The Blob

First named by Richard Sorin, the Blob is 1/2 of a 100-lb York Dumbbell.

Ever since Richard challenged himself to try to lift the Blob, grip enthusiasts have marveled at it and tried to obtain their own for their collection in order to test their strength and to develop the hand power to match one of the most well-known feats of grip strength.

Several years ago, we as a community discovered that there are actually more than one type of Blob, a fact that derived from Richard, himself. Soon we came to realize that the original style of Blobs, now known by the moniker “Fatman” due to its larger profile and wider slopes.

Of course, when something is rare, that means its price increases.

And of course, if the price on something increases, someone will be around to capitalize.

Over the years I have heard stories of people being told they were getting the rare Fatman original-style Blob, only to find out later they had a Next Generation, and overpaid severely.

I have also seen several videos where someone will lift a Blob and claim it is a Fatman, when in reality, they are making an incorrect claim, generally accidentally or due to lack of awareness.

With that in mind, I recently made a video showing all of the different types of Blobs and Blob-like implements that I have in my collection, as well as a couple of tools that are on the market for training to lift Blobs.

In the video below you will see a Fatman Blob, Next Generation Blob, Blob Clone, Blobzilla, Stronger Grip Blob, and a PDA Blobette. Unfortunately, I do not own a Blob50 or a Blue Blob, but I mention them in the video and cover them with pictorials in my The Different Types of Blobs Article.

I hope you enjoy the video and that it helps you discern what type of Blob you are buying if you seek one via an on-line purchase, or through an in-person encounter.

Video on The Different Types of Blobs

If you are looking for a Blob Trainer, you can get a Stronger Grip Blob here.

For many of you out there, finding a Blob, understanding the difference between them, and knowing how they all compare is of very little importance.

For many of you, all that stuff doesn’t matter because you already have a Blob and have no plans of getting another one.

Instead, the only thing you care about is lifting the damn thing!

And for you, I will be having something VERY SPECIAL coming your way. This Summer I will be releasing How to Lift the Blob, the Definitive Guide to Blob Domination.

Whether you’ve just attained a Blob and want to get on the Fast Track to lifting it, or if you’ve had one for years and have been slapping yourself in the head out of frustration with it still being stuck to the ground, this ebook will be for you.

If you want to stay up to date on developments surrounding the Blob ebook, make sure to add your best email address to the form below.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

Arnold Sports Festival 2013

In 2004, my friend Rick Walker suggested I come to the Arnold Sports Festival, and it was one of the best experienced of my life in the way of the Iron Game. Since then I have been to it almost every single year.

Rick Walker, Don Pope, Me – Sept. 2005

What is the Arnold???

“The Arnold,” as it has often come to be called is like a smorgasbord of Iron and Sports. What started out with an emphasis on bodybuilding many years ago, has developed into THE WEEKEND for strength enthusiasts and lovers of the Iron Game.

Over the course of the weekend, countless sports take place there. All off the lifting sports are represented – Powerlifting, Strongman, CrossFit, Kettlebell, Olympic Lifting…even Grip Sport is featured on the main stage every year now.

Plus, other well-known sports run throughout the weekend, including various Martials Arts and Wrestling-based sports, Fencing, Table Tennis and more.

IT IS AN AWESOME TIME FOR ALL.

Finally, I Did It…

This year, I finally did what I’ve wanted to do for several years – shoot a documentary of the trip and share it with everyone who comes to my website.

The main idea behind this documentary was to increase the awareness of Grip Sport and Feats of Strength. However, along the way, we also had a lot of fun and I think there are parts in here that are absolutely hysterical.

The documentary isn’t just about me, it also contains my friends, Paul Knight, Chris Dezendorf, and JT Straussner. It’s just an old road trip – 4 dudes busting on one another, playing tricks on one another and having a great time enjoying a small vacation, if you will.

Aside from documenting the trip, though, I was also able to accomplish some pretty cool things during the shooting of this DVD. First off, the documentary lets you get to know Paul Knight a bit better. Paul has one of the strongest crushing grips in the world, and possibly the best crush in the United States, but he doesn’t spend a lot of time on-line, so many people do not get the chance to learn much about him or find out just how smart and analytical he is about training.

