This Week in Grip Podcast

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

This Week in Grip – Episode 59 – Northeastern Grip Challenge

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

Get Started with Grip Training and Feats of Strength Today
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I am starting up a new list, devoted solely to communicating when the next sanctioned Grip Contests are taking place. I am contacted all the time by people wanting to know, and this will be the easiest way to keep everyone informed.

All you need to do is put your information in the boxes below and I will send you notifications when the next contests are scheduled, and when other important grip contest news becomes available.

Do you know anyone else who would like to stay up to date about upcoming competitions? If so, please share this post with them, and have them add their email in, as well.

Thanks and all the best in your training.

Jedd

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

Here’s a write-up from 2018 North American Grip Sport Absolute Champion, Luke Raymond, 93kg weight class

Well to start I definitely did not think that I was going to win at the start of the day with Eric Roussin and fellow Canadians including Justin Major and Tom Bryson I was hoping to sneak into the top 3 overall.

To start the day I woke up at 4:15am super anxious for the contest which is normal if anyone knows me. My weight was somewhere near 205 but wasn’t too concerned whether i would be in the 93k or 105k class so i ate a small bowl of oatmeal and drank a creatine drink. I had a bunch of stuff I needed to load in my truck and planned on being at the gym early to help Jedd setup what he didn’t have done. After the 50 minute drive there it was 7:45 and only Jedd and Nigel were there. This was my first time meeting Nigel but following him on IG and FB I feel like I already knew him. After messing around with the two different scales we realized they were both about 1 lb over after checking them with the calibrated plates so we were both good for our respected weight classes. After getting everything settled in an people slowly coming in I relaized there must be something in the water in Canada that makes the people grow bigger because their smallest guy was over 6’ tall and the lightest Dan Fleming is a grip monster.

Chez had put together a list of the USA team for each event and after going through it, the lineup was set and knowing it was going to take some serious lifts to surpass the team from up north.

Event 1- Grippers– I hadn’t been able to train heavy grippers R handed due to injurying my R middle finger when chalking the hub in the Armlifting Contest in Philly (yeah quite the way to injure your finger); so I was unsure how I would do and I was hoping I could get 1-2 decent closes RH on the first two attempts and then if I had to go LH. First attempt I decided to go fairly high with a 155 and smashed it closed, immediate sharp pain in my finger but dissipated enough for me to try 160; close but no cigar. Next attempt I took LH and wasnt close and final attempt RH again no close. Finger held up enough to get me where I was hoping to end up.

Event 2- Euro Pinch – Last contest I was training and consistently pulling 227+ training but wasn’t able to reproduce those numbers in contest. This event I didnt even train Euro specifically instead training flask and IM blockbuster so I was unsure where I was going end up especially since tearing on my last flask session. Warming up I felt pretty good and was able to a few singles at 216 lbs on the warmup implement but is much more seasoned. After hitting my first two attempts at 203 and 208, Rob and I decided to jump up to 218 and both of us unsuccessful.

Event 3- 60mm Napalms Nightmare – thickbar has always been where I lag behind compared to the other elite 93k people and this was no different. I started light at 323 and took my next three attempts at 333, 338, and 348 all successful. The three thickbar giants from Canada still hadn’t even started; Eric, Justin, and Tom. I wasn’t paying full attention but I believe Tom finished around 380-390 and the Eric and Justin at 412. Justin was frustrated as he had pulled 430+ in training which is just unreal strength for both guys. I knew at this point I was close to the top 3, after figuring out the scoring I was indeed 3rd place behind Justin and Eric and felt I had a possibility of moving up based on the medley and wrist roller event.

Event 4- Medley – based on the items and the weights I was hoping to coming in at 53-56/60 but trying to determine the order to which I could maximize the points without fatiguing and failing on items I would normally lift is that planning part of the medley that makes it challenging. Knowing fatigued I wouldn’t be able to lift the 160lb crusher or the fatman blob those were the first two items I did. I was able to get everything I wanted except the 50lb inverted DB which I ended up with 55/60 which was the winning score wit the next highest being 51/60. After this event Eric and I were tied for first and Justin close behind.

Event 5- Wrist Roller – Ive had success with wrost roller events in the past and Jedd and I tried to figure out an appropriate weight that would lead to about a 40% success rate for the competitors and came up with 115lbs added to the sled. So 130lbs, 34’ and 60 secs was the course. As contestants went through the first competitor to finish was Nick Carigan (Canada) and then 3-4 more competitors coming in around 51-54 secs. Then in third place Justin Major sets a blazing fast pace with 39 secs with Eric and I still to go. In my head I now have to see how Eric does but also have to be able to stay within a few seconds of Justin to win the overall. Eric came up 2ft short of finishing and now I had to pick up my game as this was mine to win. No one else to help and all on me, I win or lose it’s all me. Prior to my attempt my anxiety was kicking in, heart rate was elevated, a little shortness of breath; so after chalking up I decided I would set a timer on my phone for 75 secs and when it said 60 I would start. As I am going I am focusing my eyes on the rope as it is winding on the wrist roller and nothing else, I could hear people yelling including Adam with the time but couldn’t decipher the words and the first time I looked up the sled was about 6’ from the line and I kept cranking on it until it crossed the line and looked at my phone which said 25 sec remaining so I had finished it in 35 secs and then In the excitement and couple yells I realized I had won my first overall contest and just happened to be NAGS.

Jedd had informed me that Brad Martin the gym owner had donated a prize for the overall winner and to find out it was a genuine replica of the 1988 Winged Eagle WWF Championship belt was truly badass.

It was a pleasure not only being in one of the closest grip contests but also competing with a bunch of new people that I had only ever seen on social media including; Nigel, Vinnie, Tom B (who made the trip from western Canada), Justin M, Nick C, and Bernie. Not to mention everyone that I had previously met an competed with. I look forward to many years to come and hopefully team USA can bring the team championship back!

Today’s guest post is from Nigel Blackburn, 66kg competitor from the 2018 North American Grip Sport Championship, which was held on June 2, 2018, at Titan Strength, in Elmira New York. Nigel is a virtual coaching client of mine in the Grip Task Force, and put this post together, reflecting back on his performance…

I’ll start off with a little background before the competition:

I come from a strength training background. I was a competitive powerlifter who also messed around with a few strongman events. Powerlifting inevitably became a “chore.” I didn’t look forward to training, which is always my favorite part of the day. I started brainstorming and realized that grip, to me, is the most fun thing to train. When I get into a hobby, I REALLY get into a hobby. I contacted @Jedd Johnson about getting serious about grip, and we started working together. In January, we started discussing possible opportunities to compete; we both agreed that NAGS 2018 was the way to go. I weighed about 158 at the time, so I hit the qualifying numbers for the 74kg class, but I knew 66kg was attainable (my previous powerlifting weight class). I was given the green light, so I booked a hotel and got my flight from Florida to Elmira.

Fast forward a few months:

After a full day of traveling, I made it to Elmira. My meals consisted on protein bars, unsalted cashews, and a small amount of water. I have always had a lot of anxiety about weight class sports. Making weight is something that scares me. After a poor night of sleep, it was game day. Jedd picked me up and drove me to the gym a few hours early. I had about 3 hours until comp time, and I was damn near ready to get it going. I made weight–not by much. It was a figurative sigh of relief. Weight was taken care of (66kg); now I could shift my focus to the competition. I had the pleasure of meeting and talking to all the competitors, which was great! Everyone was friendly and supportive–surely a nice change of pace from the near-toxic level of competition I have experienced in other sports. Time was flying; before long, it was go time!

