Diesel Crew - Muscle Building, Athletic Development, Strength Training, Grip Strength » thick bar

Continued Progress with the Double Inch Deadlift

Jedd Johnson — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:50:17 +0000

I have been continuing to work toward improving my Double Inch Deadlift with plans to progress to the Double Inch Farmer’s Walk.

Last week I was able to pull a solid deadlift and even got a good pause at the top before the bells overtook my thumb and ripped the Inch out of my hands…

I recorded some of the tools and methods I have been using to bring my thick bar strength up when I wrote about the double inch dumbbell deadlift last week.

The methods I covered in that post involved solely use of the Inch Dumbbell itself, however that is not all that I have been doing on a regular basis. I have also been using two pieces of training equipment, which I am sure you have heard about – Fat Gripz and Grip 4orce Handles, quite frequently.

Until now, of the two tools listed above, Fat Gripz has probably gotten much more notoriety, but I think that the Grip 4orce handles are going to get more attention very soon.

First off, I want to say right off the bat that I like both of these handles. They both go on and off dumbbells or barbells so quickly that they add next to no time to your workout. You can literally put them on and perform a set of one lift and then pull them off and put them on something else for a superset / giant set

However, I feel the Grip 4orce handles are equally impressive, but in a different way. I see them particularly powerful tools for building thumb strength.

So I probably just lost you right? You’re probably thinking, “How can a thick bar trainer help with thumb strength?”

Well, here is why Grip 4orce builds thumb strength…

When you put the Grip 4orce handles onto dumbbells and curl them, in order to keep them on the handles, you have to squeeze not only your fingers tightly, but also the thumbs must fire throughout the range of motion and continue to adjust pressure in order to keep the G4‘s secured on the dumbbell handle.

What People Don’t Realize about Thick Bar Training

What many people do not realize about thick bar work is it actually requires a substantial amount of thumb activity, especially if you do not flex the wrist while you perform the thick-bar lift.

In other words, when you lift a thick bar, such as an axle, in a double overhand grip, if you keep your wrist in extension, you will have to apply pinching strength onto the bar in order to lift it. If you flex your wrist more, then you shift the emphasis more to the wrist and forearm flexors, and also more on the fingers and less toward the thumbs.

The same is true for lifting the inch dumbbell. If you goose-neck your wrist (if I do this, I get a terrible pain in my wrist and have for years) the thumb does not come into play.

However, if you have your wrist in extension when you lift the inch dumbbell, then you essentially have to “Pinch the Inch” in order to lift it.

Pinching the Inch

This is how I have done it for years – I Pinch the Inch Dumbbell in order to lift it because if I flex my wrist to take emphasis away from my thumb it hurts immensely, almost like an electrical shock through my wrist.

This is also why it is even tougher for me to lift the Inch Dumbbells with them sitting outside my feet as compared to straddling them. When they lie outside my feet, my wrist goes even more into extension, requiring even more effort from and emphasis on my thumbs.

Back to the Grip 4orce handles. I first got a set when I wrote the owner, Jim Hartman, about sponsoring the 2011 National Grip Sport Championship. He sent me a pair to review and a few sets for the prize package at Nationals.

The first thing I did with the Grip4orce handles was to put them onto the dumbbells for my next workout that involved curls, and I noticed how much they work the thumbs right away. The next day, my thumb pads were very sore, much more so than any Two Hand Pinch or Block Weight workout I had recently. In fact, I would compare the feeling to a Volume Workout of Dynamic Pinch, using a Pony Clamp or TTK.

I feel the reason that Grip4orce training feels so much like dynamic pinch is because when you use them on curls, your thumb is acting dynamically the entire time, adjusting the force it is creating throughout the strength curve of the curling range of motion.

I have been using Grip4orce handles on every set of curls I have done since June, and I absolutely love them. They hit my thumbs, they work the fingers, and my forearms feel completely wasted after 3 to 5 sets of curls because they too have to work harder in order to keep the handles secure throughout the curling motion.

I continue to use Grip 4orce handles on every set of curls I do, and my Inch Dumbbell lifting continues to go up. I have even seen improvement in my gripper work, nearly credit-card closing a #3 for the first time ever this week.

I strongly suggest you add these to your equipment collection today. If you currently do curls in your training, this will make them even more worthwhile, and if you are not currently doing curls, then this just might give you a reason to put them back into your routine. They certainly have done that for me.

