Beginner Gripper Training

I’m posting a series of grip training videos for beginner grip guys and gals, here: Beginner Pinch Grip Training. I’ve already posted beginner pinch grip training, and today, I’m sharing beginner gripper training.

Gripper Training is a way to build and measure how much CRUSHING force you have in your hands. Grippers are a lot of fun to train and close, and can be quite addicting!

Take note, there are a lot of things to know about gripper training technique, if you decide you want to go for certification, if you want to close the biggest grippers possible in your training, or if you ever decide to compete.

If you’re ready to take the jump into Gripper Training, then you want my video, CRUSH – Total Gripper Domination. Available as both a digital online DVD and a hare copy video, it will cover everything you need to know about gripper technique and the drills that will help you fully develop your crush.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

It’s the beginning of a brand new week and I’ve got an announcement I’m happy to be FINALLY making.

The DVD Sets of the Basics of Grip Training and Strongmanism Seminar ARE READY!

This seminar took place at the end of March, and the attendees had GREAT things to say about it.

This is a 2-Disk DVD Set covering the Fundamentals of Grip Training and performing Strongman Feats.

Here’s how the seminar flowed, and how the DVD set goes:

DVD #1

1. Welcome

Just a quick meet-and-greet where we do introductions and I cover how I got into Grip Training and Feats of Strength.

2. Warm-up (03:24)

I knew the rides in to the seminar would be pretty long, and the last thing the guys wanted to do was just sit there, so the first thing we covered was the importance of proper warm-up, and I put the guys through the exact Warm-up protocol I go through each training session.

If you’re not Warming Up prior to your Grip Training sessions, you’re leaving strength on the table!

In my experience 2 out of 3 lifters do NOTHING before hitting grippers, besides doing a few reps of light grippers.

That’s a surefire way to not only never progress in your training, but how to GET HURT, as well.

Start implementing this routine ASAP to start instantly seeing benefits.

3. Grippers (23:06)

When you watch the Warm-up section, I encourage you to jump right down on the floor and go through it yourself. Then, grab a gripper and enjoy the Gripper section.

This section covers the importance of the Gripper Set. If you don’t have your set technique established, no drill will be able to get you where you want to be with your Gripper Training.

You’ll want to have a gripper there with you when you go through this section, so you can make sure you’re doing everything correctly with your gripper placement.

Before this section wraps up, you’ll also get to see what I consider the best gripper training drills. Most of these I do every single week, because I know how big of an impact they’ve had.

4. Pinch (1:04:54)

Now it’s time to focus on my bread and butter – Pinch Grip! Easily my favorite form of training, I do more of this than anything else.

In this section of the Disk, we talk about all the different types of Pinch Grip Training, and how the techniques for each type is similar and different from the others.

You’ll also see he nuances of how to place your thumb and hand on what you’re trying to pinch. One size DOES NOT fit all and you HAVE to make subtle adjustments depending on what you’re trying to Pinch.

DISK #2

1. Thick Bar

If there is any form of Grip Training that is a MUST for a true Strongman, it is Thick Bar, and we cover the topic in detail in this section.

From the use of Axles, to Fat Grip instant thick bar handles, to the most challenging types of thick-handled dumbbells like the Inch and the Death Grip Bells, you’re gonna see a host of ways to train Thick Bar for open hand strength.

You might be surprised how similar the techniques are between some of the Pinch Grip training methods and Thick Bar lifts, but when you learn about the importance of the thumb adductor pollicis muscles, it will all make sense.

2. Hub Q&A (32:01)

Before we branched out into Strongman Feats, we did one last Q&A session on Hub Style training.

Hub training is one of the few types of Grip Training where smaller hands are an advantage, believe it or not.

3. Feats of Strength (38:18)

In this section, you’ll see a little primer that I covered regarding something that many new Strongman Featists aren’t familiar with – Tension.

Feats of Strength are all about Creating and Managing Tension. Until you know how to use tension to your advantage basic feats like Card Tearing, Nail Bending, will give you trouble. But, once you master tension, the more complex feats like straightening Horseshoes come more within your reach.

4. Card Tearing (49:26)

The first Strongman Feat we jumped into was Card Tearing, and for good reason, too.

Card Tearing is the perfect feat to learn the production and management of tension.