The first event was a 20-mm block set close. This event worried me because I had discovered very close to the competition that the block I had been using was closer to 19mm. I ended up packing a Jenga block of all things. I was a tidbit wider than 20mm, but I was set on using my own block so I could place it in my teeth for a super quick transition into the block set. Once it was announced that the lightest weight class starts it off, a fire was lit; that meant I was the first person to take an attempt. Immediately my nervousness transitioned into laser-sharp focus. A deep breath, and I was off. I started off with a BB rated at 130. The set felt spongy and easy, I quickly transitioned and slid the block through, and crushed the first attempt. I was off to a hot start and confidence was high. My goal was to close a gripper rated at my bodyweight, so my sights were set on the 145. My confidence got the best of me for my next attempt. I took a big jump and missed the 140. No worries. My third attempt, I got the 135, but not very convincingly. I ended up fumbling around with the block set and had trouble opening it wide enough. The fourth and last attempt crept up on me, and I retried the 140; close but no cigar. I was admittedly a little discouraged as I closed much heavier in training, but it seemed like everyone had a rough gripper day, so I couldn’t be too mad. Regardless, the 135 gave me a WR by a wide margin, shattering the previous 115 in my weight class (although it was not contested many times).

The 2HP was next. I had my number in mind: 172. 172 would break the recently set WR. I was really thrown for a loop here, as I ended up unintentionally halting the competition as I was trying to find out exactly what I needed. I felt like I was inconveniencing everyone and felt a little embarrassed as a result. After hitting 160 convincingly, I attempted 173, which was the closest it could get to 172. I broke 173 off the floor, but I couldn’t lock it out. Not only would this be a WR but also a 10-lbs PR. I was visibly frustrated, but I tried it again. This time, no budge. Hindsight bias really got into my head here. I knew I could’ve gotten 170 and posted a better number, but I got greedy.

The Napalm Nightmare followed shortly after. My goal was the hit around 260. I knew this would likely be my worst event, and I was right. I hit my opener at 235, and it went downhill from there. Despite hitting 238×4 in training, I couldn’t get 245 on my next 3 attempts. I was actually just happy I didn’t bomb out on this event.

The medley room was a sensory overload–12 objects in 90 seconds. I never got to practice medley because I ended up resting about a week and a half before the meet to mend up a few aches and skin tears. Once the timer started, I moved quick and efficiently. I had a plan, and I executed very well. I made two huge mistakes, one of which I did not even notice until after: I forgot the anvil completely and did not lift the crusher. The clip on the Crusher got stuck on the loading pin, so I skipped it and came back at the end. By that time I was gassed and failed to lift it. Rookie mistakes, undeniably.

Last event: the dreaded wrist roller. I can’t write much about this. It was honestly a blur, and I’m 100% convinced I have already repressed the memory. All I can tell you is made it about 26 feet and my forearms nearly exploded. So, yeah…. that’s all I have to say about that.

Initially, I was very disappointed in my performance. I took gold and set a modest WR, but my main goals remained unachieved. I then gave it some though. This was my first ever grip competition–WHO CARES. It was that simple. I’m 23 years old, and I just finished my first competition. My main goal was to get my feet wet and experience what gripsport is all about; I did just that. I also got the meet the community–every single person I met was kind, encouraging, and well-spoken. I had competed and had a blast doing it. With that being said, I would consider NAGS 2018 is be a great success and a day I won’t forget. I’m already looking forward to all my future competitions where I will get to meet more people and run back into the great people I have met. I would list everyone out, but I feel this post is already way too long as is.

My Note to Nigel: I thought you did awesome my man.

To wrap up…awesome job. You attacked everything, bro. That’s what you need to do. Can’t wait to see you at the next contest, now that you’ve gotten the taste of grip competition!

This Week in Grip – Episodes 40 Through 44

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

This Week in Grip – Episode 41 – Feats and Pizzles

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

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

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

This Week in Grip

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

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

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

Episode 37

Episode 38

Episode 39

Jedd Johnson’s Top Videos in 2017

For several years now, I’ve put together a list of my top videos of the year, based on number of views.

This isn’t always a “fair” comparison, because some videos have been up for a lot longer time than others.

This year, I’m including any videos I uploaded during December of 2016 in the countdown.

It’s interesting to see the topics that register into thee Top 20 every year.

One thing is clear, Fat Gripz are a very popular video topic on my channel. Part of that may have to do with the fact that I post those videos on Fat Gripz’s Facebook page, as well, so there’s more visibility. But there’s absolutely no doubt about it that there’s more awareness of Fat Gripz out there than there is Inch Dumbbell, Blob, and other much more common topics that I put up videos about.

Without further ado, here is the countdown, starting with number 20.

20. Warning: HARD Shoulder and Upper Back Training Method – 560

Although my biggest interest is Grip Strength, I also love all other forms of training and sometimes I put together some absolutely vicious combinations. Here’s one of them that I did this year for bigger shoulders and upper back.

19. Inch Hand-to-Hand Transfer – My First Time Ever – Right to Left – 590

Transferring the Inch Dumbbell from one hand to another is a feat that only a “handful” of people have done. I know that Adam Glass and Andrew Durniat have pulled it off, but can’t remember who else (if you know of anyone, please let me know). In 2018, I’d like to manage passing it from right to left and back to the right, or vice versa, as I don’t think anyone else has done that.

18. IronMind Stacker Training – 30lbs | Joe Sullivan – 601

Shortly after the New Year, Joe Sullivan came down for a training session. He brought several of his cool griplements, including the IronMind Stacker, that I don’t think I ad ever seen before.

17. A Version of Shrugs You’ve Never Done Before – 641

I tried these once this year, and instantly enjoyed them. Aside from their ability to build up the yoke, they also promote stability throughout the shoulder as well as the core.

16. This Week in Grip – Episode 2 – 1/22/17 – 660

This year, I finally was able to do two things I’ve wanted to do for a while: (1) Resurrect my old Grip Strength show/podcast, and (2) Bring more exposure to the great things going on in Grip Sport. Both became a reality when friend and log-time member of The Grip Authority, Allen Heineck. Also, later on this year, we brought Riccardo Magni aboard, as well, after having him on as a guest.

15. How to Build Grip Strength: Beginner Thick Bar Training | Awake and Alive – 669

I got invited to do a guest blog post this year – the first one I’ve done in a while, and all the videos from that post registered in this year’s Top 20.

14. Arm Wrestling Bench Curls – 675

There’s no denying the popularity of arm wrestling. I only put up a couple arm wrestling videos all year long, but they ended up in the countdown, and I didn’t even push them that hard.

13. How to Build Grip Strength: Beginner Grip Training with Modified Pullups | Awake and Alive – 701

Here’s another one from that guest post I mentioned before.

12. First Time Trying Pinch Pull-ups – 722

This was from the near beginning of the year. I think people were shocked that I was able to do these, but honestly, I think anyone could do these on this tool, as it rotates forward and takes a lot of pressure off the thumbs. I think the feat is over-rated, myself.

11. Jedd Johnson #4 Silver Bullet World Record 15.32 Seconds – 801

This is one I was definitely proud of. Hard to believe it has been almost ayear already since this record went down.

10. What’s Better? Gripper Negatives, or Holds? 972

This is a common question I get, and sometimes people are surprised by the answer I give.

9. How to Train for Grip Strength: Beginner Gripper Training Information | Awake and Alive – 1091

Look at that, another one from the guest post I did. Maybe I should do more of these?

