Performance Tips on the Grab Ball and Finnish Ball

Today, I’ve got 2 very quick and information-packed new products for you.

These two 10-minute videos cover the lifting technique I use for the Grab Ball and the Finnish Ball, both of which are implements in this year’s King Kong of Grip.

They also give lifters a lot of trouble.

I’m trying to fix that, today.

By sharing this information, I’m probably gonna be providing some competitors that are going to be breathing down my neck in the standings the EXACT INFORMATION they need to over-take me.

But that’s a chance I’m willing to take in order to help people get better and improve the level of expertise across the sport.

For the next few days, the price of each of these videos, is just $9.99.

As soon as I get the Paypal receipt, your video access page, or pages, will be headed towards to your inbox.

Just click the buttons below to get them headed your way.

But before you do that, I’ve got an even better deal for you…

I’ll give you both of these videos 100% free if you join my site, TheGripAuthority.com, for 30 days, for $9.99.

For the price of just 1 of these products, when you join me at TGA, you’ll get both, the Grab Ball video AND the Finnish Ball video.

PLUS, you’ll get instant access to over 12 years of information on Grip Training, Grip Feats, Grip Sport, and Strongman training!

If in any way, you’re not happy with the TGA Membership, you can cancel at any time.

But I want you to try it out, so I’m making this special deal today.

In Summary, if you just want the videos, click the Add to Cart buttons below the video you’d like buy. Make your purchase and I’ll send you the page to view them as soon as I get the notification.

But, if you’d like to test drive TheGripAuthority.com for 30 days, then click the bottom button, and start exploring my expansive Grip Strength Instructional Site to your hearts content, PLUS, you’ll be able to tap into today’s new videos on the Grab Ball and Finnish Ball.

The choice is yours:

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Grab Ball

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Finnish Ball

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Join TGA and Get BOTH VIDEOS for Free!

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Thanks and all the best in your training.

NAPALM

I am starting up a new list, devoted solely to communicating when the next sanctioned Grip Contests are taking place. I am contacted all the time by people wanting to know, and this will be the easiest way to keep everyone informed.

All you need to do is put your information in the boxes below and I will send you notifications when the next contests are scheduled, and when other important grip contest news becomes available.

Do you know anyone else who would like to stay up to date about upcoming competitions? If so, please share this post with them, and have them add their email in, as well.

Thanks and all the best in your training.

Jedd

Start Your Grip Sport Career Right With
The Basics of Grip Training and Strongmanism

Today’s guest post is from Nigel Blackburn, 66kg competitor from the 2018 North American Grip Sport Championship, which was held on June 2, 2018, at Titan Strength, in Elmira New York. Nigel is a virtual coaching client of mine in the Grip Task Force, and put this post together, reflecting back on his performance…

I’ll start off with a little background before the competition:

I come from a strength training background. I was a competitive powerlifter who also messed around with a few strongman events. Powerlifting inevitably became a “chore.” I didn’t look forward to training, which is always my favorite part of the day. I started brainstorming and realized that grip, to me, is the most fun thing to train. When I get into a hobby, I REALLY get into a hobby. I contacted @Jedd Johnson about getting serious about grip, and we started working together. In January, we started discussing possible opportunities to compete; we both agreed that NAGS 2018 was the way to go. I weighed about 158 at the time, so I hit the qualifying numbers for the 74kg class, but I knew 66kg was attainable (my previous powerlifting weight class). I was given the green light, so I booked a hotel and got my flight from Florida to Elmira.

Fast forward a few months:

After a full day of traveling, I made it to Elmira. My meals consisted on protein bars, unsalted cashews, and a small amount of water. I have always had a lot of anxiety about weight class sports. Making weight is something that scares me. After a poor night of sleep, it was game day. Jedd picked me up and drove me to the gym a few hours early. I had about 3 hours until comp time, and I was damn near ready to get it going. I made weight–not by much. It was a figurative sigh of relief. Weight was taken care of (66kg); now I could shift my focus to the competition. I had the pleasure of meeting and talking to all the competitors, which was great! Everyone was friendly and supportive–surely a nice change of pace from the near-toxic level of competition I have experienced in other sports. Time was flying; before long, it was go time!

