h2>
<h2>My Review of the Comp</h2>
Thanks for watching!
All the best in your training.
NAPALM
Thank you to the new sponsor of the 2020 Wyalusing King Kong venue, GRIPSTRENGTH.com
Please check them out for outstanding products and resources, including many of my own, soon to be listed for sale there.
Thank you for your support!
All the best in your training,
NAPALM
Today, I’ve got a quick post for you, sharing some Dynamic Band Training that I tried out recently. I really enjoyed them, so I thought they might be good things for you to try if you’re looking to mix things up.
Curls with Weights Hanging from Bands
First up is curling weights that are suspended from bands. What a great contraction in the biceps, and an excellent pump!
Presses with Bambooish Bar
Somewhere along the lines I landed this replica of a Bamboo Bar. I don’t know why I don’t use it more often, because it feels great. Not the exact same thing, but offers a similar challenge. With about 50% of the weight I generally use, I was able to give my joints a much needed break while getting an even better pump, I’d say.
On this day, we hit 3 sets of Flat Bench, 3 sets of Incline Bench and 3 sets of Standing Press. Like I said, it was a fantastic pump. I’ll definitely be using more of this in the coming weeks, sprinkled in like special seasoning.
I hope you liked today’s post. If you’d like to try out more of my training methods, check out some of the product I offer, here: Jedd’s Complete Catalog
Also, might I suggest, Nuclear November <=Click Here
All the best in your training,
NAPALM
I know I’m way behind schedule with this, but I still want to put it up.
The last couple of years, I have had a really hard time finding the time to update my websites, because my gym and online coaching businesses keep me very busy. I really want to do a better job of that this year.
So, let’s get the countdown rolling!
20.Sledge Hammer Finger Walk Challenge for Reddit Grip Training 731 Views
This was one of the challenges on the Grip Training subreddit last year, so we gave it a run. I have no idea where this put us or who ended up winning, but it’s a great drill to put into your program for hand recovery, in my opinion, so that made it worthwhile to go heavy and hard on it.
19. This Week in Grip Episode 90 – Which Rolling Handle is the Best? 744 Views
We try to mix it up on the This Week in Grip podcast with a show just on a certain type of training method or tool, and that’s what we did in Episode 90 of This Week in Grip.
18. Homicide Bell – PULLED OFF THE GROUND 752 Views
This was the first time I ever was able to get the Homicide Bell off the floor. This is one of the hardest thick bar challenge bells in the world. I’ve only been able to fully deadlift it on one day.
17. TWIG – Episode 100 – Surprise Guests, Jujimufu & Tom (Part 1) 759 Views
This show surprised me. With such an extremely large following on YouTube, I expected this show to get a lot more views than it did. Not sure what happened, but only Juji called in for the show. Tom didn’t make it, but he was supposed to and I never heard from either of them about what happened.
16. Best Exercise for Forearm Development 774 Views
This is the first video on the countdown that was shot during the 31 Days of QnA on my channel. While I don’t have real big forearms, I feel this is the way to go to build them and I would do this regularly if forearm size ever became a bigger priority than forearm and grip strength.
15. Homicide Bell: LIFTED! 762 Views
This is probably one of my biggest PR’s in a long, long time. It’s hard to describe how tough this dumbbell is, but I can wrap it up in one sentence: I’ve never been able to break this more than a couple inches off the floor again.
14. Barbell Curl Max Attempts with Globe Gripz 770 Views
Evan trains with me in my classes at the gym, and has become very very strong, especially at Grip. But, I had to remind him who the Champion is in a little Max Effort Curl comp last year.
13. 18 Year Old Evan Norton Lifts The Blob (see description) 790 Views
Like I said, this Big Fella, Evan, is strong and has a great grip on him, especially for Block Weights and other wide pinch implements.
12.The Arm Assassin Challenge Bell – 207lb Inch-Millennium Bridge Dumbbell 794 Views
Several years ago, Luke and I put in some money and got some thick bar challenge bells made, that we called the Death Grip Bells. They had a 2.59″ handle and are very tough to lift. The Homicide Bell, which appears in a couple videos up the page is one of the Death Grip Bells. Well, we wanted to make something that was more of a trainer for the Millennium Dumbbell, and we got this piece made from one of the previous Death Grip Bells we had.
11. This Week in Grip – Episode 83 – Larry Wheels 793 Views
I never would have guessed that the Larry Wheels episode of This Week in Grip would out-perform the Jujimufu video. Maybe it’s because in the LW video, the thumbnail is an Inch Dumbbell Lift and in the Juji video it’s the Iron Grip Monster, who knows.