With the techniques you’ll learn in this section, you’ll be ready to take your first steps as a strongman. You’re gonna love what it feels like to destroy a deck of poker cards!

5. Steel Bending (1:05:20)

My products have produced more certified Red Nail Benders than any other source out there, and with the info included in this section, that number is going to go up once again.

Steel Bending is easily the most addictive type of strength feat out there. There is something about how it feels when steel buckles under your might.

You get hooked on it, and before you know it, you want more and more. This portion of the video will show you how to do it the right way to see great progress and stay injury free.

6. Programming (1:23:04)

The biggest challenges about Grip Training and Feats of Strength isn’t how to get started or understanding technique. I’ve got all that covered for you.

The hardest thing is actually how to mesh Grip and Feats with the rest of your training. In this section I lay out some ways you can go about doing this the best way possible, without disrupting the rest of the training your doing and the goals you’re working on.

7. Soft Tissue (1:37:46)

As a special bonus, one of the attendees of the seminar, Dr. Jim Wagner, put us through a quick demo of some instruments he uses with his clients, called Hawk Grips.

We captured everything on video, and now you’ll get to see exactly what Dr. Jim does with his clients to get them out of pain and recovered from injuries and surgeries.

In total, this 2-Disk DVD Set is almost 4 hours of awesome content.

Order Your Copy TODAY => Basics of Grip Training and Strongmanism DVD

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Learned More in 5 Hours Than the Last 5 Years!

“I got to spend the day at a seminar with the grip legend himself, Jedd Johnson. I learned more in 5 hours than I did in the last five years. It was an awesome day and Jedd is one of the nicest guys you could meet! I’ll be seeing you again Brother, hopefully at the next contest!”

Chris Fritz

One of the Most Informational Courses I Have Taken!

Jedd Johnson CSCS is truly a national leader in the sport of Grip and Strongman competition!

Jim Wagner OTD, OTR/L, CHT, CPAM, CSCS
Doctor of Occupational Therapy
Certified Hand Therapist
Certified Strength and Conditions Specialist

It will produce the BIGGEST EXPLOSION in newly certified Captains of Crush since 2003.

Will YOU be in that wave of new Giants of Crushing Strength?

Don’t be content doing the same old stuff, and getting the same old results…

Be on of the FIRST to get this new video, Operation: Gripper Certification.
It will be here soon!

All the best in your training,

Jedd Johnson

DIESELS!

Recent #4 Gripper Attempt

I have worked with a LOT of people over the years on their Gripper form, and the biggest thing I see with them is TECHNIQUE ISSUES.

We need to talk about this RIGHT NOW.

Technique is EVERYTHING.

You can throw everything else out.

If your technique is off when you try to close a gripper, you are reducing your chance for a successful close by AT LEAST HALF and maybe more.

The number one thing I see people doing is they place the gripper wrong in their hand right from the very beginning.

Specifically, they place the Gripper too deep in their hand…

…so WHY is this a PROBLEM?

Well, think about it this way.

How far do you usually miss by when you fail on a gripper attempt?

My guess is that you probably miss by around 1/4 inch.

Maybe it’s an 1/8th, maybe 3/8ths, but it’s probably right around there.

Well, in my experience people are placing the gripper between 1/4 and 3/8 of an inch TOO DEEP INTO THEIR HAND.

This is a problem because the farther the back handle is in their hand, the farther their fingers have to move the front handle in order to complete the close!

If you make the adjustment on the placement of the Gripper, your hands will have a bit more gas left in the tank because they won’t have to work over such a long distance.

This one change in your form could give you just the boost you need to finally close that gripper you have been trying to close.

And that is just one TINY technical adjustment having to do with how you place the thing in your hand.

Imagine what else you will pick up on when you pick up CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination today.

CRUSH is a two-disk DVD that covers all the ins and outs of Gripper Training and it is loaded with technical information that you might not be thinking about.

I kid you not, I have seen guys going from missing the COC #1 to coming within 1/4 inch of closing the COC #2.5, just by making the right technical adjustments.

What are you waiting for? Pick it up today => CRUSH DVD

All the best in your training,

Jedd

P.S. CRUSH comes in digital or hard copy formats, so if you live overseas, you do not have to worry about paying big shipping charges or duties and other fees.

