About a year ago, the prospects of curling a 50-lb Blob were meek.

To put this into perspective, I had only done it once or twice prior to 2013, and I had a success rate of about 1 out of 20 attempts.

Last year about this time, curling the Blob came up so I decided to give it a try and I was successful.

First Curl of the Blob in a Loooong Time

If I remember correctly, I first lifted the Blob in July of 2003 and then curled it for the first time in 2005, but never did it again until 2013. Remember that for later on in this post.

The next feat that was discussed was curling the Blob with the back against the wall. This is how Curls are done in competition, so it made sense to give it a try, so I did.

Curling the Blob – Back Against the Wall

It is so much harder to not be able to shift the shoulders back or to twist with the Blob.

From that day until right now, I can’t think of anyone else who has completed the Blob Curl, whether with the Back Against the Wall or Free Standing. (If there has been, and I have forgotten, I am sorry and I am happy to edit this post. Also, if someone has completed the feat and I didn’t hear about it, please let me know.)

Fast forward to January 2014. Luke Raymond has been training intensely and regularly here at Diesel Gym since September, plus he has been putting in serious work in his other training sessions at other gyms when he is not down here.

Luke officially lifted the Blob to Lockout the first time in January.

Luke Raymond Blob Lift

What happens next is something I NEVER would have anticipated.

It’s not like I didn’t think he has the potential, but in my mind, I thought much more maturity and training age would have been required in order for it to take place.

This is what I am talking about…

Mental Strength = Physical Strength

Essentially, Luke Raymond has gone from zero specialized Grip Training to lifting the 50-lb Blob in 4 months. He has gone from Lifting the Blob to Curling the Blob in about 2 months, and from Curling the Blob Free-Standing to Curling it Against the Wall in about 2 minutes.

To reinforce how awesome this is, I put up a post on Facebook directly after these feats took place and people began guessing who it was that Curled the Blob. names like Brian Shaw, Mike Burke, and other top-level strength athletes began popping up. People whom I have almost NO CHANCE to interact with were guessed.

And NO ONE guessed it was Luke. This unassuming yet dedicated lifter was flying under the radar.

I don’t think that will be the case anymore though.

If you don’t train Grip, don’t think this doesn’t apply to you.

It does.

If you are holding yourself back due to limitations you’ve placed in your mind, it doesn’t matter what sport or activity you are training for.

Just like I said at the beginning of the video directly above, the things I have witnessed over the last few months have made me change the way I approach this feat and all my other training.

Have I been putting handcuffs on myself and limiting my progress in my lifts due to my own mentality?

Have you?

If so, break the cuffs – make the changes in your mind and bring about the progress in your training.

As an example of what is possible, on Sunday, March 23rd, I failed miserably to curl a 50-lb Blob.

After watching Luke manhandle the Blob, this took place on Tuesday, March 25.

Blob Curl Showdown

I hope you take a moment to think about your Mindset.

If you are holding yourself back, STOP.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

You Can Lift the Blob.
I Share Everything You Need to Know in
“Lift the Blob”

Blob Training

Here in Wyalusing, PA, there has been some serious training going on.

This is the kind of stuff that will scare most people.

One point of focus for us has been working with the Blob. The Blob is a type of Block Weight, a weight or object shaped like a Block that you lift in a wide, open-handed, pinch grip.

Why Perform Block Weight Training?

Block Weight Training is an EXCEPTIONAL way to train the hands due to the wide open position it creates. This makes your whole lower arm work harder, especially the thumb, but the wide position also works the fingers and wrists thoroughly.

For more information on Block Weight Training, check out my ebook => Lift the Blob

Here are a few recent highlights from some of the Blob Training that has gone down.

50-lb Fatman Blob to 50cm with 60-second Time Limit

For the recently ended Grip Monsters Challenge, the challenge was to lift a 50-lb Blob to a 50-cm platform for as many repetitions as possible in 60 seconds. I did this a few times. I didn’t really hit my potential for what I can do in this though, because my left thumb had a nasty split in it for at least two of my sessions.

