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.

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

Mash Monster Gripper Certification

Last week, for the 12th time (or something like that) since 2004, I attempted the Mash Monster #3 Gripper. Here is some history about this Gripper line and my battles with the MM3.

The Mash Monster Grippers

The Mash Monster Grippers are a series of Grippers at Gripboard.com that has existed since 2004 to crown the ultimate King of Crushing.

The Mash Monsters were all produced by Warren Tetting, so they are essentially the same springs and handles as you would find in the Beef Builder and Tetting series.

Tetting has produced grippers for decades and the Mash Monster series is just as high of quality as his other gripper lines.

What makes the Mash Monster Grippers so awesome is that they are a very detailed incremental system of grippers, with gradually increasing spring sizes and gradually modified spring depths, so you have a ladder of grippers that are slightly harder with each rung you climb.

My Battles with the Mash Monster Grippers

I began my climb up the Mash Monster ladder in 2004 and quickly closed the MM1 and the MM2.

When I tried the MM3, however, it was a different story. I missed my first attempt, which I believe was in early 2005.

I think a few weeks later, I tried the MM3 again, and once again I had no luck.

Ever since then, I have tried, on average, one time a year to close the MM3, and every single time I have failed.

It has actually become quite a funny story amongst some of my friends. Of course, many of these friends have never tried the MM3…ha ha ha, in your face. WOOOH!

Last week, I decided it was time to get this monkey off my back.

I signed up for the MM3 and it arrived on Wednesday. I took my attempts on Thursday night, and here is the video of all 3 of my attempts.

Jedd Johnson Mash Monster #3 Gripper Attempts – 6/11/15

As you can see, I was definitely able to close the gripper on the 1st and 2nd attempts. I felt it was closed on the 3rd when I took the attempts, but by the video it is hard to tell.

Unfortunately, despite my closing the gripper more than once, I was failed because I was unable to properly document the spacing of the handles after the set and before the crush-down attempt.

The Mash Monster Rules state there must be a clear shot showing that the handles are no closer together than parallel, so I was red-lighted.

I will sign up for the MM3 again very soon and put more attention on my setting for the camera.

Despite all that, I must say that this is without a doubt the STRONGEST my Crush has ever been.

After missing so many times, I am now closing the Mash Monster #3 Gripper.

On top of that, I PR’d in Grippers with both hands at Nationals on June 6th, closing a 180-rated gripper right-handed, and that felt much harder to me than the MM3.

All of this progress has come from following the structure of CBT, Cadence Based Gripper Training, a program I released in the Fall of 2014.

If you haven’t started following CBT in your gripper training, you should.

I KNOW the Cadence Based Training program will help you. Let me prove it to you.

Pick it up today => Cadence Based Gripper Training

All the best in your training.

Jedd

It will produce the BIGGEST EXPLOSION in newly certified Captains of Crush since 2003.

Will YOU be in that wave of new Giants of Crushing Strength?

Don’t be content doing the same old stuff, and getting the same old results…

Be on of the FIRST to get this new video, Operation: Gripper Certification.
It will be here soon!

All the best in your training,

Jedd Johnson

DIESELS!

Recent #4 Gripper Attempt

I have worked with a LOT of people over the years on their Gripper form, and the biggest thing I see with them is TECHNIQUE ISSUES.

We need to talk about this RIGHT NOW.

Technique is EVERYTHING.

You can throw everything else out.

If your technique is off when you try to close a gripper, you are reducing your chance for a successful close by AT LEAST HALF and maybe more.

The number one thing I see people doing is they place the gripper wrong in their hand right from the very beginning.

Specifically, they place the Gripper too deep in their hand…

…so WHY is this a PROBLEM?

Well, think about it this way.

How far do you usually miss by when you fail on a gripper attempt?

My guess is that you probably miss by around 1/4 inch.

Maybe it’s an 1/8th, maybe 3/8ths, but it’s probably right around there.

Well, in my experience people are placing the gripper between 1/4 and 3/8 of an inch TOO DEEP INTO THEIR HAND.

This is a problem because the farther the back handle is in their hand, the farther their fingers have to move the front handle in order to complete the close!

If you make the adjustment on the placement of the Gripper, your hands will have a bit more gas left in the tank because they won’t have to work over such a long distance.

This one change in your form could give you just the boost you need to finally close that gripper you have been trying to close.

And that is just one TINY technical adjustment having to do with how you place the thing in your hand.

Imagine what else you will pick up on when you pick up CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination today.

CRUSH is a two-disk DVD that covers all the ins and outs of Gripper Training and it is loaded with technical information that you might not be thinking about.

I kid you not, I have seen guys going from missing the COC #1 to coming within 1/4 inch of closing the COC #2.5, just by making the right technical adjustments.

What are you waiting for? Pick it up today => CRUSH DVD

All the best in your training,

Jedd

P.S. CRUSH comes in digital or hard copy formats, so if you live overseas, you do not have to worry about paying big shipping charges or duties and other fees.

Blasting Apart a Phone Book

Hope you had an awesome Mother’s Day Weekend.

I have not had a chance to visit my Mom yet. I was only able to give her a call, as I was out of town from Thursday on and just got back late last night.

I was away to Spokane, Washington at the Empire Classic, a big expo consisting of bodybuilding, physique, strongman, and powerlifting competitions.

I had the opportunity to perform Feats of Strength in front of 1200 people and it is something I will never forget.

Strongman Feats Show

Here’s the video from Saturday Night’s performance…

You will see I struggle quite a bit with the phone book. I warmed up with the same dumbbells and plates that the bodybuilders were using and my hands got super greasy and were slipping on the pan and book.

