History is Made – A New Record in the Two Hands Pinch

As you saw in one of the recent posts below, this past weekend I set a new world record in the Two Hands Pinch – 256 lbs.

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP

It’s been a long fight for me to get this record and I am very happy and appreciative of all the support I have gotten from all of you.

I also realize that many of you reading this may not know what the hell I am even talking about, so I thought I would put together a short post for you to explain – here’s a brief history of what I know about the Two Hands Pinch.

Two Hand or Two Hands?

First off, it’s written both ways – Two Hand Pinch and Two Hands Pinch. The European competitors seem to refer to it as the Two Hands Pinch, so I have adopted that as well. You might also see it abbreviated as 2HP.

Grip Competitions

Grip competitions have been going on in Europe for a long time. The first contests I found out about in 2003 were the ones in Europe. At that time, the one hand and two hands pinch lifts were being contested.

In 2003, I competed in my first competition and the Two Hands Pinch was contested there using two 45-lb plates placed together smooth sides out, with a pipe through the center hole and weight added onto the pipe. A year later, we held our first competition and held the same event using 45-lb plates again.

The Adjustable Two Hands Pinch Apparatus

At the end of 2004 or beginning of 2005, a legendary European competitor named David Horne, originated the adjustable Two Hands Pinch apparatus, which was two 6mm steel plates on the outside and a series of 6-mm and 10-mm rubber inserts that go between the steel plates.

The great thing about this implement is that the competitor gets to choose whatever width he or she likes best in the competition. The widths can be adjusted between 12mm and 64mm, so the implement can be modified to fit any sized hand.

Performing the Lift

The implement starts on the ground. The athlete takes his grip and then lifts it until the pipe running through the center of the implement touches a stick 16.5 inches off the ground. The athlete then has to return the implement to the ground under control. If it slips out or if he drops it, the attempt is no good.

This apparatus soon became standardized equipment which was replicated and sold to contest promoters who were interested in picking them up. There are a few apparatuses throughout Europe and a handful throughout the United States.

Other Uses of the Two Hands Pinch

While this is a very popular grip contest lift, it is also a great lift to introduce to athletes.

Most gripping, especially in combat sports, is some form of pinching. It then makes total sense to include some form of pinching in the athletic routine.

Going after a big lift in the 2HP is awesome for setting up team challenges and requires only basic equipment and some brute strength, intensity, and effort to complete.

The History of the World Record

David Horne quickly became the World Record holder in the lift. In 2005, he held the mark of 231 lbs. To me, that number sounded incredible at first. I was able to lift 220 on it in competition after a couple of years, though an I started to think about chasing the record.

As far as I can remember there has only been one person who has topped Horne’s mark, Martin Arildsson, of Sweden, who lifted 246 in 2007, topping Horne’s previous record of 243.

Chad Woodall also held the record for a time after breaking it in Germany in 2007.

Horne eventually came back and set the mark of 253 pounds in 2008.

All a while the biggest total was rising in the lift, I was driving and flying all over the country chasing it. I have been pursuing it for years, always coming up short.

One time, I lifted the record weight up to the stick, only to have the weights slide off the front of the implement, ripping it out of my hands.

In September this year, I hit a new US National Record of 246 pounds and nearly set a new record of 255, but the implement slipped out of my hands about an inch from the stick.

Finally, this past weekend, I was able to break the record at the Gripmas Carol Contest in Crooksville Ohio.

Actually the record was broken twice this past weekend. First by Chad Woodall, who lifted 255 pounds, and then an hour later, by me, with 256.04.

Here are the clips of the record being broken twice, on December 12, 2009.

Chad Woodall – 255 Pounds Two Hands Pinch

Jedd Johnson – 256 Pounds Two Hands Pinch

Chad Woodall and I have been going head to head for years now – ever since 2005 and we have always been close in the pinch. He is a great Grip athlete and always stays on top of his game. Look for more from him down the line.

I am actually taking a few weeks off of pinching to let my thumbs rest. No, I am not resting on my laurels just because I finally stand at the top of the pinch heap. The fact is, this record could be broken again as soon as this coming weekend in a contest in England.

I am taking a break, because I have been battling some nagging injuries and I need to give them time to recover so that when I do compete again, I can hopefully push my number even higher. That’s the great thing about the Two Hands Pinch. Because it is an adjustable implement, I don’t think the even will ever go away. There will always be a mark to shoot for. There will always be a record to be broken.

However, just because I am taking a break from grip training, does not mean I am just sitting around after my full body workouts.

In fact, I have been working on a secret project the last couple of months that almost no one on planet Earth knows about. Let’s just say I have been very busy behind the scenes for the last couple of months…

I’ll have more info in the upcoming weeks, but believe me, you don’t want to miss what I’ll be bringing to the forefront.

All the best in your training,

-Jedd-

P.S. Other Posts on the Two Hands Pinch:

Training the Two Hands Pinch – 245 Pounds
Contest Highlights – First Annual Woodall Competition
Metroflex Grip Write-up
Gripmas 2008

More to come as I find them in the annals…

Similar Posts:

• Woodall Grip Highlights
• New Pinch World Record
• New Personal Goal and On-line Challenge
• 245 Lbs Two Hands Pinch
• Chris Rice Pinch Lifts and Feats