Get your Grip4orce handles here => Buy Grip4orce Handles

All the best in your training.

Jedd

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Mighty Mitts and Thick Bar Training

Jedd Johnson — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 05:24:24 +0000

Diesels – I trust you are working your asses off and shooting for improvement in all areas of your training.

I have awesome news to pass on to you…

Mighty Mitts

I have been selected to compete at Mighty Mitts at the Arnold again this year, and I can’t be any more excited.

Mighty Mitts 2010: I’m not smiling for the camera, I am trying to lift a 500-lb Axle without crapping my pants…thanks to Kevin Cronin for cheering for me – I heard you the whole time…

Last year was the first year the Mighty Mitts Grip Strength Competition was held at the Arnold, and there was so much positive reaction that they have decided to run it again this year!

Mighty Mitts is LOADED with thick bar events, so in preparation for all of the fun coming my way, I have been continuing to ramp up on it by including lots of Inch Dumbbell Training, Rolling Thunder Training, and Axle Deadlift Training almost every workout.

For the Axle, I have been going about this a bit differently than I have in the past. Whereas before I would try to just lift a heavier weight in the deadlift every time, I am using a variety of rep ranges to build as much strength as possible.

Part of my training changes have been to include a variety of high-rep work in the Axle and Regular Bar Deadlift. By high-rep, I am talking in the neighborhood of 50 repetitions.

If you remember a few months back, I shot a video trying a Crossfit Deadlift Challenge of 50 reps at 225. This hit my hands so well that I decided to dial it up few notches and hit it again for a set of 50 with 243.

50-Rep Deadlift – IronMind Axle – 243-lbs

If you try this, don’t plan on painting a masterpiece afterwards, because your hands will be wasted. They will also be stronger the next time you train the thick bar stuff.

Deadlift – Escalating Sets

Another thing that I recently did was instead of working with the axle, I decided to go for endurance using a Double Overhand Grip on a regular bar. This one was crazy – 1 X 495, 6 X 405, 11 X 315, 16 X 225, 21 X 135 – ALL DOUBLE OVERHAND!

Training Fat Bar and Double Overhand on Regular Bars is working well because my hands have been feeling great and I am setting lots of PR’s, even on the new-style Rolling Thunder Handle.

I am thinking this week, I will load up 225-lbs on a Regular Bar and see if I can hit 50 reps without having to drop the bar. I am pretty confident I can do this as long as I control the decent. Sometimes if I bang the bar on the ground too hard, it screws my grip on the bar up and I have to reset. Either way, I don’t see 225 as being any sort of problem to hit for 50-reps. We’ll see…

If you give any of these high-rep sets a try, come back and post a link so I can check them out!

Make it a GREAT Week!

Jedd

P.S. Lots more stuff coming this week, so stay tuned.

P.P.S. Anybody going to the Arnold? If so, post here so I can look for you!!!

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Making Hard Feats Look Easy – The Inch Dumbbell

Jedd Johnson — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 04:46:04 +0000

I have been kicking the Inch Dumbbell’s arse lately.

If you don’t know what the Inch Dumbbell is, it is the globe dumbbell shown below.

Inch Dumbbell

Inch Dumbbell Quick Facts

Weight: +/- 172 pounds

Handle Size: +/- 2.375 inches

Make-up: Solid, non-rotating. Once lifted from the ground, the globe heads begin to rotate, tearing your grip open.

History: Thomas Inch, a performing strongman from the 1800′s, brought with him his challenge dumbbell, daring the on-lookers to lift it. Inch could lift it with ease while most who attempted to lift it failed miserably. Over the years, several companies have produced replicas.

Inch Dumbbell Feats

The primary goal with the Inch is to deadlift it with one hand.

The next goal is to bring it to the shoulder with two hands and then push press it over head.

THE ULTIMATE GOAL with the Inch Dumbbell is to clean it to the shoulder and then press it. BEASTLY!!!

Inch Dumbbell Deadlifts

When deadlifting the Inch Dumbbell there are three main ways to do it.

Straddle

The first way is to first straddle the Inch. This is the easiest way to lift it, with the hand in a neutral position. I can pretty much deadlift it in this position every workout.