Also, I have been fighting with a sinus infection for weeks and weeks and was struggling with the hot water bottle. The first night, I totally failed because my beard was not letting me get a good seal on my face. The second night, I just couldn’t breathe very well through my nose at all, making the feat 10 times harder.

I really wish I would have gotten the Friday show on tape, because I wasn’t as rushed and really did a better job speaking. Recognized the promoter, the competitors, talked about Grip Strength’s importance, the sport of Grip, explained the feats, and even recognized the Veterans in the crowd, which is something I always try to build into my shows.

Either way, I had a ton of fun and learned a lot over the course of the entire weekend about promoting contests. Ivan and Erin Ribic operate a whole other level compared to what we do in Grip Sport. I was blown away at the level of organization.

Public Service Announcement: If you try a hot water bottle, use safety glasses. I forgot my glasses both nights and could have really gotten hurt badly.

Grip Strength Challenge

While I was there, I also ran a Grip Challenge booth.

As always, one of the biggest attractions was the Grippers I had spread all over the table.

One dude, a strongman competitor, was trying as hard as he could to close a #1 gripper, but just couldn’t get it.

Just as I figured his technique was off.

He had it positioned wrong in his hand from the start.

Bad positioning throws off the way the fingers pull on the front handle, making a gripper 25 to 50 pounds harder to close.

So, I ran him through 3 or 4 simple technique modifications and within minutes he had not only smashed the #1 gripper shut, but had also managed to close the #2.5.

While this kind of a jump is rare, I see guys going from missing the #1 to closing the #2 just through technique improvements ALL THE TIME.

That is why I urge you to pick up CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination.

The technicality of Gripper training often surprises people.

They are blown away by how much easier it is to close grippers once they understand the right technique.

No other source out there comes close to my Gripper Video.

I show you the stuff you MUST know in order to get good at Grippers.

Pick it up here today: http://thegripauthority.com/gripper-dvd/crush-dvd2.htm

All the best with your gripper training,

Jedd

Is Your Gripper Technique Holding You Back?
Click the Banner Below to Finally Find Out

DIESELS,

Last week I was in New Jersey at a workshop. Several of us split the costs on a big apartment house, and I was one of the last guys to get there.

As always, even with GPS guidance, I found a way to get lost…

At one point, I thought I was at the right house, so I stumbled out of my car in the pitch-black dark to go knock on the door.

It was hard to walk for some reason, and to my surprise, the lawn and driveway were covered in sand from the hurricane that hit last year.

When I finally got there, I opened the door and this is the first thing I heard:

“I’ll never be able to close this damn thing,” and then there was this loud THUD on the table, the sound of aluminum handles and a steel spring against mahogany.

I knew exactly what was going on – this fella was trying to close a gripper!

I could tell he was super frustrated and seething in anger at failing to close the gripper in front of all these other dudes

This was something I’d heard so many times from guys who are new to grippers.

They train so hard and want to close them so bad, but the handles just won’t touch.

Some of the guys in the room I knew. Others I did not, so we got the introductions out of the way, and I went up to the guy who was squeezing grippers. His name was Roger.

“What’s the matter, brother?” I asked him.

“I have been working on this thing for 3 weeks, and I swear the handles are no closer now than when I broke the gripper out of the package. I don’t know how you can close a #3.5 when I can’t even close the #1…!”

I paused for a second and just looked at him smiling, waiting for him to get a couple of breaths in him so he could calm back down and hear what I was about to ask him.

Finally, when the rage was gone from his eyes and his pulse had slowed a bit, I let him have it.

“Roger, I feel your pain brother.”

“What do you mean, Jedd?” You’re smashing 3.5’s.

Yes, that’s true. NOW. But when I first started I couldn’t close the #1 either.

“WHAT?” said Roger…his eyes got all big like someone just told him Santa Claus was fake. “But someone told me on-line that all the people who have ever closed anything higher than a #3 were able to close the #1 right from the beginning…”

“Not true, dude,” I said in complete truthfulness.

“Nope – it took me about 3 weeks of squeezing that thing as hard as I could before I finally was able to close it. Then one day, it was like everything lined up right and when I squeezed, I could feel the knurling on the insides of the handle grinding like someone was dragging a sewer great on a sidewalk.”

“Really?” asked Roger.

“Yes,” I said, “And I bet there’s a chance you can close that gripper right now if you just play around with the placement of the gripper in your hand. Would you like to try?”

“Yeah man, let’s do it,” Roger said.

So, I grabbed the gripper out of his hand and placed it in mine. I showed him how he had the gripper in his hand (see the picture below).

Back Handle TOO Far Back

“You see Roger, with the gripper positioned like this, so deep into the back of the hand, the fingers have to pull the handle all that distance in order to get the handles to touch.

When you squeeze it like that, it will make the feat harder for EVERYBODY.

Back Handle in Good Forward Position

BUT – if you place it further forward in your hand, then when your fingers squeeze against the front handle, they don’t have to pull so far toward the back of the palm and you get much more horsepower over the distance of the sweep.

Left: Gripper Too Deep, Finish Effort Much Higher. Right: Gripper Forward, Finish Much Easier

“See the difference?” and I squeezed it one more time with each variation.

“I think I understand,” said Roger. “I can tell it’s easier for you because it shuts so much quicker when you position it forward in your hand.”

“You got it, man. Now you try,” and I handed the Gripper over to him.

Roger took the gripper and placed it in his hand the way he normally would and saw what I meant. The back handle was pointing towards his wrist and he could see just how far back his fingers would have to move in order to close it.

Then, he slid the back handle forward, so it set more in line with the crease in the middle of his palm.

He got his fingers onto it and squeezed as hard as he could, and I could hear the handles smash together so loud, it was like the first time I closed the #1.