10 Jedd Johnson – 50lb Dumbbell Farmers Walk – 400+ Meters 840 Views
One day this past summer, Mark Nolan, a CrossFit Box owner, tagged me in a challenge post from another CrossFit page. The challenge was to walk as far around a track as possible carrying a pair of dumbbells. I forget what the minimum dumbbell set was, but I know you had to go at least once around the track. I also remember that a big reason why I had to set the dumbbells down was because my anterior tibialis muscles were on fire and truly killing me. Another challenge I took part in where I never saw who ended up winning the cash money, which was supposed to be like $1000 or something like that.
9. Jedd’s Thoughts on John Brookfield’s Books 802 Views
This one was a response to a question I got on my YouTube Channel. These books were basically how I got my start and helped me out. They are certainly a good starting point, although if you want even better information, your best bet is http://www.thegripauthority.com
8. Dumbbell Curl Test: 100lb Dumbbell Curls 883 Views
Not really sure when I tried this, but seeing it makes me want to try it again!
7. How Big Are Napalm’s Hands? | Jedd Johnson Hand Size 918 Views
This is a question I get all the time, so I figured I would go ahead and get it on video for those interested. If you’ve got some time to waste, check out some of the hater discussions in the comment sections, especially those from Chris Stuart, Bamboo Training, Mentally Challenged Training, and there might even be some good ones from CE Parks. Enjoy.
6. Why Doesn’t Jedd Arm Wrestle? 932 Views
Dude, this is another question I get all the time, especially since I put up decent numbers in Barbell & Dumbbells Curls, plus my Grip Strength abilities. So, I just went ahead and addressed it on video.
5. How Often to Train the Grip and Forearms 932 Views
I think most beginning Grip Trainees make their training too hard at first, or think there’s some magic bullet method for training your grip, but in reality there is not.
4. 80lb Dumbbell Curls 960 Views
Every so often I like to just grab some fairly heavy dumbbells and start curling to see what I can get. One time last year, I did this and was able to get 5 per arm, with the last one on the right being very very ugly.
3. This Week in Grip Ep 93 – Rob Vigeant & Big Hand Stories 1065 Views
Rob Vigeant was one of the best Grip Sportists in the early 2000’s and I’m sure he still would be today if he hadn’t made the switch over to full time wrestling. This show was very fun. Rob tells some good stories and his delivery is very humorous.
2. 200lb Kettlebell Swings 1492 Views
For whatever reason, people just love watching me swing this Kettlebell. Somehow, even though this video is the 2nd most popular of everything I posted last year, I didn’t get too many comments saying I was doing the Swing movement wrong, since I was only going as high as my rib cage, as opposed to pulling it way up over my head, CrossFitStyle.
1. Strongest Man in History | Old York 45s Pinch Discussion 3227 Videos
And here it is, the most popular video of the year on my Channel. Some will say it is the most popular due to the controversial nature of what I’m discussing. Others will say that it got the most views because I have the name of the TV Show that Brian Shaw, Eddie Hall, Nick Best and Robert Oberst are on in the title. But really, the reason it is so popular is because of the awesome highlights in my hair.
Diesels, thanks so much for watching the Countdown.
My apologies for taking so long. I’m not kidding when I say I am beyond busy with my gym and my online coaching pogram. However, it is my intention to get back to business on my online ventures and that means more posts here at DieselCrew.com, more activity at TheGripAuthority.com, and more products being released.
Stay tuned for more and in the meantime, all the best in your training.
NAPALM
Man, I really thought I had it…
I thought victory #2 at King Kong was mine.
I knew I had the new Flask World Record all wrapped up, which I hoped would be good enough for a big point advantage.
I knew my Crusher was at an all-time high, and once seeing how different Joe Sullivan’s Crusher was, I knew I would be getting a much higher number than what I got in training.
The Moon Top was where I was going to slide in the standings, but I was nearing 50lbs in training before developing some sensitivity in my right middle finger.
And I thought for sure I was going to get 300lbs on the Jug, as I made gains every workout for like 4 weeks straight or something like that.
Here’s some footage of a couple big lifts prior to King Kong:
As you can see, the strength was there on those two lifts. Unfortunately, despite the different model of Crusher giving me a nearly 25-lb boost in strength, I failed twice on 290, after succeeding at 280. I also screwed up the score sheet and didn’t report my lift of 50lbs on the Moon Top. Had I done that right and gotten 283 or 284, I would have been King Kong of Grip in 2018 and been the first man to win twice.
It just wasn’t in the cards.