Why is it Harder to Close Grippers Left Handed?

One viewer on my YouTube Channel recently asked me all about this, something to the effect of:

“Jedd, why is it harder for me to close my grippers with my left hand? I am even with everything else and I have double-checked my technique, but still my left hand lags behind on Grippers. Do I have some kind of strength imbalance in my off-hand?”

Grippers are awesome but they can also be frustrating as Hell too. Sometimes, this frustration can make someone wonder what in the world they are doing wrong, and even make them think that they might have something wrong with their technique or that they have a hand strength imbalance.

However, that is not the case at all. As I explain in this video, this kind of thing happens to just about everyone, including people who are left handed and generally stronger with their left hand on other types of Grip Training.

I explain exactly why grippers feel tougher to close with the Left Hand in this video:

Why Grippers are Tougher to Close with the Left Hand

Naturally, this is not the only frustration I hear about in regards to grippers. From gripper technique, to frequency of gripper training, to designing gripper programs, I have heard it all.

And I have a great product that will address all of these concerns and more. It’s called CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination, and it is the go-to source on Gripper Training. If you train grippers and don’t have this DVD, you are damaging your progress.

Check out my Gripper Training DVD today. You will eliminate your frustrations, feel better about your training, and will set some very impressive PR’s.

Recent feedback on CRUSH from David Macpherson:

CRUSH DVD: Stunned Amazement

“Hello Jedd, just thought I’d send you a message to say hello. You asked the other day what things we’ve done to improve our training this year…For my gripper training the best thing was your Crush DVD. From being a millimeter or 2 from closing the COC2 with my right hand to closing it twice and holding in closed in stunned amazement. Now I’m a millimeter or so from closing it with my left so hopefully it shouldn’t be long. Anyway, keep up the good work. Take care. – David Macpherson”

Imagine how good it feels when you make the adjustments you need to, set that goal gripper in your hand and smash it shut for the first time. It’s happened over and over when people watch CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

DIESELS,

Last week I was in New Jersey at a workshop. Several of us split the costs on a big apartment house, and I was one of the last guys to get there.

As always, even with GPS guidance, I found a way to get lost…

At one point, I thought I was at the right house, so I stumbled out of my car in the pitch-black dark to go knock on the door.

It was hard to walk for some reason, and to my surprise, the lawn and driveway were covered in sand from the hurricane that hit last year.

When I finally got there, I opened the door and this is the first thing I heard:

“I’ll never be able to close this damn thing,” and then there was this loud THUD on the table, the sound of aluminum handles and a steel spring against mahogany.

I knew exactly what was going on – this fella was trying to close a gripper!

I could tell he was super frustrated and seething in anger at failing to close the gripper in front of all these other dudes

This was something I’d heard so many times from guys who are new to grippers.

They train so hard and want to close them so bad, but the handles just won’t touch.

Some of the guys in the room I knew. Others I did not, so we got the introductions out of the way, and I went up to the guy who was squeezing grippers. His name was Roger.

“What’s the matter, brother?” I asked him.

“I have been working on this thing for 3 weeks, and I swear the handles are no closer now than when I broke the gripper out of the package. I don’t know how you can close a #3.5 when I can’t even close the #1…!”

I paused for a second and just looked at him smiling, waiting for him to get a couple of breaths in him so he could calm back down and hear what I was about to ask him.

Finally, when the rage was gone from his eyes and his pulse had slowed a bit, I let him have it.

“Roger, I feel your pain brother.”

“What do you mean, Jedd?” You’re smashing 3.5’s.

Yes, that’s true. NOW. But when I first started I couldn’t close the #1 either.

“WHAT?” said Roger…his eyes got all big like someone just told him Santa Claus was fake. “But someone told me on-line that all the people who have ever closed anything higher than a #3 were able to close the #1 right from the beginning…”

“Not true, dude,” I said in complete truthfulness.

“Nope – it took me about 3 weeks of squeezing that thing as hard as I could before I finally was able to close it. Then one day, it was like everything lined up right and when I squeezed, I could feel the knurling on the insides of the handle grinding like someone was dragging a sewer great on a sidewalk.”

“Really?” asked Roger.

“Yes,” I said, “And I bet there’s a chance you can close that gripper right now if you just play around with the placement of the gripper in your hand. Would you like to try?”

