If you are a loyal reader of this site, you probably know what the implements are in this video, but many of the people who watch YouTube do not know exactly what some of the implements I train with are, so I am going to try my best to explain everything below.

Inch Dumbbell

In my left hand in the video, I am performing a suitcase deadlift with the Inch Dumbbell. The Inch Dumbbell is NOT named due to the size of the handle, the gap between the fingers when gripping the dumbbell, or anything like that. It is named after the performing Strongman from the late 1800′s who originally introduced the dumbbell, Thomas Inch. Inch would take his challenge dumbbells (there were three, if memory serves) with him to his performances and challenge on-lookers to lift it. This most likely almost never happened, since the level of thumb and fingertip strength required to do so are pretty substantial.

The thing that sets the Inch Dumbbell apart from other Grip Strength challenge items is it’s weight, size, and design. Check out the specs on this piece:

Inch Dumbbell Specs

• Weight – 172-lbs
• Handle Size – 2.38 to 2.47 inches, depending on the manufacturer of the replica
• Design – One solid piece of Cast Iron

A lot of people scoff at the Inch Dumbbell when they hear that it is only 172-lbs, but because of the handle diameter and the fact that it is all one piece of cast iron, it is a bitch to lift. The globe heads reach way outside of the handle, so when they start to turn, the handle also wants to turn as well, and it begins to rip out of your hand. To lift it, you need a strong thumb to resist rotation, strong fingertips to lock in on the handle, and / or a strong wrist to compensate for weaknesses in the other two areas.

95-lb Kettlebell

This dumbbell came from Max Kettlebells, a now defunct Kettlebell company that was located in Pennsylvania, so the design is not the same as the more widespread Dragondoor Kettlebells and others that are so popular out on the market these days. Instead of being completely round, the handle actually has what feels like corners and flat spots on it, so when you flip it you want to catch it just in the right spot or else it can hurt pretty badly.

Aside from the fact that the Inch is so damn hard to lift and the Max Kettlebell is so damn hard to flip and catch, there is more to this feat that makes it feat so challenging.

When flipping and juggling kettlebells, the power to elevate the bell comes from the hips. Because I was holding the massive Inch Dumbbell beside my hip, I could not hinge at the hip or generate any drive from my glutes in order to propel the kettlebell upwards, so essentially what you are seeing is a really big cheat front lateral with the kettlebell, instead of a powerful swing that you would normally see.

So, all together, this is a giant combination feat that involves the Grip Strength needed to lift and hold the Inch Dumbbell, the strength to flip the 95-lb Kettlebell, and the coordination to maintain all of the tension to not crumble under the uneven loading of the Inch and the continuity to then catch the Kettlebell and recover to the standing position.

This feat is MUCH more difficult than the similar one I did several months back with the Blob instead of the Inch Dumbbell.

I am looking forward to continuing my experimentation with different Bipolar Lifts in the coming year, as I feel it is a very good form of training in order to hit multiple aspects of strength all at the same time.

You should give it a try too! Put together a Bi-Polar lift, give it a try in your next workout, and then post a comment below to tell everyone in the Diesel Universe about it!

Thanks and all the best in your training.

Jedd

P.S. Need help learning to Flip and Juggle Kettlebells? Check out Logan Christopher’s DVD, The Definitive Guide to Kettlebell Juggling, the most complete resource on the planet for Kettlebell Juggling.

• Basic Kettlebell Juggling – EXPLAINED
• Making Hard Feats Look Easy – The Inch Dumbbell
• Build Explosiveness & a Strong Grip with the Dumbbell Snatch!
• Home Made Equipment to Help Lift the Inch Dumbbell
• Week 12 – Table Top Zottman Curls

A cool feat of strength that you can do is rolling up a frying pan. If you want to learn how to do this, pick up the November issue of Men’s Fitness and check out the short “How-to” piece I put together for them, on page 24, called Roll Up a Skillet.

Like many feats of grip strength, this is one where if you learn to engage the rest of your body with Radiant Tension, you will be able to perform the feat better.

What’s Radiant Tension?

I talk about Radiant Tension in this kettlebell press article I did last fall. (Here’s the accompanying radiant tension video).

Radiant Tension is a skill. It’s not as easy as clenching your teeth and squeezing the bar as hard as you can. That’s not what it is about. You have to be able to turn it on and off as you need to.

Here’s an example with a feat you might have a bit more experience with than rolling up a frying pan…card tearing.

When ripping a deck of cards, you want to use radiant tension when starting the tear to keep the cards tight together, to get the initial tear started, and to involve the larger muscles of the torso in the feat.