8. Heavy Sledgehammer Levers | Joe Sullivan – 1100

Joe Sullivan is on a tear with sledgehammers. This is nothing compared to where he’s at now.

7. How to Train for Grip Strength: Plate Pinch for Beginner Grip Training | Awake and Alive – 1159

Let’s go over some plate pinching basics, brotherrrr!

6. This Week in Grip – Episode 1 – 1.15.17 – 1185

Here’s the very first episode of This Week in Grip, in case you’ve never heard it. Be sure to check it out.

5. How to Train for Grip Strength: Beginner Grip Training with Hammers | Awake and Alive

Now it’s time to build some serious wrist strength! Get your hammers out and start using them.

4. Training for Thicker Wrists and Forearms | Cooking with Napalm – 1317

In this video, I cover some tips on building bigger forearms.

3. First Time Ever – Double Old School York 45’s Pinch – 3840

Probably the highlight of my training year, I was finally able to perform the Double Old School York 45lb Plate Pinch.

2. Will Grip Training Build Big Forearms? – 4996

I get this question all the time, and took some time to answer it last year for my YouTube Clan.

1. Should I Get Regular Fat Gripz or Extremes? – 7202

Fat Gripz are so popular! I always seem to get a lot of views on videos about Fat Gripz. I’m thinking of doing more videos on Fat Gripz, showing training tips, some of my favorite drills, etc, because I think a LOT more people have access to Fat Gripz than other thick bar handles. Hopefully, if I do this, it will help bring more people into Grip Sport.

The Countdown is OVER, brotherrrr. Stay tuned for more videos coming your way soon.

Also, if there’s anything you’d like to see me cover on my YouTube Channel in 2018, please feel free to leave a comment below.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

This Week in Grip

Episode 36

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

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

Thanks for watching and all the best in your training.

Jedd

This Week in Grip

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

Episode 33

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

Episode 34

Episode 35

Episode 36

Thanks for watching and all the best in your training.

Jedd

This Week in Grip

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

This Week in Grip – Episode 30

This Week in Grip – Episode 31 – Part 1

This Week in Grip – Episode 31 – Part 2

This Week in Grip – Episode 32 – Part A

This Week in Grip – Episode 32 – Part B

I hope you enjoy them.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

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

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

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

This Week in Grip – Episode 27

This Week in Grip – Episode 28

This Week in Grip – Episode 29

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

All the best in your training.

Jedd

This Week in Grip

This Week in Grip – Episode 22 – 7/3/17

Want to Lever Bigger Hammers?
This Workout Shows You How to
Get it Done!

This Week in Grip

Who was the Strongest Strength Coach, Male & Female, at the Juniata Strength Clinic? Jedd Johnson and Allen Heineck reveal who had the sickest grip and who’s been pulling off the most amazing Grip Feats in this episode of This Week in Grip.

Take Your Training to the Next Level with the Diesel Files:

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

Want to Learn to Tear Decks of Cards?
Get the Best Resource on the Plant

This Week in Grip

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

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

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

2017 North American Grip Sport Championship

Grippers Right and Left Hands

Two Hands Pinch

Axle Deadlift

NAGS Championship Medley Runs

Aaron Corcorran Medley Run

Tanner Merkle Medley Run

Jedd Johnson Medley Run

Gil Goodman Medley Run

Post Contest Feating – Sahlaney Bell Combo Lifts

Jedd Johnson 180/172 Sahlaney Bell Attempt

Tanner Merkley 180/172 Sahlaney Bell Attempt

Jedd Johnson – First Try at 180/172 Sahlaney Bells

Eric Roussin 180/172 Sahlaney Bell Lift

Post Contest Feating – 180lb Sahlaney Bell + Fatman Blob

Jedd Johnson – 180lb Sahlaney Bell + Fatman Blob

Tanner Merkle – 180lb Sahlaney Bell + Fatman Blob

Jedd Johnson – 180lb Sahlaney Bell + Fatman Blob

This Week in Grip

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

How to Lift the Inch Dumbbell

This Week in Grip

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

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

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

This Week in Grip – Episode 11

This Week in Grip – Episode 12

This Week in Grip – Episode 13

This Week in Grip – Episode 14

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

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

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

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

All the best in your training.

Jedd

With Chris Rice stepping down, the NAGS Committee is now looking for another member.

If you would be interested in joining the committee for NAGS, please contact us and tell us how you meet the requirements and why you’d like to be involved. Requirements we consider important include:

* being passionate about Grip Sport
* minimum 2 years involved in Grip
* competed in at least 1 NAGS sanctioned contest
* organized or assisted closely with at least 1 contest
* able to commit to weekly discussions and projects, sometimes up to 2 hours or more
* must have email access

We look forward to hearing from you. Please send a message to [email protected] if you are interested by 4/21/17.

Thank you!

(originally posted Jan 31, 2010)

If you do any amount of pinching, especially one-hand loose plate pinching (like lifting 6 tens with one hand), block weight pinching (like lifting the blob plus weight), or the Two Hands Pinch with the European Adjustable Pinch Device, you’ve probably had thumb tears before.

If you have had a thumb tear, then you know how hard it can be to continue training through it. The stinging can keep you from squeezing as hard as you can, the blood makes the plates slippery, and if you keep going, the rip keeps getting bigger and bigger.

If the tear is shallow, then you may be able to train again the next day or at least in the next workout, but if the chunk goes down deep, it may be a week before you’re able to hit a good hard workout with that thumb again.
READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP (more…)

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

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

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

This Week in Grip – Episode 9

This Week in Grip – Episode 10

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

Grab Your Tickets for Big J’s FitCon 2017:

All the best in your training.

Jedd

This Week in Grip – Episode 7

This Week in Grip Podcast

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

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

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

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

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

Weigh in with your vote in the comments below!

All the best in your training.

Jedd

My friend owns a cool little company, and one of the things they do is produce these adhesive decals that can be placed on building windows, car windows, table tops, and even cornhole boards.

I’ve teamed up with him to make a few decals, as well, and right now they are all Grip-based.

I think they’re going to be awesome decorations for your car, your work station, storage devices, tool boxes, hard hats, etc, and they will make good conversation pieces and help spread the word about our little sport and hobby of Grip.

You can order yours here: Grippin’ Window Decals

Here are the three current designs, with a little explanation about how I came up with each one:

My Gripper’s Bigger Than Yours

Nothing wrong with a little bragging and smack-talk, every once in a while.

I took the massive arm crushing the gripper from the “Crushin’ Grippers Like It’s My Job” shirt, and re-purposed it for this one.

Are you the king of grippers in your crew? Then you need this shirt to brag about your Grip Glory.

How Man Inches Can You Handle?

A little edgy, this one was thought up by my old artwork guy from years ago.

We became good friends and used to talk all the time, even when we weren’t working on artwork projects, but I haven’t heard a peep out of him since July of 2012.

Fearing the worst, this one is kind of in memory to Rory Hickman.

Pinchin’ Ain’t Easy

Back in the late 1990’s, it was the “Attitude Era” in the WWF, and both the characters and the storylines were edgier back then.

There was a wrestler called the Godfather who was essentially a pimp, and brought prostitutes to the ring. One of his catch-phrases were, “Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy.”

I borrowed that from him and massaged it a fit the theme of Grip, but the little dude is still a Pimp when it comes to Plate Pinching.

