You’ve heard the expression, “They don’t make ‘em like that anymore.”

York Dumbbells, with their pull-shaped heads, resemble that remark very well, but many do not realize that it also describes some of their styles of lifting plates as well.

Multiple times over the last few weeks I have been contacted regarding the thickness of York Barbell plates. York plates are a popular style of plate, especially the older vintage designs.

Some of those who have contacted me live overseas and have not had the opportunity to purchase or train with York plates, so they wanted to know the thickness of pairs of the plates in order to be able to craft pinching blocks of the proper thickness in order to train for lifting them.

So, I went down to the gym this weekend and captured on film the size of a pair of 25′s and a pair of 45′s for those interested in this kind of information.

In this video you will see the measurements of the York Barbell 25- and 45-lb plates I have in my gym.

While I am at it, I thought I’d make mention of a couple of other traits about York barbell plates, especially how they relate to Grip Training.

York 25 Pound Plates

I have 4 York 25-lb plates. Of them, 3 have very heavy machining marks on the flat sides, while 1 is almost devoid of machining. Of all of the 25-lb plates that I own, the Yorks are by far the thinnest. I did not get the thickness of some of the other styles of 25′s I have, but there is a substantial difference. This difference in size and the texture of the machining on the plates combine to make a tremendous difference in difficulty between them when trying to pinch lift them.

For instance, a common for of Grip Training is Plate Pinching. This involves positioning 2 or more plates together so that their smooth sides point out. You then place your thumb on one side and the fingers on the other in a pinching grip and try to deadlift them.

You can perform Plate Pinching with pretty much any combination of plates. From pairs of plates like 2-10′s, 2-25′s, 2-35′s, and up to 2-45′s. If you can pinch two 45′s, be proud. Be damn proud.

Of course, you can also try other plate combinations, such as 3-25′s. This is a pretty elite Pinch Feat. However, with York 25′s, at least with the 25′s that I have, the texture on the plates is so prominent, I would estimate it reduces the impressiveness of the feat by at least 15% to 20%. The machining, plus the rust from use over time just gives you a better grip on the plates, not to mention how narrow they are. If you are close to pinching 3-25′s on wider and slicker plates, I bet you could probably pinch grip a set of 3-25′s from York, especially if they look like mine.

York 45 Pound Plates

As I said above, you should be proud of your pinching power if you can pinch two 45-lb plates with one hand. This is a hell of a feat of Pinching Strength. There are two main reasons why pinching 2-45′s from York Barbell is so awesome.

First off, York 45′s are much wider than two 45-pound plates from other companies’. I have combinations of 45′s where 3 of them are roughly the same size as two of the York 45-pounders. Width in pinching can make a pretty substantial difference because it requires the thumb to do a lot more work. Often, Gripsters have a sort of “sweet spot” that they they like for pinching. Narrower than that sweet spot is usually ok, because they can deal with it and their numbers don’t suffer too much, but get out wider and the numbers can really plummet, especially in one-hand lifts.

The other factor that makes two York 45′s so hard to pinch is the rounded edges of the rims of the plates. Because these points are not squared off, when you try to pinch them together, they automatically want to slide if the plates are tilted even just a few degrees. Once they start sliding, it is over and by tilting plates slightly you can engage more wrist and fingers in the lift and take some pressure off the thumbs. This is not an option when using two York 45′s.

So, as you can see, York barbell plates are a different style of plate altogether, presenting additional challenges in some ways while being easier in other ways, but regardless of the advantages/disadvantages they are still a prized possession for many people, myself included.

Got more questions? I’ll shoot a video or answer it in my newsletter. Make sure to sign up for updates today.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

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With all of this talk recently about Block Weight Training, such as Blobs, Fatman Blobs, Fatman Clones, and the Iron Grip Monster, it can be pretty easy to think that you either have to spend an exorbitant amount of money in order to develop Grip Strength through block weight training, or you have to completely ruin one of your perfectly good dumbbells by cutting one of the heads off.

However, this is just not true. In reality you can get a similar open hand training response by training with the regular dumbbells you already have. This opens up a completely new chapter of Block Weight Training that I like to call Inverted Dumbbell Training.

Inverted Dumbbell Training

Inverted Dumbbell Training is simply lifting a dumbbell by standing it up on one end and then gripping it by the end in the air. This type of Block Weight Training allows you to use the dumbbells you already have without any cutting or other time-swallowing tasks.