But all that aside, my training was on point.
And if you’d like to try out what I was doing, it’s all in the King Kong Grip Challenge 2018 Workout Plan.
This went on sale in August, and it is almost exactly what I did.
So if you’d like to try it out and see where it can take you, you can pick it up by clicking here: Buy the 2018 King Kong of Grip Workouts.
All the best in your training!
“Napalm” Jedd Johnson
Time to get caught up a little bit on This Week in Grip.
Incidentally, I created a Playlist for the Podcast, so if you’re new to the show, you can start right from the beginning and get caught up: This Week in Grip Complete Playlist
Episode 66 – Hand Shake Power & Rich Williams’ 560 Axle
Episode 67 – Joe Sullivan and the Cross Canada Grip Challenge
Episode 68 – Follow Up on Rich W & What’s the Deal with Plate Flipping?
Episode 69 – Jujimufu & Tom Visit
Episode 70 – What is the Inch Dumbbell???
All the best in your training.
Jedd
I’ve had my eye on a few goals this year, along the lines of grip strength feats.
The biggest one, I crossed off my list earlier this month – the Inch Dumbbell Clean.
I also recently was successful for the first time pinching 2x25kg plates.
Well, I took that one a little further, but doing a combo feat with the Inch Dumbbell, as well.
Training has been going very well, and I am very thankful. Probably 95% of my work has been dedication to King Kong. Luckily, the events have lined up well with the extracurricular feats I’ve been working on as well.
Now, it is Deload time, in preparation for King Kong.
If everything goes well, I will hit some PR’s on the King Kong events.
And maybe even go for some other cool feats, once the competition is out of the way.
How’s your training going?
Feel free to leave a comment below to let us know where you’re at, as the year winds down.
All the best in your training.
Jedd
If you think the Pistol Squat is tough, well you haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen the Dragon Pistol!
Below is a guest article from Logan Christopher covering this mighty move.
-NAPALM-
I used to think that the pistol squat was the ultimate in bodyweight leg training. But I was fortunate to be introduced to a number of other one-legged squat variations from Al Kavadlo. One of these is the Dragon Pistol Squat.
The Dragon Pistol is one of the coolest looking one-legged squat moves. It’s also somewhat confusing the first time you try it. The free leg wraps around and underneath the working leg, requiring a good amount of active flexibility to hold it up off the ground.
Here it is as seen from the front:
And the side:
In addition to stretching your arms forward so that you don’t fall backwards, since the free leg is going slightly out to the side, you also need to lean your torso away from that leg. Also pay attention to the fact that you can get the leg fully extended, but still not be quite in the rock-bottom position.
As you become used to the position you can use your hands on the floor to help you find the balance. Simply holding the bottom position of the dragon pistol is a useful way to build up the ability. This is the hardest part, though transferring into and out of this position is not so easy either.
Give it a try and see how you do…
That’s how you do it, but how do you train for it? Enter the Assisted Dragon Pistol.
The best way to get started in doing the dragon pistol is to do the Assisted Dragon Pistol. In this, you use the opposite side arm to grab onto the free leg. I find it best to just grab onto the big toe, though you may find a different position that is more comfortable to you.
You hold onto the foot for the entire movement. This means you start out with the knee bent and behind you, kind of like a reverse figure-4. By holding onto the foot, you can support the active flexibility that is needed in helping to keep it aloft.
Get good at the assisted dragon pistol, while also working on regular dragon pistol holds in the bottom position and you should be able to accomplish the full move in no time.
This is an advanced move and you may or may not be ready to go for it. I’m guessing that maybe one out of 50 or so it. The good news is that it’s also just one of many squat variations (both two-legged and one) that you can find inside of The Ultimate Guide to Bodyweight Squats and Pistols 2nd Edition.
If you want much more on training the Dragon Pistol, normal Pistols, all kinds of bodyweight squats and more then check it out here
This course is absolutely amazing. I never even considered how far you could take the bodyweight squat, but Logan Christopher has taken it ALL THE WAY. Check it out today and grab this newly updated edition!
-NAPALM-
Lately lots of viewers on my YouTube Channel have been asking lots of great questions in the comments section of my videos.
I love it!
I have a whole list that continues to grow and I plan on answering all of them.
Here’s the first of many…
Check Out My Complete Diesel Crew Product Catalog
Join My Grip Instructional Site
Become a Member of My Grip Coaching Program
On 10/2/18, I became, to the best of my knowledge, the 5th or possibly the 6th man in modern times, and perhaps ever to Clean the Inch Dumbbell to his shoulder in one movement from the floor. The term “Clean” infers that no part of the body aside from the one hand and grip strength are used to pull the dumbbell to the shoulder-catch position.