Again, these decals are supposed to be fun ways to get our sport out there a little bit more. I hope you choose to support this effort by making a purchase today. You can get yours here => Diesel Grippin’ Window Decals.

Thanks and all the best in your training.

Jedd

This is for serious trainees only and am taking on 3 new Coaching Clients, at a price I haven’t offered since 2013.

Grip Task Force – Monthly

Monthly Payments of $149

Grip Task Force – Quarterly

Quarterly Payments of $349

What does the Grip Task Force Entail?

1. Completion of Training/Health History Forms

I will send you forms which will need to be completed. These forms will cover various questions related to your training background and goals. This will help me get to know you and your training history. There are also some liability forms that must be completed.

2. Initial One-on-One Coaching Call

For 30 to 60 minutes, we will get on the phone or skype and discuss your forms and your goals. We will establish where you are at now in your development, where you want to go, the equipment you have to train with, the gym facilities you have access to, and other important information that will help us get going.

3. Weekly Programming Updates

Each week, I will send you a training plan based on your specific goals. I will email these plans to you and you will be expected to complete them after each workout. I must receive them completely filled out by the end of the training week so I can assess them and make adjustments to them for the following week.

Each program I design is individualized for each specific member in the Grip Task Force. To do one program for multiple individuals would be irresponsible. You are each different and will respond to different loads, volumes, rest, and other variables that we will monitor.

4. Bi-Weekly Coaching Calls

Every two weeks, we will get together again via telephone or skype to help move you forward with your training. During this time, I can answer questions that have come up, we can look and see what changes need to be made to your program, I can watch your technique on the more technical forms of Grip Training, such as Grippers, Two Hands Pinch, and Bending, and much more. These bi-weekly calls will be like attending a live Workshop with me, without having to miss the time from work or pay for travel costs.

5. Grip Task Force Facebook Group

I have a Facebook Group set up only for Grip Task Force members. Here you can ask questions of one another, as well as announce new PR’s and share videos of your success. That’s what it’s all about!

6. Complete Access to TheGripAuthority.com

In addition to the programming I send you, you will also get your own login credentials to my Grip Strength Coaching Site, TheGripAuthority.com. I started it in January of 2010, so it has 4+ years of content just sitting there, waiting for you to come and devour it.

7. Email and Text Access

In addition to the Coaching Calls every two weeks, you will also be able to ask me questions via email and text. I carry my phone with me everywhere, so you will be able to get a hold of me just about any time from 5:30AM to 9:00PM during the week and similar hours on the weekends.

If you are not happy with the results you have gotten so far this year, then let’s work together to make some changes and get you going in the right direction again.

In just a matter of weeks, you could see the following:

• Closing bigger grippers
• One-hand Pinching bigger plate combinations
• Bigger weights on Grip Sport Lifts (Axle, Two Hands Pinch, Sledge Choke)
• Bending bigger steel and moving closer to that certification you are shooting for
• Attaining big feats such as lifting the Blob and the Inch Replica Dumbbell
• Performing better on all your other lifts because your grip is getting so much stronger!

Look, all of these things are well within your reach.

The problem is, there is something holding you back from reaching them.

In many cases, it is a simple TECHNIQUE FIX that makes all of the difference.

I have seen people increase a full gripper size increase in crushing strength by making technical adjustments alone. In other words, jumping from the COC #1 to the #2, and even from missing on a #2 to routinely closing the #2.5.

Most recently, Dave Depew, went from MISSING on the number 2 to SMASHING IT, just MINUTES after watching a technical video I shot for him.

Then he went on to the #3 gripper and got it down to just 1/4″. (He would have tried a #2.5, but he doesn’t own one!)

How much improvement CAN YOU MAKE in just a few minutes after watching a short technical video?

You’ll have to join the Grip Task Force to find out:

Grip Task Force – Monthly

Monthly Payments of $149

Grip Task Force – Quarterly

Quarterly Payments of $349

Nothing is more frustrating than when you know you are busting your butt in the gym, only to see very little in return.

If the problem has to do with VOLUME, we will be able to iron all that out through our weekly training updates and bi-weekly coaching calls.

Sometimes, lifters aren’t familiar with the established drills that have the biggest impact on the grip goals you have.

You may not realize how much you are not aware of – TOGETHER, we can change that.

You may have a weakness that is holding you back. Weak wrists are an INFAMOUS progress killer. Another common thing – your thumb may be so weak it is crumbling on you when you need it the most.

These are the kinds of things we can only sort out through direct one-on-one conversation, and that is what the Grip Task Force is all about.

Now’s the time to take control of your training.

Let’s make 2016 YOUR YEAR by working toward your Grip Strength Goals TOGETHER.

Join me today…

Grip Task Force – Monthly

Monthly Payments of $149

Grip Task Force – Quarterly

Quarterly Payments of $299

Expect an email back from me when you sign up…

Can’t wait to get started.

Jedd

COLD SNAP CLASSIC

NAGS sanctioned Grip Contest with Crushed to Dust Certification

• Presented by TheGripAuthority.com

DOWNLOAD ENTRY FORM HERE

PROMOTER: Jedd Johnson, Diesel Crew

EVENTS: 20mm Block Set Grippers, Two Hands Pinch on Euro, Double Overhand Axle Deadlift, Front Pickaxe for Max Weight

ADDITIONAL EVENTS: Crushed to Dust, Inch Hold for Time with Cans on Globes, 2HP Hold for Time, Inch Unbraced Lift to Platform

DATE: February 13th, 2016
WEIGH-IN: Any time after 8:00am (scale is spot-calibrated)
SIGN-IN: 9:00am
RULES: 9:30am
START: 10:00am
LOCATION: Jedd Johnson’s Garage Gym
EMAIL FOR DIRECTIONS : JEDD dot DIESEL at GMAIL dot COM
ENTRY FEE: $30.

DEADLINE: Day of Contest

Events subject to change without notice
Events order subject to change without notice

MAKE ALL CHECKS/ MONEY ORDERS PAYABLE TO: JEDD JOHNSON

MAIL ENTRY FORM AND FEE TO:
JEDD JOHNSON
PO BOX 806
WYALUSING, PA 18853

HOTELS
Available upon request. Please contact me.

AIRPORTS (all three are about the same distance from Wyalusing, 1.5 hrs)
Scranton/Wilkes Barre PA
Binghampton NY
Elmira NY

Grip Hogs Day 2015

I chose 2/7/15 and since it was right after Groundhog’s Day, I decided to name it Grip Hogs Day.

There were two divisions: the Open Class and a Super Match between my partner, Luke and myself.

I am happy to say that the entire contest was quite a success, as 7 out of the 12 lifters were first-time competitors and ALL of them reported they loved the contest and can’t wait for the next one!

Before I get too far into this, I want to send out a thanks to Luke Raymond, my Dad, and my wife. With everything they did, it was the easiest contest I’ve ever run! Thanks everyone!

Grip Hogs Day

Here are videos of each of the events:

Silver Bullet Hold

This event involves holding the IronMind Silver Bullet between the handles of a #3 Captains of Crush for as long as possible. Everyone got one chance to get their best time on the #3, and if they could not do get a legal hold, they could try the #2.

I have been dancing very close to the World Record in this event for the last few months. I was close again this time, with 43 seconds, but just didn’t have enough to break the record.

Two Hands Pinch

The Adjustable Pinch Device was used, so each competitor could use the width that felt best in their hands. Each got 4 attempts to lift the biggest weight possible.

I broke a new World Record off the ground in December on this lift and I was hoping to complete it at GHD, but a rash of thumb tears really affected my training the last couple of months and I had to settle with 248.

