This video talks about the most important factors in preventing skin tears when pinching: what you’re lifting, the edge of what you’re pinching, the placement you use with your thumb. The video also will help you make some modifications so that you experience fewer tears.

For additional resources and information on reducing skin tears when training pinch grip, check out the links below:

Skin Tear Prevention Article

Get Your Napalm Pinch Device

Two Hands Pinch Training DVD

Two Hands Pinch Workshop

All the best in your Pinch Grip Training.

Jedd

Lift More in the Two Hands Pinch

“Napalm” Jedd, John Manna, & Lucas Raymond

“Going to the workshop was the best thing I could have done to improve my 2hp. I had no idea how technical, and how much of a full body lift it was. I added pounds to my personal best immediately after correcting small mistakes I was unaware of, and I added almost 30lbs to my best lift in just a few training sessions afterwards.
John Manna”

Two Hands Pinch Workshop – 2/22/14

It was a bitter cold day in February.

Snow covered the ground and you could hear the wind whipping around the garage.

But that did not stop one man, John Manna, from making the trip over the frozen terrains of Northern New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

After his 3-hour drive, John blew into his cupped hands, loosened up his sore back and got to work, while an electric space heater buzzed behind him and an occasional snow flake beat against the windows.

By the end of the day, the temperature didn’t matter much to John, nor did his sore back, because he had already exceeded his previous best in the Two Hands Pinch by nearly 20-lbs.

As he drove back home to Jersey, John had a look of confidence and an air of pride about him.

He was now armed with the knowledge to take his Two Hands Pinch even higher…

And you can be too, when you get this DVD.

Get Your Own Copy
Of the Workshop
Today

The Two Hands Pinch is one of the most commonly contested, most popular, and highly regarded events in Grip Sport.

It is also, perhaps, the fairest of all Grip Sport lifts, because the device that is used in competition is fully adjustable to match the hand size of each athlete that lifts on it.

The Two Hands Pinch is also one of the most intensely tracked of Grip Sport events, with competitors readily gunning for the “Top 50 List” and always keeping an eye on “Weight Class Records” whenever a contest is held.

The execution of the Two Hands Pinch is very basic – you grip the plates, you lift them high enough so that the loading bar touches a cross-bar, and you set it back down.

But don’t let the simplicity of the lift fool you…

The Two Hands Pinch is also a very highly technical lift. There is much more to it than meets the eye.

There is more involved than just reaching down, pinching as hard as you can, and lifting it off the ground.

On February 22, 2014, I held a Grip Sport Workshop at my gym in Wyalusing, PA.

One lone person, John Manna, braved the February cold, but after 2+ hours of training and instruction he was PUMPED that he came.

By the end of the Workshop, he was no longer stuck in the 120’s on the 2HP.

He had now broken into the 140’s.

And now you can learn the same information that can help you increase your Two Hands Pinch by 20-lbs or more.

I am making the Two Hands Pinch portion of the February Workshop available to everyone.

All you have to do is click the order button below and I will ship it right out to you.

Get Your Copy
Of the Workshop
Today

What is Covered in the Two Hands Pinch Workshop DVD?

In this DVD, you’re gonna learn the Two Hands Pinch in an easy 9-point checklist format.

Here is exactly what you will learn in this DVD:

Grip: In this section you’ll learn the ins and outs of getting your grip right on the implement as well as how to figure out your proper width.

This is HUGE for your pinch because the right width can not only help you lift more on the Two Hands Pinch, but it can also keep you from cutting your thumbs as much.

Placement: You’ll learn where to have the device in relationship to your body. This increases your leverage and allows you to put more force into your pinch.

Stance: Now it is time to think about how to position your body for best force production. While it may seem like a small detail, it can be something that helps your pinch blow up, or something that holds it back.

Footwear: Everyone knows I have featured strange choices for footwear in all the years I have been competing. But, there is actually a purpose behind why I choose to wear what I have on my feet, and I will tell you all about some of the best options I have found, so you can make the best choice for yourself as well.

Tilt: This is another aspect of the 2HP that is often overlooked and misunderstood. When to tilt the implement, and how much is enough or too much? When you get this right, you get a better lock on the implement and less slipping. When you get it wrong, your attempt can be doomed right from the instant you start to pull it off the floor.

Aside from why having an angle on the Pinch is so important, you’ll also learn how to keep this angle throughout your pull, so each attempt you take is smooth resulting in fewer thumb cuts.

Arm Angle: You will learn the best way I have found to transmit as much power from the torso and core into the Two Hands Pinch lift. The muscles of the back and chest are some of the biggest and post powerful in all the upper body, and when you figure out how to engage them, your current personal best in the 2HP will feel weightless.

Lower Body: Although the Two Hands Pinch is mostly a full body movement, your lower body has to move correctly to get a smooth pull. Do this wrong and the Pinch feels awkward and shaky. Do it right, and you’ll feel like a machine when you lift the plates. This also helps you return the implement to the floor under control, which is a must in Grip Sport competition for your lift to count.

Tension: This is the single biggest aspect of Two Hands Pinch technique that you will learn. Most people can put a minimum of 10 pounds on their Two Hands Pinch in less than 10 minutes just by understanding how to create tension in their upper body, how to transfer it through their arms, and into their grip.

Tension magnifies your ability to create Pinch Power, giving you command over the implement from the instant it breaks the ground, until you pull it through the stick, and return it to the platform.

Training: In this section, you will learn my time-tested strategies for training the Two Hands Pinch. This is where you put everything together and focus on all the aspects of the checklist to maximize your Pinch Strength.

You will also learn 3 of my Favorite Drills for building strength on the implement, drills which have helped me break the world record in the Two Hands Pinch 5 different times since 2009.

If you are frustrated with the lack of progress in your Two Hands Pinch, you need this DVD.

You’re going to learn things in this DVD that you haven’t thought of before.

I can’t wait to hear about your training once you get this DVD.

Be sure to hit me up through email or Facebook.

Order Yours Today.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

The Adjustable Pinch Apparatus, originally designed by David Horne, has been a staple of Grip Strength Competitions since 2005.

The Two Hands Pinch world record is the most coveted World Record in Grip Sport, and now the One Hand Pinch is increasing in popularity faster than probably any other record in the sport as well.

To truly perform your best in competition, it is IMPERATIVE that you own and train on an actual adjustable device.

Sure, you can use a ghetto 2HP device using 2-45’s, but you will never have optimal training that way because you will never know the perfect width for your hand size. That is, after all, the beauty of the Two Hand Pinch and One Hand Pinch that we contest in Grip Sport – the apparatus is full adjustable to fit any hand size – man, woman, teenager, big hands, average hands, and small hands.

Having an apparatus to train on is imperative in order to perform at your best and put up the best score possible. This has been proven over and over, as all of the record holders and perennial top performers own their own device.

In the past, the only way to get your own set-up in the United States was to purchase one from David Horne and deal with exorbitant shipping charges and long wait times.

But not anymore. I have begun sourcing the materials to produce adjustable pinch apparatuses that I call the Napalm Pinch Device. It is just like the original device designed and sold by Horne, but instead of having rubber inserts, it has inserts made of expandable PVC with tabs on them to make them easier to adjust widths for multiple trainees and competitors.

Until now, I have only made these devices available to members of my grip strength coaching site, TheGripAuthority.com, in order to get them ready for their upcoming contests.

Now it’s time to make them available to everyone else.

I currently have one device in stock. I will have more by the end of November, so you will definitely have yours by Christmas.

You will receive the outside steel plates and the red & grey inserts

You can order yours using the button below. This button will add $25 for shipping to your order. This is an estimate and if it is not enough to cover the shipping, I will get back with you to make up the rest. If it is too much, you will be refunded. All devices ship out USPS Standard Shipping with Tracking and Insurance coverage.

The Last Napalm Pinch has sold out. Please add your info to the box below to be notified when more are in:

Once you have your own Official Two Hands Pinch device, prepare to watch your numbers explode, since you will finally be able to identify your appropriate width and get to practice on a device that is the same as what is used in competition.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

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I am PUMPED to have already gotten awesome feedback on Napalm Pinch: How to Dominate the Two Hands Pinch.

This is from Robby Sparango:

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“Kiiiiick assssss. Thank you Jedd for another invaluable DVD for the collection! Scrutinized it frame for frame, took notes and will watch it again before Monday night’s session. Napalm Pinch answers about 26 questions I didn’t know I had.

Your Vids are about to pass up my Pavel collection, hell yeah!”

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Thanks a lot Robby. Can’t wait to see some of your videos as you put some of those bullet points into action!

DIESELS, if you want to improve your Two Hands Pinch, you need this DVD: Napalm Pinch: How to Dominate the Two Hands Pinch.

This DVD is going to pack pounds on a LOT of people’s Two Hands Pinch. Will you be one of them?

All the best,

Jedd

I just released a brand new DVD today, called Napalm Pinch: How to Dominate the Two Hands Pinch.

This DVD is comprised of all my best information for training on and excelling at the Two Hands Pinch.

From understanding the proper technique, proper hand preparation, correct tension production, and more of the subtleties that are too often skipped over, this DVD will take your training up a notch, without having to put in more effort.

How is that possible you might ask?

SIMPLE.

It’s not about putting in endless hours in the gym doing all kinds of volume and a hundred different drills.

It’s about doing the handful of drills that actually work.

In short, this DVD will help you train SMARTER in order to bring up your lifts.

On top of all that, I’ve got some pretty cool BONUSES that I am offering this week ONLY.

Check out the announcement in the video below to find out about these cool bonuses.

You can pick it up here: Napalm Pinch DVD.

Don’t forget the cool bonuses:

• Free Coaching Call
• DVD Package Contest

All the best,

Jedd

Ahead of everything else, I want to wish a Happy Easter to all my Diesel Friends out there.

Thank you for being a part of my life.

It is my pleasure to share my training knowledge, experiences, and PR’s with all of you.

Today I have a Highlight video for you from yesterday’s session. Check it out below:

Grip Training Highlights: 3/30/13

JT was running the table yesterday. He hit so many huge lifts yesterday he said this afterwards, “PR’s and Baselines were on sale today, so I decided to pick a few up.”

Naturally, the clip above only has about 25% off what went down yesterday. Sometimes, when the lifts are cooking, you just don’t take time to turn the camera on.

One of my big lifts resulted in a huge chunk of my thumb getting ripped off. Check it out below.

Hey, when you are training to do lifts that were never meant to be done, sometimes things like this happen.

But, I can assure you, “The PR was worth the PRice.”

It’ll grow back.

Before I go, I want to leave you with one more thing.

Today is Easter, signifying the miracle of the return of the savior from the dead. It is also Spring time, signifying a new season of growth and life.

If your workouts have been down lately, then use this time of year as a time to start turning things around and get some more momentum going.

In a way, it’s just like being reborn, with a new opportunity to grow and gain momentum.

Momentum is so important with training. Once you get just a little bit going, it can carry over into many workouts and before you know it, you are on a roll again.

Start your roll today.

Even if you have a bunch of Easter stuff going on, you can still find something to do to get that momentum going again.

Don’t wait until tomorrow. Do it today.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Check out More Training Clips and Instructional Videos at My Youtube Channel:

Check out the interview that Doc and I did with Kody Burns, new overall Record Holder in the Two Hands Pinch, attained at the Gripmas Carol, 12/8/12, in Crooksville, Ohio.

Right click the banner to save the audio file, below:

Here is the incredible series of attempts by Kody on the Two Hands Pinch (2HP) Device:

Again, congratulations to Kody on the MONSTER accomplishment.

Enjoy the interview and all the best in your training,

Jedd

Over the weekend, some of the biggest news to take place in the Grip World for several years went down in a small town called Crooksville, Ohio.

A relative newcomer to the sport off Grip, Kody Burns, has officially broken the overall World Record in the Two Hands Pinch, with a lift of 270.52-lbs!

The reason I stress overall record is that Kody actually shattered the previous marks that were set in several other weight classes as well. In Grip Sport, if a competitor is competing in one of the lower weight classes and lifts a weight that breaks the record in the heavier weight classes, the weight stands for the upper classes as well.

I believe, on Saturday, Kody was competing in the 93-kilo bodyweight class (if this is proven to be incorrect, I will modify this later on). What this means is the Kody is now the World Record Holder in the 93k, 105k, 120k, and 120k+ classes.

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Have you checked out the latest episode of Grip Strength Radio, where we chat with JL Holdsworth? Right click on the banner below and save to your machine to listen when you want.

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(more…)

The Common Thread in Almost ALL Aspects of the Iron Game

Do you do any of these lifts in your program? – Squat, Bench, Deadlift, Muscle-ups, Snatch, Clean, Jerk, Curls, Ropes, Pull-ups, Push-downs…
What is the common thread between all of these awesome ways to train, get stronger and build muscle?
It is your Grip.
If you are lacking in the Grip Strength department your performance in all of these lifts will suffer.
While it may be clear to see why Grip Strength is important in lifts such as Deadlifts and Pull-ups where your hands have to Grip the bar and be able to hold on well enough to execute the movement, it may not be as obvious for other lifts, such as Squats.
After all, your upper back and shoulders are taking the brunt of the load when you Back Squat, right?
Let’s look closer.

