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:

Flask Lift – Near Double with Current World Record Weight (118lbs)

299lbs on the 2.5″ FBBC Jug

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

Never Before Done Grip Strength Combo Feat

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.

Inch Dumbbell Plus 2x25kg Plate Pinch

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

How Jedd Got Started in Grip Start

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…

Question: Jedd, how did you get involved in Grip Training?

Check Out My Complete Diesel Crew Product Catalog

Join My Grip Instructional Site

Become a Member of My Grip Coaching Program

Jujimufu and Tom Train Grip Strength Training

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:

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.

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.

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:

This Week in Grip Episodes 61-65

Episode 65: Brian Shaw’s Inch DB Incline Press

Episode 64: The Dinnie Stones

Episode 63: Tommy “The Heckler” Jennings

Episode 62: Grip Feats from Early August

Episode 61: The Shaw Grip Dissension

This Week in Grip Podcast

This Week in Grip – Episode 60 – Grip Feats From July

This Week in Grip – Episode 59 – Northeastern Grip Challenge

This Week in Grip – Episode 58 – A Legend, Lifts & a Lighter

Get Started with Grip Training and Feats of Strength Today
Grab This DVD Set and Go Full Steam Ahead!

This Week in Grip

Finally catching up on This Week in Grip Episodes

This Week in Grip Episode 55

This week, we interview Luke Raymond, the 2018 North American Grip Sport Overall Champion

This Week in Grip Episode 56

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 in Grip Episode 57

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.

Wanna Build a Set of FREAKY FOREARMS?
Click the Banner Below!

This Week in Grip 45 through 54

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:

This Week in Grip – Episode 45 – California’s Strongest Hands

This Week in Grip – Episode 46 – 2018 Canadian National Grip Championship

This Week in Grip – Episode 47

This Week in Grip – Episode 48 – 2018 First Quarter Feats

This Week in Grip – Episode 49 – 25th Anniversary Issue of MILO

This Week in Grip – Episode 50 – Jedd’s Training for Philly

This Week in Grip – Episode 51 – Do Swearing and Grip Training Go Hand in Hand?

This Week in Grip – Episode 52- Odd Haugen Strength Challenge

This Week in Grip – Episode 53 – Clay Edgin and APL World Championships

This Week in Grip – Episode 54 – Looking ahead to the NAGS Championship

Want to Get Started in Grip Sport?
Grab This DVD Set, TODAY:
Basics of Grip and Strongmanism

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

Start Your Grip Sport Career Right With
The Basics of Grip Training and Strongmanism

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.

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!

This Week in Grip – Episodes 40 Through 44

This Week in Grip-Episode 40 – CA Strongest Hands, 2018 Predictions & Goals

This Week in Grip – Episode 41 – Feats and Pizzles

This Week in Grip – Episode 42 – Finnish Nationals and a New Product Review

This Week In Grip – Episode 43 – Hands-on Grip Games

This Week in Grip – BONUS SHOW! Episode 44 – Dubai Trip #2

Gripper Training

Gripper training continues to be the most popular form of grip training.

Gripper training has often been labeled the “gateway drug to grip sport” because once people get their hands on grippers, they often get hooked, and want to try out many other types of grip training, as well.

Once you get serious with your gripper work though, it’s time to start doing things the right way, and that means optimizing the way you train with grippers.

Gripper Training Frequency

It’s no surprise that many people want to know how often to train grippers is best. After all, lifters love the idea of closing big grippers.

However, if you’re not careful, you can really overdo it with your gripper training and make your finger skin and your hand tissues very sore.

Plus, with too much volume, or too frequent of training, you generally end up stalling on grippers or even sliding backwards.

Today, I share my views on the optimal frequency for gripper training in the video below.

How Often Should I Train with Grippers?

Gripper Training Programming

Hopefully, the video above makes sense for you. Doing anymore frequent training has never been effective for me, and generally it throws a monkey wrench into the rest of my training when I try to push the frequency.

In addition, approaching Gripper Training frequency with a 2-day-per-week program has been effective for close to 100% of all the people I’ve coached as well.

On top of that, I’ve received lots of feedback from customers who’ve bought my Cadence Based Gripper Training Program, who have said that the 2-days-per-week has been great and helped them make good strides in their gripper training.

In my opinion, based on my own training results, and the results of people I’ve designed programs for directly, and those who’ve followed my gripper products, 2 days/week is the DEFINITELY the way to go for grippers.

