You’ve heard the expression, “They don’t make ‘em like that anymore.”

York Dumbbells, with their pull-shaped heads, resemble that remark very well, but many do not realize that it also describes some of their styles of lifting plates as well.

Multiple times over the last few weeks I have been contacted regarding the thickness of York Barbell plates. York plates are a popular style of plate, especially the older vintage designs.

Some of those who have contacted me live overseas and have not had the opportunity to purchase or train with York plates, so they wanted to know the thickness of pairs of the plates in order to be able to craft pinching blocks of the proper thickness in order to train for lifting them.

So, I went down to the gym this weekend and captured on film the size of a pair of 25′s and a pair of 45′s for those interested in this kind of information.

In this video you will see the measurements of the York Barbell 25- and 45-lb plates I have in my gym.

While I am at it, I thought I’d make mention of a couple of other traits about York barbell plates, especially how they relate to Grip Training.

York 25 Pound Plates

I have 4 York 25-lb plates. Of them, 3 have very heavy machining marks on the flat sides, while 1 is almost devoid of machining. Of all of the 25-lb plates that I own, the Yorks are by far the thinnest. I did not get the thickness of some of the other styles of 25′s I have, but there is a substantial difference. This difference in size and the texture of the machining on the plates combine to make a tremendous difference in difficulty between them when trying to pinch lift them.

For instance, a common for of Grip Training is Plate Pinching. This involves positioning 2 or more plates together so that their smooth sides point out. You then place your thumb on one side and the fingers on the other in a pinching grip and try to deadlift them.

You can perform Plate Pinching with pretty much any combination of plates. From pairs of plates like 2-10′s, 2-25′s, 2-35′s, and up to 2-45′s. If you can pinch two 45′s, be proud. Be damn proud.

Of course, you can also try other plate combinations, such as 3-25′s. This is a pretty elite Pinch Feat. However, with York 25′s, at least with the 25′s that I have, the texture on the plates is so prominent, I would estimate it reduces the impressiveness of the feat by at least 15% to 20%. The machining, plus the rust from use over time just gives you a better grip on the plates, not to mention how narrow they are. If you are close to pinching 3-25′s on wider and slicker plates, I bet you could probably pinch grip a set of 3-25′s from York, especially if they look like mine.

York 45 Pound Plates

As I said above, you should be proud of your pinching power if you can pinch two 45-lb plates with one hand. This is a hell of a feat of Pinching Strength. There are two main reasons why pinching 2-45′s from York Barbell is so awesome.

First off, York 45′s are much wider than two 45-pound plates from other companies’. I have combinations of 45′s where 3 of them are roughly the same size as two of the York 45-pounders. Width in pinching can make a pretty substantial difference because it requires the thumb to do a lot more work. Often, Gripsters have a sort of “sweet spot” that they they like for pinching. Narrower than that sweet spot is usually ok, because they can deal with it and their numbers don’t suffer too much, but get out wider and the numbers can really plummet, especially in one-hand lifts.

The other factor that makes two York 45′s so hard to pinch is the rounded edges of the rims of the plates. Because these points are not squared off, when you try to pinch them together, they automatically want to slide if the plates are tilted even just a few degrees. Once they start sliding, it is over and by tilting plates slightly you can engage more wrist and fingers in the lift and take some pressure off the thumbs. This is not an option when using two York 45′s.

So, as you can see, York barbell plates are a different style of plate altogether, presenting additional challenges in some ways while being easier in other ways, but regardless of the advantages/disadvantages they are still a prized possession for many people, myself included.

Got more questions? I’ll shoot a video or answer it in my newsletter. Make sure to sign up for updates today.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

The Card Tearing eBook

Build the Hand Strength to Shred Entire Decks of Cards – Click Above

With all of this talk recently about Block Weight Training, such as Blobs, Fatman Blobs, Fatman Clones, and the Iron Grip Monster, it can be pretty easy to think that you either have to spend an exorbitant amount of money in order to develop Grip Strength through block weight training, or you have to completely ruin one of your perfectly good dumbbells by cutting one of the heads off.

However, this is just not true. In reality you can get a similar open hand training response by training with the regular dumbbells you already have. This opens up a completely new chapter of Block Weight Training that I like to call Inverted Dumbbell Training.

Inverted Dumbbell Training

Inverted Dumbbell Training is simply lifting a dumbbell by standing it up on one end and then gripping it by the end in the air. This type of Block Weight Training allows you to use the dumbbells you already have without any cutting or other time-swallowing tasks.