There have been 2 other men that I know of who have done this for sure: Mark Henry and Laine Snook. Ryan Green and Rich Williams have also pulled it to their shoulder, but in Ryan’s case the bell hit his chest first slightly and in Rich’s case the bell his his hip crease.
To me, both of those feats are legit cleans, and I respect all these men for what they have done. I also seem to remember there was someone else who performed a Clean of the Inch Dumbbell, with either no contact with the body, or only incidental contact, but my mind is drawing a blank.
I encourage everyone who watches this video to subscribe to my channel and hit the bell for notifications about future videos.
Also, please share this video with your friends, on your favorite forum, or put it up on your preferred social media platform.
For more information on the Inch Dumbbell, please check out these links…
Buy an Inch Dumbbell here: Where to buy an Inch Dumbbell
Buy my DVD that shows you how to train to lift the Inch Dumbbell: Inch Dumbbell DVD
Join my grip strength instructional site and invest in yourself and your training, for the best grip strength information in the world: The Grip Authority Membership Site
Here is the second video from Jujimufu and Tom Boyden, when they visited PEAK Strength and Fitness recently.
In this one, we do a bunch of Grip Training Feats, and many of them were firsts or best performances ever.
This one is definitely a must see, because there were so many PR’s.
Are you training to Tear Phone Books?
Are you shooting to Lift the Inch Dumbbell?
Then pick up the products that will lead you to these 2 awesome feats. Click the banners below.
All the best in your training!
Jedd
Jujimufu and Tom Boyden visited PEAK Strength and Fitness last week and we helped them out with their grip technique. Especially on Grippers, technique is a major factor. This is evidenced by the fact that Juji was able to close a #3 gripper for the first time ever, after we covered gripper technique with him.
They took a bunch of footage and put out the first video last night. Check it out:
I can’t put enough emphasis on the importance of technique for Grippers. If you aren’t doing it right, you’re holding yourself back.
The absolute best resources for Gripper Training are below. Grab one today, and get ready to close bigger grippers almost instantly:
CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination
The Must-Have Gripper Video for ANYONE Serious about their Gripper Training
Operation: Gripper Certification
Training to certify on the #3 Gripper, guys? Then you need to watch this video with Paul Knight, one of the best gripper guys in the USA.
Cadenced Based Gripper Training
Want an 8-week program, designed to build your gripper strength the way you’d build your Bench, Squat or Deadlift? Then you need this!
The Push and Crush Workout
Want to spice things up in the weight room a little bit? Try combining your gripper work with your upper body training to break through plateaus –
Full Sweep Crush Builder Is it time to specialize on the credit card set for a while? This workout helps build your crush strength by intensely working on the longer gripper stroke.
In this video, NAPALM answers the question, “Do grippers get weaker over time, with use?” Many gripper guys and gals have asked me this and it’s a reasonable enough questions. So, does the gripper “season” and get easier? Will the spring weaken and make it easier to close the gripper over time? Will the spread of the gripper eventually narrow, and make closing the gripper easier? Or will the gripper get HARDER to close over time? All of this is explained in today’s quick Grip Strength QnA video.
GRIPPER RESOURCES:
CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination
The Must-Have Gripper Video for ANYONE Serious about their Gripper Training
Operation: Gripper Certification
Training to certify on the #3 Gripper, guys? Then you need to watch this video with Paul Knight, one of the best gripper guys in the USA.
Cadenced Based Gripper Training
Want an 8-week program, designed to build your gripper strength the way you’d build your Bench, Squat or Deadlift? Then you need this!
The Push and Crush Workout
Want to spice things up in the weight room a little bit? Try combining your gripper work with your upper body training to break through plateaus –
Full Sweep Crush Builder Is it time to specialize on the credit card set for a while? This workout helps build your crush strength by intensely working on the longer gripper stroke.
Is there a magic number you have to hit on the Rolling Thunder to be guaranteed you’ll lift the Inch Dumbbell? Is it a 1-to-1 relationship? And does the Rolling Thunder even work well for preparing you to Lift the Inch Dumbbell?
I cover all of this and more in today’s videos:
For more grip strength QnA Videos, be sure to subscribe to my channel here: Jedd Johnson on YouTube.
I got a very interesting question recently, where a YouTube viewer wanted to know if my Grip might be stronger than Brian Shaw’s. I answer this and cover similar thoughts in the video below:
Want to Learn to Lift Atlas Stones?
