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

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.

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.

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Grip Strength Question

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:

Is Hanging from a Bar Good for Grip Strength?

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

Want to Close Bigger Grippers? This DVD Will Help You:

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

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

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 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

Turn Your Hands Into Mighty Weapons
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This week, Allen Heineck and Jedd Johnson begin the process of catching up from the last 2 weeks. Plus, we interview a mystery guest. Can you guess who it is, before he comes on?

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This Week in Grip

This week, Allen Heineck and Jedd Johnson discuss what went down at the North American Grip Sport Championship, also known as Grip Nationals.

Feedback on this episode: “Great episode guys! couldn’t make it to nationals, but felt like I was there with Jedd’s recount.” – Tom Scibelli

Want to Compete in Grip?
Start Out By Getting Your Crush Grip Right
With the CRUSH DVD:

2017 North American Grip Sport Championship

Grippers Right and Left Hands

Two Hands Pinch

Axle Deadlift

NAGS Championship Medley Runs

Aaron Corcorran Medley Run

Tanner Merkle Medley Run

Jedd Johnson Medley Run

Gil Goodman Medley Run

Post Contest Feating – Sahlaney Bell Combo Lifts

Jedd Johnson 180/172 Sahlaney Bell Attempt

Tanner Merkley 180/172 Sahlaney Bell Attempt

Jedd Johnson – First Try at 180/172 Sahlaney Bells

Eric Roussin 180/172 Sahlaney Bell Lift

Post Contest Feating – 180lb Sahlaney Bell + Fatman Blob

Jedd Johnson – 180lb Sahlaney Bell + Fatman Blob

Tanner Merkle – 180lb Sahlaney Bell + Fatman Blob

Jedd Johnson – 180lb Sahlaney Bell + Fatman Blob

This Week in Grip

This is a SPECIAL edition of the show today – episode 18, the day before a SPECIAL holiday here in the United States and around the world – Memorial Day, and the week before the North American Grip Sport Championship – Allen and I are ready to serve YOU and cover the LATEST in This Week in Grip!

How to Lift the Inch Dumbbell

This Week in Grip

Allen Heineck and I talk about the latest events in Grip Sport, Grip Training, Grip Strength, Hand Strength, Modern Day Oldtime Strongman, and other Feats of Strength.

Beginner Grip Training Video Series

We are getting deeper and deeper into this series on Beginner Grip Training Methods. We’ve looked at entry-level plate inching, some of the aspects of gripper training, and even a thick bar training method you can do in just about ANY GYM. Now, it’s time to look at a way beginner grip trainees can work on developing their wrist strength.

Basic Sledge Hammer Movements for Wrist Strength

Sledge Hammer Levering can put a lot of torque on the wrist, and if you go too heavy, too soon, you can experience undue pain from the drills. In the video below, I show you some things you can do right now, as a beginner grip trainee, that are safe and entail less risk.

I hope today’s installment in the Beginner Grip Training Series has been helpful.

If you’ve got additional questions on developing your grip strength, be sure to leave a comment below, or contact me directly.

Either way, I look forward to hearing from you.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

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Beginner Grip Training: Basic Thick Bar Work

This is the latest installment in my Beginner Grip Training series. Up to this point, I’ve already touched on Plate Pinch Grip Training, and Gripper Training, but did you know that even if you don’t have a single piece of grip strength training equipment, you’ve got perfect access to in just about ANY gym around?

It’s true – you can work Thick Bar in your next workout, and this video shows you how.

Thick Bar Training in Any Gym

What questions do you have about Grip Training, Thick Bar Work, etc? Leave a comment below – I’d love to hear from you.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

Since January of this year, I’ve been teaming up with Allen Heineck, one of my long-time members of TheGripAuthority.com & Team Napalm on a (near) weekly podcast on GRIP, called This Week in Grip.

I’m a bit behind in posting those episodes, so I want to go ahead and get caught back up right now.

This Week in Grip – Episode 11

This Week in Grip – Episode 12

This Week in Grip – Episode 13

This Week in Grip – Episode 14

This Week in Grip is getting a lot of good, positive feedback. I really appreciate it!

As much as I’d like to continue adding in the videos for each feat, I literally just can not do it anymore, because it has been taking so very long.