Luke Raymond Hits a Blob & 5-Tens Combo Feat

Luke has been challenging himself more and more with his grip training. Here, he takes a couple of solid attempts at lifting a 50-lb Fatman Blob, then he combines a 50-lb Next Generation Blob in one hand with 5-Tens loose pinch in the other hand.

Blob Lifting Terminology

In case you are not familiar with Blob Lifting terminology, here is a short list of key terms you should know:

Fatman Blob: The original style of York pill-shaped Blobs. These Blobs are a bit wider and have a more rounded edge than later models. Although seemingly a small detail, the additional slope makes lifting them quite a bit more difficult.

Next Generation Blob: The style of Blob York produced some time later, after the Blue Blob. The Blue Blob was slightly narrower and had less slope. The Next Gen had an even narrower profile and still less slope.

Loose Pinch: Pinching done with plates that are not supported in anyway, such as with a pipe. In the video above, 5-Tens Pinch (with smooth sides of outside plates facing outward) is an example of Loose Pinch.

Stay tuned for more clips on Blob Lifting.

If you are looking for tips on how to improve your Blob Lifting, be sure to check out my ebook, Lift the Blob.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

The Blob: The Benchmark One Hand Pinch Feat

There is one Grip Strength Challenge Item out there that is parallel with closing the #3 Gripper, Lifting the Inch Dumbbell, and bending a 60D nail. It is the Blob.

This feat of Open hand / Pinching Strength was started by Richard Sorin, who when moving a bunch of broken dumbbells from one storage area to another tried pinch gripping a half 100-lb York Dumbbell. This lone half-100 was the only one of many that thwarted his efforts, and he set himself the goal to train his grip until he was able to not only lift it, but MASTER it.

This Grand-daddy of all Block Weights, which has been found in countless Grip Contest Medley, Grip Gauntlets and other Grip is called the Blob.

The story of how the first Blob came to be and the early history of it is an amazing one. Throughout the first few decades of its existence, it stopped the likes of Richard, John Brookfield, Wade Gillingham, and many others DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS at first, until they were all ready to re-group, re-strategize, and re-formulate their plan of attack.

Since then, thousands have tested themselves against the Blob in various venues across the Nation and around the World, only to have it laugh in their face like the bully at school.

But despite all of the valiant attempts that were colored by failure, there have been a few stories of dramatic inspiration that have spurred others to forge ahead with their training in order to tackle the beast…

Stories such as Rick Walker who at the time he first lifted it in 2003 was only about 200-lbs…

…like Chad Kovach who has successfully lifted the Blob with hands about 7-inches long…

…Brad Martin, who succeeded in lifting it after just a few weeks of training and hands under 7.5 inches…

…even Richard Sorin himself, Blob Pioneer, has average sized hands and can lift the Blob today, some 20+ years after first challenging himself to do so…

…and still, there are many other accounts of people putting in months or even years of dedicated time to finally accomplish the revered feat of lifting the Blob in a Pinch Grip, the true test of Open Hand and Thumb Strength.

Unfortunately, many people talk themselves out of lifting the Blob before they even try.

They think because the have small hands, they have no chance. The documented cases above prove this not to be so, in fact, as long as you can get one of two different finger and thumb combinations over the edges of the Blob, you will be able to lift it.

People think that because they do not own their own Blob, they are doomed to never develop the strength needed to lift it. Nothing could be further from the truth, as there are many suitable options that can be used in order to cultivate the wide-pinch strength needed to slay the Blob.

And many have been told that because they have little experience with Grip Training that they have two chances to lift the Blob: Slim and None. Absolute hogwash. Grip History is filled with accounts of average Gripsters accomplishing Blob Lifts and other Gigantic Feats with little training time under their belt.