What is Grip Strength?

Grip Strength is often referred to as just Hand Strength, but really it is much more than that. Yes, the hands are involved, but they are only a part of the equation. Really to have a truly strong grip, you must look as Grip as everything from the elbow down.
Here’s why.
Many of the muscles in the hands actually originate above the elbow at the medial epicondyle (some flexors, pronator) and the lateral epicondyle (some extensors, supinator). And since these muscles cross the elbow joint, they also influence the joint. Remember that point.
Because so many hand muscles start so far up the arm, it really expands the acreage that we have to consider when we set out to train for Grip Strength effectively.
Not only do we have to include training for the hands, but we also have to include work for the wrists, forearms and elbow regions.

Why Grip is Important for Your Training

Most trainees would agree that strong hands would be an asset for strength training and muscle building. After all, if your hands are strong, that means you’ll be able to pull more weight in many exercises, you’ll be able to do more repetitions, and you’ll be able to train longer if need be, right? Yes.
Now, let’s connect a few points…
When your hands are strong you will see better results in the weight room because it will transfer to better performance when performing pulls like deadlifts, rows, and pull-ups.
But what about all the other lifts that do not involve pulling? Is Grip Strength important in those lifts as well?
Yes it is.
A strong Grip, or in other words, a strong and balanced hand/lower arm unit will also provide better stability during lifts where the hands are pressing against the bar, dumbbell or other implement. For instance, when performing the Bench Press, Jerk, Kettlebell Press, etc, you will be better able to execute these lifts when your grip is strong because you will have better control over the implement.
So is Grip Strength important for lifts like the Bench Press, Jerk, Kettlebell Press? Yes it is!
But what about other lifts like the Back Squat? It might seem like the hands are just sitting there going along for the ride, but if you are doing them right, they are doing much more than that.
You see, the hands are also capable of producing what is known as Radiant Tension. In other words, when you squeeze your hands, the tension begins to radiate inward toward the body. By doing this, you can actually increase the intensity of other contractions in the body.

The Back Squat is a perfect example of this. When performing the Squat, you should apply appreciable tension to the bar by squeezing it prior to descent and continuing to apply this tension throughout each rep. By doing so, your upper body will remain more stable, thus allowing you to Squat more weight and do more repetitions.

Grip Strength Equipment

So, now you can see that there are many benefits to be gained from Grip Strength training, right? So the next question is how are you going to get your hands on some equipment that will help you build Grip Strength and do so by hitting the lower arms from all angles?
Here are some examples of equipment you can buy to build Grip Strength:

• Grippers – These things are obsessive and people really love training with them. They give you serious Crushing Grip and provide hours of training fun. Cost – about $20 apiece.
• Sledge Hammers – These are great as well because they not only work the lower arms and hands, but they also incorporate a load of upper body and arm involvement, also contributing to your core training and cardiovascular health, especially if you use them to hit tires or other dense objects. Cost – about $30.
• Thick Rope – These take your Grip, Arm and Shoulder training up another level of intensity, while also dropping bombs on your conditioning. Fantastic training tool. Cost – $90 or more.

Tough Economy

Unfortunately many people these days are on a limited budget and it is tough to invest in tools like the ones above and even though many pieces of equipment can be used to train for Grip Strength and other outstanding strength and conditioning benefits, their costs prohibit many people from purchasing them.
Here is the solution => Home Made Strength II: Grip Strength Edition.
Home Made Strength II is an on-line DVD that is downloaded to your computer along with the bonus manuals and reports so that you can start building affordable pieces of quality grip gear that you can use to get a better grip and thus improve all of your other lifts.

Home Made Strength II – Grip Strength Edition

The Home Made Strength II Package
HMS-2 has been out since March of last year and it has helped hundreds of people start implementing Grip Strength Training into their routine without having to take on another mortgage or get another part-time job.
HMS-2 comes with the downloadable videos, a quick-start guide, and example workouts and drills you can start doing with each piece of equipment you build.
Generally, HMS-2 costs $37, but because it is turning a year old, I am running a special sale and until the stroke of Midnight on Saturday, March 17, 2012, you can get it for just $27, for the anniversary sale I am running this weekend only.
As you can see Grip Strength is the common thread for many lifts. You can’t afford to let it be a weak link in your chain of strength.
And even though the economy sucks right now, you can’t let that stop you from building these very cheap pieces of grip training equipment.
All the best in your training,
Jedd

---

Click the Banner Below to Pick up Your Copy of Home Made Strength II – Grip Strength Edition

---

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

See what others have said about Home Made Strength II: Grip Strength Edition:
“The Home Made Strength 2 DVD is excellent, you explain the construction and use of each device in clear detail with no stone left unturned. The equipment you show how to make is all top notch and either fills a gap regular grip tools miss, or wraps up two or more aspects of grip into one handy implement of grip torture. The instructions are very easy to follow and the accompanying training demonstrations show the versatility and quality of the implements. As always the video and sound quality on your DVDs is superb and the bonuses are so extensive and helpful that they could easily be sold individually. Thanks again for another invaluable product.
Rory Hickman”

---

“Hey Jedd,
I have the HMS2 DVD as well as some other of your products and just wanted to say how pleased I am with them. I have made some of the equipment from the DVD. Very simple and very cost effective.”
John Galan
Staten Island, NY

---

“I got the HMS-2 downloadable DVD, and the info is great. I’ve made the modified pony clamp, and it has helped me to rep the COC#1, and I’m only 2mm off on the 1.5.
The Bonus 8 week workout video is also great, giving me some great ideas for mixing up my grip training.
Thanks Jedd!
Chris Hope ”

---

Want to build your own Grip Training equipment arsenal? Then you should pick up Home Made Strength II. Click the image below.

The Common Thread in Almost ALL Aspects of the Iron Game

Do you do any of these lifts in your program? – Squat, Bench, Deadlift, Muscle-ups, Snatch, Clean, Jerk, Curls, Ropes, Pull-ups, Push-downs…

What is the common thread between all of these awesome ways to train, get stronger and build muscle?

It is your Grip.

If you are lacking in the Grip Strength department your performance in all of these lifts will suffer.

While it may be clear to see why Grip Strength is important in lifts such as Deadlifts and Pull-ups where your hands have to Grip the bar and be able to hold on well enough to execute the movement, it may not be as obvious for other lifts, such as Squats.

After all, your upper back and shoulders are taking the brunt of the load when you Back Squat, right?

Let’s look closer.

What is Grip Strength?

Grip Strength is often referred to as just Hand Strength, but really it is much more than that. Yes, the hands are involved, but they are only a part of the equation. Really to have a truly strong grip, you must look as Grip as everything from the elbow down.

Here’s why.

Many of the muscles in the hands actually originate above the elbow at the medial epicondyle (some flexors, pronator) and the lateral epicondyle (some extensors, supinator). And since these muscles cross the elbow joint, they also influence the joint. Remember that point.

Because so many hand muscles start so far up the arm, it really expands the acreage that we have to consider when we set out to train for Grip Strength effectively.

Not only do we have to include training for the hands, but we also have to include work for the wrists, forearms and elbow regions.

Why Grip is Important for Your Training

Most trainees would agree that strong hands would be an asset for strength training and muscle building. After all, if your hands are strong, that means you’ll be able to pull more weight in many exercises, you’ll be able to do more repetitions, and you’ll be able to train longer if need be, right? Yes.

Now, let’s connect a few points…

When your hands are strong you will see better results in the weight room because it will transfer to better performance when performing pulls like deadlifts, rows, and pull-ups.

But what about all the other lifts that do not involve pulling? Is Grip Strength important in those lifts as well?

Yes it is.

A strong Grip, or in other words, a strong and balanced hand/lower arm unit will also provide better stability during lifts where the hands are pressing against the bar, dumbbell or other implement. For instance, when performing the Bench Press, Jerk, Kettlebell Press, etc, you will be better able to execute these lifts when your grip is strong because you will have better control over the implement.

So is Grip Strength important for lifts like the Bench Press, Jerk, Kettlebell Press? Yes it is!

But what about other lifts like the Back Squat? It might seem like the hands are just sitting there going along for the ride, but if you are doing them right, they are doing much more than that.

You see, the hands are also capable of producing what is known as Radiant Tension. In other words, when you squeeze your hands, the tension begins to radiate inward toward the body. By doing this, you can actually increase the intensity of other contractions in the body.

The Back Squat is a perfect example of this. When performing the Squat, you should apply appreciable tension to the bar by squeezing it prior to descent and continuing to apply this tension throughout each rep. By doing so, your upper body will remain more stable, thus allowing you to Squat more weight and do more repetitions.

Grip Strength Equipment

So, now you can see that there are many benefits to be gained from Grip Strength training, right? So the next question is how are you going to get your hands on some equipment that will help you build Grip Strength and do so by hitting the lower arms from all angles?

Here are some examples of equipment you can buy to build Grip Strength:

• Grippers – These things are obsessive and people really love training with them. They give you serious Crushing Grip and provide hours of training fun. Cost – about $20 apiece.
• Sledge Hammers – These are great as well because they not only work the lower arms and hands, but they also incorporate a load of upper body and arm involvement, also contributing to your core training and cardiovascular health, especially if you use them to hit tires or other dense objects. Cost – about $30.
• Thick Rope – These take your Grip, Arm and Shoulder training up another level of intensity, while also dropping bombs on your conditioning. Fantastic training tool. Cost – $90 or more.

Tough Economy

Unfortunately many people these days are on a limited budget and it is tough to invest in tools like the ones above and even though many pieces of equipment can be used to train for Grip Strength and other outstanding strength and conditioning benefits, their costs prohibit many people from purchasing them.

Here is the solution => Home Made Strength II: Grip Strength Edition.

Home Made Strength II is an on-line DVD that is downloaded to your computer along with the bonus manuals and reports so that you can start building affordable pieces of quality grip gear that you can use to get a better grip and thus improve all of your other lifts.

Home Made Strength II – Grip Strength Edition

The Home Made Strength II Package

HMS-2 has been out since March of last year and it has helped hundreds of people start implementing Grip Strength Training into their routine without having to take on another mortgage or get another part-time job.

HMS-2 comes with the downloadable videos, a quick-start guide, and example workouts and drills you can start doing with each piece of equipment you build.

Generally, HMS-2 costs $37, but because it is turning a year old, I am running a special sale and until the stroke of Midnight on Saturday, March 17, 2012, you can get it for just $27, for the anniversary sale I am running this weekend only.

As you can see Grip Strength is the common thread for many lifts. You can’t afford to let it be a weak link in your chain of strength.

And even though the economy sucks right now, you can’t let that stop you from building these very cheap pieces of grip training equipment.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

---

Click the Banner Below to Pick up Your Copy of Home Made Strength II – Grip Strength Edition

---

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

See what others have said about Home Made Strength II: Grip Strength Edition:

“The Home Made Strength 2 DVD is excellent, you explain the construction and use of each device in clear detail with no stone left unturned. The equipment you show how to make is all top notch and either fills a gap regular grip tools miss, or wraps up two or more aspects of grip into one handy implement of grip torture. The instructions are very easy to follow and the accompanying training demonstrations show the versatility and quality of the implements. As always the video and sound quality on your DVDs is superb and the bonuses are so extensive and helpful that they could easily be sold individually. Thanks again for another invaluable product.

Rory Hickman”

---

“Hey Jedd,
I have the HMS2 DVD as well as some other of your products and just wanted to say how pleased I am with them. I have made some of the equipment from the DVD. Very simple and very cost effective.”

John Galan
Staten Island, NY

---

“I got the HMS-2 downloadable DVD, and the info is great. I’ve made the modified pony clamp, and it has helped me to rep the COC#1, and I’m only 2mm off on the 1.5.

The Bonus 8 week workout video is also great, giving me some great ideas for mixing up my grip training.
Thanks Jedd!

Chris Hope ”

---

Want to build your own Grip Training equipment arsenal? Then you should pick up Home Made Strength II. Click the image below.

I would be doing you all a disservice by not posting this video.
Prepare to be blown away by the most amazing Euro Pinch Set-up ever designed, owned by the Texas White Boy Rapper, Paul “Up All Night” Knight and Certified Red Nail Bender and Horseshoe Bending Pioneer, Eric “The Pointed Goatee” Milfeld.