My plan right now is to keep peppering in a few stills of some of the stuff that’s harder to envision, and some of the key moments from the week, and especially highlighting other gripsters around the world.

Please keep on using the hashtag #ThisWeekInGrip on your social media posts so Allen and I can continue to find the feats we miss, and connect with more and more gripsters that are out there!

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Beginner Gripper Training

I’m posting a series of grip training videos for beginner grip guys and gals, here: Beginner Pinch Grip Training. I’ve already posted beginner pinch grip training, and today, I’m sharing beginner gripper training.

Gripper Training is a way to build and measure how much CRUSHING force you have in your hands. Grippers are a lot of fun to train and close, and can be quite addicting!

Take note, there are a lot of things to know about gripper training technique, if you decide you want to go for certification, if you want to close the biggest grippers possible in your training, or if you ever decide to compete.

If you’re ready to take the jump into Gripper Training, then you want my video, CRUSH – Total Gripper Domination. Available as both a digital online DVD and a hare copy video, it will cover everything you need to know about gripper technique and the drills that will help you fully develop your crush.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Beginner Plate Pinch Training

I’ve got a new series of posts coming out to help beginners get started with Grip Training.

In today’s video, I show you some of the beginner level plate pinch combinations you can start with, as well, as ways you can progress on to harder plate pinching combinations.

If you’d like more beginner-level information on grip training, grab a copy of Basics of Grip Training DVD Set.

Thanks and all the best in your training.

Jedd

Allen Heineck and I have been chugging along like a steaming locomotive with This Week in Grip.

Unfortunately, I fell behind in posting them on the site.

So, let’s get caught back up! Here’s episodes 9 & 10.

This Week in Grip – Episode 9

This Week in Grip – Episode 10

We will most likely be taking a week off this weekend, as I will be traveling back from FitCon 2017. I’ll be trying to get as much video as possible, so be sure you subscribe to my YouTube Channel <= Click That Link and Subscribe Today.

Grab Your Tickets for Big J’s FitCon 2017:

All the best in your training.

Jedd

This Week in Grip

This Week in Grip – Episode 7

This Week in Grip – Episode #5 – Best Feats of 2016

All the best in your training!

Jedd

This Week in Grip

This week, Allen and I cover what’s happening in the world of Grip Sport, Grip Training, and Feats of Grip Strength.

Be sure to subscribe and make sure to check out Indestructible Elbows.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

This Week in Grip Podcast

I’ve been wanting to hold a rundown show about Grip Sport for years, and I’ve finally hooked up with Allen Heineck to start doing it.

On 1/15/17, we did our first episode, and over the weekend, we did our second. I’ve got them both posted below, so be sure to check them out!

This Week in Grip Episode #1 – 1/15/17

This Week in Grip Episode #2 – 1/22/17

What were the Top 5 Feats of Grip Strength from 2016, in your opinion?

Weigh in with your vote in the comments below!

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Every year, it has been a tradition to post up on the site the Top 20 Videos from the past year, on my YouTube Channel.

Starting today, I’ll post 5 videos, and put up 5 more every day or so.

I noticed a few patterns in the countdown this year:

• Feats and Training videos fell short of the list, for the most part. I guess I need to try and spice up my videos a bit to make them more popular.
• Q&A Videos and Cook with Napalm Videos seem very popular. They make up close to half, if not more of the countdown.
• Arm Training Videos are very popular. There are several vids that feature arm training lifts, feats, and tests, and make up a good percentage of the countdown.
• Gripmas 2015 videos were extremely popular. Many of the clips and highlights from Gripmas 2015 got 4-digit views this year.
• Videos featuring other lifters surge in popularity. You’ll see videos from many other lifters on this countdown, including my partner, Luke, as well as Juha Harju, famoust gripper guy, Paul Knight, and Kody Burns, who set a new world record in the Two Hands Pinch at Gripmas.

I hope you enjoy the countdown, and the information can help you finish out the year on a strong note and make 2017 your strongest year ever.