How to Perform an Inverted Dumbbell Lift

The video below will show you exactly how to perform an Inverted Dumbbell Lift:

Key Points About Inverted Dummbell Lifting

• Dumbbells come in many shapes and sizes, and the paint job will also vary. Paint condition can be a huge factor in lifting a dumbbell.
• An attempt should be made NOT to put the fingers or thumbs into the numbering or lettering of the dumbbell in order to maximize the challenge, however, using the print on the dumbbell as a training means is fine as long as it does not become a crutch.
• Be careful with very wide dumbbells. Wide open hand positions can injure the thumb’s soft tissues, which can be very hard to bounce back from. It is best to thoroughly warm up the thumb in order to keep it safe.
• Watch out for your toes. Any block weight, and especially an inverted dumbbell can come slipping out of your hand quickly. Don’t break a toe.

Biggest Inverted Dumbbell Lifts

Inverted Dumbbell Lifting is not really an event in Grip Sport by itself, however, they have shown up in a Medley here and there. To my knowledge, a 55-lb Dumbbell is the largest I have seen lifted in this manner. That is what I lifted in the video above, but I am not yet able to dominate it very time I try. I know I have also seen Andrew Durniat do this on a different dumbbell, and I think Brent Barbe got it as well.

Application into Your Training

Because of my goals of complete Block Weight Domination, I tend to try to go as heavy as possible 90% of the time when I do this lift. Using this movement in an athletic program or a general hand strength improvement program is not necessary though.

It can be just as effective at building beneficial grip strength by performing lifts with a lighter dumbbell and then adding weight, such as a chain wrapped around it or attached with a magnet, and then performing reps, or doing hand to hand transfers, hulas, or figure 8′s.

As awesome as Block Weights are, and as much as I love them, that does not mean the only way to get those benefits is with Single Dumbbell Heads. Inverted Dumbbells will get you these results very well, too.

Any questions, leave a comment below.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Looking for other ways to train for thumb strength specifically? I love Grip4orce Handles and use them frequently in my training. Check them out through the banner below.

Hello DIESELS!!

I hope you have all had a fantastic fourth of July. I also hope you got the chance to spend time with family and also to get a good training session in.

This week’s challenge is inspired by my buddy, Mike Rojas from Strong 101 Gym!

Mike won one of the weekly challenges a few weeks back, in the One Hand Dumbbell Snatch. When he received his shirt, he immediately threw it on and did some Grip Training, and this is what he did…

Two Hands Pinch Holds for Time

Two Hand Pinch Holds are great for developing thumb strength, full hand strength, and for endurance. Just look at how Mike had to focus in so that he could get a good time. He said he got to 1 minute, 14 seconds – BAD ASS!

Requirements for this lift:

1. Must be two 45′s or two 20-kg plates with smooth sides

2. Plates must be positioned smooth-sides-out

3. Must use a double overhand (pronated grip)

4. Must lift the plates together off the floor with both hands and hold for time without touching the plates against your body

5. Your time begins when the plates leave the floor and ends when one or both plates slip out of the hands

6. Video requirements:

• Title: DieselCrew.com – Grip Strength Challenge – Two Hand Pinch Hold
• Description: http://www.dieselcrew.com Grip Strength
• Tags: grip strength, thumb strength, pinch grip training

7. Upload you video to YouTube and send me the link by 8 PM on Friday, July 8th, please!

8. Have fun. Try multiple attempts. Send in your best, even if you give it go multiple times per week!

Here is a video demonstration of the Two Hand Pinch Hold for Time:

Send me your submissions, DIESELS!

Jedd

This week’s challenge was the Two Hands Pinch and it was a Wild Card Qualifier for Nationals and a good group of dudes threw their hat in the ring! Check them out below.

PITT – 130

PITT’s only done this a couple of times and his plates look pretty damn slick. His best lift was 130, but this exercise is going to be great for him for developing thumb strength, stability and resistance to injury for his action in the wrestling ring!

Kevin Greto – 140

Kevin Greto seems a mild-mannered Gripster. However, I think you are going to see him Hulk up on the adjustable plates when it comes to the World’s Strongest Hands Series 2011.

Carlos Rodriguez – 140

Carlos has been hitting his Grip Training consistently and seeing improvements gradually. With a tighter fitting pipe, I think he would have had an even better performance. I’ve gotta give it to him though – he sacrificed his pull-up bar in order to Pinch – that’s what I’m talkin’ about BROTHER!!! Also, because the heavier end of the bar was in the back, that makes the lift harder as well.