Now, if you are clueless as to what the heck is going on with this video, let me point a few things out.
In Grip, everything is weighed to precise measurements in order to calculate exactly how much is being weighed. So, we don’t just count 4-25’s as 100-lbs. In reality, each plate is most likely off by a few ounces, so we either take our plates to a post office or we calibrate a scale we own against another calibrated scale and we identify the exact weight of each plate.
For instance, if you saw all of my plates that are used in competitions here, you will see that each one of them has a number on it and it has the weight in pounds and ounces. So, a certain 25-lb plate might be marked with the number 17 and have 24 – 14.4 on it. That means that this specific plate was identified as being weight number 17 and it weighs 24-lbs, 14.4-oz. I then log that into an Excel spreadsheet and am able to calculate exactly how much weight is being lifted on each attempt.
What Eric Milfeld and Paul Knight have done is they have modified the internal rubber inserts so that the base apparatus weighs exactly 38 kilos, so they are starting with a nice round number each time. If you are doing everything on paper, which some do, this can make it a lot easier to count everything up. Normally adding things up on paper is a giant pain in the ass, but Eric and Paul have also gone to the expense of purchasing calibrated lifting plates, so they are dealing with a series of nice round numbers, instead of having to add up 2 to 4 decimal places on a sheet of paper – AWESOME!
Why a fiberglass cross-bar you might ask? In the past everything from rulers to elastic cord to steel bars have been used for the corss-bar or stick. Each material has it’s own benefits and risks. For instance, we used a long metal ruler one year for our stick. Everything was awesome until John Mannino missed an attempt and got fired up about it and pushed down on the metal ruler and bent it.
In 2008, I traveled 8 hours to compete in a Grip Contest and had the World Record weighton the apparatus. Thee “stick” cross-bar being used was made of either steel or possible lead or some other extremely heavy material. Also, Dave “The Genius” Memont failed to secure the front loading collar like a man. He must have hands like a bitch, because he did not compete in the contest. You are only a cool promoter if you promote and lift in the contest. The result of the loose front collar and the ultra-heavy cross-bar was that the weights ended up falling off on my World Record attempt and my lift was disqualified.

One of many times it just wasn’t “meant to be.”
By using the fiberlass cross-bar, Mannino can press down on it as hard as he wants to and it appears it will retain its natural shape. Also, it looks to be so light that it will not interfere in the pull-to-height or angle of the loading pipe.
Many other things are intriguing about the Texas Fella’s Euro Set-up. They are using a solid steel loading bar. It will be interesting to see how numbers are affected by using an implement with such a heavy loading bar. Will it make tilting easier or more difficult? Will the length play a factor? Will plates loaded on the bar take up so much acreage that only a nub of it will be jutting out from the plates? It will be interesting to see, as well, how the size of the plates being used affect tilt as well.
In the end, without a doubt this is definitely the most Pimped out Euro-Pinch in existence. Paul and Eric truly love the sport to invest that much money into it. Eleiko calibrated plates are not cheap, no matter where you buy them, and the rest of the set-up right down to the collars and the bull-nose shaping of the stainless steel loading bar were all appreciable expenses tambien.
My hat is off to these two for being a good example of taking pride in the sport of Grip, as well as showmanship and playing to the power of social media by cutting up a classic like this for all to see and share.
I do think Paul’s little raps could have been better if done with a fat lip of Copenhagen, and with Eric Milfeld scratching a record or doing beat-box off to the side, perhaps next to the fern int he garage.
All the best in your training and Happy New Year to you!
Jedd

I would be doing you all a disservice by not posting this video.

Prepare to be blown away by the most amazing Euro Pinch Set-up ever designed, owned by the Texas White Boy Rapper, Paul “Up All Night” Knight and Certified Red Nail Bender and Horseshoe Bending Pioneer, Eric “The Pointed Goatee” Milfeld.

Now, if you are clueless as to what the heck is going on with this video, let me point a few things out.

In Grip, everything is weighed to precise measurements in order to calculate exactly how much is being weighed. So, we don’t just count 4-25’s as 100-lbs. In reality, each plate is most likely off by a few ounces, so we either take our plates to a post office or we calibrate a scale we own against another calibrated scale and we identify the exact weight of each plate.

For instance, if you saw all of my plates that are used in competitions here, you will see that each one of them has a number on it and it has the weight in pounds and ounces. So, a certain 25-lb plate might be marked with the number 17 and have 24 – 14.4 on it. That means that this specific plate was identified as being weight number 17 and it weighs 24-lbs, 14.4-oz. I then log that into an Excel spreadsheet and am able to calculate exactly how much weight is being lifted on each attempt.

What Eric Milfeld and Paul Knight have done is they have modified the internal rubber inserts so that the base apparatus weighs exactly 38 kilos, so they are starting with a nice round number each time. If you are doing everything on paper, which some do, this can make it a lot easier to count everything up. Normally adding things up on paper is a giant pain in the ass, but Eric and Paul have also gone to the expense of purchasing calibrated lifting plates, so they are dealing with a series of nice round numbers, instead of having to add up 2 to 4 decimal places on a sheet of paper – AWESOME!

Why a fiberglass cross-bar you might ask? In the past everything from rulers to elastic cord to steel bars have been used for the corss-bar or stick. Each material has it’s own benefits and risks. For instance, we used a long metal ruler one year for our stick. Everything was awesome until John Mannino missed an attempt and got fired up about it and pushed down on the metal ruler and bent it.

In 2008, I traveled 8 hours to compete in a Grip Contest and had the World Record weighton the apparatus. Thee “stick” cross-bar being used was made of either steel or possible lead or some other extremely heavy material. Also, Dave “The Genius” Memont failed to secure the front loading collar like a man. He must have hands like a bitch, because he did not compete in the contest. You are only a cool promoter if you promote and lift in the contest. The result of the loose front collar and the ultra-heavy cross-bar was that the weights ended up falling off on my World Record attempt and my lift was disqualified.

One of many times it just wasn’t “meant to be.”

By using the fiberlass cross-bar, Mannino can press down on it as hard as he wants to and it appears it will retain its natural shape. Also, it looks to be so light that it will not interfere in the pull-to-height or angle of the loading pipe.

Many other things are intriguing about the Texas Fella’s Euro Set-up. They are using a solid steel loading bar. It will be interesting to see how numbers are affected by using an implement with such a heavy loading bar. Will it make tilting easier or more difficult? Will the length play a factor? Will plates loaded on the bar take up so much acreage that only a nub of it will be jutting out from the plates? It will be interesting to see, as well, how the size of the plates being used affect tilt as well.

In the end, without a doubt this is definitely the most Pimped out Euro-Pinch in existence. Paul and Eric truly love the sport to invest that much money into it. Eleiko calibrated plates are not cheap, no matter where you buy them, and the rest of the set-up right down to the collars and the bull-nose shaping of the stainless steel loading bar were all appreciable expenses tambien.

My hat is off to these two for being a good example of taking pride in the sport of Grip, as well as showmanship and playing to the power of social media by cutting up a classic like this for all to see and share.

I do think Paul’s little raps could have been better if done with a fat lip of Copenhagen, and with Eric Milfeld scratching a record or doing beat-box off to the side, perhaps next to the fern int he garage.

All the best in your training and Happy New Year to you!

Jedd

This past weekend, I competed at the Gripmas Carol, an annual Grip contest promoted by Chris Rice.

Like others have said this was a bittersweet trip for me because Chris has announced that this year’s contest would be the last of its kind he would be holding.

Nevertheless, I made the trip to enjoy the chill of the Ohio air one more time in the Gripmas Contest setting.

I competed in the Elite category. The way Elite level is decided is the Total between RGC Grippers, Two Hands Pinch and IronMind Axle. Once your total hits 800-lbs you are entered into the Elite Category. This put me in competition with Andrew Durniat, my perennial adversary and the 2011 North American Champion in our Division of Grip Sport.

From the beginning of the contest, we knew it would be a close battle. Many times over the years our scores have ended with just 1 to 3 points’ difference when we have battled it out head to head, and this time proved to be no different.

Event 1 – Choked Grippers

The first event was choked Grippers, meaning a hose clamp was used to keep the handles of the gripper at parallel, so only the final portion of the close, the Finish was contested.

This event is a mystery to me. In training, I could not close my 168-rated Elite Gripper and then I ended up closing a 195-rated Super Elite at the contest. How this is possible is beyond me. I have no idea where the extra closing power came from.

My first attempt was on a 191-rated gripper, which I closed easily to my surprise, and which gave me some confidence going into the next three attempts. For my second attempt, I went for the 195, but missed it and when I asked Sean “Doc” Dockery if I was close he said, “Nope.”

Doc has become the go-to judge in Grip, volunteering his time on many occasions over the years fro Chris Rice, and for me as well in this year’s National Championship which was also held at Chris Rice’s facility. He is absolutely the best judge in Grip, if you ask me. So for him to say that I was nowhere near closing the 195, I knew that I was way off, and needed to get serious on attempt three.

My third time to the Gripper Table, I was very nervous. Andrew had just closed a +/- 214-lb gripper, so I knew I had to do some damage on this one and PR on this piece. I was very deliberate on my positioning and on my set and drove the handles home on a secondary pule for a good close of 195.

I don’t recall what I went on for my fourth attempt. It doesn’t really matter because I missed it. Plus, Andrew closed something like a 224-lb #4 gripper. It is a World Record Close for Choked Grippers. Andrew had already staked a solid lead for himself, beating me by nearly 30-lbs. I knew going into the next event, Two Hands Pinch, that I would need to finish about 40-lbs ahead of him in order to even up the score.

Event 2 – Two Hands Pinch

As most of you know, I held the World Record in this lift with going into Gripmas with just over 264-lbs, or 120-kg. However, the word in the Grip Strength Rumor Mill was that Andrew had been training the Two Hands Pinch pretty hard coming into Crooksville, so I knew it was not going to be a cake walk.

Something many of you may not realize, however, is that there are actually two classes of Two Hands Pinch being recorded these days. Recently, the Lightweight Class was instituted and a separate record is maintained for anyone weighing 82.5-kg or less is entered into those standings. Going into Gripmas, the leader in the 82.5-kg class was Daniel Reinard. He set the mark at Leg 3 of World’s Strongest Hands at my gym in October.

However, another member of Durniat’s camp, Brendan Gerber, had been killing the pinch in his training leading up to Gripmas, nearly doubling a weight that would have beat the record. He showed up on the day of the contest and showed everyone what it was like to be 18 again, and took the title – pinching 206-lbs and some change.

Brendan Ferber – 206-lbs

For this event, we used my Euro plates on Doc’s newly built instantly adjustable apparatus, which enabled us to perform the Two Hands Pinch event in one trip up through the weights, starting out around 100-lbs and moving the whole way through without having to clear the weights off and start again for the next thickness. This really improved the event. Normally all the people at 44-mm go, then 48, then 52, etc. But on this day it was one trip through the weights and with a twist of the front collar the spacers could be pulled or replaced and people lifting different widths could feel the intensity all at the same relative time.

My opponent, Andrew Durniat, finished his attempts in the low 230’s, and I began mine in the low 250’s. This was my second competition competing on 58-mm which recently has been feeling like the perfect width in my hands.

I debated going for a new world record on my first attempt. That would have made all of my attempts World Record Attempts, but Chris encouraged me to take a safe lift, which I agreed to. Bombing out would have meant I would have been mathematically eliminated from the contest, so I decided to hit 254-lbs for my first attempt, which was called on YouTube, “the easiest looking lift of 254-lbs ever,” or something along those lines.

1st Attempt – 254

With a legal attempt in the books and 1st place in the event in my pocket, I decided to try to push my record up. My training had been very intense going in and I had implemented training techniques that I never have used previously. Unfortunately, the last week of training I developed the same strange cramping sensation that I have had occasionally in the past which caused me to abort my final session of 2HP training. But once I pulled 254 and felt no pain, I was confident for my first attempt on 268, below.

2nd Attempt – 268

Having my hand slip off the plates like that is very uncommon for me. What I believe happened is I may have left too much chalk on my right thumb, causing it to slip off the plates. This normally isn’t a problem, but in this case, the edge of my thumb got a chunk taken out of it and the contact left my right thumb completely numb and my left thumb partially numb.

Because of the numbness, I took a little extra time for my next attempt at 268.

One thing that I am just now remembering is that my hands were extremely cold going into the pinch. I don’t mean that I wasn’t warmed up – in that regard I was feeling fine, however, my skin was noticeably cold to the touch. I was wearing gloves and hand warmer packets so this should no have been the case, but I had others test the backs of my hands and sure enough everyone said they felt chilled.

I was past the point of caring about my hand temperature now, anyway, so I began my preparation for my third overall attempt and second at 268, this time making sure that my hands were chalked evenly but not too heavily.

3rd Attempt – 268

As you can see in the video, this one was very close. There was no slippage from chalk, but it felt as though I was leaning forward over the apparatus a bit more than normal because I was worried the collar would hit the stick instead of the loading pipe. This got me out of my normal pulling path and I just barely hit the stick. In my recovery to redirect the apparatus, I lost balance and when I set the Euro down, I lost my balance even more, stumbling back and nearly going through the table like Jeff Hardy.

I was seeing stars for a moment because I was squeezing so hard on the implement and tracking the end of the pipe so closely, but I quickly recovered, and let out a chuckle in relief of getting a successful lift.

For my fourth and final attempt, I went for 270. I truly feel that if I would have gotten 268 on the first attempt and not cut my thumb and had it go numb on me that I would have had a successful lift of 270-lbs.

4th Attempt – 270

I was very happy with my performance in the pinch, and not just because I was able to push my number up, but because I was able to regain my composure for the last attempt. In the past when I have broken the record, I have gotten so emotionally overwhelmed that the following attempts are hindered by my inability to control my nerves. This time, however, I was able to get centered and get back on the platform in control. The apparatus felt outstanding, my thumb skin was great, and my back was solid. I just think I was missing a bit of neural connection due to the slipped attempt at 268 and couldn’t regain it in time for the fourth attempt.