Check Out This DVD:
Stone Lifting Fundamentals DVD
What’s up DIESELS!
I hope you’re training is going awesome.
During July, I got a wild hair to try Dragon Flags.
The Dragon Flag is the sick core exercise that Silvester Stallone does in Rocky 4 lying on a table. It always looked so stinking hard, I’ve never really tried it.
However, I decided to give it a whirl a few weeks back, and to my surprise, I was
actually pretty close to pulling one off!
I enlisted the help of a former coaching client in the Grip Task Force, Rick Geise. Rick is AWESOME at Dragon Flags and can do them with LOTS of extra weight added to his ankles. Cray man!
Well, after just a couple weeks, I’ve gone from doing singles from the top position, to doing doubles from the top
position, and 2 Saturdays, I was even able to accomplish this: Click Here to See Jedd’s Dragon Flag Progress
To give you an idea of how hard this was, after doing this set of Dragon Flag practice, I did a hold for time on the
Crusher, and I ended up getting a bloody nose, for the first time ever, in training.
The crimson flow wasn’t enough to put a damper on my excitement for pulling off this feat.
Recently, after my buddy, Mike Rinderle, talked to me about producing maximum tension in the glutes, I was able to pull off 5 of them!!
It’s been fun pursuing this goal, and I look forward to perfecting it even more.
I can tell you without a doubt – if I hadn’t had guidance from Rick Giese, I’d be nowhere near where I’m at now with these.
Having direction from someone who’s been there makes all the difference, allows you to make fewer mistakes and waste more time, and get to your goals even faster than you ever thought possible!
I’m a core strength amateur, to be honest.
But, I know how to coach people who want stronger hands and a better grip.
If you want help in your Grip Strength training, let’s put our heads together and jump-start your progress.
Join me in the Grip Task Force <= Click Here I've got room for 3 more people right now, so if you want in, now is the time. All the best in your training. Jedd
If you’ve been around my newsletter or my YouTube Channel for any amount of time, then you know I hate training methods that are a waste of time.
I mean, I want every single drill you do to mean something.
I want every exercise you do in the gym to get you closer to your goals.
And if it doesn’t help you out, then I think you should totally scrap it from your training.
One drill I thin everyone should drop like a bad habit is Blob and Block Weight Drags.
This is when you take a grip on your goal Blob, tilt it to the side and pull it along the floor.
To me, this is a complete waste of your valuable grip training time, because it takes emphasis away from your thumb and puts it on the fingers and wrists.
Doesn’t it make more sense to build thumb strength in order to lift the Blob?
Plus the “Force vectors” don’t match up, because in order to lift the Blob you need to pull it vertically. With dragging, you’re pulling it along the ground.
Doesn’t it make more sense to build strength lifting the Blob upwards, rather than across the floor?
Sure, if you work your Blob for a year or 2 with dragging, you might get it, eventually.
But wouldn’t you rather accomplish your goal quicker than that?
When it comes to Blob training, you need to focus on work that keeps the emphasis on the thumb and forces you to pull the Blob upwards. That’s why I feel that Deloading methods are the absolute best ways to train to lift the Blob or other Block Weights.
To see some of my absolute FAVORITE ways to Deload the Blob/Block Weights, pick up my ebook, LIFT THE BLOB, today.
I guarantee you will lift the blob or your other goal block weight FASTER if you get this ebook.
All the best in your training.
Jedd
P.S. There’s no resource on the planet that can touch Lift the Blob. Grab this ebook today and start forging your path to becoming a Blob Lifter.
This quick video shows you how we’re running the Northeast Grip Challenge in Syracuse, NY, on July 7, 2018.
Finally catching up on This Week in Grip Episodes
This week, we interview Luke Raymond, the 2018 North American Grip Sport Overall Champion
This week, I cover some of the biggest feats from the month of June, cover some big announcements from Grip Sport International, and talk about a competition I’ll be running in Syracuse on July 21.
This week we sit down with Mike Rinderle and he shared information from his experience with Rhabdomyolisis. We also talk about the history of the IronMind Captains of Crush Certification.
I’ve gotten lots of questions recently about the Captains of Crush Certification, and how it works. Many viewers have asked about the process for getting certified on the Captains of Crush grippers, as well as the Red Nail. They want to know if they can film a close and send it in, or if they can use their own gripper or buy it from CPW, so I give my experience with it, based on what my coaching clients and friends have had to do in order to get certified by IronMind.
In today’s video, I cover all of that, to help set you in the right direction, once you’re ready to cert.