Double Overhand Axle

This lift is like a regular deadlift, only a 1.9″ OD Axle is used with a double overhand grip, both of which tax the hands more than a regular deadlift. The highlight of this event for me was watching newcomer, John Stepien, pull 383lbs, matching my lift, in his first ever Grip competition.

I truly thought this would be the day I hit 400lbs in competition, as I hit it recently in training, but I couldn’t quite pull it to a legal height, or control it as needed to be legal.

Pickaxe Lift

This event is similar to the Sledge Choke, only instead of moving away from the head of the hammer in order to increase the difficulty, everyone grips in the same spot and weight is added to a loading pin at the front of the handle. To keep the lift strict, a shot is balanced on a nut on to the top ridge of the Pickaxe.

The record prior to the contest was something like 11.4lbs. I had broken this several times in training, as had my partner Luke Raymond. As we anticipated, the end of the event ended up being a shoot-out between Luke and me, as we both set new records of 11.77. I won the event, lifting 12.18 and 12.51lbs in my later attempts. Luke tried 12.51lbs on 2 separate attempts, but his wrist power just wasn’t there due to an injury he sustained in December.

The Bull Ring Extensor Lift

This is a brand new event that was introduced at GHD. You place your hand inside the ring and lift the weight with the strength of the extensors.

The Bull Rings are available now. Contact me for ordering details at jedddotdieselatgmaildotcom. Aside from effectively allowing the extensors to be worked heavy and progressively, the Bull Ring can also be used as a hub device.

Looking Back on Grip Hogs Day

I would say this is easily the most fun I’ve ever had at one of my own contests, despite failing to break the records on the Silver Bullet and Two Hands Pinch. The group was all great, and I was so happy to meet all of the new competitors!

As you can see, we started everything off with a Flexing Pic, and aaalllmost everybody took part. Eli Thomas couldn’t believe the size of the guns on Napalm.

Mike Chaffee, Jedd Johnson, John Stepien

Mike Chaffee, who won the Novice Class award (first time competitors), and John Stepien, who came in 2nd place in the Novice category, both said they were hooked! I can’t wait to see what else they are capable of down the road!

I wish you would have been there, brother. You GOTTA make it to the next one!

Until then, all the best in your training.

Jedd

On June 14th, 2014, I competed in the North American Grip Sport Championship at Durniat Strength Gym in Wooster, Ohio.

This is the 3rd year in a row it was held at Andrew Durniat’s gym. He has also been the reigning North American Champion every year since 2011. Andrew runs a nice demanding competition every single year, featuring a mix of the classic events (Grippers, Two Hands Pinch, and Axle Deadlift) plus other new challenge events as well (this year the Pinch Block Curl and the Sledgehammer Choke).

Recognition is in Order

Before I get too far, I absolutely must give credit where it is due. This year I am in the best shape of my grip career and I owe all the thanks to a handful of people.

First and foremost is my dietary coach, Joe Carabase. Without him, my diet would be a mess and I would most likely still be fat, in poor condition, and hurting all the time.

Next is Luke Raymond and Dan Ely – I began training with Luke in the Fall of last year and Dan Ely came on in the Winter of this year. Having these two guys around so we can all push one another has been HUGE for my training. I can only hope that they have gotten as much out of training with me as I have from training with them.

The Competitors

The list of competitors was quite a bit different this year from last. It seems like about half the group is truly a core group and shows up to throw down year in and year out, while the other half is more dynamic and changes from year to year. Either way, this year saw many hardcore veterans and first-time competitors who will be forces to reckon with for years to come.

Competitor & Bodyweight in Lbs

Brent Barbe (Pennsylvania) 204.5
Charles Chartan (Quebec, Canada) 144.6
Andrew Durniat (Ohio) 227.5
Brandon Gerber (Ohio) 211.2
Michael Hann (Texas) 162.7
Jermey Hartman (Ohio) 226.85
Jedd Johnson (Pennsylvania) 228.4
David Labbe (Virginia) 275
Malcolm Majesky (Ohio) 247.8
Eric Milfeld (Texas) 182.75
Robert Miller (North Carolina) 265
Lucas Raymond (Pennsylvania) 204.6
Nic Rosendaul (Ohio) 244.25
Eric Roussin (Ontario, Canada) 204.25
Tom Scibelli (Maryland) 220
Darrin Shallman (Michigan) 156.1
Yori Skutt (Texas) 129.75
Bob Sundin (North Carolina) 180
Jonathon Vance (Ohio) 196.65
John Wojciechowski (New Jersey) 273.15

First Event – Grippers

Grippers have been an event that have been known to give me trouble, as my crush generally lags behind my other events, especially in comparison to other top grip athletes. This year, my goal was to make up some ground. I began training grippers every 4 to 5 days, and many times more than once a week, and it paid off, as I was able to close a 175-rated gripper Right-handed. I also got a 155 shut lefty.

The grippers used were a set that was purchased from Cannon Power Works by a few members of the North American Grip Sport committee. They were all rated by Cannon, meaning the same device and practices were followed, making it the most valuable gripper set in the world, ranging from 80-lbs up to over 200, in 5-lb increments. I can only imagine the hundreds of grippers that would need to be rated in order to obtain these 30 or so grippers.

By the end of the first event, I found myself behind Andrew Durniat and David Labbe, both competitors in this year’s Mighty Mitts competition at the Arnold Classic, but the gap was not so far that it would be insurmountable.

Here are the videos of Luke Raymond’s and my attempts on Grippers.

NAGS Championship Right Hand Grippers

NAGS Championship Left Hand Grippers

Event Two – Two Hands Pinch

As much as I would love to hold the World Record in this lift again, this year it was just not in the cards. I tore the hell out of my right thumb and I had to modify my training through all of April, May and June. I was super stressed about it, because I had actually set some pretty lofty goals made some hard plans, but they went awry, so I had to do the best I could.

Since the implements used for NAGS were virgin plates – they had never been lifted on ever before that day – numbers were down across the board. I sealed the victory in the event on my first attempt with a lift of 224, which was enough to top Andrew’s 219 and 209 put up by David Labbe and Eric Milfeld. On my second attempt, I lifted 239.69, a lift of 105% of bodyweight.

Two Hands Pinch – NAGS Championship – Jedd Johnson

Two Hands Pinch – NAGS Championship – Luke Raymond

Event Three – IronMind Axle Deadlift

The third event was another one that is a classic thorn in my side. But, since my Two Hands Pinch training had to take a back seat leading up to NAGSC, it made room for more Axle work. In training, I actually worked up over 400-lbs for the first time since 2012, and I think if I would have switched to Sumo Technique a little sooner, I think I could have pushed my training numbers even higher, and perhaps even attained a lift over the 400-lb mark in competition at NAGSC.

As you will see, on my last attempt, I went for 402-lbs, and got it well over the knees, but couldn’t quite hold on until lockout.

IronMind Axle Deadlift – Jedd Johnson – NAGS Championship 2014

IronMind Axle Deadlift – Jedd Johnson – NAGS Championship 2014

Fourth Event – Pinch Block Curl

The Pinch Block Curl was a new event this year. The design of the implement is to replicate the act of performing a Plate Curl, without having to attach weight to the end of an actual plate. This tests the strength of the entire lower arm and hand at the same time.