By now, Andrew and I were ridiculously close. If memory serves, I had drawn slightly ahead of him, going into the next event, Double Sledge Hammers.

Event 3: Double Sledge Hammers

The Double Sledge Hammer event was the biggest surprise of all for me at Gripmas. I trained my ass off on this thing for months leading into the contest and all I got out of that training was a heap of frustration. Instead of two 12-lb hammers with 30-inch handles, I got two 16-lb sledges with 32-inch handles.

In training, my best performance with my 16’s was a set of two reps with the bare implement and 1 rep with the implement plus 2 washers weighing about 1/2-lb apiece, so I was not sure what to expect using shorter handles and lighter base sledges.

I managed a legal lift of 47.5-lbs in this event, getting beaten only by Andrew who successfully performed 50-lbs. I tried 50-lbs but the first time the additional weights got hung up on the tracks, so I was granted another opportunity. The same thing happened to Andrew. Unfortunately for me, he was able to come back on his second try at 50-lbs and get it – I was not, so he finished 2.5-lbs ahead of me in this event.

Now, going into the medley, he was slightly ahead of me, maybe by .5 points or so. Unfortunately, right now I do not have any footage of the rest fo the events because I put them on Steve Slater’s computer in order to conserve hard drive space and I have not gotten them back yet, but once I get them, I will post them up. This event was very cool. I would agree with others that this was the best contested sledge event that I have seen. If it is contested again, however, I am sawing a couple of inches off my sledges so that I can train this one a bit more effectively.

Event 4: Medley

Chris is famous for devising awesome Medleys. This year he had 25 total implements, but two of them were bonus items, a 60D Nail bent in Reverse style and a 12-inch length of 3/8-inch square stock bent braced over the thigh or knee. These two bonus items could be attempted once 20 challenge items were successfully loaded/lifted. Also, some weights and implements were made more challenging for the heavier weight class and Elite weight class.

Regretfully, I don’t have the video for this event either because the footage is still with Steve Slater. I did however complete 20 challenge items and get to go after both bends, which went down pretty easily. I think I totaled 23 items out of 25, which was one better than Andrew, so now, going into the final event, the Hercules Hold, Andrew had a lead on my by just 64/1000’s of a point.

That is just one reason why I think our proportional scoring system is so great. With Strongman scoring, we just would have been tied, but with the way we keep score in North American Grip Sport, it really shows you how close or how far apart competitors are.

Event 5: Hercules Hold

The Hercules Hold is historically a Strongman event, but it is also a fantastic way to test support grip, and there are many reasons why. First off, Chris used small handles, so hand size was completely eliminated from the equation. Next, because the weight is lifted for the athlete, the event tests grip strength primarily and full body strength or current conditions of the back do not factor in, as in a Farmer’s Hold or Frame Hold.

Again, Chris increased the weight used in each category. He was originally going to have the Elite Division do the same weight as the Opens, in the neighborhood of 264-286 (I can’t recall) but we talked him into going an even 300-lbs per hand.

Not one of my smartest decisions. Support grip like this is my weakest facet of Grip Strength, and Andrew easily handed my ass on a platter. I held the implements for about 23 seconds while he crept close to a minute. Such a large differential that late in the game spelled the end for me as Andrew pulled away handily, finishing about 6 points ahead of me when the cloud of dust settled on the Crooksville landscape.

Regardless of the finish, I was happy with my performances. A PR in Grippers, Euro Pinch, and Sledge Hammers, plus I won my first medley in quite some time.

It will be a shame if Chris sticks with his current decision and runs no more Gripmas Carols. The mid-December drive through Western PA and West Virginia in order to find the Grip Garage nestled in the hills of Ohio will be a trip that I have grown accustomed to making each year and will be sorely missed going forward.

My hat is off to Chris on well run comp, Doc for excellent judging, Tony, a friend of Doc’s who kept score all day long, Teresa for the excellent meal, all the other Gripsters who lent a hand, supported me and the others, all those who brought cookies and apple crisp (Mary Anne) and definitely to Andrew for another excellent performance on the platform.

Next competition on my radar is Mighty Mitts will take place at the Arnold Classic Weekend, I believe the first week in March. I am not sure what the events are yet, but I am already planning my general training for it.

Also, just like two years ago when I first broke the record in the Two Hands Pinch, I will be releasing a documentary DVD of my training. Again, this year, I recorded all of my 2HP Training Workouts and will be compiling it all into a DVD to be released in early 2012.

If you’d like to see my first documentary, The Road to the Record, click the image below.

Before I commence on that project, though, is a DVD I shut with Mike Rinderle on Braced Bending. Once that is out of the way, then I will tackle the next documentary.

Then immediately after that, I will be releasing another DVD with Steve Slater. Together we released Intro to Strongman Training earlier this year and on the Sunday after Gripmas, we shot another one together, thus the reason I needed the extra hard drive space on my camera.

It is sure to be a busy few weeks coming up, but I am striving to bring you the absolute best information for your strength training goals. If you want to know how to bend just about anything in your path, Rindo and I will show you how in our Braced Bending DVD. If you want to see ways that no one else is training Two Hands Pinch, my documentary is for you, and if Strongman is your thing, then you better keep an eye out for this project Slater and I have coming out.

In the meantime, all the best in your training.

Jedd

Hello DIESELS!
I hope you had a fantastic weekend and had the opportunity to spend time with your family. I stayed away from September 11th shows as much as possible and went to dinner with my family and folks and watched my daughter DIESELFY meat loaf and mashed potatoes.
Here is a write-up of Saturday’s Grip Strength Contest, World’s Strongest Hands Leg 2 (of 3).

Incidentally, if you want to come to Leg 3, it will take place on October 8, 2011. All I need is an email or comment here so I know you are coming.

Also, before I get into the events, I just want to recognize the people that came for this leg – ALL OF THEM – because we have recently had a tremendous amount of flooding and rain damage to our roads and most of the guys had to deal with pretty significant detouring and longer drive times. It was a good thing I pushed the contest back until NOON or else most of the competitors would have been very late.

Vulcan Gripper

As is standard in many Grip Contests, the event that measures Crushing Grip Strength was first. This is done because of its dynamic nature and normally Gripper performance is reduced after doing other lifts.

The way the Vulcan Gripper event is tested, is that you set the handles down with the free hand and then you must slide a block between the handles to show that you have a legal depth, and then you attempt to crush the handles together. While at Leg 1, the set depth was 20-mm, at Leg 2, the depth was 30-mm. Leg 3 will be 20-mm again.

I was very happy to get Level 17 on my last attempt. I got Level 16 fairly easy on my first attempt but then missed 17 on my second and third attempt. John Eaton, who was going after me in the order, closed 17 on his third attempt after I had already missed it twice so I had to muster a little extra Crushing Power for my fourth and last attempt and managed to get it. This tied me for first at my leg, but put me in a multi-way tie for third across the board, as there are many locations competing on the same exact events all over the world.
Here are the Top 10 for the Vulcan Gripper for Leg 2
(Full Results are at the bottom of this post)
1 Paul Knight – L19 Dipped black – 1pt
2 David Horne – L18 Dipped black – 2.5pt
2 Juha Harju – L18 Dipped black – 2.5pt
4 Pete Kerr – L17 Dipped black – 6.5pt
4 Jouni Pakarinen – L17 Dipped black – 6.5pt
4 Ivan Beritashvili – L17 Dipped black – 6.5pt
4 David Thornton – L17 Dipped black – 6.5pt
4 Jedd Johnson – L17 Dipped black – 6.5pt
4 John Eaton – L17 Dipped black – 6.5pt
10 Danny Bramall – L16 Dipped black – 10pt

Two Hands Pinch

I believe September 10th 2011 was the worst day for Two Hands Pinch EVER in the United States and perhaps in other parts of the world as well. Many people across the globe bombed out in this event. I also recorded the lowest number since the first leg of Worlds Strongest Hands 2010, with 223-lbs. This is more than 40-lbs off my record. The plates felt like they had jelly smeared all over them.
The conditions were worse at Leg 2 than they were at Leg 1, when I forgot to bring out the dehumidifier. This time, I ran it from 5 PM the night before the contest and throughout the entire contest, but to no avail. I believe this is because we had 11 competitors DIESELfying in the garage all at the same time and the humidity level just over-powered my ACME 6969 Extra Power Diesel Powered Dehumidifier.

If anyone has any ideas on how to control humidity inside a partially underground garage, I am all ears.
My 223-lbs placed me 6th in this event which won my Leg, but was not even top spot in the US. Thornton grabbed that honor. My second, third and fourth attempts were all with 238-lbs which would have matched my best lift at Leg 2 and would have secured me second place again.
Here are the Top 10 for the Two Hands Pinch for Leg 2
(Full Results are at the bottom of this post)
1 David Horne – 112.75k
2 David Thornton – 105.56k
3 Rob Russell – 105k
4 Timo Tuukkanen – 102k
5 Jedd Johnson – 101.51k
6 David Stiff – 100.44k
7 Brent Barbe – 98.78k
8 Paul Knight – 96.81k
9 Andrew Durniat – 95.83k
10 Matti Heiskanen – 95.5k

Grip Topz Stub Lift

The Stub Lift is one of the two narrow pinches that were contested at Leg 2. It resembles a small piece of round stock jutting out of a flat piece of steel. The measurements are roughly 1.25 inches long and 5/16h inches in diameter, if memory serves. The Grip Topz are all removable devices, interchangeable with a common loading pin.

Apparently on the Stub, less is more, meaning if you train it less, you will improve more because I have not been obsessing about this event that much at all. I have mostly been working the Half Penny and the Hub in my Grip Topz training, mainly because the Penny and the Stub seem to train nearly the same discipline, Key Pinch, and I find the Penny to be much harder. Despite the limited work I have been doing on the Stub, I was able to PR with a lift of 45+ pounds, which is nearly and 8-lb PR for me.
One of the competitors, Adam Spizman, ripped a block of skin about half the size of a dime off on the implement and I had to hit it with cleaning alcohol, so maybe that solution somehow improved the surface or something – not quite sure.
Here are the Top 10 for the Stub Lift for Leg 2
(Full Results are at the bottom of this post)
1 David Horne – 22.55k
2 Adam T Glass – 21.84k
3 Jouni Pakarinen – 21.5k
4 Juha Harju – 21.25k
5 Jedd Johnson – 20.65k
6 David Thornton – 20.49k
7 Ivan Beritashvili – 20.27k
8 Daniel Reinard – 20.21k
9 Rob Russell – 19.64k
10 Matti Heiskanen – 19.5k

Grip Topz Half a Penny

Imagine going to the gumball machines after dominating the nearest Chinese Buffet and seeing a rusty quarter jutting out of the Gobstopper coin slot. You try to pull it out but you see the reason it is stuck is because some idiot tried stuffing two coins in there at the same time, so you try pinch it against your thumb and the inside of the middle Index Finger joint until your thumb pad cramps up so bad you want you to cry. This is what the Half a Penny Grip Topz lift feels like.
By the time this event rolled around, it felt like I had been training narrow pinch every day for a week. The Thenar Pad (Abductor pollicis brevis, Flexor pollicis brevis,
Opponens pollicis) on my right hand especially just plain felt fatigued. There was no pain, but I could tell that it felt thoroughly worked. I lifted 32.2 pounds, but that was actually more than a pound under my Leg 1 lift of 33.4 pounds, although the Penny was third last time and this time fourth. This put me way down the list, in 22nd position.

I still do not believe I have figured out the proper mechanics for this lift. I think there is a way to maximize performance on it by finding the proper joint angles of flexion at the wrist and elbow, as well as degree of shoulder packing, however, not many people have been posting videos of their lifts, so I have not been able to glean any technical improvements.
Here are the Top 10 for the Half Penny for Leg 2
(Full Results are at the bottom of this post)
1 David Horne – 19.22k
2 Brent Barbe – 18.25k
3 Ivan Beritashvili – 17.82k
4 Adam T Glass – 17.66k
5 Jouni Pakarinen – 17.5k
6 Timo Tuukkanen – 17.25k
7 David Thornton – 17.09k
8 Danny Bramall – 16.99k
9 Daniel Reinard – 16.57k
10 Taneli Levo – 16.5k
…
22 Jedd Johnson – 14.61k
So, Leg 2 is in the books. I think in order to place well at this last leg and make a return to the Top 5 in the standings I will need to hit the following marks in the events for Leg 3…
Vulcan Gripper
I need at least a Level 18. If I can Nut Up and get Level 17 with a 30-mm set when my PR training is only a Level 16 close in training, then I should be able to DIESEL Up and get Level 18 for Leg 3.
Two Hands Pinch
My performance in this lift in Leg 1 and 2 has been just completely embarrassing. At Nationals, my opener was 247, which would have broken the record up until 2008. Now, I can’t even muster 240? Surface is so important in this lift. I am going to experiment with some surface-minimizing training techniques in order to be ready for a crappy surface at Leg 3. I am hoping for better conditions with the change of seasons and hopefully less rain immediately before the event.
Shallow Hub
I have hated hub work for the last 3 years, but am now growing to like it. I am actually looking forward to putting in some good solid training on this in the next few weeks. I need to get up over 50-lbs in order to place even remotely well.
Stub Lift
I think this is one event where I have actually figured out the proper technique on it and many others have not. Training this one can be a bitch though, because you either (1) make the lift and dominate it with ease, (2) it doesn’t even come off the ground or (3) you lift it a few inches and then it rips out of your hand, heating the skin up rapidly, which always scares me, making me fear a rip. Since you never know how quickly skin will repair itself, I am cautious about over training this one. My goal is a lift of 50-lbs on this one too. I truly think it is possible.
Some other goals I have starting this week:

1. Chiropractor appointment for my neck. I can not describe how tight my neck was the day of the contest. I slept wrong or something the night before and it was lit up. My normal Chiro is in Australia for two weeks, so I may visit an old High School buddy and at the same time try to recruit him as a possible training partner and new competitor.