Darrin Shallman – 146.4

Darrin continues to submit for just about every single challenge. Dude is a freak. I think with some training on the implements he has a future of success in competitions. I believe he is well under the 82.5-kg weight limit for the World’s Strongest Hands Series, so if he can make it to a comp locale, I think he could be a contender. Keep it up tough guy!

Mike Turpin – 148.5

Check out Mike’s video, as he brings some of the showman aspect in this weeks Grip Challenge Submission. Mike is a tall dude with good sized hands. I think he could Pinch over 200 on the Pinch Device with a few months of training, especially with the crew he trains with – a bunch of good strong guys.

Paul Tompkins -158.5

Paul is one fire-under-the-ass away from becoming a serious force to be reckoned with in Grip.

Jason Steeves – 177

Jason has been packing on some muscle evidently. Also, he has been posting a seemingly endless array of PR’s on The Grip Authority Facebook Group. He has increased his Two Hands Pinch and several types of One Hand Pinch, especially with Blobs/Block Weights using the Seriously Strong Thumbs program I devised. Keep up the good work, man!

Josh McIntyre – 181

Josh’s number of 181 took the title this week and so he qualifies for North American Grip Championships in July. Many competitors put 15 to 20 pounds on their Two Hand Pinch just by using the Euro-Pinch Device, and another 5 to 10 once they find the right width, so it is going to be exciting watching Josh go for a big number, if he can make it to Nationals.

Congrats to Josh for qualifying and great job to all who tested themselves in this week’s challenge.

Next week will be Grippers. I am expecting that a lot more people would submit videos, as Grippers a re a much more popular aspect of the sport. The video should be up by Monday.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

P.S. Check out one of our sponsors for Grip Sport Nationals, Oxygen 4 Energy – click the banner below:

Remember when you were a kid and you played Uno?

You always looked forward to drawing a Wild card so that you could change the color of the cards to what you had so you could really screw over the dude sitting next to you.

Well, now, you have the chance to not only get the figurative Wild Card in the sport of Grip, but essentially the Draw Four Wild Card, the most evil and powerful card in the deck that not only lets you change the color being played but also makes the next dude pick up four cards to add to his hand, the perfect play when that guy’s about ready to go out.

This week’s Grip Strength Challenge will allow someone to potentially qualify for Nationals and compete with the best in the nation. What is great about that is that it will give someone the chance to qualify who might have had an off-day in a contest, or even become qualified when no contests have been held near their area.

In fact, the next three weeks in the Grip Strength challenge will be Wild Card weeks! So you have an outstanding chance to qualify over the course of the next 4 weeks from the comfort of your own home, something that has never been possible before.

Two Hands Pinch

This week’s lift is the Two Hands Pinch. Now, normally in Grip Contests, an adjustable apparatus is used for this event, but in this case it will not be required. Instead you can just use normal plates with a pipe or bar running through them.

Also, in normal Grip Contests, the weights are all weighed using a certified scale. This will not be necessary, instead we will go by the number stated on the plates.

The pipe running through the plates and any collars that are added should be weighed, however – that is important. You must weigh them on a scale on video or else you can not count them.

For more specifics on how this lift is done for this week’s challenge, please watch the video below.

Two Hands Pinch

Some other requirements for this week’s challenge…

• A metal or PVC pipe can be used

• A double overhand pinch grip must be used
• Plates Must Be Smooth-Sides-Out
• The plates have to be lifted to lockout or very, very close to it (I WILL be watching closely)
• The implement must be controlled on the way down. If it slips out, it is no good.
• Unlimited attempts. Go for the biggest lift you can
• The weights must be added evenly on both sides of the pipe. In other words, if you add a 25 on the front, you have to add a 25 on the back as well. Front loading the implement makes it much, much easier.
• If there are any rules I have forgotten and you violate the spirit of the lift, it will not count. I reserve the right to disqualify a lift if it is in violation

That is about it. Other than that, make sure you match your video with the required information for the Title, Description, and Tags.

• Title: DieselCrew.com Grip Strength Challenge – Two Hands Pinch
• Description: http://www.dieselcrew.com Grip Strength Training
• Tags: grip strength, hand strength, grip training, wrist strength, pinch grip

Looking forward to the submissions and I hope you are able to qualify for Nationals. If so, see you there!

All the best in your training.

Jedd

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