Gripper Training Technique

It should be noted, however, that if your gripper technique (placement and set) are not optimized, it’s likely that no matter how often you train them, you’ll never see much improvement past a #2 gripper.

Large-handed and naturally strong-handed individuals will be able to overcome grippers up to about the #2 through plain brute strength and raw power, but to go beyond that will require you to develop your technique.

Therefore, I recommend anyone who wants to seriously attempt to climb the gripper ladder get my DVD, CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination, so they can properly iron out their technique for maximized crushing power.

Wrap Up: How Often To Train on Grippers

I love hearing you guys tell me about hitting PR’s and smashing bigger and bigger grippers.

That’s why I put out all the gripper training information I do.

If you’re just starting out with grippers, do yourself a favor and get the best resource in the world on gripper training technique and drills: CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination

And if you’ve got a good handle on the proper gripper mechanics, then it’s time to formalize your training over the next 8 weeks with this solid program: Cadence Based Gripper Training.

All the best with your gripper training.

“Napalm” Jedd Johnson

Lots of people ask me what the difference is between the Rolling Thunder and other rolling handle devices.

With the advent of so many cool rolling handle tools on the market, this question is presented to me more and more all the time.

I know how important this information is to you, because thick bar training is one of the best ways to develop grip strength.

Today, I cover the differences between the Rolling Thunder and various other thick bar rolling handle tools, in today’s video.

I’ll also touch on how the Crusher, Trillobite, Silarukov and other thick bar rolling handle tools compare to the Rolling Thunder from IronMind.

I hope this answers your questions about how the Rolling Thunder compares and contrasts with other thick bar training handles on the market.

Incidentally, if your main interest in thick bar training is to bring up your strength on the Rolling Thunder, in order to complete the Crushed to Dust Challenge, then I recommend the Rolling Thunder, in the interest of specifics of training.

And if you’re looking for a training plan to get you to the top of the Rolling Thunder mountain faster than ever before, there’s no better resource than this workout: Crushed to Dust Workout.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

“Dramatic Difference in Wrist Strength“ “Jedd, I think your tips on wrist training were really important. I’ve noticed many improvements in my wrist strength for steel bending. It’s given me the strength necessary to destroy the gold nail, without even warming up. I’ve never had this feeling of power in my wrists before. I’m also seeing improvements on the Rolling Thunder lift – on good days, I’m getting 15-20 reps with 70kg, which is a BIG improvement. I’m getting close to reaching my goals (CTD Challenge and Inch Dumbbell lift) and every day that passes I feel stronger and stronger. Thank you so much, for everything!” Mattia Crispino

The 2018 North American Grip Sport Championship will take place on June 2, 2018 at Titan Strength, located at 103 Stowell Place, Elmira New York.

For complete information on the event, please go here: 2018 NAGS Championship

At A Glance:

Date: June 2, 2018
Entry Fee: $50
Location: Titan Strength in Elmira, NY
Paypal: [email protected]

ENTRY FORM CLICK HERE

CONTEST SCHEDULE:

Pushing Everything Back 1 Hour from the Norm, due to the Canadian group driving in the morning of.
Weigh-ins – Begin 9:00 AM
Rules – 10:00 AM
Warm-ups – 10:30 AM
1st Event, Grippers Begin – 11:00 AM

IMPORTANT: If you are not sure what width you will be using on the 2 Hands Pinch,
please decide this and your first attempt before the Gripper Event Starts at 11:00.
The devices will be out for you to text the entire morning.

Currently Planned Weight Classes & Divisions:

Men’s 66 kg
Men’s 74 kg
Men’s 83 kg
Men’s 93 kg
Men’s 105 kg
Men’s 120 kg
Men’s 120+ kg
Women’s Open
Men’s 50+ Years Open
**No qualification required for Women’s Open and Men’s 50+ Years Open divisions.

To View Qualifications for Competition Click Here

Event Rules:

1. NAGS Gripper Set – One Hand Contested – 20mm Block – 4 attempts
The athlete will set the gripper with the off hand and then must pass the block through him or herself. The athlete may switch back and forth between hands as needed to get the best close out of their 4 attempts. At no time may the gripper be braced against the body during the set or during the close. This will be strictly enforced. If the lifter closes the gripper, the judge will say “Good” or “Closed.” If the lifter is unsuccessful, the judge will so “No.”

We will try to move through this quickly, possibly running two grippers and judges at a time, as was done at NAGS 2017.