2. Eye Doctor Appointment. Post contest on Saturday, I went after the Double Inch Dumbbell Deadlift again and came very close to getting it three times. I may have gotten it once or twice, but I’d really like a good solid and controlled hold at the top. Anyway, after the third attempt, about 2 or 3 seconds after dropping them, I nearly passed out. I have brown-outed several times in my lift, but never like this. If John Eaton and Richard Bean were not there I would have gone down. It took me a good 5 minutes for the room to stop spinning and 35 minutes for my severe headache to go away, and I still have eye strain from it today. I was so off-kilter, it was as if I strained my eyes trying to regain balance. My legs were locked hard as I held onto both sides of my squat cage and I could not even turn myself around to sit in a chain. Eaton had to guide me to it. I need to check and make sure everything is okay behind my eyes.

3. Double Inch Dumbbell Domination by Leg 3. John Eaton left me his Inch Dumbbell to train on until Leg 3. Since Adam Glass has my second Inch Dumbbell, I plan on working very hard toward a hold at the top of a Double Inch Deadlift.
4. Fatman Blob Work. John also left me his Fatman Blob. I have a lot of feats to work on with this that I need to get in the books. “Mister Wild Card,” Daniel Reinard, will be making the trip to Pennsylvania, for Leg 3 and we will be having a Blob + Weight contest after the finish of the official events, so i will be incorporating the Fatman in my training.
5. Continue to Develop Eric Lloyd. I have a new training partner for the first time since building my gym and he loves the Grip stuff, so I am hoping he can continue to come once during the week for grip work and once on the weekend as well. It has been great having someone there during my workouts, and it was even better seeing some of the numbers he put up, PR’ing in many events.
Leg 3 will take place 10/8/11. Again, all are welcome and the entry fee is just $15. If you are interested in competing, please email me, contact me on Facebook, or leave a comment below.
Confirmed for Leg 3:
Michael Sheehan
Sean Kovacic
Jedd Johnson
All the best in your training,
Jedd

(more…)

Hello DIESELS!

I hope you had a fantastic weekend and had the opportunity to spend time with your family. I stayed away from September 11th shows as much as possible and went to dinner with my family and folks and watched my daughter DIESELFY meat loaf and mashed potatoes.

Here is a write-up of Saturday’s Grip Strength Contest, World’s Strongest Hands Leg 2 (of 3).

Incidentally, if you want to come to Leg 3, it will take place on October 8, 2011. All I need is an email or comment here so I know you are coming.

Also, before I get into the events, I just want to recognize the people that came for this leg – ALL OF THEM – because we have recently had a tremendous amount of flooding and rain damage to our roads and most of the guys had to deal with pretty significant detouring and longer drive times. It was a good thing I pushed the contest back until NOON or else most of the competitors would have been very late.

Vulcan Gripper

As is standard in many Grip Contests, the event that measures Crushing Grip Strength was first. This is done because of its dynamic nature and normally Gripper performance is reduced after doing other lifts.

The way the Vulcan Gripper event is tested, is that you set the handles down with the free hand and then you must slide a block between the handles to show that you have a legal depth, and then you attempt to crush the handles together. While at Leg 1, the set depth was 20-mm, at Leg 2, the depth was 30-mm. Leg 3 will be 20-mm again.

I was very happy to get Level 17 on my last attempt. I got Level 16 fairly easy on my first attempt but then missed 17 on my second and third attempt. John Eaton, who was going after me in the order, closed 17 on his third attempt after I had already missed it twice so I had to muster a little extra Crushing Power for my fourth and last attempt and managed to get it. This tied me for first at my leg, but put me in a multi-way tie for third across the board, as there are many locations competing on the same exact events all over the world.

Here are the Top 10 for the Vulcan Gripper for Leg 2
(Full Results are at the bottom of this post)

1 Paul Knight – L19 Dipped black – 1pt
2 David Horne – L18 Dipped black – 2.5pt
2 Juha Harju – L18 Dipped black – 2.5pt
4 Pete Kerr – L17 Dipped black – 6.5pt
4 Jouni Pakarinen – L17 Dipped black – 6.5pt
4 Ivan Beritashvili – L17 Dipped black – 6.5pt
4 David Thornton – L17 Dipped black – 6.5pt
4 Jedd Johnson – L17 Dipped black – 6.5pt
4 John Eaton – L17 Dipped black – 6.5pt
10 Danny Bramall – L16 Dipped black – 10pt

Two Hands Pinch

I believe September 10th 2011 was the worst day for Two Hands Pinch EVER in the United States and perhaps in other parts of the world as well. Many people across the globe bombed out in this event. I also recorded the lowest number since the first leg of Worlds Strongest Hands 2010, with 223-lbs. This is more than 40-lbs off my record. The plates felt like they had jelly smeared all over them.

The conditions were worse at Leg 2 than they were at Leg 1, when I forgot to bring out the dehumidifier. This time, I ran it from 5 PM the night before the contest and throughout the entire contest, but to no avail. I believe this is because we had 11 competitors DIESELfying in the garage all at the same time and the humidity level just over-powered my ACME 6969 Extra Power Diesel Powered Dehumidifier.

If anyone has any ideas on how to control humidity inside a partially underground garage, I am all ears.

My 223-lbs placed me 6th in this event which won my Leg, but was not even top spot in the US. Thornton grabbed that honor. My second, third and fourth attempts were all with 238-lbs which would have matched my best lift at Leg 2 and would have secured me second place again.

Here are the Top 10 for the Two Hands Pinch for Leg 2
(Full Results are at the bottom of this post)

1 David Horne – 112.75k
2 David Thornton – 105.56k
3 Rob Russell – 105k
4 Timo Tuukkanen – 102k
5 Jedd Johnson – 101.51k
6 David Stiff – 100.44k
7 Brent Barbe – 98.78k
8 Paul Knight – 96.81k
9 Andrew Durniat – 95.83k
10 Matti Heiskanen – 95.5k

Grip Topz Stub Lift

The Stub Lift is one of the two narrow pinches that were contested at Leg 2. It resembles a small piece of round stock jutting out of a flat piece of steel. The measurements are roughly 1.25 inches long and 5/16h inches in diameter, if memory serves. The Grip Topz are all removable devices, interchangeable with a common loading pin.

Apparently on the Stub, less is more, meaning if you train it less, you will improve more because I have not been obsessing about this event that much at all. I have mostly been working the Half Penny and the Hub in my Grip Topz training, mainly because the Penny and the Stub seem to train nearly the same discipline, Key Pinch, and I find the Penny to be much harder. Despite the limited work I have been doing on the Stub, I was able to PR with a lift of 45+ pounds, which is nearly and 8-lb PR for me.

One of the competitors, Adam Spizman, ripped a block of skin about half the size of a dime off on the implement and I had to hit it with cleaning alcohol, so maybe that solution somehow improved the surface or something – not quite sure.

Here are the Top 10 for the Stub Lift for Leg 2
(Full Results are at the bottom of this post)

1 David Horne – 22.55k
2 Adam T Glass – 21.84k
3 Jouni Pakarinen – 21.5k
4 Juha Harju – 21.25k
5 Jedd Johnson – 20.65k
6 David Thornton – 20.49k
7 Ivan Beritashvili – 20.27k
8 Daniel Reinard – 20.21k
9 Rob Russell – 19.64k
10 Matti Heiskanen – 19.5k

Grip Topz Half a Penny

Imagine going to the gumball machines after dominating the nearest Chinese Buffet and seeing a rusty quarter jutting out of the Gobstopper coin slot. You try to pull it out but you see the reason it is stuck is because some idiot tried stuffing two coins in there at the same time, so you try pinch it against your thumb and the inside of the middle Index Finger joint until your thumb pad cramps up so bad you want you to cry. This is what the Half a Penny Grip Topz lift feels like.

By the time this event rolled around, it felt like I had been training narrow pinch every day for a week. The Thenar Pad (Abductor pollicis brevis, Flexor pollicis brevis,
Opponens pollicis) on my right hand especially just plain felt fatigued. There was no pain, but I could tell that it felt thoroughly worked. I lifted 32.2 pounds, but that was actually more than a pound under my Leg 1 lift of 33.4 pounds, although the Penny was third last time and this time fourth. This put me way down the list, in 22nd position.

I still do not believe I have figured out the proper mechanics for this lift. I think there is a way to maximize performance on it by finding the proper joint angles of flexion at the wrist and elbow, as well as degree of shoulder packing, however, not many people have been posting videos of their lifts, so I have not been able to glean any technical improvements.

Here are the Top 10 for the Half Penny for Leg 2
(Full Results are at the bottom of this post)

1 David Horne – 19.22k
2 Brent Barbe – 18.25k
3 Ivan Beritashvili – 17.82k
4 Adam T Glass – 17.66k
5 Jouni Pakarinen – 17.5k
6 Timo Tuukkanen – 17.25k
7 David Thornton – 17.09k
8 Danny Bramall – 16.99k
9 Daniel Reinard – 16.57k
10 Taneli Levo – 16.5k
…
22 Jedd Johnson – 14.61k

So, Leg 2 is in the books. I think in order to place well at this last leg and make a return to the Top 5 in the standings I will need to hit the following marks in the events for Leg 3…

Vulcan Gripper
I need at least a Level 18. If I can Nut Up and get Level 17 with a 30-mm set when my PR training is only a Level 16 close in training, then I should be able to DIESEL Up and get Level 18 for Leg 3.

Two Hands Pinch
My performance in this lift in Leg 1 and 2 has been just completely embarrassing. At Nationals, my opener was 247, which would have broken the record up until 2008. Now, I can’t even muster 240? Surface is so important in this lift. I am going to experiment with some surface-minimizing training techniques in order to be ready for a crappy surface at Leg 3. I am hoping for better conditions with the change of seasons and hopefully less rain immediately before the event.

Shallow Hub
I have hated hub work for the last 3 years, but am now growing to like it. I am actually looking forward to putting in some good solid training on this in the next few weeks. I need to get up over 50-lbs in order to place even remotely well.

Stub Lift
I think this is one event where I have actually figured out the proper technique on it and many others have not. Training this one can be a bitch though, because you either (1) make the lift and dominate it with ease, (2) it doesn’t even come off the ground or (3) you lift it a few inches and then it rips out of your hand, heating the skin up rapidly, which always scares me, making me fear a rip. Since you never know how quickly skin will repair itself, I am cautious about over training this one. My goal is a lift of 50-lbs on this one too. I truly think it is possible.

Some other goals I have starting this week:

1. Chiropractor appointment for my neck. I can not describe how tight my neck was the day of the contest. I slept wrong or something the night before and it was lit up. My normal Chiro is in Australia for two weeks, so I may visit an old High School buddy and at the same time try to recruit him as a possible training partner and new competitor.

2. Eye Doctor Appointment. Post contest on Saturday, I went after the Double Inch Dumbbell Deadlift again and came very close to getting it three times. I may have gotten it once or twice, but I’d really like a good solid and controlled hold at the top. Anyway, after the third attempt, about 2 or 3 seconds after dropping them, I nearly passed out. I have brown-outed several times in my lift, but never like this. If John Eaton and Richard Bean were not there I would have gone down. It took me a good 5 minutes for the room to stop spinning and 35 minutes for my severe headache to go away, and I still have eye strain from it today. I was so off-kilter, it was as if I strained my eyes trying to regain balance. My legs were locked hard as I held onto both sides of my squat cage and I could not even turn myself around to sit in a chain. Eaton had to guide me to it. I need to check and make sure everything is okay behind my eyes.

3. Double Inch Dumbbell Domination by Leg 3. John Eaton left me his Inch Dumbbell to train on until Leg 3. Since Adam Glass has my second Inch Dumbbell, I plan on working very hard toward a hold at the top of a Double Inch Deadlift.

4. Fatman Blob Work. John also left me his Fatman Blob. I have a lot of feats to work on with this that I need to get in the books. “Mister Wild Card,” Daniel Reinard, will be making the trip to Pennsylvania, for Leg 3 and we will be having a Blob + Weight contest after the finish of the official events, so i will be incorporating the Fatman in my training.

5. Continue to Develop Eric Lloyd. I have a new training partner for the first time since building my gym and he loves the Grip stuff, so I am hoping he can continue to come once during the week for grip work and once on the weekend as well. It has been great having someone there during my workouts, and it was even better seeing some of the numbers he put up, PR’ing in many events.

Leg 3 will take place 10/8/11. Again, all are welcome and the entry fee is just $15. If you are interested in competing, please email me, contact me on Facebook, or leave a comment below.