However, once the tear is started, if you are too tight, it can be tough to keep the tear going. What results is you get the initial break going and then stop. The. you throw another jolt of power into it and it tears a little more, and you essentially keep starting and stopping over and over until you tear the whole way through the deck.

Through practice, however, you can understand how much Radiant Tension is necessary to grip the cards and get the torso muscles involved, and also to keep the tear going fluidly.

If you need help learning how to tear cards, no resource on the planet will give you the level of detail my Card Tearing eBook gives you. From Techniques, to Progressions, to Exercises, I’ve got everything you need to know in order to start “cutting the deck” with extreme vengeance.

In a much more standard form of lifting, such as the Bench Press, Radiant Tension can instantly increase your bench by 10 to 20 pounds by learning to manage the tension. Like I said before, it is a skill that needs to be practiced.

Often when I see it discussed in other locations, Radiant Tension is described as “squeezing the bar as hard as you can.” While a new person who has never tried to employ Radiant Tension may indeed end up putting forth that kind of exertion in order to build a connection between the mind and the body, I think squeezing at that level of intensity all the time is actually a waste of energy and at the very least an unnecessary distraction.

I actually used to “squeeze as hard as possible” on many lifts when I performed them, but after playing around with this concept in the last year or so I’ve found that I get just as good if not better results by moderating the level of exertion and changing it depending on the movement I am doing and how much radiant tension I need on that day.

For instance, on the bench, if I squeeze too hard on the bar, it feels like I have trouble lowering the bar and my shoulders end up hurting. Whereas if I just tense my hands slightly, I can begin to feel that familiar sensation of tension radiating back and forth from my core and torso out to the bar and back in, feeling more stable, stronger in the movement, and having less stress in the shoulders.

Like I’ve said a couple of times, tension is a skill that needs to be practiced. This past summer, I was training a dude named Jim who would get on the bench and the bar would be all over the place. The first day I mentioned squeezing the bar, his form improved greatly and he was able to repeat the form much more easily. Gradually we worked outward away from the torso and began using systematic pulsing of the glutes in order get even more confident with the bar, perform more reps, and pack on more muscle.

Remember, tension is a skill you can practice to help you out in all of your strength endeavors, whether you are tearing cards, bending a frying pan, or powerlifting, there’s a place for it. You just have to use it and practice it in order to make it work best for you.

Incidentally, in this issue of the magazine, on page 20, there is another short piece by Ben Bruno called, “Curl More Weight, Increase Your Strength Immediately” that pretty much covers the same principle of Radiant Tension. I will let you check the magazine out yourself to see what I mean.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Similar Posts:

• Classic Strongman Month – Week 2
• The Secret Key to Finishing a Deck of Cards – Adjustment
• Productive Variety: Why I Tear Cards
• From The Mail Bag – Card Tearing Feedback
• Card Tearing Twitter Chat TONIGHT!

A couple of weeks back, I posted that Smitty and I had been named to the board of advisors with the RKC and Dragondoor. I also posted a link to an article I had written for Dragondoor that had recently been posted, called Testing Radiant Tension Variations for Increased Performance in the Kettlebell Press

I had actually included a video to go along with that article, but for whatever reason it got missed and did not make it into the article, so I am posting it here, now.

Aside from that, I can tell you for a fact that Tension, when applied properly, does help you perform better in lifts. You can’t go overboard with it, of course, and you have to understand how to turn it on and off as needed. This all comes with experience, as you practice.

Have a great week.

Jedd

• Rolling Frying Pans and Managing Radiant Tension
• RKC Board of Advisors
• Why You Should Train Your Grip
• The Most Impressive Feat of Strength
• Full Body Tension Training

I’ve got some pretty cool news to share with you today…

Smitty and I were recently named to a newly formed Board of Advisors within the RKC. I’m not exactly sure what all we will be called upon to do, as I don’t think there is a set agenda. However, I may call on you all in the Diesel Universe from time to time to get your opinion on some things.

Here is an excerpt from the April Dragondoor Newsletter in which the Board of Advisors was announced:

“To make RKC even better we have formed the RKC Board of Advisors. A small number of accomplished RKCs from a variety of backgrounds, each with his or her own special talents, education, and experience will serve on the board for two years. Welcome to our board:”
Missy Beaver | Carolyn Brumfield | Kristann Heinz, MD | Jedd Johnson
Mike Krivka | Sarah Lurie | Chip Morton | Gary Music
Courtney Neupert, DPT | Andrey Patenko | Tracy Reifkin | Mike Robertson
Jim Smith | Cole Summers | Jason Therrien | Jimmy Yuan, DC

This is very exiting, and I wish to express my sincere appreciation to everyone at Dragondoor for my selection to this group. I look forward to assisting and contributing however I can.