The first event was a 20-mm block set close. This event worried me because I had discovered very close to the competition that the block I had been using was closer to 19mm. I ended up packing a Jenga block of all things. I was a tidbit wider than 20mm, but I was set on using my own block so I could place it in my teeth for a super quick transition into the block set. Once it was announced that the lightest weight class starts it off, a fire was lit; that meant I was the first person to take an attempt. Immediately my nervousness transitioned into laser-sharp focus. A deep breath, and I was off. I started off with a BB rated at 130. The set felt spongy and easy, I quickly transitioned and slid the block through, and crushed the first attempt. I was off to a hot start and confidence was high. My goal was to close a gripper rated at my bodyweight, so my sights were set on the 145. My confidence got the best of me for my next attempt. I took a big jump and missed the 140. No worries. My third attempt, I got the 135, but not very convincingly. I ended up fumbling around with the block set and had trouble opening it wide enough. The fourth and last attempt crept up on me, and I retried the 140; close but no cigar. I was admittedly a little discouraged as I closed much heavier in training, but it seemed like everyone had a rough gripper day, so I couldn’t be too mad. Regardless, the 135 gave me a WR by a wide margin, shattering the previous 115 in my weight class (although it was not contested many times).

The 2HP was next. I had my number in mind: 172. 172 would break the recently set WR. I was really thrown for a loop here, as I ended up unintentionally halting the competition as I was trying to find out exactly what I needed. I felt like I was inconveniencing everyone and felt a little embarrassed as a result. After hitting 160 convincingly, I attempted 173, which was the closest it could get to 172. I broke 173 off the floor, but I couldn’t lock it out. Not only would this be a WR but also a 10-lbs PR. I was visibly frustrated, but I tried it again. This time, no budge. Hindsight bias really got into my head here. I knew I could’ve gotten 170 and posted a better number, but I got greedy.

The Napalm Nightmare followed shortly after. My goal was the hit around 260. I knew this would likely be my worst event, and I was right. I hit my opener at 235, and it went downhill from there. Despite hitting 238×4 in training, I couldn’t get 245 on my next 3 attempts. I was actually just happy I didn’t bomb out on this event.

The medley room was a sensory overload–12 objects in 90 seconds. I never got to practice medley because I ended up resting about a week and a half before the meet to mend up a few aches and skin tears. Once the timer started, I moved quick and efficiently. I had a plan, and I executed very well. I made two huge mistakes, one of which I did not even notice until after: I forgot the anvil completely and did not lift the crusher. The clip on the Crusher got stuck on the loading pin, so I skipped it and came back at the end. By that time I was gassed and failed to lift it. Rookie mistakes, undeniably.

Last event: the dreaded wrist roller. I can’t write much about this. It was honestly a blur, and I’m 100% convinced I have already repressed the memory. All I can tell you is made it about 26 feet and my forearms nearly exploded. So, yeah…. that’s all I have to say about that.

Initially, I was very disappointed in my performance. I took gold and set a modest WR, but my main goals remained unachieved. I then gave it some though. This was my first ever grip competition–WHO CARES. It was that simple. I’m 23 years old, and I just finished my first competition. My main goal was to get my feet wet and experience what gripsport is all about; I did just that. I also got the meet the community–every single person I met was kind, encouraging, and well-spoken. I had competed and had a blast doing it. With that being said, I would consider NAGS 2018 is be a great success and a day I won’t forget. I’m already looking forward to all my future competitions where I will get to meet more people and run back into the great people I have met. I would list everyone out, but I feel this post is already way too long as is.

My Note to Nigel: I thought you did awesome my man.

Grippers can get sketchy in a hurry, bro. And like you saw, lots of people were having trouble, despite the fact that they had all be freshly cleaned and the springs oiled. What is great is that you had complete command of the gripper, the set, the block, etc. I was happy to see all that.

On the Pinch, don’t ever think you’re holding the contest up by verifying a number for a record. That is part of the game, ever since weight classes were instituted. I think for most people, it actually adds to the excitement and suspense, that someone has a big number in mind to break, and they want to pay attention more and witness the whole thing.

On the Nightmare, I think it could have had something to do with the slowing of the pace, due to everyone’s energy levels being low after the second event, plus eating pizza, etc. I thought everyone seemed totally dead after that, and remember thinking, “What the heck is going on with these guys?” Ha ha.

The Wrist Roller is just plain tough. And Medleys are an experience all themselves. In your time training grip, you haven’t done a lot of the “oddball” stuff that shows up in a Medley. With more time under your belt, you’ll feel more comfortable with all of the different implements. I like to lay out almost a grid-pattern in my head, surrounding all the items with invisible lines, to make more sense of it all.

Take note, that many of the guys who’ve only done contests like King Kong or Grip Games, where there is no Medley, also make tactical errors. Once you go through a Medley or two, you get an idea of how to cut your time down, and maximize your potential on each item. It will all come, my man.

To wrap up…awesome job. You attacked everything, bro. That’s what you need to do. Can’t wait to see you at the next contest, now that you’ve gotten the taste of grip competition!

Join Jedd’s Grip Task Force Today,
And Start Reaching Your Goals Faster Than Ever
Click Here to Join

The 2018 North American Grip Sport Championship will take place on June 2, 2018 at Titan Strength, located at 103 Stowell Place, Elmira New York.