Confirmed for Leg 3:

Michael Sheehan
Sean Kovacic
Jedd Johnson

All the best in your training,

Jedd

(more…)

On August 13, I held my PA portion of the first Leg of the World’s Strongest Hands Series 2011.

I had 5 lifters here for Leg 1: Mike Rinderle, Melissa Rinderle, Christopher Smith, Kevin Greto, and myself.

The events for the first leg were: Vulcan Gripper, Two Hands Pinch, Half a Penny, and Shallow Hub.

Overall Results (88 Competitors)

1 Juha Harju – 14pt
2 David Horne – 15.5pt
3 Adam T Glass – 18.5pt
4 David Thornton – 30pt
5 Jedd Johnson – 35.5pt
6 Timo Tuukkanen – 37.5pt
7 Ivan Beritashvili – 39.5pt
8 Matti Heiskanen – 41pt
9 Paul Knight – 49pt
10 Jouni Pakarinen – 50pt
11 Russ Farver – 61pt
12 Daniel Reinard – 64pt
13 Pete Kerr – 64.5pt
14 Richie Bevan – 68.5pt
15 Andrew Durniat – 72pt
16 David Elmer – 75pt
17 Chris Mathison – 81pt
18 Casey Emery – 83.5pt
19 Brent Barbe – 86pt
20 Danny Bramall – 87.5pt
21 Bob Sundin – 88.5pt
22 Jarno Hyväri – 90.5pt
23 Teemu Koivunen – 96pt
24 Carl Coffey – 106.5pt
25 Bob Lipinski – 108.5pt
26 David Stiff – 119.5pt
27 Derek Graybill – 126pt
28 Elizabeth Horne – 128.5pt (Female)
28 Mike Rinderle – 128.5pt
30 Lee Morris – 136pt
31 Gary Hunt – 151pt
32 Kevin Emery – 154pt
33 Paul Wood – 162.5pt
34 Andrew Pantke – 163pt
35 James Grahame – 165.5pt
36 Tristan Woods – 166.5pt
37 Kevin Fogarty – 168.5pt
38 Maxwell Thompson – 175.5pt
38 Richard Maclean – 175.5pt
40 Ryan J Pitts – 176.5pt
41 Sergey Shebashov – 179pt
42 David Loughman – 179.5pt
43 Taneli Levo – 181pt
43 Tomislav Basic – 181pt
45 Alexey Pritula – 181.5pt
46 Zach Lister – 182.5pt
47 Jarrod Riordan – 183pt
48 Ruben Piliposyan – 183.5pt
49 Ivan Silantyev – 184.5pt
50 Austin Acree – 186.5pt
51 Dmitry Motorin – 191.5pt
52 Sylvester Salley – 192.5pt
53 David Dellanave – 201pt
54 Kevin Greto – 202.5pt
55 Eric Milfeld – 209.5pt
56 Darrin Shallman – 211.5pt
57 Dylan Scally – 217pt
58 Nick Oswald – 219.5pt
59 Jim McCourt – 220pt
60 David Sandel – 234pt
61 Jani Silvennoinen – 236pt
62 Aaron Jacobs – 238.5pt
63 Tomas Valverde – 241.5pt
64 Brett Lindskog – 243.5pt
65 Alexander Mitropolsky – 245pt
65 Chris Smith – 245pt
67 Joe Tebbe – 247pt
68 Peter Carey – 248.5pt
69 Kris Wragg – 254pt
70 Nikolay Saveliev – 254.5pt
71 Steven McDonald – 262pt (17 yrs)
72 Kari Väänänen – 265.5pt
73 Anna Karrila – 274pt (Female)
74 Anne Melin – 281.5pt (Female)
75 Bernard Lynch – 285pt
76 Brad Ellingson – 292.5pt
76 Yvonne Häkkinen – 292.5pt (Female)
78 Mike T Nelson – 293.5pt
79 Craig Mooney – 298.5pt (16 yrs)
80 Jaana Tanner – 299.5pt (Female)
81 Mary Ann McKeague – 307pt (Female)
82 Kathi Burger – 313pt (Female)
83 Melissa Rinderle – 315.5pt (Female)
84 Jodie Nelson – 320pt (Female)
84 Thomas Mitchell – 320pt (15 yrs)
86 Megan Kruger – 327pt (Female)
87 Julia Harju – 339.5pt (Female; 13 yrs)
88 Pyry Harju – 342.5pt (11 yrs)

Below, I have videos of the four events. So, I will cover my training and results for each one, below.

Vulcan Gripper

In the Winter, last year, I devised a program layout based on something that Paul Knight had told me a few months before and was putting a lot of time into Gripper training. My progress and rate of PR’s per training sessions was unbelievable!

My progress hit a wall, however, in February, when I hurt my hands in February. I did not start training Grippers heavy until May or June, I believe, and my numbers had dropped substantially. It wasn’t until I got some serious adrenaline when I visited York Barbell and when I traveled to Sorinex, that I got mentally back into Gripper Training.

My numbers did not bounce back as strongly as I hoped and going into Leg 1, my best Vulcan close was Level 14. I was extremely happy to have hit Level 17 on the Vulcan during Leg 1! In my training, I was making my attempts more difficult than what I would be required of in Leg 1, and I think that paid off. I’d love to go into more detail, but I need to keep some things secret…

Here is the video of the Vulcan Gripper event at World’s Strongest Hands (PA) Leg 1:

Here are the full results on the Vulcan (20mm block) across the scope of competitors for World’s Strongest Hands Leg 1

1 Paul Knight – L19 Dipped black – 1pt
2 David Horne – L18 Dipped black – 2.5pt
2 Juha Harju – L18 Dipped black – 2.5pt
4 Pete Kerr – L17 Dipped black – 5.5pt
4 Jedd Johnson – L17 Dipped black – 5.5pt
4 David Thornton – L17 Dipped black – 5.5pt
4 Adam T Glass – L17 Dipped black – 5.5pt
8 Casey Emery – L16 Dipped black – 10pt
8 Timo Tuukkanen – L16 Dipped black – 10pt
8 Jarno Hyväri – L16 Dipped black – 10pt
8 Derek Graybill – L16 Dipped black – 10pt
8 Russ Farver – L16 Dipped black – 10pt
13 Andrew Durniat – L15 Dipped black -16.5pt
13 Paul Wood – L15 Dipped black – 16.5pt
13 Danny Bramall – L15 Dipped black – 16.5pt
13 Jouni Pakarinen – L15 Dipped black – 16.5pt
13 Matti Heiskanen – L15 Dipped black – 16.5pt
13 Ivan Beritashvili – L15 Dipped black – 16.5pt
13 Alexey Pritula – L15 Dipped black – 16.5pt
13 Bob Lipinski – L15 Dipped black – 16.5pt
21 Kevin Emery – L14 Dipped black – 25pt
21 Eric Milfeld – L14 Dipped black – 25pt
21 David Elmer – L14 Dipped black – 25pt
21 Carl Coffey – L14 Dipped black – 25pt
21 Richie Bevan – L14 Dipped black – 25pt
21 Dmitry Motorin – L14 Dipped black – 25pt
21 Mike Rinderle – L14 Dipped black – 25pt
21 Chris Mathison – L14 Dipped black – 25pt
21 Daniel Reinard – L14 Dipped black – 25pt
30 Brent Barbe – L12 Dipped black – 33.5pt
30 Elizabeth Horne – L12 Dipped black – 33.5pt (Female)
30 Maxwell Thompson – L12 Dipped black – 33.5pt
30 Lee Morris – L12 Dipped black – 33.5pt
30 Nikolay Saveliev – L12 Dipped black – 33.5pt
30 Austin Acree – L12 Dipped black – 33.5pt
30 Bob Sundin – L12 Dipped black – 33.5pt
30 Richard Maclean – L12 Dipped black – 33.5pt
38 Andrew Pantke – L11 Dipped black – 39.5pt
38 Jani Silvennoinen – L11 Dipped black – 39.5pt
38 Ivan Silantyev – L11 Dipped black – 39.5pt
38 Ryan J Pitts – L11 Dipped black – 39.5pt
42 Gary Hunt – L10 Dipped black – 44pt
42 Sergey Shebashov – L10 Dipped black – 44pt
42 Kevin Greto – L10 Dipped black – 44pt
42 David Dellanave – L10 Dipped black – 44pt
42 Zach Lister – L10 Dipped black – 44pt
47 Aaron Jacobs – L9 Dipped black – 48.5pt
47 James Grahame – L9 Dipped black – 48.5pt
47 Teemu Koivunen – L9 Dipped black – 48.5pt
47 Ruben Piliposyan – L9 Dipped black – 48.5pt
51 David Stiff – L8 Dipped black – 53.5pt
51 Kris Wragg – L8 Dipped black – 53.5pt
51 Tomas Valverde – L8 Dipped black – 53.5pt
51 Kari Väänänen – L8 Dipped black – 53.5pt
51 Darrin Shallman – L8 Dipped black – 53.5pt
51 Nick Oswald – L8 Dipped black – 53.5pt
57 Jim McCourt – L7 Dipped black – 59pt
57 Jarrod Riordan – L7 Dipped black – 59pt
57 Tristan Woods – L7 Dipped black – 59pt
57 Chris Smith – L7 Dipped black – 59pt
57 David Loughman – L7 Dipped black – 59pt
62 Tomislav Basic – L6 Dipped black – 63pt
62 Joe Tebbe – L6 Dipped black – 63pt
62 Brett Lindskog – L6 Dipped black – 63pt
65 Taneli Levo – L5 Dipped black – 67pt
65 Yvonne Häkkinen – L5 Dipped black – 67pt (Female)
65 David Sandel – L5 Dipped black – 67pt
65 Steven McDonald – L5 Dipped black – 67pt
65 Kevin Fogarty – L5 Dipped black – 67pt
70 Mike T Nelson – L3 Dipped black – 71.5pt
70 Brad Ellingson – L3 Dipped black – 71.5pt
70 Peter Carey – L3 Dipped black – 71.5pt
70 Dylan Scally – L3 Dipped black – 71.5pt
74 Anna Karrila – L12 Orange – 74pt (Female)
75 Sylvester Salley – L10 Orange – 75pt
76 Anne Melin – L9 Orange – 77pt (Female)
76 Jaana Tanner – L9 Orange – 77pt (Female)
76 Mary Ann McKeague – L9 Orange – 77pt (Female)
79 Melissa Rinderle – L8 Orange – 79.5pt (Female)
79 Bernard Lynch – L8 Orange – 79.5pt
81 Craig Mooney – L6 Orange – 81pt
82 Thomas Mitchell – L5 Orange – 82pt
83 Kathi Burger – L15 White – 83pt (Female)
84 Jodie Nelson – L13 White – 84pt (Female)
85 Megan Kruger – L9 White – 85pt (Female)
86 Julia Harju – L5 White – 86pt (Female; 13 yrs)
87 Pyry Harju – L4 White – 87pt
88 Alexander Mitropolsky – L0 – 88pt

I was pretty happy to hit Level 17 and only end up two levels behind the best close, Paul Knight’s Level 19.

Two Hands Pinch

My back injury prior to Nationals did not resolve until well after Nationals, so I think I only got one good 2HP workout in before World’s Strongest Hands Leg 1. My thumbs felt fine for the event, however, I goofed up BIG TIME and forgot to bring out the dehumidifier for the event. Being that my garage is below ground, and with so many people breathing heavy during the event, the Pinch Apparatus got slimy and I could not get a good grip on 249-lbs. I got +/- 237 on my first attempt, thankfully, but then missed 249 three times in a row. Each time I popped it up off the ground, but could not get it more than 3 or 4 inches on each pull. My thumb slipped off every single time.