The fact is, large hands, owning a Blob, specialty equipment, and years of training are indeed NOT prerequisites to becoming a Blob Lifter.

What is necessary is knowledge. Understanding key points about Blob Lifting such as technique (yes, there is technique; don’t let anyone fool you), chalk application, positioning and leverage, as well as the proper way to train on the Blob, are what you really need.

These factors will ease the frustration of the misses, the failures, and the heartache.

These intangibles will fill in the blanks between your desire to succeed and your ability to feel success.

These elements are the ones that will make you what you want to be – a Blob Lifter.

And now, all of these things are available to you in my brand new ebook, “Lift the Blob.”

If you want to Lift the Blob or any other goal Block Weight that is in your sights, then you need this ebook to help guide you.

If you want to find out more about what kind of information is in Lift the Blob < = click that link. Or if you just want to get started right away, click the button below.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

The Blob

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Video on The Different Types of Blobs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All the best in your training,

Jedd

Various Blobs in Richard Sorin’s personal collection. (L to R) The first Blob, The first Blob’s sister head, and the Blue Blob.

Fatman Blobs & Next Generation Blobs

As I have covered here many times in other posts, the Blob is one of the most exciting types of Block Weights available with which to train.

Popularity + Scarcity = Big $$$

Their popularity growth, combined with their scarcity, has generated some pretty amazing prices in recent transactions that I have become aware of.

Unfortunately, any time you have something with a training benefit, and a collector’s value, there will be people who will do one of the following things:

1. They will claim to have something they don’t and try to charge too much money on purpose

2. They will think they have something they actually don’t and charge too much money by accident

I have heard of cases where people were told they would be buying a Fatman Blob, but in actuality, they end up with a Next Generation Blob and are extremely pissed off.

I have also been asked countless times what the difference is between a Fatman Blob and a Next Generation Blob. So I put together this short and simple video that will show you the easiest way to tell whether or not the dumbbell in question is an old York that will produce Fatman Blobs or Next Generation Blobs.

How to Tell the Difference Between Fatman and Next Generation Blobs

This is the absolute quickest way to tell if a York Dumbbell is the original style (Fatman) or the Next Generation variety – the USA stamping on the York head. If you see it, it’s NOT a FATMAN!. If it is blank on that side, the it is a FATMAN.

The numbered side means nothing. The number side will not have the stamp, so if you are thinking of making a purchase, this is the quickest way to tell.

Aside from the USA stamp, there is also a difference in handle size that if you have a micrometer, you can check for. The Original Style Fatman York Dumbbells will have a handle that is roughly 1/16″ smaller in diameter than the Next Generation Blobs. So, if you have a tape measure handy, you can check this way as well.

If you have no tape measure, and the York side is not present, it is going to be tough for you to tell which type of Blob it is. The only other way to really go about doing it is by feel. On the Next Generation Blob, the side of the Blob that had the handle in it will be a bit flatter than that same side of a Fatman. This is why the Original Style Blob is called the Fatman, because it bulges more than the Next Generation Blob.

There is also an even more rare type of Blob out there, called the Blue Blob. I have only ever seen one of these at Richard Sorin’s Srinex Facility. It is an obvious blue shade, so there is no reason to turn this dumbbell over to look.

So, in review, this is what to look for:

1. On the York side, if it says USA on the bottom, it is Next generation. No USA, then it is an Original-style Fatman Blob.

2. If the handle side is slightly smaller than another Blob of the same weight, it is most likely the Fatman variety.

3. If the handle side of the head bulges more, the it is a Fatman.

I hope this has been helpful for you to tell exactly what it is you might have, and also in case you are posed with a possible purchase sometime down the line.

Got a Blob?

Got a Fatman, Blue Blob, or Next generation Blob? I want to do a post down the line called Blobs Around the World! Get a picture of yourself lifting the Blob, just holding the Blob, your Blob collection, etc., and I will post it up here.