Another cool part of the weekend that I got on film was a look into the mental side of bending from Paul Knight and J.T. Straussner. These guys are a couple of the best when it comes to all around steel bending. You’ll learn about the mental process these guys go through, how they use visualization in their training, and how they deal with failure if they miss a bar.

How to Watch the Documentary

What’s cool is you can view this documentary completely free of charge. All you have to do is add your email address to the box below and I will send you the link to view it.

If you try to sign up and you get a message that you are already signed up, then that means I have already sent you the link to the page housing all the videos. Just check your inbox for a message from me.

For now, here is a little teaser of what is included in the documentary.

Arnold 2013 Teaser

Reviews

Isaiah Hubert: “Cool documentary Jedd. I liked the group dynamic and the grip conversations.”

Be sure to sign up. For a documentary shot with no outline or plan of progression, I think it is the perfect balance of entertainment, documentation of a very cool event, the Arnold, and learning points you can apply to your training.

Have fun!

Jedd Johnson

I actually write articles for many sites and written publications as well. I thought maybe it was finally time to start keeping track of them…

To begin, I have a new article appearing in My Mad Methods Magazine’s April/May 2013 Edition: Grip Wise: The Essentials of Grip Strength Training.

MMM is a cool magazine, covering many types of non-conventional training: kettlebells, clubs, maces, bodyweight, parkour, etc.

The April / May Edition is dedicated to Strength Training. I was honored for them to reach out to me, and I put together a HUGE article for them.

My Mad Methods comes in both digital and printed versions. Get your subscription going today: Subscribe to My Mad Methods.

Here’s an Ad Clip from My Mad Methods…

Again, this is a very cool magazine. Much more interesting to me due to its coverage of training that I enjoy, than the many bodybuilding magazines that are on the shelf. If you like non-conventional training, this might be something for you to check out.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Gripper Ratings and How They are Done

One movement that has become more and more common amongst gripper specialists and those who compete in Grip Contests is to have their grippers rated.

The way this is done is by using a device called the RGC to hold the gripper in place and then hang weight from the end of the handles until they touch together.

It is a very reliable process, and the results are often very repeatable.

Many people over the years, after having seen that I own a device called the RGC that will rate the strength of your hand grippers, have asked me to rate their grippers on my device. With the increased popularity of Gripper Ratings, I have decided to make this a service here on the site.

In the video below, I take you through the entire Gripper Rating Process:

Benefits of Having Your Grippers Rated

Comparisons Between Manufacturers: Having your grippers rated helps to be able to compare the strength of Grippers that are from different manufacturers that use different numbering systems, such as Heavy Grips and IronMind, as well as companies that do not assign a numeric value to their grippers, such as the Tetting/Beef Builders and Manus Grips.

Contest Preparation: On top of all that, it also makes it real easy for you to know where you are at as far as your current gripper strength and what to try to close at a contest. For instance, if you know that you are closing 145-lb rated #3 grippers in your training, then you know it is probably a safe bet that you will be able to close a gripper at that rating when you go to the competition.

Training Progression Models: Another advantage is that you can more easily apply classic progression models to your training when you have them rated. For instance, if your grippers are all rated and you know that you have a 120, 124, 129, and 133, then you can treat them as if you are adding weight to a barbell in the Bench Press or Deadlift, and go for a set of 6 with the 120, a set of 4 with the 124, hit some doubles on the 129, and then finish with some singles attempts on the 133.

There are so many benefits to having your grippers rated, that they far outweigh the negatives.

Negatives of Gripper Ratings

Handle Thickness: We can look at handle thickness as an example that throws off the ratings. For instance, as far as I know, Robert Baraban grippers have a slightly thicker handle. This makes them easier to close because you don’t need to move the handles as far. So even if the rating of an RB is equal to that of a Captain of Crush, the COC will most likely feel harder to close because you must force the handles together by moving a further distance.