Many of the competitors are experienced at training the Plate Curl, so no one really knew what to expect going into the event. I know I had no idea where my lifts would fall against the other competitors, so I made my training as hard as possible, loading my implement with as much of a leverage disadvantage as possible. Apparently, my preparation paid off, as I was able to finish with 44.66lbs with each hand, good enough for second place right behind David Labbe.

NAGS Pinch Block Curl – Right Hand

NAGS Pinch Block Curl – Right Hand

Final Event – Sledgehammer Choke

Still a fairly new event, the Sledgehammer Choke has only really been contested since about April of 2013. However, I think I have been at 4 of the 6 competitions where it has been held, so this has been a big advantage for me. The biggest advantage was seeing the way other people do the Choke at Gripmas 2013. Instead of trying to radially deviate the wrist, some were allowing the wrist to kick into ulnar deviation and then lock it there, allowing for a bigger tilt and bigger lifts.

Luke really took to this technique in training, working up to over 22 inches almost immediately, once we started training it heavily in May. This variation is MUCH more intense on the wrist though, and he found he could not recover from training it very quickly, so he actually stopped training it about half way through May. I was not getting the lingering soreness that he was, so I continued to work on it, with the main objective of catching up to him as much as I could.

Unfortunately for me, I couldn’t narrow the gap quickly enough, because Luke hit 23 inches righty and 27 inches lefty, to my 22 inches each hand. Despite the fact that 22 inches on a 14-lb hammer (308 inch pounds) actually beat the previous work record on the 12-lb hammer of 25 inches (300 inch pounds), it wasn’t nearly enough to catch up to Luke’s 322 righty and 378 lefty inch pounds. CRAZY!!!

Sledge Choke Right Hand

Sledge Choke Left Hand

I knew going into the last event that I was slightly ahead of Dave Labbe, by just tenths of a point. So I knew that the entire contest was mine to win or lose. But I really had no idea what Dave was capable of on the event – I wasn’t even sure if he had trained the event before, so I went for broke and tried an all-out PR on my second attempts, both right- and left-handed. Both of those lifts proved to be enough to beat out Dave, so I knew he had him beat.

2014 NAGS Champion

To hear my name called at the end as the Absolute Champion, winning the Overall, was amazing. Once I knew, I gave my parents a call to let them know, since they have been behind me every step of the way.

What was even more awesome about that is they were babysitting my daughter and I even got to tell her about the win and hear the excitement she had in her voice.

Naturally, there are dozens of people I can thank, but the biggest credit has to go to Luke and Dan. I can’t describe the impact it has had for me having them here in the gym.

I hope you have enjoyed the write-up, and I hope it inspires you to try your hand at Grip Sport sometime soon.

From what I hear, Dave Labbe is HOOKED.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

Increase Your Two Hands Pinch – Get My Instructional DVD Today

On September 28th, I promoted the Holdfast Gauntlet Grip Contest here at my gym in Wyalusing, PA. It was an awesome contest featuring a whole bunch of brand new competitors, plus a mix of veterans as well.

The DVD’s of the competition are ready and I am taking orders. To speed up the process, the DVD’s will be shipped in a jewel, instead of contracting an artist to do the artwork for an actual DVD cover for the artwork.

This also helps keep the cost down, so the price is only $10 for the DVD plus shipping. You can order them here: Holdfast Gauntlet.

In addition, I have also been working on making all of my other contests I have promoted in the past available. I have been promoting Grip Contests since 2004, so I have a huge amount of history on the hard drive of my computer.

I want to make the history of Grip Sport available to those who want to experience it, and you will be able to re-live these contests one event at a time.

Currently, on top of Holdfast Gauntlet, you can also access Global Grip Challenge 2006 and 2007. Here is where to go: Grip Contests

As long as interest is strong enough, I will continue to expand this library of past Grip Contests, including the very first contest I ever competed in, the Battle for Grip Supremacy, promoted by Rick Walker back in September of 2003.

Speaking of BFGS, the Holdfast Gauntlet was almost exactly 10 years after that event. Rick Walker ended up coming to Holdfast to help me out with judging, so as a surprise, I recognized him with an award. I have always considered him a Pioneer in the Sport of Grip, so I got him the Grip Pioneer award. Check out the video below.

Call me a sentimental guy – I think things like this are important. The work that goes into running a competition is unbelievable and hard to describe, and Rick did the very first one on the East Coast and the biggest one ever in the United States that I am aware of. Plus, as I said in the video, I never would have found out about Grip Sport if it weren’t for Rick. It was my pleasure to present him with this small token of my appreciation.

Once again, if you’d like to tap into the awesome history of the past Diesel Crew Grip Contests, be sure to go to this page: Grip Contests.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

This past Saturday, Doc and I spoke with Andrew Durniat on Grip Strength Radio.

Right click on the link and save: Interview with Andrew Durniat

You can also listen to the show on ITunes. When you do, make sure to rate it and subscribe for future shows.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Last week, Doc and I posted the latest episode of Grip Strength Radio. You can Download it Here

Main topics from last week’s show:

• What has been going on since the last show (December)
• Info on my Thoracic Outlet Syndrome condition
• Mighty Mitts 2013
• Grip Sport Nationals
• Recent Media Coverage for Grip Sport

Regarding the last topic, the Recent Media Coverage for Grip Sport, some of you may not realize the awesome press that our sport has received recently.

Wall Street Journal Article on Grip Sport: First off, there was a full-length feature article on the Grip Sport National Championship in the Wall Street Journal recently. Ben Keisling reported and wrote the article. He interviewed several grip athletes as well as myself prior to the competition and then also attended the contest as well.

Here is where you can read the Wall Street Journal write-up on the NAGS Championship.

EliteFTS: Also, Nic Bronkall put together a great post of his experience at Grip Nationals on the EliteFTS Website <=Check it out. Next Episode: Be sure to stay tuned for the next episode of Grip Strength Radio. Doc and I will be talking with Eric Milfeld. Eric, in case you don’t know, challenged himself to unheard of levels, cutting nearly 40-lbs of bodyweight in less than 2 months, in order to compete in a much lighter weight class. In doing so, he set several new world records in his weight class, and we can’t wait to talk with him in detail about it. If you have anything you’d be interested in us discussing with Eric, please leave a comment below.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

North American Grip Sport Championship 2013

This past weekend was the 2013 North American Grip Sport Championship. This is the annual championship contest, the SuperBowl, World Series and Sweet 16 all rolled into one day of Grip Sport Mayhem.

The contest was held this year at Andrew Durniat’s Gym, Durniat Strength and Optimal Performance, in Wooster, Ohio. In order to compete, athletes had to qualify through one of many means, including rankings from previous competitions during the season, as well as video submissions of certain feats of Grip Strength.

Before I get into the contest itself, I want to give some shout-outs to people who have been incredibly important to me in my training since Nationals 2012. You see, the Nationals 2012 competition was an all-time low for me. I really struggled, finishing poorly, and feeling totally disappointed in how I finished.

Luckily, I did not let that stop me, as I was able to turn it all around, but not without a lot of help.

I want to recognize the people who have helped me along the way over the past year.

As so often things do, my turn-around started when I hit bottom. In early August, one thing was happening after the other and before I knew it, I found myself extremely depressed. It was my two friends, Mike Rinderle and Rick Walker that got me back on track. These guys are two fellas that I consider friends for life for all they have done for me. We basically had a group counseling session via text messages that day and it ended up making a difference in my life that carried me through the next several months. That may have seemed like just another texting conversation to those guys, but it wasn’t. I know there are plenty of people with worse problems than I have, but that was seriously a bad day for me, and Mike and Rick pulled me out of a deep, dark hole with a big long rope and I won’t forget it.