If the Captains of Crush Certification is on your list of goals this year, then you need this DVD, that I put together with Paul Knight, one of the best gripper guys in the United States: Operation: Gripper Certification
Sorry for skipping over these. I was so proud of Luke for winning NAGS this year, I forgot to post the rest of the catch-up episodes that I had missed. They are below:
I am starting up a new list, devoted solely to communicating when the next sanctioned Grip Contests are taking place. I am contacted all the time by people wanting to know, and this will be the easiest way to keep everyone informed.
All you need to do is put your information in the boxes below and I will send you notifications when the next contests are scheduled, and when other important grip contest news becomes available.
Do you know anyone else who would like to stay up to date about upcoming competitions? If so, please share this post with them, and have them add their email in, as well.
Thanks and all the best in your training.
Jedd
Here’s a write-up from 2018 North American Grip Sport Absolute Champion, Luke Raymond, 93kg weight class
Well to start I definitely did not think that I was going to win at the start of the day with Eric Roussin and fellow Canadians including Justin Major and Tom Bryson I was hoping to sneak into the top 3 overall.
To start the day I woke up at 4:15am super anxious for the contest which is normal if anyone knows me. My weight was somewhere near 205 but wasn’t too concerned whether i would be in the 93k or 105k class so i ate a small bowl of oatmeal and drank a creatine drink. I had a bunch of stuff I needed to load in my truck and planned on being at the gym early to help Jedd setup what he didn’t have done. After the 50 minute drive there it was 7:45 and only Jedd and Nigel were there. This was my first time meeting Nigel but following him on IG and FB I feel like I already knew him. After messing around with the two different scales we realized they were both about 1 lb over after checking them with the calibrated plates so we were both good for our respected weight classes. After getting everything settled in an people slowly coming in I relaized there must be something in the water in Canada that makes the people grow bigger because their smallest guy was over 6’ tall and the lightest Dan Fleming is a grip monster.
Chez had put together a list of the USA team for each event and after going through it, the lineup was set and knowing it was going to take some serious lifts to surpass the team from up north.
Event 1- Grippers– I hadn’t been able to train heavy grippers R handed due to injurying my R middle finger when chalking the hub in the Armlifting Contest in Philly (yeah quite the way to injure your finger); so I was unsure how I would do and I was hoping I could get 1-2 decent closes RH on the first two attempts and then if I had to go LH. First attempt I decided to go fairly high with a 155 and smashed it closed, immediate sharp pain in my finger but dissipated enough for me to try 160; close but no cigar. Next attempt I took LH and wasnt close and final attempt RH again no close. Finger held up enough to get me where I was hoping to end up.
Event 2- Euro Pinch – Last contest I was training and consistently pulling 227+ training but wasn’t able to reproduce those numbers in contest. This event I didnt even train Euro specifically instead training flask and IM blockbuster so I was unsure where I was going end up especially since tearing on my last flask session. Warming up I felt pretty good and was able to a few singles at 216 lbs on the warmup implement but is much more seasoned. After hitting my first two attempts at 203 and 208, Rob and I decided to jump up to 218 and both of us unsuccessful.
Event 3- 60mm Napalms Nightmare – thickbar has always been where I lag behind compared to the other elite 93k people and this was no different. I started light at 323 and took my next three attempts at 333, 338, and 348 all successful. The three thickbar giants from Canada still hadn’t even started; Eric, Justin, and Tom. I wasn’t paying full attention but I believe Tom finished around 380-390 and the Eric and Justin at 412. Justin was frustrated as he had pulled 430+ in training which is just unreal strength for both guys. I knew at this point I was close to the top 3, after figuring out the scoring I was indeed 3rd place behind Justin and Eric and felt I had a possibility of moving up based on the medley and wrist roller event.
Event 4- Medley – based on the items and the weights I was hoping to coming in at 53-56/60 but trying to determine the order to which I could maximize the points without fatiguing and failing on items I would normally lift is that planning part of the medley that makes it challenging. Knowing fatigued I wouldn’t be able to lift the 160lb crusher or the fatman blob those were the first two items I did. I was able to get everything I wanted except the 50lb inverted DB which I ended up with 55/60 which was the winning score wit the next highest being 51/60. After this event Eric and I were tied for first and Justin close behind.