Pronated Grip

The next hardest way to deadlift is to position it slightly in front of your feet, gripping it with your hand pronated.

Suitcase Style

The hardest way to deadlift the Inch Dumbbell is with a suitcase deadlift it, with the Inch outside your feet. This is most challenging because it is tougher to goose-neck your wrist in order to shift the emphasis away from the fingers and thumb.

I have been working on deadlifting the inch like this off and on during the last year because I had so much trouble with the Inch Dumbbell Farmer’s Walk last year at Mighty Mitts at the Arnold Classic.

It’s coming along nicely these days, as you can see in the video below…

Accomplishing Grip Feats requires you to take a multifaceted approach to your training.

You have to train for maximum weight.

You have to train for endurance.

You have to train repetitions.

You have to bring up your weaknesses.

You have to maintain your strengths.

You have to do all of this systematically while not losing strength in other areas.

If you want to lift the Inch Dumbbell, the Blob, get certified on Grippers, or anything else in the World of Grip Strength, you also need a good coach.

And if you join The Grip Authority, I will be your coach.

I’ve worked with hundreds of people over the years in developing programs, one-on-one sessions, seminars, etc.

Last week, I did a half-hour coaching call with a fellow named Derek and this is what he sent me the other day:

“Thanks for the coaching call. I hit three new PR’s in the end of year lift off with my family.“

That was just from a half hour. Imagine what could happen if you work with me for a few weeks at The Grip Authority.

Join Today = > The Grip Authority – Unleash the Power.

All the best in your training.

JeddSimilar Posts:

Home Made Equipment to Help Lift the Inch Dumbbell

Jedd Johnson — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 03:48:20 +0000

The Inch Dumbbell Replica

One of the most widely recognized feats of Grip Strength is lifting the Inch Dumbbell.

The original Inch Dumbbell belonged to Thomas Inch, a traveling performing strongman in the early 1900′s (shown to the left, photo via SandowPlus.co.uk

The Challenge Dumbbell weighed roughly 172-lbs, which isn’t too daunting of a weight. However, the difficulty in lifting the Inch Dumbbell is due to it’s significant handle size (2.38 inch) plus the fact that the handle and bells are all one solid cast iron implement. Once both bells leave the ground, the entire implement begins to turn and rip out of your grasp.

Deadlifting the Inch Dumbbell proves to be a feat that few people are able to complete on their first try.

I am one of the lucky individuals who owns an Inch Dumbbell and one of the rare people who owns two.

The first one I got several years ago from a good friend of mine, Rick Walker.

I picked the other one up from a mailman on eBay a couple of years back.

Recently, Rick has set out to conquer the Inch Dumbbell, and he shot a video of one of the implements he is currently using to train his hands to be ready the next time he crosses paths with it.

This implement is surprisingly simple to make and seems to be a great way to get it done.

The video below shows exactly how to set this device up.

As you can see, this home made implement is simple to make and is comprised of very cheap materials, yet it could very well prove to be one of the most beneficial ways to train to lift the Inch Dumbbell, because it seems to replicate the violent spin of the actual dumbbell.

I am very interested to see how Rick progresses with this set-up. I also plan on training with it to increase my thick bar strength, as I sometimes still have trouble with my newer Inch Dumbbell. It will be a great addition to my collection of home made strength training devices.

Speaking of Home Made Equipment, The Home Made Strength On-line DVD is now one year old, so to celebrate it’s birthday, we are lowering the price $10 until Wednesday. If you’d like to pick it up at the lowest price ever, you can do so by clicking this link = > Home Made Strength Training Equipment.

Also, in the coming weeks, I will be releasing a new installment of the HMS Series, Home Made Strength II: Grip Strength Edition. This DVD will be full of implements you can put together and use to build serious Grip strength, whether you want to compete in Grip Contests, Strongman contests, or just want to increase your hand strength for the sport you play. This will also be an excellent resource for Strength Coaches who are still handcuffed by their university’s budget limitations.

I build everything right on camera, taking about 5 minutes per piece and then walk you through some of the best ways to train with it, all on pristine quality video.

This should be ready in a matter of weeks. I am in the final stages, so stay tuned.

You can make sure you know about it as soon as it is released by making sure you are signed up specifically for my Home Made Strength Equipment Mailing List.