Roger, sensing victory, squeezed as hard as he could, like he was trying to flatten the handles, feeling the glory of his first #1 gripper close and the PoweR of a new PR.

When it comes to closing grippers, yes, you have to have strong hands. However, when you combine that hand strength with the knowledge of the proper technique to use with them, your gains accelerate faster than you could even imagine.

Gripper training doesn’t have to be filled with frustration, staring at the same 1/8 of an inch between the two handles every time you squeeze the handles down. With the right info, you can dominate grippers in a hurry.

If you want to understand all the true technical secrets of Gripper training, get CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination today.

When you know what you are doing wrong and how to correct it, the gains come MUCH quicker.

Let me know how awesome it feels the first time you feel those handles grinding together.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

One of the great things about Gripper Training is that there is a nearly endless variety of training methods you can do with grippers as long as you get your imagination going a bit.

If you have trouble thinking up cool and interesting variations in your gripper training, just think about a more conventional form of training and apply it to your gripper work.

For instance, one common method of increasing the number of reps and sheer volume you do in your regular strength and muscle building training is Drop Sets. This is where you perform a certain number of repetitions in a lift, and then once you come near to or actually hit the point of failure, you set the weight down and perform more repetitions with a lighter weight.

Drop Sets are also a great method for pre-exhaustion. The set is broken down into two or more parts with the earlier portion(s) of the set being used to pre-exhaust the part of the body doing the work and thus making the later portion(s) harder than normal.

For instance, in the Deadlift, you can hit a set number of repetitions with a starting weight, and then pull a plate off the bar and continue.

Here is an example of how to do Drop Sets with the Deadlift. Also make sure to check out the cool Lumberjack Beard that I am sporting. You will get a good close-up at the end.

In this case, I did not wait until I hit or came near to failure. I had the drops already planned. Either way will work fine for increasing the volume you are performing with grippers. Also, by the time I began lifting 135, my hands and posterior chain were thoroughly pre-exhausted and I had to put in more effort and drive in order to finish the set how I wanted.

The very same concept of Drop Sets can also be performed with Grippers.

In order to do this, you will need at least two grippers. One of them will be “heavier” and the other one will be “lighter.”

In this video, I perform a Gripper Drop Set, first hitting a filed Elite Gripper, then hitting a lighter, #3 gripper.

Normally, that #3 would go down no problem, but because I already attempted the Elite gripper and performed a static hold near the end range, I was pre-exhausted and it made the #3 gripper somewhat harder to close than it actually is.

This technique is especially useful if you have only a limited number of grippers in your collection. The lighter grippers will seem tougher to close and you will have to work harder to make the handles touch.

You can also set this up so that you do the lighter gripper first, followed by the heavier gripper. For instance, if you only have a #1 and a #2, you can perform a pre-exhaust set with the #1 gripper and then move to the #2. If you are currently closing the #2 when you are fresh, after pre-exhausting with the #1, the #2 will feel somewhat more challenging to close.

If you want to take this method even further, you can use a whole series of grippers and run down the table in almost a medley-type format.

Other variations for your gripper training include modifying the set depth used, the period of time holding the gripper closed, the number of repetitions with the grippers, etc.

Like I said at the beginning, the only thing limiting you in your gripper training is your own imagination. There’s no reason to ever get completely bored with grippers.

There are always more ways you can challenge yourself.

For more gripper training variations, check out the following posts:

• Common Gripper Questions
• How to Set a Gripper
• Advanced Gripper Training Methods
• My Complete Gripper Video PlayList on YouTube

Also, if you are really serious about your Gripper Training, then you need to pick up my On-line DVD called CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination. With over 2 hours of training instruction, you will increase your awareness of what is possible with grippers and see new progress moving up the gripper ladder.

All the best in your training,

Jedd Johnson

DIESELS,

First off, I am sorry for the lack of new posts lately. I have been distracted lately with many things.

Some of them, are just plain life issues that catch you off guard from time to time. For instance, my long-time friend in life and business, my Explorer, decided to finally leave me and go a completely new direction, so I had to spend two days researching vehicles. I ended up buying a Nissan Rogue, and it has been awesome.

I’ve also had two amazing trips in the last 3 weeks. The first was my first Strongman Performance gig, where I worked as a carnival strongman as part of a 4-act circus show. It was a great time, I learned even more about the feats of strength I do and teach, and it was great watching all the youngsters enjoy themselves.

Lift, Hold, and Control Seminar Group: Dan Creter, Jan Dellinger, Sarah Shafer, Jedd Johnson, Rebecca Klopp, Paul Tompkins, Stephanie Lewis

This past weekend was the Lift, Hold, and Control seminar at Vision Fitness of PA, home of Garage Ink Powerlifting. My friend, Niko Hulslander, invited me down to his gym to speak and it was great spending some time with him and getting to know him more as well. The attendees had a great time and they learned a lot. It was my privilege to have in attendance a well-known member of the strength world, Jan Dellinger, author of The Dellinger Files. Jan worked at York Barbell for years and years and was once assistant editor of Muscular Development Magazine.

So, now that I have my feet under me, I want to share a video with you that I put up on YouTube a week or so ago.

Grip Training: How to Train Crush and Open Hand

I always welcome comments and questions on my YouTube videos, and I have been getting lots of good ones. Recently, one of my YouTube Subscribers asked a question along the lines of “What is the best way to work Crushing Strength and Open Hand Strength at the same time?”

At first I responded by telling him that it couldn’t be done, simply by definition of the two types of grip strength. To understand what I mean, here are the definitions of these two types of grip strength.

Crushing Grip: Dynamic force produced by the hands and fingers, whereas the fingers move inward toward the palm, as in making a fist or closing a gripper.