Here is the video for the Two Hands Pinch for Worlds Strongest Hands (PA) Leg 1:

Here are the overall results for Two Hands Pinch in Worlds Strongest Hands Leg 1

1 David Horne – 108.6k
2 Jedd Johnson – 108.2k
3 Adam T Glass – 106.88k
4 David Thornton – 106.71k
5 Timo Tuukkanen – 101k
6 Juha Harju – 98.5k – 6.5pt
6 Jouni Pakarinen – 98.5k – 6.5pt
8 David Stiff – 98.28k
9 Andrew Durniat – 98.07k
10 Brent Barbe – 96.53k
11 Eric Milfeld – 94.48k
12 Ivan Beritashvili – 94.07k
13 Matti Heiskanen – 94k
14 Bob Sundin – 92.96k
15 Paul Knight – 92.22k
16 Daniel Reinard – 89.95k
17 Chris Mathison – 88.65k
18 Jarno Hyväri – 86k
19 Kevin Emery – 85.05k
20 Pete Kerr – 83.95k
20 David Elmer – 83.95k
22 Richie Bevan – 82.77k
23 Sylvester Salley – 82k
24 Carl Coffey – 81.3k
25 Mike Rinderle – 81.21k
26 Teemu Koivunen – 81k
27 Bob Lipinski – 79.95k
28 Russ Farver – 78.59k
29 Elizabeth Horne – 78.5k (Female)
30 Andrew Pantke – 77.68k
31 Dmitry Motorin – 76.6k
32 Jarrod Riordan – 76.247k
33 Aaron Jacobs – 75.52k
34 Paul Wood – 75.2k
35 Ryan J Pitts – 75.12k
36 Dylan Scally – 74.4k – 37pt
36 Kevin Fogarty – 74.4k – 37pt
36 David Loughman – 74.4k – 37pt
39 Derek Graybill – 74.19k – 39.5pt
39 Zach Lister – 74.19k – 39.5pt
41 Tomislav Basic – 73.85k – 41.5pt
41 Tristan Woods – 73.85k – 41.5pt
43 Gary Hunt – 73.5k – 43.5pt
43 Lee Morris – 73.5k – 43.5pt
45 Austin Acree – 73.29k
46 Kevin Greto – 71.59k
47 James Grahame – 71.31k
48 David Sandel – 70.38k
49 Casey Emery – 69.45k
50 Jim McCourt – 68.53k
51 Darrin Shallman – 68.48k
52 Alexander Mitropolsky – 66.29k
53 Peter Carey – 64.9k
54 David Dellanave – 64.64k
55 Danny Bramall – 64.6k
56 Joe Tebbe – 63.59k
57 Richard Maclean – 63.52k
58 Sergey Shebashov – 61.3k – 59.5pt
58 Ruben Piliposyan – 61.3k – 59.5pt
58 Ivan Silantyev – 61.3k – 59.5pt
58 Alexey Pritula – 61.3k – 59.5pt
62 Jani Silvennoinen – 61k
63 Chris Smith – 60.54k
64 Nick Oswald – 58.82k
65 Brett Lindskog – 58.79k
66 Tomas Valverde – 57.5k
67 Kari Väänänen – 56k
68 Brad Ellingson – 54.75k
69 Mike T Nelson – 54.22k
70 Craig Mooney – 52.9k – 71pt
70 Bernard Lynch – 52.9k – 71pt
70 Steven McDonald – 52.9k – 71pt
73 Yvonne Häkkinen – 51.5k (Female)
74 Nikolay Saveliev – 51.32k
75 Mary Ann McKeague – 50.82k (Female)
76 Melissa Rinderle – 49.77k (Female)
77 Kathi Burger – 49.71k (Female)
78 Anne Melin – 48.5k (Female)
79 Jaana Tanner – 46k (Female)
80 Jodie Nelson – 44.02k (Female)
81 Thomas Mitchell – 43.4k
82 Anna Karrila – 40k (Female)
83 Megan Kruger – 38.08k (Female)
84 Taneli Levo – 36k
85 Maxwell Thompson – 0k – 86.5pt
85 Kris Wragg – 0k – 86.5pt
85 Julia Harju – 0k – 86.5pt (Female; 13 yrs)
85 Pyry Harju – 0k – 86.5pt

This is generally where I pick up a lot of points in the contest, so struggling to get a good number here did not help. I was lucky to get the #2 spot right behind David Horne.

Half a Penny

I trained the Half a Penny 9 times seriously from the time I got it last Fall until the week before Leg 1. Most of these sessions were during the last two weeks of July and the first week of August. I was on vacation the entire week leading into Leg 1, and did absolutely no training at all.

There were many contests whose events took precedence over Grip Topz training. I did not put much emphasis on them at all. So, I added mainly the Half a Penny into my training because it was the one I was doing the worst on, so I figured it would provide a slightly different training stimulus for my thumbs, with its ultra-narrow positioning.

Going into the contest, my PR was a 25-lb plate and two giant washers on it for a total of about 30-lbs. I did not have high expectations for this lift, and then somehow PR’d in it by about 3 pounds. Can’t beat that with a stick.

Since Leg 1, I have been training for massive amounts of volume on the Half a Penny in order to get my thumbs used to this narrow position some more, and am hoping for another 3 to 5-lb PR.

Here is the video for the Half a Penny at Worlds Strongest Hands (PA) Leg 1:

Here are the overall results for the Half a Penny Pinch for Worlds Strongest Hands Leg 1

1 Adam T Glass – 18.71k
2 David Horne – 18.55k
3 Juha Harju – 17.75k
4 David Thornton – 17.67k
5 Taneli Levo – 16.75k – 5.5pt
5 Matti Heiskanen – 16.75k – 5.5pt
7 Timo Tuukkanen – 16.5k – 7.5pt
7 Teemu Koivunen – 16.5k – 7.5pt
9 Danny Bramall – 16k
10 Ivan Beritashvili – 15.33k
11 Russ Farver – 15.22k – 11.5pt
11 Daniel Reinard – 15.22k – 11.5pt
13 Kevin Fogarty – 15.2k
14 Bob Sundin – 15.16k
15 Jedd Johnson – 15.15k
16 Casey Emery – 15.06k – 16.5pt
16 Paul Knight – 15.06k – 16.5pt
18 Pete Kerr – 14.95k – 18.5pt
18 Richie Bevan – 14.95k – 18.5pt
20 Brent Barbe – 14.94k
21 Chris Mathison – 14.65k
22 Jouni Pakarinen – 14.5k
23 Kevin Emery – 13.97k
24 Andrew Durniat – 13.86k
25 David Elmer – 13.81k
26 Lee Morris – 13.54k
27 Gary Hunt – 13.31k
28 David Stiff – 13.21k
29 Elizabeth Horne – 13.07k – 29.5pt (Female)
29 Maxwell Thompson – 13.07k – 29.5pt
31 Tomislav Basic – 13.02k
32 David Loughman – 12.7k
33 Bob Lipinski – 12.58k
34 Sergey Shebashov – 12.54k – 34.5pt
34 Ruben Piliposyan – 12.54k – 34.5pt
36 Tristan Woods – 12.04k
37 Carl Coffey – 12.02k
38 Jarno Hyväri – 12k
39 Ryan J Pitts – 11.81k
40 James Grahame – 11.74k
41 Derek Graybill – 11.71k – 41.5pt
41 Richard Maclean – 11.71k – 41.5pt
43 Sylvester Salley – 11.6k
44 Alexander Mitropolsky – 11.56k – 44.5pt
44 Ivan Silantyev – 11.56k – 44.5pt
46 Jarrod Riordan – 11.54k – 46.5pt
46 Andrew Pantke – 11.54k – 46.5pt
48 Nick Oswald – 11.2k
49 Kris Wragg – 11.17k
50 Kevin Greto – 10.99k – 50.5pt
50 Mike Rinderle – 10.99k – 50.5pt
52 Tomas Valverde – 10.75k
53 Paul Wood – 10.62k
54 Anne Melin – 10.5k (Female)
55 Jim McCourt – 10.42k
56 Steven McDonald – 10.3k – 57pt
56 Peter Carey – 10.3k – 57pt
56 Dylan Scally – 10.3k – 57pt
59 Joe Tebbe – 10.07k
60 Austin Acree – 10.04k
61 David Sandel – 10.03k
62 Jani Silvennoinen – 10k
63 Anna Karrila – 9.5k (Female)
64 David Dellanave – 9.46k
65 Zach Lister – 9.41k
66 Chris Smith – 9.32k
67 Craig Mooney – 9.1k – 67.5pt
67 Bernard Lynch – 9.1k – 67.5pt
69 Darrin Shallman – 9.04k
70 Aaron Jacobs – 8.98k
71 Jaana Tanner – 8.75k (Female)
72 Brett Lindskog – 8.05k
73 Mary Ann McKeague – 8.01k (Female)
74 Megan Kruger – 7.81k – 76pt (Female)
74 Mike T Nelson – 7.81k – 76pt
74 Brad Ellingson – 7.81k – 76pt
74 Jodie Nelson – 7.81k – 76pt (Female)
74 Kathi Burger – 7.81k – 76pt (Female)
79 Melissa Rinderle – 7.72k (Female)
80 Yvonne Häkkinen – 7.5k (Female)
81 Kari Väänänen – 7k
82 Thomas Mitchell – 6.7k
83 Julia Harju – 5k (Female; 13 yrs)
84 Pyry Harju – 4.75k
85 Dmitry Motorin – 0k – 86.5pt
85 Alexey Pritula – 0k – 86.5pt
85 Nikolay Saveliev – 0k – 86.5pt
85 Eric Milfeld – 0k – 86.5pt

Aside from the fact that I trained this piece very irregularly for the 6 months I had it prior to the event, I can not identify any other factors that could possibly have helped my performance, aside from just getting stronger in this position. I am seriously NOT SURE if it is better to row it up or to deadlift it with a consistent arm angle. I seem to have better luck if I row it, yet it seems most people have better luck with a consistent arm angle and a deadlift…

Shallow Hub Lift

I admittedly suck at Hub Lifting and did not dedicate very much time to this lift going into Leg 1. I know, recurring theme. However, aside from having a distaste for the event, Hub Lifting also plays hell on my finger injury, so I have stayed the hell away from this lift because it just plain hurts my middle finger on my right hand.

In my training, my best lift was a 25 and a 2.5, so the total is only about 32.5-lbs. I somehow managed to Dieselfy this lift at the comp and I got a shade over 46-lbs. This, incidentally, even beat out Brent Barbe, who constantly kicks my ass in hub lifting every time he comes up to train and every time it is in a competition we both compete in. However, my number pales in comparison to the number 1 performance of 26.64k, or 58.73-lbs done by Ivan Beritashvili – AMAZING!!

Here is the video of the Shallow Hub at Worlds Strongest Hands (PA) Leg 1

Here are the overall numbers on the Shallow Hub at Worlds Strongest Hands 2011 Leg 1

1 Ivan Beritashvili – 26.64k
2 Juha Harju – 25.6k
3 Richie Bevan – 24.24k
4 David Elmer – 23.69k
5 Jouni Pakarinen – 23.6k
6 Matti Heiskanen – 23.35k
7 Danny Bramall – 23.14k
8 Casey Emery – 22.86k
9 Adam T Glass – 22.8k
10 David Horne – 22.64k
11 Russ Farver – 22.61k – 11.5pt
11 Daniel Reinard – 22.61k – 11.5pt
13 Jedd Johnson – 20.91k
14 Teemu Koivunen – 20.85k
15 Timo Tuukkanen – 20.6k
16 David Thornton – 20.59k – 16.5pt
16 Paul Knight – 20.59k – 16.5pt
18 Chris Mathison – 20.44k
19 Alexey Pritula – 20.43k
20 Pete Kerr – 20.32k – 20.5pt
20 Carl Coffey – 20.32k – 20.5pt
22 Andrew Durniat – 19.62k – 22.5pt
22 Brent Barbe – 19.62k – 22.5pt
24 Taneli Levo – 19.6k – 24.5pt
24 Jarno Hyväri – 19.6k – 24.5pt
26 Maxwell Thompson – 19.59k
27 Bob Sundin – 19.26k
28 Mike Rinderle – 19.22k
29 James Grahame – 19.15k – 30pt
29 Tristan Woods – 19.15k – 30pt
29 David Stiff – 19.15k – 30pt
32 Bob Lipinski – 18.86k
33 Lee Morris – 18.69k
34 Zach Lister – 18.53k
35 Derek Graybill – 18.04k
36 Gary Hunt – 17.41k – 36.5pt
36 Elizabeth Horne – 17.41k – 36.5pt (Female)
38 Darrin Shallman – 17.18k
39 David Dellanave – 16.97k
40 Sergey Shebashov – 16.68k – 41pt
40 Ruben Piliposyan – 16.68k – 41pt
40 Ivan Silantyev – 16.68k – 41pt
43 Brett Lindskog – 16.23k – 43.5pt
43 Richard Maclean – 16.23k – 43.5pt
45 Jarrod Riordan – 16.21k – 45.5pt
45 Tomislav Basic – 16.21k – 45.5pt
47 Andrew Pantke – 16.1k
48 Austin Acree – 15.86k
49 Dmitry Motorin – 15.43k
50 Sylvester Salley – 15.4k – 51.5pt
50 Dylan Scally – 15.4k – 51.5pt
50 Kevin Fogarty – 15.4k – 51.5pt
50 David Loughman – 15.4k – 51.5pt
54 Nick Oswald – 15.2k
55 Anna Karrila – 15.1k (Female)
56 Jim McCourt – 14.9k
57 Chris Smith – 14.73k
58 David Sandel – 14.67k
59 Paul Wood – 14.54k
60 Alexander Mitropolsky – 14.19k – 60.5pt
60 Nikolay Saveliev – 14.19k – 60.5pt
62 Kevin Greto – 13.59k
63 Ryan J Pitts – 13.55k
64 Kari Väänänen – 13.35k
65 Kris Wragg – 13.14k
66 Bernard Lynch – 12.9k – 67pt
66 Steven McDonald – 12.9k – 67pt
66 Peter Carey – 12.9k – 67pt
69 Joe Tebbe – 12.39k
70 Tomas Valverde – 12.35k
71 Y. Häkkinen – 12.1k – 72.5pt (Female)
71 Jani Silvennoinen – 12.1k – 72.5pt
71 Jaana Tanner – 12.1k – 72.5pt (Female)
71 Anne Melin – 12.1k – 72.5pt (Female)
75 Thomas Mitchell – 11.7k
76 Mike T Nelson – 11.28k – 77pt
76 Brad Ellingson – 11.28k – 77pt
76 Kathi Burger – 11.28k – 77pt (Female)
79 Craig Mooney – 10.4k
80 Jodie Nelson – 10.11k (Female)
81 Melissa Rinderle – 10.08k (Female)
82 Mary Ann McKeague – 9.87k (Female)
83 Megan Kruger – 9k (Female)
84 Julia Harju – 6.35k (Female; 13 yrs)
85 Pyry Harju – 6.1k
86 Kevin Emery – 0k – 87pt
86 Aaron Jacobs – 0k – 87pt
86 Eric Milfeld – 0k – 87pt

Because this implement still bothers my middle finger, I have not hit this again since the competition with any intensity. I find if I work Grippers and Shallow Hub too close together, my middle finger is sore for a couple of days, so I have had to be careful.