In order to join that list, enter your email address into this form and make sure you are signed up for the list called “Home Made Strength Equipment.”

Stay tuned and in the mean time, keep kicking ass in the gym.

Jedd

Here’s a video where I was peaking for thick bar and was able to row the Inch Dumbbell. I set it up to play just seconds before I lift it…

Check out my channel here = > Jedd’s YouTube ChannelSimilar Posts:

How to Make Home Made Rotating Thick Grips

Jedd Johnson — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 03:02:17 +0000

Today, Chris Smith breaks off another piece of knowledge and shows us how to make some homemade equipment that will let you get your grip training on!

Home Made Thick Grips

Fitness can be an expensive thing, especially if you want to have your own equipment. Sometimes even a very well equipped gym can be lacking a piece of equipment that you really need or, more likely, want.

READ THE REST OF THIS KILLER POST AFTER THE JUMP

With the way the economy has been it is very likely that new gym equipment has been sent to the back burner in favor of paying your rent. Even if you aren’t in dire straights I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t like to save a bit of cash here and there if possible.

The good news is that you do not necessarily have to choose between groceries and having a well equipped gym if you’re willing to do a little work.

If you are serious about your training then there is a good chance that at some point your grip has been a limiting factor for you.
Maybe you couldn’t hold onto the bar for a heavy deadlift or set of shrugs. Or perhaps you can’t do as many pullups as you would like to because you can’t hang onto the bar.

It’s also possible that you are just chasing some killer grip strength. Whatever your situation, you’ve probably seen or heard the great benefits of using thick grips. Well now you can get all those great benefits without breaking the bank.

Here is what you’ll need to make two rotating thick grips:

• 1 foot of 2” PVC pipe
• 1.5 feet of 1 ¾” PVC pipe
• 2 18” long pieces of chain
• 2 carabiner clips
• A saw
• Approximate cost for 2 handles: $12

PVC Pipes

PVC pipe is very easy to find in any hardware store. Usually you will find two foot long pieces and may not be able to find a one foot piece. That’s fine. The two foot pieces usually cost around 4 or 5 bucks. Just get them and you will have extra, or you can double everything up and make four handles.

As far as the chain and clips go, make sure you find out the weight rating on both! Don’t skimp and buy some cheap novelty carabiner that is made for holding your keys: it will break. Suck it up and buy good clips and good chain.

I made four handles with chain rated to 800lbs and clips rated to 300lbs and it cost me about $24. That’s $6 a handle.

DIRECTIONS

Miter Box for Sawing PVC Pipes

Cut the 2” PVC pipe into 6 inch sections and the 1 ¾” pipe into 6.5”. If you are using a hand saw for this it really helps to have a miter box so you know your cuts will be straight. If you don’t have one, try and clamp the pipe down as firmly as you can to a table. Do I even have to tell you to watch the fingers when sawing?

Sawing Using a Miter Box

Honestly, cutting the PVC is the most difficult part of the entire process. Once you have the sections cut, put the 1 ¾” PVC inside the 2” PVC.

Revolving Fat Brip Handle

Run the chain through the 1 ¾” and close the ends with the carabiner.

Yes, it really is as simple as that. These handles can be attached to any cable machine via the carabiner, looped over a pullup bar for an incredibly challenging pullup variation, or the chain can be looped through the handle of weight plates or kettlebells for timed holds or farmer’s walks.

(A little note: if your plates do not have handles on them, you may need to use a longer chain to hold onto larger plates such as 45s. Just have a couple pieces of longer chain available to swap out if that is the case)

One of the best features of these grips, aside from their ease to make and low cost, is that if they are too difficult you can just remove the inner 1 ¾” pipe. The handles will no longer rotate, but they should be much more manageable in terms of difficulty. You can also just throw them into your gym bag and carry them back and forth. Give them a shot; I’m sure you’ll enjoy the challenge. -Chris Smith-

Chris Smith is the owner and head trainer of Train Better Fitness, a performance training company based in New York City offering training services to people of all fitness backgrounds. He is a certified personal trainer with the American College of Sports Medicine, a martial artist and an overall fitness fanatic.

See Chris’s other posts on Diesel:

How to Start Nail Bending

Explosive Conditioning for Martial Arts

P.S. Want to learn how to build 8 other pieces of cool strength training equipment? Then check out the Home Made Strength Online DVD!