2. Two Hands Pinch on Euro – 16.5″ Crossbar – 4 Attempts

2 Implements will run at a time, the same implements that have been used only at Nationals since 2014. One will be the light implement, starting below 185lbs, and the other will be the heavy implement, starting over 185lbs. We will begin with the lower widths first and then work our way up. For instance, once all lifters using 48mm are finished, the width will be changed to the next higher width desired. Please know your width prior to the contest, in order to save time. At least one separate apparatus will be on hand for people to take warm-ups.

The athlete will grip the implement with both hands in an overhand grip. Underhand or alternated are not permitted. The lifter gets 4 attempts. Any effort to lift the implement off the floor is considered an attempt. This is a Rising Bar event, so if the lifter fails on an attempt, he/she may wait 2 minutes and then repeat that weight, or have weight added, but may not drop down in weight.

3. Napalm’s Nightmare – 2 3/8″ Handles – 6-inch Lift Height – 4 Attempts

A genuine Napalm’s Nightmare implement will be used. The athlete must take a double overhand grip – alternated or underhand are not permitted. The athlete takes his/her grip and lifts, trying to make a knock-bar contact a cross-bar, 6 inches above. Any effort to lift the device is considered an attempt, and if the implement does not reach proper height, or if the implement slips from the athlete’s hands before touching the floor, the lift is disqualified. This is a rising bar event – once weight is added, it will not be removed. If the lifter misses a lift, he/she may repeat that weight or go up, but may not drop down.

Weight jumps will be a 10lb plate, a 10lb plate, then the 10’s will be removed and replaced with a 25-lb plate, then a 10lb plate, and then the 25lb and 10lb plates will be removed and replaced with a 45-lb plate.

4. Medley

12 Items in 90 seconds

There will be 4 weight options for each challenge category. They are listed from most to least difficult. Most difficult = 5 points, then 4 points, 3 points, and the least difficult will receive 2 points.

1. Double RT Pull-up – 4 / 3 / 2 / 1

2. Block Weights – Fatman 53# / Next Gen Blob 50# / Half 75 Next Gen / Half 70 Hex /

3. Rolling Handles – 2.5″ Crusher 190 / Mannino 165 / Old RT 140 / Old RT 115

4. Inch Pinch – 65 / 50 / 35 / 20

5. Sledge Choke to Box +/- 31″ Handles – 10# / 8# / 6# / 3#

6. Anvil to Lockout – 113+20-lbs (ring)/ 113 / 67 / 55

7. Challenge Bells – Inch Dumbbell 170 / Death Grip 154 / Shot 123 / Plate Loadable 80

8. Plate Hub Lift – 45# + 10/ 45# / 35″ / 25″

9. Sledge Face Lever – 16 / 12 / 8 / 6

10. Plate Pinch – 2×45’s / 2x35s / 2x25s / 3x10s

11. Inverted Dumbbell Lift Smooth Faces Only – 60 / 50 / 35 / 20

12. Loose Plate Pinch – 5 tens / 4 tens / 3 tens / 2 tens

Athletes can start on any feat, without their hand touching the item, and they can take tries at multiple difficulty levels within the same category, but will only receive points for their top performance in that category. In other words, they will receive only 4 points for doing 3 RT Pullups. If they do 3 on one try and 2 on the next, they will receive 4 points for doing 3.

1. Double RT Pull-up: Reasonable extension on each rep, chin above the rolling thunders on each rep, no re-gripping. Reps must be done consecutively.

2. Block Weights: Loaded to a platform

3. Rolling Handles: Lift to Lockout with Down Call

4. Inch Pinch: 6″ pull above block

5. Sledge Choke to Box: Grip by end of handle, load onto box without quarter falling off

6. Anvils: Grip by horn, lift to lockout

7. Challenge Bells: Lift for speed, so tilts and bracing permitted, must lift with one hand.

8. Plate Hub Lift: Lift for speed, any grip required

9. Sledge Face Lever: Reasonable control keeping the working hand approximately

10. Plate Pinch: Load to platform

11. Inverted Dumbbell Lift Smooth Faces Only: No contact with print on dumbbell, lift to platform

12. Loose Plate Pinch: Load to platform

5. Wrist Roller for Time

Distance and weight of sled to be determined upon visiting the venue – Approximately 30 to 40 feet. 60 seconds time limit

The objective will be to pull a sled towards you by winding it up a wrist roller, using a wrist extension motion. Distance will be marked if the course is not completed, and scores awarded by distance.