Event 5- Wrist Roller – Ive had success with wrost roller events in the past and Jedd and I tried to figure out an appropriate weight that would lead to about a 40% success rate for the competitors and came up with 115lbs added to the sled. So 130lbs, 34’ and 60 secs was the course. As contestants went through the first competitor to finish was Nick Carigan (Canada) and then 3-4 more competitors coming in around 51-54 secs. Then in third place Justin Major sets a blazing fast pace with 39 secs with Eric and I still to go. In my head I now have to see how Eric does but also have to be able to stay within a few seconds of Justin to win the overall. Eric came up 2ft short of finishing and now I had to pick up my game as this was mine to win. No one else to help and all on me, I win or lose it’s all me. Prior to my attempt my anxiety was kicking in, heart rate was elevated, a little shortness of breath; so after chalking up I decided I would set a timer on my phone for 75 secs and when it said 60 I would start. As I am going I am focusing my eyes on the rope as it is winding on the wrist roller and nothing else, I could hear people yelling including Adam with the time but couldn’t decipher the words and the first time I looked up the sled was about 6’ from the line and I kept cranking on it until it crossed the line and looked at my phone which said 25 sec remaining so I had finished it in 35 secs and then In the excitement and couple yells I realized I had won my first overall contest and just happened to be NAGS.
Jedd had informed me that Brad Martin the gym owner had donated a prize for the overall winner and to find out it was a genuine replica of the 1988 Winged Eagle WWF Championship belt was truly badass.
It was a pleasure not only being in one of the closest grip contests but also competing with a bunch of new people that I had only ever seen on social media including; Nigel, Vinnie, Tom B (who made the trip from western Canada), Justin M, Nick C, and Bernie. Not to mention everyone that I had previously met an competed with. I look forward to many years to come and hopefully team USA can bring the team championship back!
Today’s guest post is from Nigel Blackburn, 66kg competitor from the 2018 North American Grip Sport Championship, which was held on June 2, 2018, at Titan Strength, in Elmira New York. Nigel is a virtual coaching client of mine in the Grip Task Force, and put this post together, reflecting back on his performance…
I’ll start off with a little background before the competition:
I come from a strength training background. I was a competitive powerlifter who also messed around with a few strongman events. Powerlifting inevitably became a “chore.” I didn’t look forward to training, which is always my favorite part of the day. I started brainstorming and realized that grip, to me, is the most fun thing to train. When I get into a hobby, I REALLY get into a hobby. I contacted @Jedd Johnson about getting serious about grip, and we started working together. In January, we started discussing possible opportunities to compete; we both agreed that NAGS 2018 was the way to go. I weighed about 158 at the time, so I hit the qualifying numbers for the 74kg class, but I knew 66kg was attainable (my previous powerlifting weight class). I was given the green light, so I booked a hotel and got my flight from Florida to Elmira.
Fast forward a few months:
After a full day of traveling, I made it to Elmira. My meals consisted on protein bars, unsalted cashews, and a small amount of water. I have always had a lot of anxiety about weight class sports. Making weight is something that scares me. After a poor night of sleep, it was game day. Jedd picked me up and drove me to the gym a few hours early. I had about 3 hours until comp time, and I was damn near ready to get it going. I made weight–not by much. It was a figurative sigh of relief. Weight was taken care of (66kg); now I could shift my focus to the competition. I had the pleasure of meeting and talking to all the competitors, which was great! Everyone was friendly and supportive–surely a nice change of pace from the near-toxic level of competition I have experienced in other sports. Time was flying; before long, it was go time!
The first event was a 20-mm block set close. This event worried me because I had discovered very close to the competition that the block I had been using was closer to 19mm. I ended up packing a Jenga block of all things. I was a tidbit wider than 20mm, but I was set on using my own block so I could place it in my teeth for a super quick transition into the block set. Once it was announced that the lightest weight class starts it off, a fire was lit; that meant I was the first person to take an attempt. Immediately my nervousness transitioned into laser-sharp focus. A deep breath, and I was off. I started off with a BB rated at 130. The set felt spongy and easy, I quickly transitioned and slid the block through, and crushed the first attempt. I was off to a hot start and confidence was high. My goal was to close a gripper rated at my bodyweight, so my sights were set on the 145. My confidence got the best of me for my next attempt. I took a big jump and missed the 140. No worries. My third attempt, I got the 135, but not very convincingly. I ended up fumbling around with the block set and had trouble opening it wide enough. The fourth and last attempt crept up on me, and I retried the 140; close but no cigar. I was admittedly a little discouraged as I closed much heavier in training, but it seemed like everyone had a rough gripper day, so I couldn’t be too mad. Regardless, the 135 gave me a WR by a wide margin, shattering the previous 115 in my weight class (although it was not contested many times).