How to Perform an Inverted Dumbbell Lift

The video below will show you exactly how to perform an Inverted Dumbbell Lift:

Key Points About Inverted Dummbell Lifting

• Dumbbells come in many shapes and sizes, and the paint job will also vary. Paint condition can be a huge factor in lifting a dumbbell.
• An attempt should be made NOT to put the fingers or thumbs into the numbering or lettering of the dumbbell in order to maximize the challenge, however, using the print on the dumbbell as a training means is fine as long as it does not become a crutch.
• Be careful with very wide dumbbells. Wide open hand positions can injure the thumb’s soft tissues, which can be very hard to bounce back from. It is best to thoroughly warm up the thumb in order to keep it safe.
• Watch out for your toes. Any block weight, and especially an inverted dumbbell can come slipping out of your hand quickly. Don’t break a toe.

Biggest Inverted Dumbbell Lifts

Inverted Dumbbell Lifting is not really an event in Grip Sport by itself, however, they have shown up in a Medley here and there. To my knowledge, a 55-lb Dumbbell is the largest I have seen lifted in this manner. That is what I lifted in the video above, but I am not yet able to dominate it very time I try. I know I have also seen Andrew Durniat do this on a different dumbbell, and I think Brent Barbe got it as well.

Application into Your Training

Because of my goals of complete Block Weight Domination, I tend to try to go as heavy as possible 90% of the time when I do this lift. Using this movement in an athletic program or a general hand strength improvement program is not necessary though.

It can be just as effective at building beneficial grip strength by performing lifts with a lighter dumbbell and then adding weight, such as a chain wrapped around it or attached with a magnet, and then performing reps, or doing hand to hand transfers, hulas, or figure 8′s.

As awesome as Block Weights are, and as much as I love them, that does not mean the only way to get those benefits is with Single Dumbbell Heads. Inverted Dumbbells will get you these results very well, too.

Any questions, leave a comment below.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Looking for other ways to train for thumb strength specifically? I love Grip4orce Handles and use them frequently in my training. Check them out through the banner below.

I got into Grip Training in 2002 when I was introduced to Grippers by a friend named, Rick Walker. From Rick, I learned about training to close big Grippers and different feats of strength like tearing cards and bending nails. At that point, all I wanted to do was rip one deck of cards and I was willing to do anything I needed to in order to accomplish that feat of strength.

Soon, Smitty got a #1 Gripper from IronMind. I thought squeezing Grippers was a bit boring at the time, so I didn’t get my own right away. Instead, I just raced Smitty to closing the number 1 at the gym and while we rode in the car. We nearly wrecked the first time I closed it while riding in the passenger seat…

“YOU CLOSED IIIIITTTTTT!!!!” he said as he swerved back into his lane, avoiding two or three cards in the process. I’ll never forget that day!

I eventually tore my first deck of cards, but it wasn’t until I began practicing all forms of Grip and Wrist Strength training.

Once I came to understand that strengthening my hands in multiple dimensions was so important for ripping a deck of cards, I continued doing it and I also began seeing my performance in other more traditional movements as well, such as the Bench Press, Overhead Work, Squats, and of course Curls.

As I got more interested in developing stronger hands for lifting purposes, I began getting more and more interested in Grip Sport as well and before I knew it, I had half a dozen grippers. Soon I was buying them from others who had extras or who had bought them in a rush, but really had no idea how to train with them and figured the best thing would be to just unload them on someone else.

I’ve lost count of how many times I have seen grippers for sale on-line because people just gave up training with them, their drive burnt out, their interest dwindled down to nothing, mainly because they were sick of beating their heads against a wall trying to make progress with them.

When I first found out about Grippers, there were three main companies making and selling them and one other company was getting out of the business.

The three companies that were going strong were IronMind, Beef Builder, PDA, and the other company was Lemley.

IronMind, I am sure everyone reading this has heard of. I would say they are the most widely recognized name in gripper training with their Captains of Crush line. They, as well as Beef Builder, are still around and going strong. PDA, Piedmont Design Associates, went out of business in 2004 if I remember correctly.

The other company, Lemley, produced left-handed grippers, meaning their springs were wound in the opposite direction of the Grippers we have today. This was fine, but the problem was that after 50 to 100 closes, the glue holding the handles would fail and the handles would come off.