Condition of Knurling: Also, things such as the condition of the knurling on your gripper handles can throw off the “feel” of the effort required to close a gripper. For instance, if you have 4 #3 grippers and two are about 10 years old, while the other two are only a few months old, then it is likely that the older grippers’ knurling is worn and the newer grippers’ knurling is more rough. The rougher knurling may make the #3 grippers feel a bit easier to close, even if the ratings of all the grippers come out the same. Remember, the rating device is testing the strength of the spring primarily.

And these are the types of points you will come to know as you train with your rated grippers more.

Over the last year, many people have asked me to rate their grippers. They love having their Grippers rated because it allows them to have numbers that actually mean something, versus the multiple number assignments that exist, which do not line up with one another.

Other Ideas I am Developing

I also plan on printing an informative packet on the gripper rating process for all customers who send me their grippers to rate. A major part of this packet will involve information on the rating process, specifics for my procedure, details of note regarding your specific grippers as well as how to keep your grippers in good condition for the long haul.

How to Get Your Grippers Rated

You will be able to send your grippers and I will put them through the rating process. The prices for this service are as follows:

• $10 per Gripper for 1 to 4 Grippers
• 6 Grippers for $50
• 13 Grippers for $100

This cost includes return shipping on the Grippers (within the US).

I can do pretty much any gripper from IronMind, GHP, HG, Tetting/Beef Builder, Manus, etc.

I can not rate grippers like the HG400 and HG500 because their handles are too thick and will not sit in the guide on the rating device.

I also can not rate Vulcan Grippers or V2′s as they are too long to rest on the rating device.

To have your grippers rated, please contact me to let me know you will be shipping them through my email (jedd dot diesel at gmail dot com) or through Facebook. After Hearing back from me, please package them carefully and send them to the following address:

Jedd Johnson
PO Box 806
Wyalusing PA 18853

I do ask that you wait until receiving word back from me before shipping grippers to me, as I would hate for you to ship them and have me be on vacation or traveling for work and cause a longer delay than is required because I am unavailable.

After the training methods I was introduced to by Paul Knight last year, I truly believe that knowing the strength of the grippers you are training with is an important key to seeing progress and continued development in your training.

When your grippers are rated, you can essentially line all of your grippers up from easiest to hardest and know within a pound or two, how closely each gripper compares with the next. When you have grippers from the various companies, having all of them rated can really help you out.

If you have any questions on the Gripper Rating Process, please let me know, by either emailing me (jedd dot diesel at gmail dot com) or call the Diesel Hotline: (607) 857-6997. Leave a message if I do not pick up.

In 2013, there is going to be some SERIOUS GRIPPER DAMAGE.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

I’ve had some readers write in and ask for more information on Grip Sport, things such as how the sport of grip developed and how I got involved in grip sport. I answer these questions below.

Sorry for the small number of new posts here on the site lately. I have been rehabbing an injury and the therapy has been taking up a lot of my time. This has also cut into my time to shoot videos for the Challenges that I said would be coming. If you remember, in December, I posted a Diesel Crew Challenge called 21′s or Black Jacks. There were many impressive performances.

The originator of the challenge, Mike Rinderle, showed incredible improvement over the course of the month. He started out on December 1st with a time of 57:27 and managed to cut it all the way down to 21:30.

A really good friend of Mike Rinderle’s, Kris Hamilton, did Black Jack in 8:48, and posted a double Black Jack time of just under 29 minutes.

Bill Long did 11:27, Zach Counter did 13:29, Peter Hellman – 25:26; a fellow posting under the name Ric completed the challenge in 8:27. Matt C posted a time of 44:45.

In addition, Southern Maryland Cross Fit used Black Jacks as their Workout of the Day one day during December and an entire group gave it a shot. Posted below are the times:

It was a very popular challenge, so thanks Mike for introducing it to us!

I will be posting more challenges, but I don’t feel right calling the Diesel Universe to task when I am not capable of pushing myself. I guess I am looking for guidance from all of you as to whether you would like me to start them now while I am still in PT. I am just not the kind of guy to say, “Here do this,” over and over while I can not push my own limits to the same degree.

Thanks and all the best in your training.

Jedd

Send your friends here for Grip Strength Training information.