Big Dude in the Red is Niko Hulslander

The next person I want to give a shout to is Niko Hulslander of Garage Ink. Niko is a renowned powerlifter and an amazing coach, and he turned out to be the trigger that finally got me going on the right track with some serious progress. I told him about how bad my body was hurting, how weak I was feeling, and how un-confident I was feeling and he took me under his wing and really got me going in the right direction. Week in and week out, I shot video of my training and he coached me, primarily on my Deadlift form, and this coaching helped me get back to a 500-lb Double Overhand Deadlift. I have told him a few times how grateful I was, but it has been a while, and I hope he knows just how important of a role he played for me in the last year.

The next person I’d like to mention is Paul Knight. Many of you who follow Grip know that name, but some may not. Paul is one of the world’s BEST gripper closers, having certified on the IronMind #3.5 and the Mash Monster Level 6. If you don’t know what these are, they are serious grippers and world-class accomplishments. Paul coached me for several months last year on Grippers, which helped a great deal, but more than that he got me thinking about Gripper training in a whole new way, something that has helped me out immeasurably. It was like my brain was chained in the corner of a dark room, but with his guidance and inspiration, I was able to finally make some improvements on my gripper training.

Mark Gannon

The next person I must thank is Mark Gannon. Mark has been a personal training client of mine since May of 2011, but in the Fall of 2012, he and I began hitting a weekly session together. It had been YEARS since I had a steady training partner, and working out with him, even though it was early in the morning and I am NOT a morning person, kicked me and my lifting into another level. Mark has never questioned a single thing I have had him do and he has been an INTENSE lifter ever since he came into the fold, and that did not stop when we started working out together either. He never has shied away from Log Lifts, Squats, Deadlifts or anything. He and I still train together once a week and each workout seems to somehow top the last one we did. Our favorite combination has become Back and Triceps. As I’ve mentioned before, this combination is KILLER, and I strongly suggest you try it. Although Mark does not train Grip with me, the momentum I get with him in the mornings often carries forward into the Grip workout I have later that night, or on the weekend, as he and I often hook up on Friday mornings.

During this time, while I was feeling like an absolute MONSTER in my full body training, my Grip lifts started to decline for some reason. It had gotten to the point that any lifts where I had to bend over were crumbling, and my numbers resembled more of a newcomer to grip than a seasoned veteran. I reached a point where I could no longer perform a full lift with the 50-lb Blob, something that just a few months prior I was snatching overhead in one movement. Something was seriously wrong, so I ended up seeing a doctor and getting some tests, and I learned that I had developed Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.

I began attending therapy sessions here in Wyalusing, PA at ProCare in December and continued until February. I did not lift at all from something like December 6th through the end of the month. I was going to go to the Gripmas Contest in December without training the last couple of weeks prior to it, but another injury to my forearm flexors kept me from going. I couldn’t even straighten my arm as I watched highlights of the contest and Kody Burns breaking my mark on the Two Hands Pinch. After 6 solid weeks of no training, I finally began to hit 30% weights in January and returned to full lifting in February. The very first day I was back, I was able to pick up the 50-lb Fatman Blob, the hardest I Blob I have in my collection, and hold it while I hit the speed bag. I owe a great deal of thanks to the skilled therapists at ProCare for helping me come back.

JT Straussner
In the still shot, seated, to the right, is Maryanne McKeague
The value she provides at contests by judging, loading, and recording is immeasurable!
Thank you for all you do, Maryanne!

Right around this time in early February, to my surprise, I found out that one of the best steel benders in the world, JT Straussner was living in the area, working in the Natural Gas industry. The truth is, he had been here for 4 months already and did not realize he was only 40 minutes away. He contacted me through Facebook and the next day he was here training. With JT here, I now have the closest thing to a full-time partner for Grip Training that I have ever had. When he isn’t here, we are texting back and forth about training ideas, analyzing lifts, and coming up with new schemes about how to get one more pound on a lift, shut a gripper down a hair further, or hold onto something for just a split second longer. I can’t say enough about how much he’s helped me, and we are already working on a plan for the next several weeks of training.

Finally, I must give recognition to Robby Sparango. I have been coaching him on-line throughout much of 2013 and despite the fact that we have never been in the same State together, his energy, will to learn and desire to improve has been inspiring. I feed off other people’s energy and Robby has that in spades. This guy is going to be great!

To each of these people, as well as every single person who has sent me messages, emails, youtube comments, etc., I owe a huge THANKS. Believe me, I am just like everybody else and have bad workouts, bad moments, and I get frustrated just as much as you all do, so when I get a note from you, it makes a difference. I am extremely lucky to have so many people who support me, so thank you to you all.

Now, after all that, here’s the run-down on the NAGS Championship 2013

Event 1: Grippers

The first event was Grippers. In 2010 and 2011, I closed a 182-rated #3.5, but in 2012, I couldn’t even come close. As I look back, with as poorly as I did at NAGS 2012, that was probably right around where my Thoracic Outlet Syndrome either started or where it reached the point of volatility where it began pulling my numbers down. I don’t recall what I got last year, but it might have been in the 170’s. This year, I closed a 182.1 gripper on my first attempt, and then a 185-rated gripper on my second. I tried a 187 on my third attempt, but it was quite a ways from closing, so I waived my 3rd attempt.

I did not get the 182.1 close on film, but I got the 185 and it is posted below.

The 185 was an outlier gripper. What I mean is it rates 185 on the device time and time again, but when squeezing it, it feels less. I should have gone for it immediately on my first left-handed attempt, but did not do so until my 2nd or 3rd attempt. It’s funny how memory clouds up after less than a week, even after such an important event. I was close to closing it with my left hand, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, so I had to settle for a 150 or so close with my left hand.

Event 2: Two Hands Pinch

The second event was the Two Hands Pinch. As I stated before, Kody Burns exceeded my mark of 268lbs in December, moving it to 270 plus change, and this would be the first time he and I would compete against one another since doing so, so it added a bit of drama to the event.

I struggled to lift 255 last year at Nationals, missing on it 3 times before finally lifting it on the 4th. With such a close call last year, this year, I decided to play it safe and started much lower. I remember my first pull came up extremely easy, pulling it well beyond the stick and setting it down under control. Although we were lifting on two separate implements, Kody and I ended up hitting our attempts at the same time and we switched back and forth for each one to go. I thought that was cool, although I have heard feedback since that it drug on too long. Oh well.

Kody had hit something around 245, so I went on to 253. I missed it on the first attempt, but I shouldn’t have. I noticed the spacers had partially popped up out of the steel frame prior to lifting, and I should have asked for it to be re-adjusted, but instead I just lifted. The result was the implement only came up off the ground a few inches. This REALLY pissed me off, because I knew I had the strength to pull it plus some more on that day.

I came back and hit 253 clean while Kody couldn’t quite get 262 to cooperate, so I won the Pinch event with my pull of 253.

By this point, I knew I was in good standing in the overall and was probably either 2nd or 3rd. We were now going into the Axle Deadlift.

Event 3: Axle Deadlift

Thick Bar has always been a struggle for me, despite my willingness to train it hard. In actuality, I trained Axle much harder the last two months than I did the Two Hands Pinch. I am not sure if that helped me as much as I would have liked…

Again, I started out light here, because last year I totally BOMBED on all my lifts. This year, being more careful, I got two successful lifts at around 355 and 365, then missed 375 during my final two events. I was really trying to focus in and squeeze as hard as I could, and while on the second attempt I think I actually pulled it higher, it was still nowhere near lockout.