Top 20 Videos – 2016

20. Dude Love Crossover Double Blob Lift – 709

This is one of the few feat videos on the Top 20 List, and I think it is the only time this feat has ever been done. It is named after Dude Love, a wrestler from the late 90’s WWF, who would do the criss-cross hands boogie dance, or whatever it’s called. This is a feat that feels very weird, and increases the difficulty quite a bit. Try it out and let me know what you think.

19. Meeting Juha and Arto for the First Time – Living Legends – 708

This is probably my favorite video on the countdown. It meant so much to me to be able to meet Juha and compete with him at the Living Legends competition. It’s a day I’ll never forget. You’ll see Juha later on in the countdown as well.

18. Strongman Training – Log and Giant Dumbbell Press – 709

I didn’t take the time to do much training outside this year, and the times I did, I didn’t shoot much video, but this clip is one of the few videos I put up this year from my outside training, and it registered in the Top 20. This one features the Giant Dumbbell that we plan to sell through the store in the New Year. It’s shot-loadable, and is a Beast to train with. What an awesome time!

17. Paul Knight – GHP#7 x 10 Reps – 739

We made several trips to Paul Knight’s this year, and I think we finally started to rub off on him, because he’s been dabbling in Grip again. In this video, which I was lucky to snag, he grabs a GHP #7 and casually reps it out for a set of 10. Unreal.

16. Juha Harju – Old School York 45’s Pinch – 765

Leading up to Living Legends, I asked Juha if he wanted me to bring anything with me for him to try that he didn’t have in his gym. His only request was the Old School York 45-lb Plates. He put together a lengthy cycle of training in preparation for his encounter with them, and was indeed successful in pinch-lifting them, becoming only the 4th or 5th person ever to do so.

15. Sick Muscle Building Finisher for Back and Triceps – 775

On Fridays, my adult guys train with me, and we usually do a Yoke training workout consisting of Back, Triceps and Traps. We’ve also begun adding Neck Training in there, as well. I don’t generally film too much of these workouts, because we pack a LOT of volume into just 60 minutes, and I don’t like monkeying with the camera, but this particular finisher ended up being pretty intense, so I went ahead and set up the camera.

14. 100lb Dumbbell Hammer Curls – STRICT!!! – 847

It’s pretty clear that YouTube viewers like Arm Training videos, because there’s a lot of them on the Top 20 Countdown this year. Here, I tried out 100lb Hammer Curls. I originally planned on emphasizing this movement during August of Arms this year, but I ended up getting away from it and mainly sticking to the programming. I’d like to focus on it at some point, though.

13. Table Top Curl – 127lbs – Luke Raymond – 1085

With this video, my lifting partner, Luke Raymond, breaks into the countdown. Luke has really put forth a big push in the world of arm wrestling over the last year or so, and it’s become clear that he’s well gifted, both by his winning performance at WAL Amateur Nationals this year, and by the numbers he puts up on the gym.

12. 3 Tips to Fix Elbow Pain – Tennis Elbow – 1175

What do you do when a guy like Devin Gage asks you to help out his gym members with some methods to fix elbow pain? You get your butt downstairs and shoot a video – that’s what! In a way, it kind of sucks that this video is in my Top 20, because it means that too many people are still dealing with elbow pain at the gym. If you’ve been suffering with elbow pain, be sure to check this video out.

11. Gripmas 2015 – Jedd Johnson Medley – 1243

I included the videos from December 2015 in the countdown, because they wouldn’t have qualified for the countdown last year, and there were many clips from the Gripmas Carol contest that ranked in the Top 20. The first one is my Medley run. I was able to seal the victory on the overall contest with this run, as I finished first in this individual event. It breaks my heart that I had to miss Gripmas 2016, due to dealing with my crappy back injury.

10. R.I.P. Vasily Alexeev – Cooking with Napalm – 1357

I have to admit, Clickbait on Facebook got me for this one. I saw a news headline that Vasily Alexeev has died earlier this year, and I totally forgot that he actually died a few years back, until it was pointed out to me by a YouTube viewer. Apparently, many people didn’t realize this that watched the video, because there were a lot of comments saluting him from viewers. Either way, I was able to put out a bit of dedication video and talk about a key time in my life where I began transitioning from just muscle building training to strength training.