For complete information on the event, please go here: 2018 NAGS Championship

At A Glance:

Date: June 2, 2018
Entry Fee: $50
Location: Titan Strength in Elmira, NY
Paypal: jedd.diesel@gmail.com

ENTRY FORM CLICK HERE

CONTEST SCHEDULE:

Pushing Everything Back 1 Hour from the Norm, due to the Canadian group driving in the morning of.
Weigh-ins – Begin 9:00 AM
Rules – 10:00 AM
Warm-ups – 10:30 AM
1st Event, Grippers Begin – 11:00 AM

IMPORTANT: If you are not sure what width you will be using on the 2 Hands Pinch,
please decide this and your first attempt before the Gripper Event Starts at 11:00.
The devices will be out for you to text the entire morning.

Currently Planned Weight Classes & Divisions:

Men’s 66 kg
Men’s 74 kg
Men’s 83 kg
Men’s 93 kg
Men’s 105 kg
Men’s 120 kg
Men’s 120+ kg
Women’s Open
Men’s 50+ Years Open
**No qualification required for Women’s Open and Men’s 50+ Years Open divisions.

To View Qualifications for Competition Click Here

Event Rules:

1. NAGS Gripper Set – One Hand Contested – 20mm Block – 4 attempts
The athlete will set the gripper with the off hand and then must pass the block through him or herself. The athlete may switch back and forth between hands as needed to get the best close out of their 4 attempts. At no time may the gripper be braced against the body during the set or during the close. This will be strictly enforced. If the lifter closes the gripper, the judge will say “Good” or “Closed.” If the lifter is unsuccessful, the judge will so “No.”

We will try to move through this quickly, possibly running two grippers and judges at a time, as was done at NAGS 2017.

2. Two Hands Pinch on Euro – 16.5″ Crossbar – 4 Attempts

2 Implements will run at a time, the same implements that have been used only at Nationals since 2014. One will be the light implement, starting below 185lbs, and the other will be the heavy implement, starting over 185lbs. We will begin with the lower widths first and then work our way up. For instance, once all lifters using 48mm are finished, the width will be changed to the next higher width desired. Please know your width prior to the contest, in order to save time. At least one separate apparatus will be on hand for people to take warm-ups.

The athlete will grip the implement with both hands in an overhand grip. Underhand or alternated are not permitted. The lifter gets 4 attempts. Any effort to lift the implement off the floor is considered an attempt. This is a Rising Bar event, so if the lifter fails on an attempt, he/she may wait 2 minutes and then repeat that weight, or have weight added, but may not drop down in weight.

3. Napalm’s Nightmare – 2 3/8″ Handles – 6-inch Lift Height – 4 Attempts

A genuine Napalm’s Nightmare implement will be used. The athlete must take a double overhand grip – alternated or underhand are not permitted. The athlete takes his/her grip and lifts, trying to make a knock-bar contact a cross-bar, 6 inches above. Any effort to lift the device is considered an attempt, and if the implement does not reach proper height, or if the implement slips from the athlete’s hands before touching the floor, the lift is disqualified. This is a rising bar event – once weight is added, it will not be removed. If the lifter misses a lift, he/she may repeat that weight or go up, but may not drop down.

Weight jumps will be a 10lb plate, a 10lb plate, then the 10’s will be removed and replaced with a 25-lb plate, then a 10lb plate, and then the 25lb and 10lb plates will be removed and replaced with a 45-lb plate.

4. Medley

12 Items in 90 seconds

There will be 4 weight options for each challenge category. They are listed from most to least difficult. Most difficult = 5 points, then 4 points, 3 points, and the least difficult will receive 2 points.

1. Double RT Pull-up – 4 / 3 / 2 / 1

2. Block Weights – Fatman 53# / Next Gen Blob 50# / Half 75 Next Gen / Half 70 Hex /

3. Rolling Handles – 2.5″ Crusher 190 / Mannino 165 / Old RT 140 / Old RT 115

4. Inch Pinch – 65 / 50 / 35 / 20

5. Sledge Choke to Box +/- 31″ Handles – 10# / 8# / 6# / 3#

6. Anvil to Lockout – 113+20-lbs (ring)/ 113 / 67 / 55

7. Challenge Bells – Inch Dumbbell 170 / Death Grip 154 / Shot 123 / Plate Loadable 80

8. Plate Hub Lift – 45# + 10/ 45# / 35″ / 25″

9. Sledge Face Lever – 16 / 12 / 8 / 6

10. Plate Pinch – 2×45’s / 2x35s / 2x25s / 3x10s

11. Inverted Dumbbell Lift Smooth Faces Only – 60 / 50 / 35 / 20

12. Loose Plate Pinch – 5 tens / 4 tens / 3 tens / 2 tens

Athletes can start on any feat, without their hand touching the item, and they can take tries at multiple difficulty levels within the same category, but will only receive points for their top performance in that category. In other words, they will receive only 4 points for doing 3 RT Pullups. If they do 3 on one try and 2 on the next, they will receive 4 points for doing 3.