Going into the 4th event, the Medley, I was now in 3rd place, trailing Andrew Durniat by who knows how much and behind Brad Ardrey by 7/100’s of a point – CRAZY.

Event 4: Medley

This year, I attacked the Medley. Strike that. JT and I attacked the Medley. We had a list of the challenges and analyzed it both during each workout and while we drove to the contest. We had gone over everything so many times, that it was like we practiced on the actual implements that were in the Medley, we were so confident. While Andrew again won the event with an awesome 51 points, I came in second with 45 and Brad Ardrey got 44. Now, I had pulled slightly ahead of Brad in the overall standings, so I knew I had to take it to the next level mentally on the final event, the Wrist Roller.

Event 5: Wrist Roller

I have done the Wrist Roller in several contests over the years, but this would be the first time on this type of design. The wrist roller had a cable attached to it and on the other end of the cable was a big, long lever arm. Attached to the lever arm was a GIANT MASS CHAINS that looked like the tangled mess of Christmas Lights that Chevy Chase pulls out of the box in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. However, despite the scariness of that knot, I had no fear going into the event. I had trained it so hard, I knew going in I would feel no fatigue, no burning, or discomfort as I powered through it.

The way the event was timed, was like this. The cable had a piece of tape wrapped around it, and once that tape hit the spool between the hands, time was up. When it was my turn to hit the Wrist Roller, the leading time was something like 8.02 seconds, set by Brandon Gerber. JT came very close to that mark, although I don’t recall what he actually hit on it. I was the first to go sub-8 seconds, hitting 7.98 seconds on my turn. I thought I was good to go, but Brad Ardrey finished just behind me with 7.96 seconds. Unfortunately, Andrew was on his game this day, as he vanquished both our marks with a time closer to 7.5 seconds than 8.

In the end, Andrew had come out in the Top spot in the overall category. I came in at the top spot in the 120-kilo class and finished 2nd behind Andrew in the Overall, and just ahead of Brad. The separation between us had to be less than 1/2 a point.

The 2013 National Championship was a good day for me. I can not say I am perfectly content with all my performances, but I am happy to have finished how I did.

Once again, I thank everyone who supported me over the last year. It means so much.

Finally, I want to send a shout-out to Dan Huff, Joe Carabase and Corey MacGregor, three guys I am in a business team with. These gentlemen have helped me out tremendously with my diet. I was actually down nearly 25 pounds for the 2013 comp, weighing under 255-lbs, compared to the portly 279 of a year ago. I feel so much better that is hard to described, but I wouldn’t have been there without those 3.

In closing, I just want to say that anybody reading this is just as capable of attaining this level of performance as I am. You just have to believe it and take the good information that is available and put it into action.

All the best in your training, and I hope to see you at a future competition, some time soon.

Jedd

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Arnold Sports Festival 2013

In 2004, my friend Rick Walker suggested I come to the Arnold Sports Festival, and it was one of the best experienced of my life in the way of the Iron Game. Since then I have been to it almost every single year.

Rick Walker, Don Pope, Me – Sept. 2005

What is the Arnold???

“The Arnold,” as it has often come to be called is like a smorgasbord of Iron and Sports. What started out with an emphasis on bodybuilding many years ago, has developed into THE WEEKEND for strength enthusiasts and lovers of the Iron Game.

Over the course of the weekend, countless sports take place there. All off the lifting sports are represented – Powerlifting, Strongman, CrossFit, Kettlebell, Olympic Lifting…even Grip Sport is featured on the main stage every year now.

Plus, other well-known sports run throughout the weekend, including various Martials Arts and Wrestling-based sports, Fencing, Table Tennis and more.

IT IS AN AWESOME TIME FOR ALL.

Finally, I Did It…

This year, I finally did what I’ve wanted to do for several years – shoot a documentary of the trip and share it with everyone who comes to my website.

The main idea behind this documentary was to increase the awareness of Grip Sport and Feats of Strength. However, along the way, we also had a lot of fun and I think there are parts in here that are absolutely hysterical.

The documentary isn’t just about me, it also contains my friends, Paul Knight, Chris Dezendorf, and JT Straussner. It’s just an old road trip – 4 dudes busting on one another, playing tricks on one another and having a great time enjoying a small vacation, if you will.

Aside from documenting the trip, though, I was also able to accomplish some pretty cool things during the shooting of this DVD. First off, the documentary lets you get to know Paul Knight a bit better. Paul has one of the strongest crushing grips in the world, and possibly the best crush in the United States, but he doesn’t spend a lot of time on-line, so many people do not get the chance to learn much about him or find out just how smart and analytical he is about training.

Another cool part of the weekend that I got on film was a look into the mental side of bending from Paul Knight and J.T. Straussner. These guys are a couple of the best when it comes to all around steel bending. You’ll learn about the mental process these guys go through, how they use visualization in their training, and how they deal with failure if they miss a bar.

How to Watch the Documentary

What’s cool is you can view this documentary completely free of charge. All you have to do is add your email address to the box below and I will send you the link to view it.

If you try to sign up and you get a message that you are already signed up, then that means I have already sent you the link to the page housing all the videos. Just check your inbox for a message from me.

For now, here is a little teaser of what is included in the documentary.

Arnold 2013 Teaser

Reviews

Isaiah Hubert: “Cool documentary Jedd. I liked the group dynamic and the grip conversations.”

Be sure to sign up. For a documentary shot with no outline or plan of progression, I think it is the perfect balance of entertainment, documentation of a very cool event, the Arnold, and learning points you can apply to your training.

Have fun!

Jedd Johnson

A Pile of Block Weights. I Love Grip

There’s no doubt about it: One of the greatest ways to bring up your hand strength is to train with Block Weights.

Because they have no handles, you must span your grip over their slope and pinch with all your might, in order to lift them.

They build thumb strength as well as well rounded hand strength.

As you can see in the image above, Block Weights come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, but the most famous type of Block Weight is the Blob. The Blob is one half of a 100-lb York Dumbbell. The term “Blob” was coined by Richard Sorin, when he decided to train to lift this monster in a pinch grip.

The original style of Blob that Richard trained on has two sides on it that flare outwards much more than later models, and since it has a plumper slope to it, it is often called a Fatman Blob.

Recently having increased the volume and intensity of my grip training in preparation as Alternate for this year’s Mighty Mitts competition, I began training with Blobs to a much higher degree.

I was looking for a way to pack as much volume as possible into my training, while also keeping the loading a difficulty level intense, so I began training for as many successful lifts as possible within a short time, keeping track of how much time passed by placing a clock on the floor. I called this “Gripping Against Time.”

In the videos below, you will see a couple of the ways I turned up the volume on my Blob training.

Fatman Blob Plus 5-lbs for Reps Against Time

One way I like to make Blob Training more challenging is to add weight. You can do this by tying weight plates to a boot string and then draping it over the top of the Blob.

Fatman Cleans for Reps Against Time

In this video, I decided to increase the pull distance with the Fatman by perform cleans for reps instead of just deadlifts.

You can add these methods in your training as well. Take a Block Weight that is not really a test for you anymore and either add weight to it for your slower, grinding reps, or try increasing the pull-distance somehow, whether you go for Cleans like I did or something different like High-Pulls or even loading it to a platform that requires you to pull beyond the basic deadlift lockout position.

These methods will get you strong, so make sure to give these a try.

All the best in your training.

Jedd