Open Hand: Static force produced by the hand and fingers where no overlap of the fingertips and thumb can take place, as in lifting a Blob or thick handled dumbbell.

So, as you can see, by definition, these two categories of grip strength somewhat cancel one another out, especially when you consider the following:

1. Crushing is almost always dynamic in nature. Gripper closing involves movement. Even crushing down on a kettlebell handle in a Bottoms-up Press manner, while the movement is minimal, it is still taking place in order to control and adjust to the balance of the kettlebell.

2. Open Hand Training is almost always static in nature. With wide plate pinching, the thumb and fingers squeeze onto the outsides of the plates, but no movement takes place beyond this. The same is true when lifting the Inch Dumbbell or other thick-handled challenge bar.

However, as I thought more and more about this question, I realized that I was being too closed-minded. I was only considering very basic forms of Grip Strength Training, and I was leaving out many other forms that do have the potential to work both aspects of gripping ability. I was really pigeon-holing myself and looking at the question with tunnel vision.

Here is the video that I made in order to address this:

How to Combine Crushing and Open Hand Strength Training

This video will show you some examples of both Open Hand Training and Crushing Strength.

So, as you can see, it can be very, very easy to accomplish training the Crushing aspect and the Open Hand aspects at the same time with Bi-Polar Training, you just have to do each hand separately. Plus with the right equipment you can come very close to training the hands to crush without the benefit of a closed hand by using the Grip 4orce Handles.

There are other ways to accomplish this Hybrid form of Grip Training that have come to me since then. One such way is with Sandbags. When performing heavy sandbag lifts, as you clench the material on the body of the bag (using the handles they have would not count), the action of the fingers digging in would entail a degree of dynamic crushing (Crush Grip), while the hand stays open (Open Hand).

In most cases, Sandbag Lifting, especially when done with a large bag, will fit into another category of grip that is often not discussed, called Monkey Grip. Monkey Grip is when the orientation of the hand puts the fingers and thumb on the same side of the implement being used, instead of opposing one another in convention Pinch and Open Hand lifts.

We will go into more detail on Monkey Grip training later. For now, mull over what I talked about in today’s article and video, and as always, if you have a question, make sure to leave a comment. Also, if you can think of other ways to combine Crushing and Open Hand training, post them as well. Believe me, there are lots of them.

Want more detailed instruction to take you to your Grip Training Goals? The answers to your questions await you at my coaching site, TheGripAuthority.com. With hundreds of entries over the course of nearly three years of operation, it is the world’s most complete Grip Strength instructional Site. Join today for just $7 and let’s start working together toward your grip training goals.

What have you got to lose? Join today.

Jedd

Grip Sport, like any sport, has its funny little quirky things about it that strike people funny.

At least once a month, I am asked by someone on YouTube the same question, so I thought I’d go ahead and do a video and blog post about.

What is the Metal Thing Used with Grippers?

The metal object that you often see used by those closing grippers, especially during official certification closes and when competing or training for contests, is called a Block. The Block is used to make sure all athletes are using the same set depth (or wider) when they close the gripper.

In this video, I show you exactly how this is done.

The History of Gripper Sets in a Nutshell

I found out about Grip specialization training in 2002 and since I was a bodybuilder at the time, I thought it was insane to spend so much time training so hard on such a small portion of your body.

The Old IronMind Set

Then, I found out that there were Gripper Certifications that you could attain, and being that I was always hungry to prove myself physically, I decided I wanted to pursue the Captains of Crush certification through IronMind.

By 2003, I was certified for closing the #3 Gripper. At the time, the rules stated you could pre-position the gripper with your off hand, provided the last full inch of the gripper sweep was clearly visible by the judge and unaided by the off-hand.

Mash Monster Set

Well, how easy is it to judge the space between two handles, exactly? Not really that easy, and pretty controversial, as it would turn out. Eventually another gripper certification was started by the Gripboard, called the Mash Monsters. A set of grippers in graduated difficulty was produced, and in order to make judging easier, instead of one inch, a parallel set was used, so you could set the gripper with the off hand, but before closing it, the video being shot of the attempt had to clearly show a parallel handle position prior to closing the gripper. This certification still remains unchanged to this day at Gripboard.com.

New IronMind Set – Credit Card Setting

The way I remember it, IronMind caught wind of some gripper certs that were done with deep sets, so they changed their certification around 2004 or 2005 (I don’t remember exactly without googling), and they began requiring a credit card set – the handles could still be pre-positioned with the off-hand, but prior to closing the gripper, a credit card had to be inserted width-wise between the handles. This is what they require to this day.

GGC 2006 – I certified Tex Henderson.
He was the first to certify with the credit card.
My hair was awesome then, too.
Image: IronMind.com

In 2006, at our Grip National Championship, then called Global Grip Challenge, we implemented a credit card spacer that the judge would slide through the handles for the athlete. Unfortunately, this created a great deal of debate because for smaller handed individuals, the wide set was giving them serious troubles.

Block Sets

Around this time, the use of a marker narrower than a credit card also started popping up. You could see videos from European grip contests where the competitors would set their gripper and then either they or a judge would slide the marker between the handles.

20-mm Block Set with Vulcan Gripper

Over the years, this practice evolved. In some competitions, it was used, while in others it was not required. Then, in 2010, David Horne required a 20-mm block was required to be put between the handles prior to closing them together. In 2011, David shipped official setting blocks out to the all the promoters of the World’s Strongest Hands series. This has pretty much become the standard of setting blocks used in competitions. In almost all cases that I can think of, the athlete must pass the setting block between the handles himself. The judge is no longer permitted to do it.