Anyone who drags it partially will earn between 51 and 75 points and anyone who drags it the full distance earns between 76 and 100 points (scaled based on speed – fastest time earns 100 points).

Jedd’s 2018 Dubai Trip with Bader Alawadhi and Laine Snook

I was blessed to have been invited to Dubai once again by my good friend, Bader Alawadhi last week. And this time, I was not alone. In fact, the one and only Laine Snook, from the UK, came along for the trip.

The week was incredible to say the least. Laine is quite possibly the strongest Grip Guy I’ve ever met, and definitely the strongest I’ve ever trained with.

Over the course of the week, we were able to train 3 different times, and each session was a blast.

I am in the process of uploading the video clips I was able to get to my YouTube Channel (click the link to subscribe), and will be posting them here on the site, when I can.

The vids are in no particular order, just how I ended up publishing them on the channel.

Most Recent Dubai Vids

Laine Snook Multiple Fatman Blob Curls Backwards

Fatman Blob Curl for 2 Reps

Laine Snook Lifts Over 105kg on 2.5″ Crusher

Laine Snook Lifts the Queen Inch

Second Round of Vids

Blob50 – 2 Finger Lift Rep-out

Laine Snook Multiple Fatman Blob Curls Backwards

First Dubai Vids

Bader – 2 Finger Clean of Blob50

If You Try to Trick Laine Snook, You Will Pay!

Pinching Super Slick 5x10s at Bader’s Gym

Fatman Blob Curl Backwards

Laine Snook Lifts Heavy Grip Tools 30kg Blob

There will be plenty more videos coming. Be sure to sign up for email updates here on the site, as well as subscribing to my YouTube Channel.

Thanks and all the best in your training!

Jedd

This Week in Grip

This Week in Grip is the (nearly) weekly podcast show that Allen Heineck, Riccardo Magni, and I do on YouTube. In This Week in Grip, we discuss the latest things going on in the sport of grip, as well as feats of grip strength that we see posted on-line, grip training topics, grip q&a’s, oldtime strongman feats, grip certifications, grip world records, and much, much more.

Please be sure to subscribe to the channel and click the bell for notifications on your mobile device. Also, if there’s any commentary or questions you’d like to put forth, please do so in the comments section under the video, and we will do our best to cover and answer them in the upcoming shows.

Specifically, we are wondering what you feel are the Top Feats of Grip Strength that you saw go down in 2018. Please post your thoughts!

Episode 37

Episode 38

Episode 39

Will “Greasing the Groove” Help Me Close Bigger Grippers

I got a question on my YouTube Channel about Greasing the Groove for Grippers, and I answered it in a recent video.

Mainly, the writer wants to know if the commonly known “Greasing the Groove” method, which is often used for Pull-ups, Push-ups, and other strength maneuvers, can work to help increase crushing strength with Grippers.

Additional Resources:

Big Goblet and Grip Feats Go Down on 1/6/18

Few workouts in the past six months have been as incredible as this past Saturday’s session.

It started off rocky, though brother. I’ll be honest.

I was in a rush to get out of the house and get downtown, and as a result, I took my mind off the ball and forgot to grab the empty propane tank for the heater I run during my sessions.

Call me a pussy for running a heater. That’s fine. But I’m not training to lift the Housafell stone in freezing temperatures. I’m training to keep myself sane. So I run a heater.

So, I made an extra trip downtown to get it, and it made a huge difference. The temperature outside was below 0, and the temp inside was freezing. The propane cooking helped make Saturday’s Savage Session one that probably won’t be topped in a while, at least as far as the strength feats that I pulled off are concerned.

Here’s a rundown of the highlights.

236lb Goblet Squats for a Double

It’s been a while since I pushed the envelope with Goblet Squats, and these Death Grip Bells, with their sharp edges will WRECK your hands, but I decided it was time to step it up. I attached a 50lb Scale Weight to my 186lb Homicide Bell. Getting it into position was an absolute NIGHTMARE, but with some redneck ingenuity, I got her done!

Blobzilla Plus 5 Pounds

This is a mark I’ve been working toward for a while now. I first started this hike back in October of 2015, but have not trained it consistently until the last quarter of 2017. I’ve been breaking it off the ground for a month or so, and came really close a week ago, but I made it a no-doubter on Savage Saturday.