Then in 2004 or 2005, another style of Gripper came on the scene, Heavy Grips. They are still around and are being sold on countless sites all over the internet. Resellers and drop shippers love these grippers because they come in a nice large set with lots of options to choose from. The problem with them, in my opinion, is their spring. Somewhere along the lines they changed their springs and got weaker. When they first came out, their 300-lb Gripper was about equal to an IronMind #3. Once they went to the new shinier springs, the strength levels changed.

As the years have gone by, many more Gripper manufacturers have popped up. Robert Baraban makes a large variety of Grippers, even varying the handle spread for smaller handed individuals. NutritionGeeks.com began marketing their own gripper line, the T-grippers, made by Warren Tetting, the same person who makes the Beef Builder line. Nowadays, even GNC has jumped into the Gripper Market, selling their own Grippers at their stores, which I believe are modified Heavy Grips Grippers, although I am not 100% sure.

The gripper companies and lines that I have mentioned here are nowhere near a complete list. These are just a few examples of Torsion Spring Grippers, the kind with the knurled handles and the twisted spring. When you throw the adjustable grippers and the coil spring grippers in there, the number of grippers available gets even larger.

My point is not to point out the sheer number of types of grippers on the market. I will get to my point in a moment though…

Think back to the last time you bought a tool, like a handsaw. How about when you bought your last car? How about your last computer / laptop / or other electronic gadget?

What was it that came with each and every one of those things to help you be sure you were able to use them properly?

That’s right – an OPERATOR’S MANUAL.

Now, think back to the last time you bought a Gripper. Did it come with an operator’s manual? Or how about even a guideline of instructions for use?

No, it probably didn’t. In fact, I don’t know of any Grippers on the market that do come with instructions on how to progress with them. No instructions on how to set them in your hand, no advice on the best way to train with them and no guidelines as far as what to expect or how to succeed with them.

This is where I come in.

I have designed the next best thing when it comes to Gripper Training, my new On-line DVD, CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination.

After working on this for the last several weeks, and reworking it until I was happy with it, it is now ready to go.

This Piece is TWO DISKS!

Check out everything CRUSH has in it:

Module 1 – Bulletproofing the Hands and Lower Arms

Nothing will set your Gripper training behind worse than having injuries. I will show you the Preventive Measures to do now in order to keep injuries away and keep the gains coming.

Module 2 – Types of Grippers

I cover many types of grippers and show their differences, strengths, and weaknesses so you can understand what you have and in order to make wise purchases down the line

Module 3 – Gripper Training Basics Everyone MUST Know

Here I cover the basics of grippers, their terminology, techniques, and help lay a solid foundation for your gripper training.

Module 4 – Supplementary Training: Strength from Start to Finish

Closing a Gripper requires you to move the handles through three stages: the Set, the Sweep, and the Finish. When you watch this module, you will discover how to build strength through all three of these individual parts of the close.

Module 5 – Supplementary Training: Addressing Weaknesses

Many trainees do not realize the role that individual parts of the hand can have in closing Grippers. In this section you will understand why each part of the hand is important and how to make them strong and powerful.

Module 6 – Advanced Training Techniques

Once you have developed a strong foundation in Gripper training, you may want to challenge yourself even further. In this section, you will learn ways to take your Gripper work to the next level in order to develop upper levels of crushing grip strength.

Module 7 – Other Important Gripper Training Concepts

In this section I will cover with you additional concepts you can start building into your training to accelerate your progress and strength gains. These are concepts that are often skipped, missed, or ignored by new Gripper trainees.

In addition to the basic program, I have also included several bonuses for the electronic version only.

Module 8 – BONUS Gripper Training Program

During the Spring and Summer of 2011, I developed a Gripper Training program that produced more “Personal Records” for me than anything I have ever tried. Up to this point, I have showed this Gripper Training Program only to my On-line Coaching Clients and V.I.P. Customers, and it has gotten overwhelmingly positive reviews. This Program is completely free when you pick up CRUSH today.

Module 9 – BONUS Gripper Strength Rating System Demonstration

I will take you through the Gripper Strength Rating Process on one of my Grippers in order to show you how Grippers are rated in Grip Sport. This is a very interesting process and will serve to educate you on real, tangible, numeric classifications for Gripper Strength Levels.

Module 10 – BONUS Top 10 Gripper Training Mistakes

I gave this video away for free during the pre-launch period, but I am including it in the bonuses for those who did not see them.