Worlds Strongest Hands (PA) Leg 2

I will be holding Leg 2 here at my facility in Wyalusing PA on September 10th at 10 AM. Please contact me through email – jedd dot diesel at gmail dot com – or by phone – 607-857-6997.

Events for Worlds Strongest Hands (PA) Leg 2

Events will be Vulcan with 30mm block set, 4 attempts. Two hand pinch deadlift, 4 attempts. stub lift, 4 attempts. Half penny pinch lift, 4 attempts.

At this point, it looks like Mike and Melissa Rinderle, Christopher Smith, and Kevin Greto will all be coming back again. My new training partner, Eric Lloyd is planning on competing, too. Plus, I have heard from John Eaton will be coming from Cuyler NY with Richard Bean and Bob Sundin riding along as well. AWESOME. I am looking to get as many people here as possible. This past weekend, I spoke with Paul Tompkins and Mike Turpin about coming. Mike seems to be about 95% in. Not sure about Paul. anyone who wants to ride along to watch or compete is invited. The entry fee is only $15 per competitor per leg, so it is a very cheap contest you can use to test the waters of Grip Sport.

Competitor list UPDATE:

Confirmed
Jedd Johnson
Mike Rinderle
Melissa Rinderle
Kevin Greto
Christopher Smith
Mike Puchalski
John Eaton
Richard Bean
Adam ______
Bob Sundin
Eric Lloyd
Eric St. Onge

Possibles
Mike Krahling?
EJ Livesey?
Parris Janusek?
Mike Turpin?
Paul Tompkins?

Again, if you want to come, I urge you to.

Incidentally, this year, Worlds Strongest Hands has a Women’s Class (like last year) and a brand new Light-weight class. I have posted those overall results as well, below.

Women’s Overall results (11 competitors)

1 Elizabeth Horne – 4pt
2 Anna Karrila – 17pt (on countback)
3 Anne Melin – 17pt
4 Yvonne Häkkinen – 18pt
5 Jaana Tanner – 20pt
6 Mary Ann McKeague – 22pt
7 Kathi Burger – 26pt
8 Melissa Rinderle – 28pt
9 Jodie Nelson – 31pt
10 Megan Kruger – 37pt
11 Julia Harju – 44pt (13 yrs)

Men’s 82.5k Class Overall results (21 competitors)

1 Daniel Reinard – 11pt
2 Pete Kerr – 13.5pt
3 David Elmer – 14.5pt
4 Bob Sundin – 17.5pt
5 Teemu Koivunen – 20pt
6 Derek Graybill – 26pt
7 Ryan J Pitts – 39pt
8 Dmitry Motorin – 40.5pt
9 Tomislav Basic – 41pt
10 Taneli Levo – 42.5pt
11 Kevin Greto – 46pt
12 Nick Oswald – 47.5pt
13 Darrin Shallman – 49.5pt
14 Chris Smith – 55pt
15 David Sandel – 55.5pt
16 Nikolay Saveliev – 58pt
17 Tomas Valverde – 58.5pt
18 Kris Wragg – 61pt
19 Craig Mooney – 71pt (16 yrs)
20 Thomas Mitchell – 75pt (15 yrs)
21 Pyry Harju – 81.5pt (11 yrs)

So, what that means is, if you are a Woman, don’t think you will be going against guys. You will be competing for prizes against other ladies. Also, if you are a smaller statured person, you will be going against people who are smaller as well, provided you weigh less than 82.5-kg (181.88-lbs) 30 minutes before contest time.

Who else is coming? Leave a comment below.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

P.S. If you want to see how I train on the Two Hands Pinch, check out the documentary I shot in 2009 when I broke the record for the first time: The Road to the Record: How I Broke the Record in the Two Hands Pinch

Here is my new World Record Lift in the Two Hands Pinch at Grip Nationals this past weekend.

Shot by Mike / Melissa Rinderle:

Shot by Darrin Shallman

There will be more on the contest soon! Check back for the write-up!

Jedd

P.S. If you want to see how I train on the Two Hands Pinch, check out the documentary I shot in 2009 when I broke it for the first time. The Road to the Record: How I Broke the Record in the Two Hands Pinch

Hello DIESELS!

A pretty good group of submissions this week. Many of them were very, very close in performance as well. You need to check them out.

Special recognition for Elizabeth Horne, who took on the challenge while also being 6 months pregnant!!!
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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

P.S. Get on the Strongman Training DVD Early Bird List. Put your name and email in the box below.

This past Monday, an area news station, WETM in Elmira / Corning, NY, came to my garage gym here in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, and they ran the story on Thursday night.

Below is the video clip. In it I talk about my competitive history in Baseball, Strongman and Grip, I talk about what is included in a Grip Contest, as well as the backgrounds of some of the competitors – after all, Grip Sport isn’t just a bunch of hulkish 300+ pound monsters…

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Two Hand Pinch Swings
A Guest Post by Kris Wragg

There are many variations of pinch movements than can be done to increase the strength of the thumb and fingers. Many of these variations are quite common with grip athletes such as loose pinching plates, the euro pinch (or equivalent) and the pinching of odd objects whether wide or narrow.
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On Saturday, November 13th, the final leg of the World’s Strongest Hands Series took place.

The Series involves three events: the Two Hands Pinch, the Wrist Developer, and the Vulcan Gripper.

This has been an outstanding way to truly test ourselves against one another all across the globe.

As you know, going in, I was the World Record Holder in the Two Hands Pinch, 256.04 lbs, which I set in December of 2009.

From the beginning of the WSH Series, Grip Sport athletes have been gunning for the record, one of the most highly regarded records in all of Grip Sport.

In August, September, and October, no one, not even myself was able to eclipse the mark. While I felt excellent at Leg 3, a severely torn spot of skin on my thumb kept me from setting a new mark.

But Leg 4 proved to be a day of Pinch Heroics, especially in Stafford, England and Crooksville, Ohio.

Since the individual contests take place at different times and in different time zones, the British competition took place roughly 5 or 6 hours before the one I attended in Crooksville, Ohio. I went to bed Friday night with a strong feeling that David Horne and Laurence Shahleai would be very close to the record. That feeling was still with me in the morning when I awoke.

I did not let this feeling get to me. Instead, I focused harder on my goal. I knew I HAD to break my own record in order stay on top of the list.

Sure enough, my feelings of a fallen record were true – both David Horne and “Big Loz” had both broken my record by slim margins. Horne (pictured to the left) broke it first, lifting an estimated 256.22 lbs. Then about twenty minutes later, Loz hoisted an estimated 256.39 lbs. This of course, was unknown to me because results of individual contests are not publicized until all of the contests are complete and results are sent in…

I was not sure how well I’d be able pinch, because my thumb had been torn so bad over the last several weeks that I could not do much training on the Euro Pinch device. Instead, I had to do some other forms of pinch training that did not aggravate my tear.

For my first attempt, I started out with 237 lbs – this is usually a very safe weight for me, and I believe I had lifted weights in this neighborhood in the previous two Legs of the Series. Sure enough, 237 came up very easy. So easy, I think I probably could have hit it for a double without resetting my grip.

After a short bit of deliberating, I decided not to take an intermediate jump from my first attempt to the next and I went straight for a new record. Twenty pounds were added and I lifted it fairly easily as well.

So now I had broken my previous record, but I was not sure if it was a big enough jump to put me ahead of anyone who might have broken the record earlier on, so I asked for 5 more pounds to be added.

On this attempt, I channeled the spirit of Mister Perfect, Curt Hennig (“Now You’re Gonna See … a Perfect Plex”) and said, “Now you’re gonna see…a new World Record.”

I made sure to have my feet lined up properly and my mechanics dialed in, but I came just short of touching the loading bar to the stick. Getting cocky always bites me in the ass…

After a short break, I tried this weight again. I challenged the crowd to get louder, as I told them it was too quiet on the attempt before.

This time when I applied my Grip, I squeezed the damn implement as hard as I could, visualizing that my fingers were going to indent the outside steel plates. And this time, the implement came all the way off and knocked the target stick off the marker stand.

I was such a relief to hit 262 that I gave a scream that rattled the scrolled steel hanging on the inside of the garage.

I would have liked to have gotten 262 on the first try and then tried 264 as this would have been an even 120 kg, but I was happy with what I got because I figured it would probably be a large enough distance to over-take anybody that might have set a new record before me, or after me, as Aaron Corcorran, from Tucson, Arizona, has in the past lifted 254 lbs in an unofficial attempt.

So, I am blessed to have set another record.

How long will it stand? That is impossible to say.

But one thing I can say is I appreciate all of the support you give me here at the site, on Facebook, on YouTube, and by email. Having so many people behind me is a great feeling and it does make a huge difference, so thanks to all of you.

In particular, thanks to my family who puts up with my frustration when I have a rough workout. Thanks to my parents who have always supported me doing this underground sport. Thanks to my buddies at Diesel for pushing me when I do make it up to train. Thanks to Brent Barbe for continually pushing me via email and coming up here to train several times a year, driving roughly 5 hours at a pop. Thanks to Mike Rinderle and Rick Walker who keep my cell phone inbox filled with texts urging me to keep pushing forward. Thanks to Chris Rice, for holding the contest – I feel so much better competing when i don’t have to run the show as well.

I am sure I am forgetting some key people, but if I don’t mention you here, don’t think it’s because you’re not important. Every single time I get a text, email, or a Facebook/YouTube message from you guys, it makes want to get downstairs to my gym and get my hands on the Euro Pinch. I thank you all.

Thanks for checking out the post today. I have many more videos uploaded and more to put up tomorrow, so please check out the footage on My YouTube Channel.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

P.S. By the way, even though I did very poorly in the first leg, I managed to finish #5 in the world at the end of Leg 4. Ka Kuh!

P.P.S. Click the banner below to sign up for my Nail Bending Newsletter…

Photo Courtesy Michelle Carns

In December 2009, I set a new World Record in the Two Hands Pinch Lift with 256.04 lbs after many years of trying. The picture above shows the record breaking lift.

This was one of the main focuses of my training for quite some time and finally breaking the record was a tremendous thrill for me.

For whatever reason, during my training for the Gripmas Carol, I felt more confident than I ever had been. My left thumb, which gave me trouble throughout much of 2009, for some reason felt better after Nationals, adding to my confidence.

One day, Smitty said to me, “Man could you imagine if you taped all of your workouts from now until December. You could have a complete documentary if you actually break the record.”

CHECK OUT THE REST OF THIS KILLER POST AFTER THE JUMP (more…)

Photo Courtesy Michelle Carns – Thank you for capturing my happiest moment in Grip in years…

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 (more…)

On June 20th, I went to Athens Georgia for the First Annual Woodall Grip Strength Challenge.

Below are some of the video clips from the contest.

Two Hands Pinch

The most common test of Pinch Strength is the Two Hands Pinch. The Two Hands Pinch is two 6 mm steel plates with rubber inserts between them.

The inserts are 6mm and 10mm and can be used to vary the thickness of the implement to allow the competitors to use widths that compliment the size of their hands.

There is a hole inside of the plates and inserts to allow for extra weight to be added on.

The objective is to grab the implement with both hands in a pinch grip and lift the implement high enough for the pipe to touch the cross bar 16.5 inches off the ground.

Here, I pinch 230, 240, and 245 pounds (on the second try).

This was by far the most I was ever pumped for a grip contest. The crowd was into it, the competitors were behind me, and I was feeling surprisingly well considering the woes I have been experiencing due to my thumb injury.

The next event was the Axle. The highlight of this event was Andrew Durniat breaking his own world record with a lift of 460+. He then went for 470+ and got it to knee height!

Next was the Rolling Thunder. Steve Gardener, Chad Woodall and Andrew Durniat all lifted ridiculous weight in this event.

The last event was the medley and it was sick. I had a rough time, but Chad got all but one implement, the shallow 45-lb hub. What a spectacle to watch.

After the event, we tried a few feats of strength. I did not do much because my back was killing me, but I did try my hand at the number 4 gripper that Aaron Corcorran brought. It is on the lighter end of the spectrum, but it still has a #4 stamped on the bottom, so getting it as close as I did gave me a good rush.

In this clip, several dudes try the number 4, but Steve Gardener actually closes two of them. Both Aaron’s and John Eaton’s which came out at 199 lbs. on a calibrator.

This was a great contest. I have more clips so make sure you sign up for our Feedburner email notifications so you don’t miss out when I post them. That is right up at the upper right hand side.

All the best in your training,

-Jedd-

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