20-mm/30-mm Block – Image: David Horne’s World of Grip

To me, while using a setting block makes the close slightly harder because there is a pause and hold prior to closing the gripper handles together, I think is a great addition to the sport. I think the blocks that David Horne produces are awesome because the narrow way they serve for a 20-mm set, and the wider way, they serve for a 30-mm set. These are the two most commonly used setting widths and they seem to be comfortable for just about everyone who competes.

Plus, with the use of the blocks, you always know that every single competitor has closed their gripper from a legal set width. There are no partially shielded closes, no drifting closes and no complaints or excuses. If someone has a weak set, they may end up taking an attempt from a wider distance, which is fine, but there’s virtually no chance someone uses too deep of a set because they must clearly show the properly swiped block between the handles.

DIESELS, I hope this has been a helpful post for you that clears up some of the questions. Setting Blocks may seem as foreign and strange as a right-handed pitcher being allowed to fake to third base before throwing to first base, but like that deceptive baseball pick-off move, setting blocks are just part of the game.

(Actually, I heard recently that the fake to third pick-off move to first is going to be out-lawed next season, but it rarely worked for anyone besides the Yankees’ Jeff Nelson anyway, and he’s been retired for several years now…)

All the best in your training,

Jedd

Important Gripper Acronyms / Terms Featured in this Article:

• TSG – Torsion Spring Gripper(s) – Grippers like the Captains of Crush Grippers
• Straight Coil Spring Grippers – Grippers like the Vulcan or V2
• RGC – Redneck Gripper Calibrator, a device which Rates Gripper Strength at Close
• Richard MacLean – Person who pimped out his RGC to rate Vulcans
• HG – Heavy Grips Grippers
• CoC – Captains of Crush Grippers, registered trademark of IronMind Enterprises
• #3, #4, etc – CoC Grippers from IronMind
• Level 3, Level 4, etc – Settings on the Vulcan or V2 Gripper
• Black Spring – Current spring issued with V2 Grippers. Equivalent to Gold, Silver Black Dip, possibly others.

How to Compare the Vulcan / V2 to Torsion Spring Grippers

There has been a decent amount of information put out regarding the strength levels and the ratings of Torsion Spring Grippers like the IronMind Captains of Crush and other similar grippers. With the development of the RGC device which is able to rate these grippers by testing how much weight it takes to touch the handles together, we are now able to compare grippers from different companies, despite the different numbering systems that the companies use.

In the following video, I talk at length about the results that we have found from rating grippers using the RGC device.

However, with all of the information out there for TSG ratings, where this type of information has fallen short is with the Vulcan V2 Gripper, and many people want to understand this better. They want to know where the various levels of the Vulcan V2 Gripper stand against the Torsion Spring Grippers.

Below is a chart that was put together by Richard MacLean. It shows strength ratings of the springs on the Vulcan V2 Gripper across various settings. But, before you check it out, you must understand a few important points…

Important Details about Gripper Strength Ratings

1. All springs vary somewhat. Some springs can be just naturally harder than others, even springs from the same batches. Frequent use, stretching the springs out on the hardest settings, and poor care or irresponsible use can all have an effect, but for the most part these numbers can be used to judge what you have as well.

2. Torsion Springs (regular hand grippers) act differently from Coil Springs (Vulcan). With Torsion Spring Grippers, when you squeeze them, there is also some twisting that can take place, so you have to redirect force in order to make the handles move together. With Coil Springs, they primarily just stretch and lengthen. The point is, the springs act differently, so you have to take that into consideration as well.

What is Included in the Table

So, let me explain exactly what the table below shows. In Column A, you will see the ratings results from Richard M. on a fresh spring with very few closes on it. He tested the spring all the way out to Level 24. In Column B, he tested the same spring again, this time going all the way to 27.

You will see that the strength levels dropped at almost all of the settings on the second time through, most likely because going out to Level 24 weakened the spring somewhat, dropping the numbers.

This spring weakening (to this degree) will most likely not take place in your training with the Vulcan or V2 because there will be no need for you to go out to Level 24. Also, if you do go out to Level 24, you won’t be holding it there for an extended time, which may have taken place during the strength rating process. Upon writing this article, I know of NO ONE in the world who has ever closed this Gripper at Level 24.

Long story short, to get an estimate of the strength level of your Vulcan and Spring, provided you have not use the spring way out on the ends and done foot stomping or chest crushing, and as long as you aren’t hanging weight off the spring to deliberately weaken it, your spring is probably closer to the first run of numbers that Richard produced.

Also, take note that Richard used a Silver Black Dipped Spring on his V2, which has been rated equal in strength to the Black Spring and the Gold Spring. So if you have those springs, you can bank on very similar strength ratings.

Rich MacLean’s V2 RGC Ratings Results

Here are the numbers that Richard MacLean found during his testing.

  Column A|     Column B |
  Fresh Spring|     Seasoned Spring |
  L3 = 66.8   |     L3=55.6 |
  L4 = 72.7   |    L4=61.1 |
  L5 = 72.7   |    L5=61.1 |
  L6 = 79.0   |    L6=64.7 |
  L7 = 84.8   |    L7=72.1 |
  L8 = 88.0   |    L8=75.2 |
  L9 = 95.5   |    L9=80.8 |
L10 = 102.2   |   L10=88.2 |
L11 = 106.6   |   L11=89.0 |
L12 = 114.5   |   L12=97.2 |
L13 = 119.8   |   L13=104.7 |
L14 = 121.5   |   L14=107.3 |
L15 = 131.7   |   L15=115.2 |
L16 = 139.1   |   L16=122.9 |
L17 = 141.9   |   L17=126.5 |
L18 = 150.7   |   L18=133.8 |
L19 = 159.4   |   L19=142.9 |
L20 = 160.9   |   L20=146.5 |
L21 = 172.0   |   L21=153.8 |
L22 = 177.7   |   L22=165.0 |
L23 = 182.2   |   L23=167.9 |
L24 = 187.7   |   L24=175.5 |
                       L25=184.3 |
                       L26=189.2 |
                       L27=197.4 |

Big thanks to Richard MacLean for not only producing these results, but also for letting me post the results here.