The 2HP was next. I had my number in mind: 172. 172 would break the recently set WR. I was really thrown for a loop here, as I ended up unintentionally halting the competition as I was trying to find out exactly what I needed. I felt like I was inconveniencing everyone and felt a little embarrassed as a result. After hitting 160 convincingly, I attempted 173, which was the closest it could get to 172. I broke 173 off the floor, but I couldn’t lock it out. Not only would this be a WR but also a 10-lbs PR. I was visibly frustrated, but I tried it again. This time, no budge. Hindsight bias really got into my head here. I knew I could’ve gotten 170 and posted a better number, but I got greedy.
The Napalm Nightmare followed shortly after. My goal was the hit around 260. I knew this would likely be my worst event, and I was right. I hit my opener at 235, and it went downhill from there. Despite hitting 238×4 in training, I couldn’t get 245 on my next 3 attempts. I was actually just happy I didn’t bomb out on this event.
The medley room was a sensory overload–12 objects in 90 seconds. I never got to practice medley because I ended up resting about a week and a half before the meet to mend up a few aches and skin tears. Once the timer started, I moved quick and efficiently. I had a plan, and I executed very well. I made two huge mistakes, one of which I did not even notice until after: I forgot the anvil completely and did not lift the crusher. The clip on the Crusher got stuck on the loading pin, so I skipped it and came back at the end. By that time I was gassed and failed to lift it. Rookie mistakes, undeniably.
Last event: the dreaded wrist roller. I can’t write much about this. It was honestly a blur, and I’m 100% convinced I have already repressed the memory. All I can tell you is made it about 26 feet and my forearms nearly exploded. So, yeah…. that’s all I have to say about that.
Initially, I was very disappointed in my performance. I took gold and set a modest WR, but my main goals remained unachieved. I then gave it some though. This was my first ever grip competition–WHO CARES. It was that simple. I’m 23 years old, and I just finished my first competition. My main goal was to get my feet wet and experience what gripsport is all about; I did just that. I also got the meet the community–every single person I met was kind, encouraging, and well-spoken. I had competed and had a blast doing it. With that being said, I would consider NAGS 2018 is be a great success and a day I won’t forget. I’m already looking forward to all my future competitions where I will get to meet more people and run back into the great people I have met. I would list everyone out, but I feel this post is already way too long as is.
My Note to Nigel: I thought you did awesome my man.
Grippers can get sketchy in a hurry, bro. And like you saw, lots of people were having trouble, despite the fact that they had all be freshly cleaned and the springs oiled. What is great is that you had complete command of the gripper, the set, the block, etc. I was happy to see all that.
On the Pinch, don’t ever think you’re holding the contest up by verifying a number for a record. That is part of the game, ever since weight classes were instituted. I think for most people, it actually adds to the excitement and suspense, that someone has a big number in mind to break, and they want to pay attention more and witness the whole thing.
On the Nightmare, I think it could have had something to do with the slowing of the pace, due to everyone’s energy levels being low after the second event, plus eating pizza, etc. I thought everyone seemed totally dead after that, and remember thinking, “What the heck is going on with these guys?” Ha ha.
The Wrist Roller is just plain tough. And Medleys are an experience all themselves. In your time training grip, you haven’t done a lot of the “oddball” stuff that shows up in a Medley. With more time under your belt, you’ll feel more comfortable with all of the different implements. I like to lay out almost a grid-pattern in my head, surrounding all the items with invisible lines, to make more sense of it all.
Take note, that many of the guys who’ve only done contests like King Kong or Grip Games, where there is no Medley, also make tactical errors. Once you go through a Medley or two, you get an idea of how to cut your time down, and maximize your potential on each item. It will all come, my man.
To wrap up…awesome job. You attacked everything, bro. That’s what you need to do. Can’t wait to see you at the next contest, now that you’ve gotten the taste of grip competition!
I see lots of beginner grip guys and gals talking about hanging from a bar for time. I’ve heard of people looking to do ninja warrior, obstacle course training, and fun runs talking about hanging to build grip strength too. Heck, I’ve even heard of lifters who want to bring up their holding power for the deadlift talking about hanging or time in order to work on their lack of grip strength.
So is this form of training beneficial?
Does it work for making your hands stronger?
I cover this question in today’s video:
That answer might surprise you, but thinking along the lines of strength training specificity, I feel that it is the right one.
And so, doing bar hangs to improve your grip strength might be a good idea for some, while it might be a complete waste of time for others.
I hope this helps you out, and I welcome any other questions you might have.
Please feel free to leave a comment here, or in the comments section of the video on YouTube.
Also, make sure you subscribe, as I’m on a push for 10,000 subscribers now! The goal is to eclipse that mark by Halloween!
Thanks and all the best in your training.
Jedd