In addition to being mentioned on this board, one of my articles was also featured in this issue: Testing Radiant Tension Variations for Increased Performance in the Kettlebell Press.

This ability to manage tension is something I told my guys at The Grip Authority about a few months back, because I felt that it could also be of good use for applying it to Gripper Closes and other one-handed means of grip strength training.

Chin Strap Beard – CHECK

Look for more posts on Kettlebell Training down the line. I have some other stuff I have been kicking around in my head for future article ideas. It’s about time to get them onto “paper” so that they aren’t taking up so much space in my cluttered mind.

As always, if you have any questions on kettlebell training methods, leave a comment below and I will try to address them either in a video on my YouTube Channel, or an article here at my strength training site.

Again, as much as I love Grip Training, that ain’t all I love. I want to bring you all the information you want to know about, but in order to that, you have to tell me…so PLEASE DO!!!

Until then, all the best in your training.

Jedd

P.S. Have you check out our Advanced Kettlebell Training eBooks? If not, see below…

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• Increasing the Kettlebell Press
• Grip Training Using Kettlebells
• Grip Strength Challenge – One Hand / Arm Deadlift
• Dynamic Pinch Grip Training
• Building Freaky Forearms – Method Number 73

The Goblet Squat is an outstanding alternative to the Back Squat that you can use from time to time in your training in order to mix things up and enjoy a bit of variety. It is most often performed with a dumbbell or kettlebell, but odd objects can be used as well.

The Goblet Squat was invented by the world-renowned speaker, author, accomplished athlete, and all-around strong dude, Dan John.

Dan John Loading up for a Monster Discuss Toss

How to Perform the Goblet Squat

The Grip

If you are using a kettlebell for the resistance, take a grip by holding the horns of the handle. The bell will point down to the floor.

For an additional challenge, a grip can be taken in such a manner that you must compress in either on the dumbbell head or the body of the kettlebell. Doing so in this manner allows you to elevate the recruitment of the upper body musculature without having to sacrifice the benefits you get from the movement. For more info on this, check out this old post on Upper Body Crush Lifts once you are done with the rest of this article.

Depending on your limb length and chest size, the dumbbell or kettlebell may come in contact with the chest. If you are a beginner at the Goblet Squat, or if you are going for higher repetitions, you can maximize your leverage, by keeping the bell close. To increase the challenge, you can let it drift away, but if you do this make sure you stay tight and don’t let it pull you forward. This is an advanced technique, so BE CAREFUL.

Foot Positioning

Position the feet around shoulder-width. The toes should point forward and slightly out.

(My right foot externally rotate a bit more than my left. This is not just when I perform Goblet Squats, but also when I walk. Try to keep yours even if you can)

The Movement

Once you are set up it is time to squat. The first movement – and this where a lot of people make a mistake – should be ass back, not ass down. In other words, in order to start your decent, push your butt backwards and then start moving down.

Throughout this movement, the chest should stay proud. If your chest drops, it will change the leverage of the lift and you run the risk of dumping the weight as well as causing injury to yourself.

Continue until the full comfortable range of motion is attained. Your goal should be to reach the position where the elbows touch the inner quad muscle. I am slightly above that in the above picture, mainly because of where I was holding the kettlebell. Holding it up high is more comfortable for me. If I hold it a bit lower, my elbows touch my quads.

Killer Goblet Squats

Now that we have covered all that, I want to show you a goal I am working on right now. These are without a doubt the toughest Goblet Squats I have ever tried – Holding the Inch Dumbbell.

Before you give me a rash of Shit about my form, I know that I was stopping a bit high with these. The reason is because I was pretty seriously fatigued already before trying this. I had already done Front Squats with a Bar, and Goblet Squats with the 95-lb kettlebell, so my quads were burning up and my glutes were blasted, so my bottom position was pretty fatigued.

I wasn’t planning on doing Goblet Squats with the Inch Dumbbell at all. In fact, what happened was I had blown up my quads and glutes with the 95-lb Goblets and I tried to lift the Inch and couldn’t because of my finger injuries and I got pissed, so I went for it.

On the first try, I was able to lower down into the hole but couldn’t come out and dropped the Inch to the floor. On the second try, I got one rep. So for the third rep I challenged myself to get ten reps.

Here’s the video:

More updates on this will be coming. I WILL get this for ten reps with better form!

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Similar Posts:

• Most Popular Videos of 2011 – Part 2
• Evolving the Kettlebell Snatch
• Making Hard Feats Look Easy – The Inch Dumbbell
• Bi-Polar Training: Inch Dumbbell Plus Kettlebell Flip
• Cossack Squats with 60lbs of Chains