Send me your pictures by February 28th and I will have the post up the week of March 5th. Also include a 100-word description or so telling us how you got your Blob and any other cool training stories.

Thanks and all the best in your training.

Jedd

The year was 2004 and the month was March. I believe the day was a Thursday and that we had wings for dinner.

The only pic I can find of my buddy Rick: Rick Walker, Don Pope, and Napalm

On this awesome day in DIESEL history, Smitty and I went to Rick Walker’s place the day before the Arnold Classic. We were going in order to attend an event called Night of Strength, sponsored by Atomic Athletic. We had no idea what to expect at Night of Strength, so we hit stuff hard at Rick’s.

We didn’t realize that Night of Strength would end up being the biggest 3 hours of Grip and Bending ever known to man.

I distinctly remember the pain in my left hand from carpal bone misalignment was killing me by the end of this session. I still get this pain occasionally, but I know how to fix it now, so it doesn’t affect my training. Also, from all the wide pinching, both of my thumbs were throbbing and wanting to fall off. They were so tired I don’t think i could have hitch-hiked a ride home if my life depended on it, but it was worth it to enjoy the day with good friends and train grip hard.

We did so much Volume on this day that by the time Night of Strength rolled around the next night, I was destroyed. I distinctly remember failing miserably over and over on the Original Fatman Blob repeatedly while watch guys like Sean Dockery bust it off the floor repeatedly. It’s hard to believe it would be over 7 years until I would take a try again at the Fatman.

So here is the video. The music is by Systematic and it is called “Beginning of the End.” They had an album that came out in like 2000 or something like that. I saw them open for Cold, Stain’d and Godsmack and picked up a two-song disk with this and the song, “Dopesick” on it and played like every day for like 6 weeks.

Tim Narducci in the Captain Morghan Pose

I remember the lead singer, Tim Narducci, looked about 7 feet tall with a big bald head and played the entire set with his foot up on an amp, sort of like Captain Morgan. Dude looked so freakin big I bet he could lift the Inch Dumbbell.

Back to the video… Let’s look at some of the stuff you are going to see:

• Lots of failures on the Inch Dumbbell – horrible, embarrassing failures
• Lots of stuff with Five Tens – both loose and with a loading pin
• a little bit of Six Tens – hideous failures and loading pin lifts
• 8 Fives (I think we were the first ones to do this because at the time there was debate as to whether it was even possible)
• 37.5-lb Blob – Not sure why I put that in the video
• 50-lb Next Generation Blob – Rick and I made this thing look like a little bitch
• Two-35’s Pinch (tried doing a clean lefty – my left hand was a better pinching hand at the time, but I had epicondylitis so bad in my forearm that I just could not make the clean happen)
• Double Anvil Step-ups (each about 110 to 120-lbs)
• Windmill Lift where I anyhow’d a barbell with about 100-lbs overhead and then reached down and picked up a Blob

Most of the feats in the video are marked, but if there’s anything I missed, just leave a comment below.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

As I’ve said before, I can’t say enough how appreciative I am that so many years ago Richard Sorin had the balls enough to challenge himself to lift a dumbbell head off a broken 100-lb York Dumbbell, which he lovingly called the Blob.

After learning about this, Blob and Block Weight lifting have been the most fun types of training I have done over the course of the last almost ten years.

Block Weights

Block Weights, by definition, are any block-shaped weight that can be used for wide open hand pinch training. Here are a few types of Block Weights:

• Blobs (Fatmans, Next Gen’s, Legacy’s, Blob50’s, etc)
• Dumbbell Heads (severed, broken or cut heads of a dumbbell, especially Hex Blocks)
• Chunks (pieces of iron, steel or stone that are shaped like Blobs/Block Weights)
• Globs (dumbbell heads from globe-shaped dumbbells)
• Scale Weights (block-shaped weights with handles used in industry for calibrating scales)
• Weight Plates (somehow attached to form a solid structure, i.e. 6-tens duct taped together)
• Dumbbells (inverted and lifted by the ends)

To illustrate some of these types of Block Weights, aside from just York Blob implements, check out the following video.