Blobzilla Clean

Some people know this already, but not many. At the AOBS Dinner in October of 2015, after my performance, I successfully did an ugly Clean with Blobzilla. A combination of feeling amazing for several months, my training being locked in, and the adrenaline of having so many people around allowed me to get it done. But I hadn’t done it again since until Savage Saturday.

One of the goals that’s been on my radar, but still on the backburner is lifting the Blobfather (half 140lb York Legacy Blob). My hands feel very strong right now. I feel I am on my way, and if I can keep things going, Blobfather will be coming off the ground sometime this year. It will really come down to how much time I can put into it, as I also have some other goals I’m focused on, in addition to getting my right ring finger rehabbed in time for Nationals in June.

Stay tuned and come along for the ride.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Gripmas 2017

The Gripmas Carol 2017 took place over the weekend in Crooksville, OH. It was run by Chris Rice with assistance from his wife, Teresa, and his son, Josh. It was a great time.

Hats off to Andrew Durniat, who took back the title of Gripmas Champion. I took second, and the Chez took 3rd.

My performance across the board on all 4 events was hindered tremendously by an injury to the A2 Pulley Tendon on my right ring finger. I was forced to close the Ivanko Super Gripper left-handed, the Two Hands Pinch hurt the instant it broke off the floor, I also had to skip a number of the heavier narrow pinch lifts and the campus board feats in the Medley.

Starting from behind with only 6.5 points when the leaders have 9 or 10 is hard enough, let alone when your finger won’t concentrate. It made for a very frustrated Napalm.

Here are some clips from the contest, although not everything is done yet, due to limited time to edit video.

Ivanko Super Gripper

My left hand isn’t as good on grippers and felt particularly terrible on the day of the comp. To make matters worse, the light fixture on the gripper would not light up for me, for some reason, until the last attempt. I ended up finishing near the middle of the pack with about a 230lb close. I do not have any clips for this event, at this time.

Medley

You’ll see I was sailing pretty smoothly until the end, when I got to the narrow pinch stuff. I purposely left that stuff to the end, because it’s usually gimme weight, but the injury to the finger made each lift BURN, and I lost many of the points I desperately needed.

Double Sledge Lever

A very exciting event, the Double Sledge weighed between 30 and 33lbs. My goal was 20 reps, because it wasn’t bothering my finger. I thought this might bump me up a bit to catch the leader, Durniat. Unfortunately, he had the same number in his sights. He was successful in getting it, but I only knocked out 18, and missed my 19th.

Thank God, despite the poor finish, I didn’t worsen the injury, and nothing else went wrong.

In fact, I’d honestly say my Thick Bar and Wide Pinching strengths are really really good right now.

After the contest, while others were eating, and before & during the awards, I hit a bunch of random feats, many of which involved combo lifts with the Inch Dumbbell. Many of those are up on my YouTube already, so you can check them out there. I’ve still got a small handful that require more editing and I just haven’t had the time to do it all yet.

We covered Gripmas in the most recent episode of This Week in Grip also, so I will post that below.

This Week in Grip – Episode 37 – The Gripmas Carol

Also, I put together a complete playlist of all the Gripmas videos, and I’m going to post the link to it below.

Complete Gripmas Video Playlist

Complete Gripmas 2017 Playlist of Videos

Thanks for watching, and stay tuned for some big announcements about upcoming 2018 Grip Competitions.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

This Week in Grip

Episode 36

In episode 36, we talk about Gripmas, the LA Fit Expo, and many of the other competitions that are set to close out 2017 and get 2018 rolling with plenty of Grip Power! We also look at some of the biggest feats that went down in the past week, including a deep set #4 close by a gripster named Artur Tumaguzhin.

Next week, we plan on covering the Inch Dumbbell. What questions do you have on the Inch? Leave your questions below, or in the comments section on YouTube.

Thanks for watching and all the best in your training.

Jedd

This Week in Grip

Let’s finally get caught up on all the past episodes of This Week in Grip.

Episode 33

Got totally skipped by accident, and we’re not gonna go back and re-do it!

Episode 34

Episode 35

Episode 36

Thanks for watching and all the best in your training.

Jedd

This Week in Grip

Still playing catch-up on the episodes of This Week in Grip that I’m behind on.

This Week in Grip – Episode 30

This Week in Grip – Episode 31 – Part 1

This Week in Grip – Episode 31 – Part 2

This Week in Grip – Episode 32 – Part A

This Week in Grip – Episode 32 – Part B

I hope you enjoy them.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

I am really behind on posting episodes of This Week in Grip, the podcast show where Allen Heineck and I cover the latest in the grip world, including Grip Sport, Oldtime Strongman Training and Feats of Grip Strength, as well as other topics closely related to Grip Training.