“Yeah man, let’s do it,” Roger said.

So, I grabbed the gripper out of his hand and placed it in mine. I showed him how he had the gripper in his hand (see the picture below).

Back Handle TOO Far Back

“You see Roger, with the gripper positioned like this, so deep into the back of the hand, the fingers have to pull the handle all that distance in order to get the handles to touch.

When you squeeze it like that, it will make the feat harder for EVERYBODY.

Back Handle in Good Forward Position

BUT – if you place it further forward in your hand, then when your fingers squeeze against the front handle, they don’t have to pull so far toward the back of the palm and you get much more horsepower over the distance of the sweep.

Left: Gripper Too Deep, Finish Effort Much Higher. Right: Gripper Forward, Finish Much Easier

“See the difference?” and I squeezed it one more time with each variation.

“I think I understand,” said Roger. “I can tell it’s easier for you because it shuts so much quicker when you position it forward in your hand.”

“You got it, man. Now you try,” and I handed the Gripper over to him.

Roger took the gripper and placed it in his hand the way he normally would and saw what I meant. The back handle was pointing towards his wrist and he could see just how far back his fingers would have to move in order to close it.

Then, he slid the back handle forward, so it set more in line with the crease in the middle of his palm.

He got his fingers onto it and squeezed as hard as he could, and I could hear the handles smash together so loud, it was like the first time I closed the #1.

Roger, sensing victory, squeezed as hard as he could, like he was trying to flatten the handles, feeling the glory of his first #1 gripper close and the PoweR of a new PR.

When it comes to closing grippers, yes, you have to have strong hands. However, when you combine that hand strength with the knowledge of the proper technique to use with them, your gains accelerate faster than you could even imagine.

Gripper training doesn’t have to be filled with frustration, staring at the same 1/8 of an inch between the two handles every time you squeeze the handles down. With the right info, you can dominate grippers in a hurry.

If you want to understand all the true technical secrets of Gripper training, get CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination today.

When you know what you are doing wrong and how to correct it, the gains come MUCH quicker.

Let me know how awesome it feels the first time you feel those handles grinding together.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

Here is a Vlog (Video Blog) about the Vulcan Gripper.

Are you in the United States and want a Vulcan? If so, leave a comment or email me about your interest.

Thanks.

Jedd

UPDATES

Update #1 – Vulcan Pricing

I have received a note from David Horne – he could not get back to me yesterday because it was his little girl Lucy’s 5th birthday – HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUCY!!! But I should have info from him next week on the Vulcan Gripper Shipping situation!

Update #2 – Reader Question

I received a question in the comments from Ken, who writes…

Jedd, Thanks very much for the vlog. I now understand how it compares with the Ivanko Super Gripper. What kind of range of difficulty is available on the Vulcan? What is the easiest level (cf. the Guide in the Captains of Crush series), if I want to do very high reps? Ken

The Vulcan will accomodate you, Ken, no doubt about it. At its lowest setting with the Gold Spring, it feels like less than a #1 to me and I can click off reps so fast it sounds like an old-fashioned typewriter, clickety click click click – Just never have to slide that big long piece back to the left when you reach the end. Also, at the toughest setting the feels like you are trying to squeeze a slippery moss covered rock. It covers just about the entire full range of available Grippers on the market. Hope this helps. More updates to come as they materialize! Jedd

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

That’s the first line of this video clip. And that was my initial thought when I saw it featured in my Recommended Videos when I logged onto YouTube, clicked on it, and saw the views it’s gotten – over 37,000! Awesome!

Lots of chilling moments in this clip – Grip Feats, PR’s, and just plain sick, raw, powerful training. Check it out:

For more outstanding Diesel Footage, you’ve gotta check out our famed DVD, The Sh*t You’ve Never Seen.

-Jedd-

That’s the first line of this video clip. And that was my initial thought when I saw it featured in my Recommended Videos when I logged onto YouTube, clicked on it, and saw the views it’s gotten – over 37,000! Awesome!
Lots of chilling moments in this clip – Grip Feats, PR’s, and just plain sick, raw, powerful training. Check it out:

For more outstanding Diesel Footage, you’ve gotta check out our famed DVD, The Sh*t You’ve Never Seen.
-Jedd-