My Block Weight Collection (circa Sept. 2009)

As Original-style Fatman Blobs and Next Generation Blobs become harder and harder to find, it has become much more common to see people training their wide open hand pinch with other types of Block Weights, especially Hex Blocks.

Since making the above video, I have continued to expand my Block Weight collection.

I recently expanded my collection once again, adding another half 120-lb dumbbell Hex Block. This one was sent to me by a pro wrestler named PITT from the Carolina region. You have seen PITT before. He has submitted many videos for the Diesel Grip Strength Challenge.

The new Hex Block came in this week. So I immediately attacked it and applied Napalm Theory #1 to it – MISSES ARE JUST WARM-UPS.

Half 120-lb Hex Block Lift

Here’s a funny story – PITT sent this to me in a Flat Rate Box, but he emailed me and told me that just in case the mailer box broke, he first encased the Block in an old car battery box with a note on it, saying “If found, deliver to Jedd Johnson, the guy with the coolest beard in Grip,” or something along those lines.

Sure enough, the only thing I received was the car battery box, the note, and the Block Weight. Had he not put it in the internal box with extra duct tape and the note, I might never have gotten this block weight, so make sure you do something similar if you plan on shipping anything heavy like this in the future.

I plan on continuing to expand my Blob and Block Weight collection. I am on the look-out for my own Original Style Fatman Blob, more Hexes as they come, chunks, and I also really want to start getting more Hex Head Dumbbells to pinch by the head, inverted style. I find some of these to be even tougher to Pinch Lift than some cut-off hex-head block weights.

If you get the opportunity to add Block Weights to your collection, DO IT. This type of training is beneficial for open hand grip strength, regardless of whether it is a York, Hex, or other piece.

Also, if you have any cool Block Weights in your collection, I’d love to see them. Take some pics or upload a video to YouTube and send it to me with a write-up.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

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Hello DIESELS!

Blob Lifting Update for you guys.

I want to show you a huge PR that I recently accomplished and at the same time give you some more information I have found out about the Blob itself.

First the Feat – Blob Snatch

The video below is a Snatch of the Blob. This particular one is one of the Next Generation Blob variety.

For an explanation on the different types of Blobs, go here = > Summer Strong and the Blue Blob.

I actually accomplished the Snatch shown above the same exact day I did the Farmers Walk with the Blob and Inch Dumbbell. I just never got the chance to post the video.

The day I did this, I knew I would be rolling into Nationals in pretty good shape with the chance to break the record in the Two Hand Pinch again. I just didn’t anticipate the back injury, which as you can see by how graceful I am in the clip above, was feeling fine that day.

I’ve come close to doing this feat in the past but never got it strong enough to go out on a limb and really claim the feat. I am glad to have finally gotten this done though.

New Blob Information

Fellow Blob Lifter, John Eaton took a micrometer, a device used to measure the diameter and thickness of things, to his Blobs’ handles, (he owns both next Generation and Fatman Blobs) and posted some of the findings.

If you have a 50-lb Blob and if you are not sure whether it is one of the original-style Fatman Blobs or a later model, maybe these measurements can help you out.

John says on both of his Fatman Blobs the handles are 1 & 1/16″ in diameter.

John also says on his Next Generation Blobs that the handles are 1 & 1/8″ in diameter.

This goes right along with what Richard Sorin has said about the Blobs and their handles.

So, if you come across a 50-lb Blob in a possible transaction, if you can’t make a good judgment of whether it is a Fatman or a Next Gen, measuring the handles might be the factor you want to consider in making the decision.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

P.S. If you want develop Pinch Strength to lift Blobs, you might want to check out some of the training methods I employed training for the Two Hand Pinch record in Late Fall / Winter of 2009. I do more than just Two Hand Pinch training to build thumb strength in my program. Click the banner below…