We also recently added Riccardo Magni to our regular TWIG Team.

Below, you’ll find episodes 27, 28 and 29. I hope you enjoy them. Be sure to subscribe and don’t be afraid to share your favorite episodes with your friends.

This Week in Grip – Episode 27

This Week in Grip – Episode 28

This Week in Grip – Episode 29

I’ll have more episodes of This Week in Grip posted here soon. I don’t want to overload you with TOO MUCH of a great thing.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

This past Saturday was the 5th Annual International King Kong of Grip Challenge.

This year’s competition took place at 18 different venues in 9 different countries, and saw 170 competitors hit the stage.

I have been training very hard for this competition, because I wanted to get my title back.

I won it in 2015, and think I would have had a pretty good chance to repeat as champion last year, but I hurt my back a week or two before the contest and was in severe pain, which hurt me very bad on two of the events.

This year was my chance to become the first person to ever win it twice.

Unfortunately, despite my best training efforts, putting together 6 to 8 weeks of excellent work, and having one of my best competition days ever, especially for these events, I was not successful in getting my title back.

I did manage to get 5th overall, 2nd in North America, and 1st in my individual weight class.

I also was able to break the World Record in the 1 Hand Pinch Lift, and set all time PR’s on the 2.5″ Crusher and Stub.

Alas, the 2″ Vertical Bar, an event that has severely injured several people, proved to be a big limiting factor for me, and my overall placement suffered because of it, especially.

Despite the positives, I’m still rather disappointed because the ultimate goal is to win the Overall and take the Title of King Kong of Grip.

And at the same time, even though I’m disappointed, there are a ton of things to be happy about.

My Dad was there for yet another competition and got to see me break the record, and my wife and daughter got to be there for the first time to see me break a pinching record, too

I am blessed with a family that is extremely supportive, and that is a huge difference maker.

Also, got the chance to watch my partner, Luke have an awesome day on the platform, as well, setting multiple PR’s. If a couple more lifts went his way, his placing could have moved from 12th overall to 10th. That’s how close these multiple venue competitions can be!

In addition, my long time friend, Mike Rinderle put together a fantastic day after getting some pretty bad news about an injury he recently sustained, plus not having trained grip since last year’s King Kong.

My friend Chris Andrade, from Connecticut, also made the trip down for another King Kong, and he has no lost over 80lbs. It was his first time making the 93kg class. Watching his 11-year old son, “The Ace Cowboy” compete over the years has been awesome as well, and I’m looking forward to many more. I’m hoping Chris’s wife, Amber, feels better next time so she can join us in the chalk dust.

It was great seeing my friend, Joe Sullivan, compete for the first time as well. If he sticks with it, I think he will be force to be reckoned with. Dude is just so strong.

I really appreciate everyone who made some pretty long drives down to be at the competition. Brothers John and Peter Nickless both came down from the Syracuse area. It was John’s first time competing, I believe, and it was Peter’s first time competing since a nasty foot injury he had.

Big RT, Ryan Thomas also came down from the Syracuse area, and looked very confident on all the events. I think he could be very good at Grip if he concentrated on it, for sure.

And a big thanks to brothers, Mike & Jeff M, who are still new to grip, but made the trip from Rochester and got some good quality comp experience as well as some good work on various grip tools after the event.

I’ll be working on video editing throughout the week, and Allen Heineck, Riccardo Magni, and I will be recording a King Kong episode of This Week in Grip, tonight. So, if you’re not subscribed to my YouTube Channel, do so right now: Jedd Johnson on YouTube – so you don’t miss any of the awesome content that’s coming your way!

And if you competed in King Kong and would like to share the story of your day in the heat of competition, feel free to send me a write-up. It might get read on the King Kong show.

Thanks for the support, and all the best in your training.

Jedd

This Week in Grip

It’s been a while since I posted the episode of This Week in Grip. Below, you’ll find episodes # 24, 25 and #26.

This Week in Grip – Episode #24

This Week in Grip – Episode #25

This Week in Grip – Episode #26

Thanks for watching and be sure to subscribe!

All the best in your training.

Jedd

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This Week in Grip

This week, Allen Heineck and I discuss the upcoming contest, South Jersey 4, what is sure to be the BIGGEST grip contest EVER on U.S. Soil.

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