Comparing Vulcan V2 Ratings to Torsion Spring Grippers

Unfortunately, if you are looking to use those numbers as direct comparisons to Torsion Spring Grippers, then you are out of luck. With the Vulcan, the force at close reads out much lower than with a torsion spring gripper.

For instance, the bolded numbers above are the ranges that I usually equate to the feel of a #3 Gripper, levels 13 to 15, depending on the stiffness of the spring.

David Horne has pointed out in many cases I have read that with the Black, Gold, and Silver Black Dip spring, level 13 is right near the difficulty of a #3, when the spring is fairly new.

Now, if you have used the same spring on a Vulcan, a V2, and a Wrist Developer and do one of those movements every workout, then the strength of the spring might be a bit reduced due to all the use, and so the squeeze may not feel like #3 strength until you get up around Level 15.

Either way, that range is what you want to shoot for if you are gearing up for closing the #3.

Other Comparisons and Estimates

We can also assume that a Level 22 is also pretty close to a #4 Gripper close. This is based on the fact that I have seen video of Paul Knight closing both a #4 and Vulcan Level 22. Harder #4’s would be up in the range of Level 24 or higher. These are just my personal estimations.

David Horne lists the following estimates on his site:

• #2 = Level 7-8
• #2.5 = Level 10-11
• #3 = Level 13-14
• #3.5 = Level 17-18
• #4 = Level 20-21

Remember, these estimations are for the Black, Gold, or Silver Black Dip springs. There may indeed be other springs that are equal in strength that I am not familiar with. I am just going on my own experience with them.

In addition, if you do not have IronMind CoC Grippers, in order to estimate where your Vulcan closing strength lies against Torsion Spring Grippers, you can use the estimates above and compare them against results taken from testing done with other similar Grippers.

For instance, if you know that your Beef Builder Elite Gripper rates at 159 on an RGC, then that is slightly above most #3 grippers, which these days come out around high 140’s and low 150’s. A 159 TSG would probably be around a Level 16 on a Vulcan (estimating).

I hope this post has been helpful for you. If you are in need of any further explanation, please let me know – since this topic has been such a source of confusion for so many people, I would be glad to go back and add in details where they are needed. Please just leave a comment below.

Thanks and all the best in your training.

Jedd

The coolest thing about putting together products for all of you is the feedback that I get. Here is a note from Chase Scott, who recently picked up CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination.

  Jedd,

Once again, CRUSH was great. Even though I am a Grip Authority member and follow all of your stuff, I still learned a tremendous amount from the dvd. A big thing for me was my set for the Vulcan 2. I noticed a huge difference in my next workout just trying to nail the technique. This dvd will help anyone but I would have to say that if someone is just starting out or somewhat new to grippers, they NEED to get this dvd. I can see how it could easily take months or even years off one’s learning time. I think most people would agree with me that I wish I had this video when I first started. I wouldn’t have so many bad habits to break and I could have saved a lot of time on trial and error. As usual, thanks for putting together an awesome product that is easy to follow and offers something for everyone.

Chase

When I started this project, it began just as a bonus video for those who were buying Vulcan Grippers from me, but before I knew it I had put together the Ultimate Gripper Training Resource.

I continually added to this video over the course of two months in order to make it as complete as possible. Still, as complete as it is, it does not drag on. The DVD is a little over two hours worth of material that is broken up into Modules so that you can focus on one aspect of Gripper Training at a time.

The video also contains close-ups and slow-motion clips, especially in the very important technique sections to ensure that the learning points are clear and well understood.

If you want to be good at Grippers, then feel free to just bounce around and try things here and there and learn by trial and error.

But if you want to cut to the chase and start going in the right direction, right now, then pick up CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination.

Click the Banner Above

All the best in your CRUSHing,

Jedd

Hello Diesels!

In just a few short hours, CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination will be available.

But now is the time to discuss the winner of the Free DVD Essay Contest.

The rules were simple. Write an essay with 100-words or more describing why you should win a free copy of the CRUSH DVD.

There were many entries – 40, to be exact, and they included many names I recognized from past emails, purchases, Facebook, YouTube, and more, as well as many new names I have not seen before, which was cool. Thank you to all who participated. For such a small window of just 24 hours, I thought the response was pretty darn impressive!

Within the essays, I was impressed by the wide array of background each of you come from. From Martial Artists, to Strength Enthusiasts, to Teachers, it was AWESOME to see such the diversity.

Of course in a contest such as this, it is tough to decide on a winner and it would be the easy way out to just do a random drawing, but I said I was going to choose a winner, and that is what I am going to do.

As I had said previously, the winner would be the person who deserved it the most, and with so many deserving people, I decided to choose the person whose essay conveyed, in my eyes, the most passion in their essay.

With that in mind, my choice is Mike Watson. I chose Mike because when I read his essay about his love and drive for wrestling, it really resonated with me and I saw similarities with how I feel about the sport of Grip.