9. Kettlebell Swings – Russian or American – What’s Better? – 1479

Kettlebell training is extremely popular, and even though it’s been several years since I had an active Kettlebell Certification, I still get questions about Kettlebell Training. For this video, I was asked by a viewer if I preferred the Russian or the American style of Kettlebell Swing.

8. Ivanko Super Gripper – Gripmas 2015 – Various Competitors – 1518

Another video from Gripmas 2015, this one shows several attempts on the Ivanko Super Gripper event. The gripper had a flash light mounted on it, and the objective was to close the handles so that the light turned on. As the handles moved close enough together, the power button would be depressed, you’d hear a click, and the light would turn on. It had to go on though – if it just bumped the button, or didn’t strike it hard enough to turn the light on, it was considered a miss.

7. The Wrist Wrench vs The Rolling Thunder – 1655

In the world of Grip Sport, probably the most well-known thick bar training handle is the Rolling Thunder from IronMind. However, in recent years, many more rolling handles have shown up on the market. One of them, the Wrist Wrench, is marketed primarily to Arm Wrestlers for developing wrist strength and finger pressure. In this video, I talk about it’s application to Grip enthusiasts, and especially for training to lift the Inch Dumbbell.

6. Kody Burns | New World Record 274.85lbs | Two Hands Pinch – 1702

Another highlight from Gripmas 2015, in the video below, Kody Burns sets a new all-time World Record in the Two Hands Pinch Lift with nearly 275lbs.

5. Arm Wrestling Training | The Mighty Hand Trainer from Stronger Grip – 2557

There’s no doubting the rise in popularity of Arm Wrestling, ever since the show, “Game of Arms,” came out. The last couple of years, many of my top videos have had to do with Arm Wrestling. This one shows Luke working with one of the arm wrestling tools that Ryan Pitts of Stronger Grip puts out, the Mighty Hand Trainer. This kind of training, a cumbersome object attached to a band, is a lot of fun. You get a good grip stimulus, along with plenty of forearm and upper arm work. Very fun stuff.

4. Gripmas 2015 – Trying 2x25kg Plate Pinch – 2617

One of the most difficult plate pinching feat involving just 2 plates is the 2x25kg plate pinch. Juha Harju was the first to do it, then Bob Sundin did it, and at Gripmas Kody Burns did it. Below, you’ll see he pinches them and then holds them, braced against his leg. Jake Sahlany and I tried them as well, and got decent breaks, but the pull to lockout just wasn’t happening for me, as my hands were tired and my thumbs were very irritated already.

3. Is Wrist Roller a Waste of Time – 2680

I ended up addressing a couple of controversial topics this year, and this is the first one to appear on the countdown. I’ve had lots of people push back on this, but I stand firm on my stance that the Wrist Roller, specifically the kind where you stand there and hold the wrist roller out away from you, is a complete waste of time for building grip strength, plus it can be very hard on the shoulders and elbows. It’s a much better idea to use a rack supported wrist roller, where you’re not limited by how much weight your arms can hold up. In fact, a rack supported writ roller allows you to roll well over 100lbs, which is enough weight to produce suitable grip strength adaptations, and not just pumping the forearm full of blood with light weights.

2. What is the Best Home Gym Flooring? | Save Money on Home Gym – 5988

It’s disappointing to me when I hear of people setting up their home gym, and they spend so much money on rubber matting marketed by fitness companies. In so many cases, the “fitness” rubber matting is severely over-priced, when in reality, horse/cow stall mats are practically the same exact thing, they work just as well, and they are a fraction of the price. I also talk about the underlying layers of wood that set on the floor to protect the concrete.

1. Why Grippers Are a Waste of Time – 15168

And we wrap up the countdown this year with my

There you go – the Top 20 Videos is complete. I want to thank each and every one of you for watching my videos throughout the year, and for following the countdown over the last week or so.

What was your favorite video on the channel this year? Post in the comments below.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Top 20 Videos from 2015
Top 20 Videos from 2014
Top 10 Videos from 2013 – Just shy of the Top 10 (11-15)
Top 10 Videos from 2013 (6-10)
Top 20 Videos from 2013 (1-5)
Top 10 Videos from 2012
Top 10 Videos from 2011 (10-6)
Top 10 Videos from 2011 (5-1)