Module 11 – BONUS Top 3 Gripper Training Myths

This video was given away as a follow-up to the video above only to those who subscribed to my Gripper Training Tips Newsletter.

CRUSH is a culmination of every bit of hard-hitting instruction I have learned and developed over the years related to Gripper Training.

If you are serious about your Gripper Training but need some direction, or if you thought it was hopeless to master the grippers you bought months or even years ago, but gave up due to lack of knowledge, than you better check this piece out.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

I am running a 24-hour contest to choose a winner of my new DVD, CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination.

You can enter the contest for free, and there is no purchase required.

All you have to do is write out an essay of 100 words or more telling me why you should win the free copy of the DVD and I will make a selection and announce the winner tomorrow, during Monday Night RAW.

This video will describe the process in more detail.

You must post your comment in the comment section below.

Thanks and all the best in your training.

Jedd

If you’re interested in Grip Training, you are going to need a Loading Pin.

There’s just about no way around this fact.

These imperative items can be bought on-line easy enough and they will be shipped to your house within a few days.

The Ninja Star Tattoo left Mike’s Bank Account Punched Out

But if you are strapped for cash and broke worse than Mike Tyson, then you might need to pursue another option, because these things can be pretty expensive…

Grip Strength Tool: The Loading Pin

One of the tools that many people who train for Grip Strength routinely use is a Loading Pin. This is used in order to put the weight plates on and then it is connected with a carabiner or S-hook to whatever implement it is that you are using for that session.

There are many types of Grip Training Tools that use Loading Pins:

• Rolling Thunder Handles
• Hub Lift Devices
• Vertical Bar Devices
• Pinch Block Devices
• One Hand Lift Device

…And the list just goes on and on.

I literally have like 4 loading pins in my gym. Some of them ALWAYS have weight on them because I keep my warm-up weights for certain lifts, like the Rolling Thunder right on them.

Other Loading Pins get used for other specific purposes, such as loading pins of different heights that I use for changing the distance I pull.

Because Loading Pins are so important, I want to show you how to build your own loading pin for NOTHING compared to the prices often seen on-line.

Now, here’s the story behind this Loading Pin.

In March of this year, I released Home Made Strength II: Grip Strength Edition, which shows you exactly how to build your own set of Grip Training tools from scratch, and one of the items was a Loading Pin.

Hundreds of people gobbled up this On-line DVD (you download it to your system, kind of like Netflix, only you keep the video and can watch it whenever you want) and started making their own stuff and saved a bunch of money while also arming themselves with the tools they needed to turn their hands into legal weapons.

One guy who picked up the product and really took action building the stuff was Justin Burns. He went through the list of equipment like a windstorm and built most of it right away.

Then a few days after he bought HMS2, he emailed me and shared with me an even easier way to build your own loading pin.

I asked him if he’d be willing to share the plans with the Diesel Universe, and he wholeheartedly obliged. Check it out…

How to Build a Loading Pin

Equipment Needed to Build a Loading Pin

• 10 inch nipple (1.5 inches)
• 1.5inch cap
• 3/8 eye bolt
• 1.5 inch floor flange
• Steel epoxy

Tools Needed to Build a Loading Pin

• Hand drill
• 3/8 drill bit
• Pliers

Procedure for Building a Loading Pin

• 1)First thing you need to do is take the cap and find the center of it, then using your drill, make a 3/8 hole (if you have a vise this would be the best time to use it)
  

  Once that is done, take your eye bolt, put some of your steel epoxy on the threads and put the eye bolt through the cap, tightening the nut with your pliers to make the two pieces one unit

• 2) Take your 10 inch nipple and your floor flange and put the steel epoxy on the threads of the nipple and then twist the floor flange onto the nipple

  When that is done it will look like this:

  

• 3) Thread the two assembled components together and you’re done. You have yourself a loading pin no welding needed.
  

BAM! There you go, DIESELS.

It can’t get much easier than that. Now, if you don’t have a drill, then call around to your friends and find somebody that has one. Think of somebody who’s really handy and builds stuff a lot. This is a snap for them.

Go buy them a beer or bring them those video tapes you borrowed a while back and before you leave ask them if they can help you build a loading pin. Chances are they love building stuff so much they will jump at the ability to pull their tools out.

For more awesome ideas on how to build your own Grip Strength Training Arsenal, check out Home Made Strength 2 – Grip Strength Edition.

All the best in your training,

Jedd