Below is his essay:

“First off I need help getting my grip power up for wrestling. I love wrestling more then anything, and nothing has been able to stop me from doing this sport, which I love. The key things you need in wrestling is: grip, neck strength, speed, technique and endurance. Each part is very important, grip is essential for performing moves and starting off in the match. I have wrestled in Japan for almost 3 years before I had to come back to the states. This sport means the world to me. It keeps me out of trouble, keeps my grades in check, keeps me fit and keeps me disciplined. People can talk about why they want it, but they don’t live and breathe something everyday. If you love something as much as I do, you would understand why I want help with my grip. Wrestling isn’t a sport, you don’t play wrestling. Wrestling is a lifestyle and you respect your opponent and yourself. It isn’t a game its life, and life isn’t something you play with. Thank you for your time to read this I hope I get this DVD would help me in my wrestling career in life.”

Mike, I thought your essay was great. Thanks for posting it and make sure to send me your address so I can get the DVD to you.

There were many other great submissions. Thanks again to everyone who posted.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

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

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

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

This video will describe the process in more detail.

You must post your comment in the comment section below.

Thanks and all the best in your training.

Jedd

CRUSH – Coming REALLY Soon

Hello DIESELS!

My new DVD is set to come out very soon. It’s called, CRUSH! Total Gripper Domination.

I have been extremely excited about it for the last few weeks. Let me tell you a bit about it…

This whole thing started when I first began marketing the Vulcan V2 Gripper through David Horne’s World of Grip.

Many of the guys who were picking them up were interested in a short demonstration of how to modify the strength level of the Vulcan, so, eager to oblige, I shot something to cover how to move the spring and how to tell which level you were on.

Once I got rolling, I ended up covering a bunch of other points, so I re-worked the entire thing into a complete How to Train with the Vulcan video.

As I edited that, I realized there was so much more training to do in order to improve performance on the Vulcan, that I needed to shoot that information as well.

So, essentially, this project kept growing and growing into the definitive resource for Gripper Training.

And now, I have amassed all the information anyone could possibly need in order to train with Grippers and develop a crushing grip.

And I know there are many of you out there who need help with Gripper Training.

From knowing what grippers to buy, to how to set them, to the number of reps to do, Gripper Training is the topic I am asked questions about most often, whether it is here on the site, through the newsletter, or on YouTube.

The fact is people love training with Grippers, and you can’t blame them, especially with the alluring Gripper certifications that are out there, like the Gripboard’s ever-growing Mash Monster Ladder and IronMind’s ever-evolving Captains of Crush list! It’s pretty damn cool to be part of an exclusive group.

I still remember driving to my witness’s location in order to get certified as a #3 closer, and when I mashed the handles of the Mash Monster 1 Gripper for several seconds was an even bigger day for me because my friends and training partners were there cheering me on.

Over the years, I have worked hard on grippers, since they are a key part of every grip contest. It’s important to get out of the gates on the right foot or else you’re battling back from behind right from the beginning.

And I also know there are hundreds of people who have their sites set on certification with the #3 Gripper, and many more who will try once they find out about it.

And even if certification and grip contests are not even near your radio, and you just want to use Grippers the right way to improve your grip strength for your job, your sport, or other reasons, this DVD will help you get there.

I want to help you all get there. That is why I have been working so hard on this Video the last two months.

Stay tuned, DIESELS. The wait will be over soon.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

P.S. Want to avoid the Top 10 Gripper Training Mistakes? Sign up for the video here: Top 10 Gripper Training Mistakes

Grippers are one of the most popular forms of Grip Strength Training.

I’d say that Grippers and Bending Steel get more people involved in Grip as a practice and as a sport than any other aspects.

This might be because the concept is so simple. You put the gripper in your hand and you close it.

And while the concept is simple, if you want to close upper level grippers, then you need to get serious about it and dedicate yourself to mastering them.

The problem is, people sometimes do things that seem to make sense at the time, but in the long run don’t do much toward helping them improve on Grippers.

If you like Gripper Training and want to get the most out of the time you put into it, then check out the free video I just made by clicking below.

Avoid all the mistakes that beginners make and learn from someone who has been in the trenches.

Top 10 Gripper Training Mistakes

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Hello DIESELS!

Here is a quick post showing you the content that will be in the upcoming release, my Gripper DVD called, CRUSH! Total Gripper Domination.

You will not believe the artwork on this DVD. It is the best that I have gotten so far. My man Rory is an ARTWORK MACHINE.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

Hello DIESELS!

I am writing a quick post because I have been working with David Horne, Grip Legend, on a project recently and it is all coming together, now!

I will be having a load of Vulcan Grippers sent to me next week!

If you are not familiar with the Vulcan Gripper, I will give you some information on it.

The Vulcan Gripper was designed by David Horne. It is a fully adjustable Gripper that can be set at strength levels ranging from around a Trainer / Number 1 Gripper from IronMind to way up above a #4.

There are a few adjustable grippers on the market, but this one is the preferred one by most serious Grip Strength practitioners because it replicates the force curve of a torsion spring gripper very well.

The Vulcan with a Torsion gripper on top – the handles match almost perfectly

For instance, the Ivanko Super Gripper and ViseGrip Gripper are adjustable, but their force curve does not match up to a torsion spring gripper. The Vulcan actually matches up very well.

There is another aspect of the Vulcan that I like in particular. The handles do not have any knurling. Because of this, you can do a LOT more volume in your training with it because your skin does not get pummeled by the knurling that is on most torsion spring gripper handles.

I was speaking with Paul Knight one time. Paul is a guy with one of the best Crushes in Grip Sport, and he said that the lack of knurling on the Vulcan actually made his knurled handle Gripper strength even better, and it makes perfect sense. Even with the lack of knurling, you still can get a good bite on the Vulcan handles, but when you go back to torsion grippers, you get even better bite!

The other advantage of the Vulcan, and this is perhaps the most important, is that you won’t need to buy so many Grippers in order to train a wide spectrum of strength levels. That can get pretty expensive, especially if you buy them one at a time. With shipping most grippers are about $30 apiece, so four of them bought separately is $120.

The Vulcan cost only $97, a substantial savings.

The Vulcans are being shipped to me next week. You can pre-order yours right now.

If you order by 8/6/11, you will get a free video showing how to train with the Vulcan Gripper for Complete Crush Grip Domination. This video will show you everything you need to know about adjusting the spring, getting a good set, progressing in crush strength, and how to set up your own program.

The Vulcan Gripper is also the gripper that is used in the World’s Strongest Hands Series, which starts up on August 13. With this contest becoming an annual endeavor, the Vulcan could potentially come a staple in many more competitions down the line.

The new Vulcan Gripper, the V2

The Vulcans that are coming are the new design, the V2, so if you are a Gripper Collector and already have a V1, you can add this one to your collection.

If you are wondering about whether the two versions function differently, they do not. The new Vulcan is simply laser-cut, so the look is a lot cleaner, but they both have the same smooth action and powder coat.

In fact, the V2’s are being used in the World’s Strongest Hands Series this year, along with the V1’s, so if you want to get in on the action, here is your chance!

All the best in your training.

Jedd

P.S. If you need a lighter Spring, I have a small quantity of Orange Springs that are lighter than the standard issue Silver and Black spring. These are $19.99 plus shipping.

Hello DIESELS!

This week’s Grip Strength Challenge was the Inverted Gripper Close for Reps! This is an interesting way to train with Grippers as it puts emphasis on the first two fingers in a different way from normal.

Here are the submissions. As I said I would be I was very strict with the judging and only counted the reps if I could easily tell the Gripper went between the handles for the legal set AND if I could easily tell the handles touched.

Rick Walker – 42 Reps

Rick potentially had a lot more closes that were completed, however, I only counted the ones that I felt were clearly touching. He managed the first place spot even while blaring what seems to be Bel Biv Devoe or some other crappy late 80’s / early 90’s Hip Hop garbage! Nice classic Diesel Shirt by the way!!!

Josh McIntyre – 37 Reps

Josh may have actually been up in the 70’s with his closes but they went so fast and his big meaty hands were so bulbous blocking the camera that I could not make out if the handles were indeed touching. Damn good speed brother!

Ben Edwards – 14 Reps with #2

Ben follows the same gripper loaning system I do – forgetting he has loaned stuff out completely! Ben got 14 reps (and maybe a couple more that were obscured with a #2 Gripper, plus he did them almost completely no-set style. Very impressive brother!

Paul Tompkins – 22 Reps

Paul provided a very clear video. Having his training partner film proved to be the ticket to getting clear closes. However, his rep total was just a little low to climb to the top of the ladder this week.

Mike Turpin – 11 Reps

Great work Mike. You had another good solid 4 or 5 reps in you if you would have utilized the thumb in the Gripper close.

Darrin Shallman – 10 Reps

Darrin sent me a submission and I accidentally left it out at first – my apologies, Darrin – I did not see your video when it came in. Darrin may have tied Mike – with a little closer video, I might have been able to clear one more rep. Either way, you have identified grippers as an opportunity and know what to work on. Thankfully, the Vulcan will not be done inverted during World’s Strongest Hands 2011.

Congratulations to Rick Walker for the win this week!

Sorry for the tough judging, but that is just how it has got to be. To remedy this we will most likely not do high rep stuff like this again to avoid controversy.

Jedd

DIESELS!!!

I was away most of the weekend and with today being Father’s Day, I waited until the afternoon to get caught up with last week’s video submissions for the Grip Strength Challenge and the Wild Card Submissions for Nationals.

Let’s look at what everyone sent in this week…

Mike Turpin – #1 COC Gripper

Mike came in with the lowest entry this week, but I think he has more in him once he gets more experience on the Grippers. Good job Mike!

Paul Tompkins – #1 & #2 COC Gripper

Paul tied for second place with Darrin Shallman with a #2 close. I think once he improves his set, he will be up to a #2.5 very soon. Paul, try pinning the back handle with your thumb and grabbing the front handle with the hook of your index finger on the set, brother!

Darrin Shallman – #2 COC Gripper

I thought we might have to invoke the hand size tie breaker on this one when I got Darrin’s video. His hands seem to be much smaller than Paul, so if push came to shove, Darrin would have won the challenge. Great job bro!

Chris Vaughn – HG 250

Chris sent in a good submission, making the challenge a bit harder for himself, closing the gripper down fully, then inserting the block, and closing it again. With the variation in the HG Grippers being quite substantial they were not built into the standings for the week. Chris, try the thumb on back leg, finger hook on front leg technique for your set and I think you will be able to come pretty close on the HG 300!

Daniel Reinard – #2.5 Gripper (Both Hands)

Daniel’s close of the #2.5 Gripper qualifies him for first place this week, but he actually closed the #3 as well, in the second video submission, below! Congratulations Daniel! Please contact me if you need additional information on Nations, because you just qualified, SON!

Daniel Reinard – #3 Gripper

Next week’s Wild Card Qualifier should be up tomorrow, so stay tuned.

Thanks and all the best in your training, and of course, Happy Father’s Day!!!

Jedd

The 2009 United States Hand Strength Championship is in the books and standing on top of the heap is Andrew Durniat. The rising star from Ohio took the title on Saturday, winning two events out-right and tying for first in two others.

This is how it all played out…

The first event was grippers. I felt somewhat off on grippers but actually closed a 3.5 rated about two pounds heavier than the one I closed at the Lift at Jedd’s qualifier I held three weeks earlier. The top performance for Grippers on Saturday was a tie between Andrew and Frank Snyder, who both closed a 182.1-rated Elite.

Here’s how the pack laid out:
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