1. Double RT Pull-up: Reasonable extension on each rep, chin above the rolling thunders on each rep, no re-gripping. Reps must be done consecutively.

2. Block Weights: Loaded to a platform

3. Rolling Handles: Lift to Lockout with Down Call

4. Inch Pinch: 6″ pull above block

5. Sledge Choke to Box: Grip by end of handle, load onto box without quarter falling off

6. Anvils: Grip by horn, lift to lockout

7. Challenge Bells: Lift for speed, so tilts and bracing permitted, must lift with one hand.

8. Plate Hub Lift: Lift for speed, any grip required

9. Sledge Face Lever: Reasonable control keeping the working hand approximately

10. Plate Pinch: Load to platform

11. Inverted Dumbbell Lift Smooth Faces Only: No contact with print on dumbbell, lift to platform

12. Loose Plate Pinch: Load to platform

5. Wrist Roller for Time

Distance and weight of sled to be determined upon visiting the venue – Approximately 30 to 40 feet. 60 seconds time limit

The objective will be to pull a sled towards you by winding it up a wrist roller, using a wrist extension motion. Distance will be marked if the course is not completed, and scores awarded by distance.

Anyone who drags it partially will earn between 51 and 75 points and anyone who drags it the full distance earns between 76 and 100 points (scaled based on speed – fastest time earns 100 points).

This Week in Grip

This Week in Grip – Episode 22 – 7/3/17

Want to Lever Bigger Hammers?
This Workout Shows You How to
Get it Done!

This past weekend was the Winter Grip Fest, held 2/18/17 in Wyalusing PA at the Diesel Gym, Jedd’s House of Strength.

ABOVE: Pat Maizels, Luke Raymond, Jedd Johnson, Eric Lloyd, Pete Hustek,
Tim Butler (behind), Eirik Bruun Ingebretsen, Chris Andrade, Peter Nickless, Don Smitley

A fun competition, with a great group of guys, my personal highlight was setting a World Record in the #4 Silver Bullet Hold.

#4 Silver Bullet World Record

Here are all the attempts of all the competitors.

Winter Grip Fest: Silver Bullet – Attempts 1 Through 3

Next event was the Two Hands Pinch.

Winter Grip Fest: Two Hands Pinch

Next event was the Pickaxe Lift to the Front

Winter Grip Fest: Pickaxe Lift to the Front

Next event was the Bull Ring Hub Lift

Winter Grip Fest: Bull Ring Hub Lift

The last event was the Pinch Block Hold for Time

Winter Grip Fest: Pinch Block Hold for Time

During and after the competition, several awesome feats went down, especially ones set by the Big Man from Norway, Eirik Bruun Ingebretsen.

Eirik Bruun Ingebretsen – Thick Bar Feats

Time Butler also brought up a couple of cool grip challenge items to try.

Here’s Tim’s half 70lb Globe dumbbell head, called a Glob.

Lifting the Half 70lb Glob

Here’s Tim’s Half 120lb Hex with the handle still attached. When lifting a block weight with the handle still on (especially on the thumb side) it makes it quite a bit more difficult.

Lifting the Half 120 Hex with Handle on Thumb Side

Thanks for bringing those up brother!

I’m pumped everyone was able to make it for this small, yet very fun competition.

If anyone is interested in learning how I train the Silver Bullet, then please be sure to check out my Silver Bullet Workout DVD below.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

This Week in Grip Podcast

I’ve been wanting to hold a rundown show about Grip Sport for years, and I’ve finally hooked up with Allen Heineck to start doing it.

On 1/15/17, we did our first episode, and over the weekend, we did our second. I’ve got them both posted below, so be sure to check them out!

This Week in Grip Episode #1 – 1/15/17

This Week in Grip Episode #2 – 1/22/17

What were the Top 5 Feats of Grip Strength from 2016, in your opinion?

Weigh in with your vote in the comments below!

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Get Your Grip RIGHT This Year with These Awesome Products

Battle of the Grip

Up coming Grip Contest in Syracuse, New York

Date: March 26th
Entry Form: Click Here
Entry Fee: $30, made out to Jedd Johnson – PO BOX 806 Wyalusing, PA 18853
Events: Blob Hold for Time | Anvil Hold for Time | Wrist Wrench Lift to Lockout (Max)
Weigh-ins: 8AM to 10AM
Warm-ups: 9AM
Rules: 9:30AM
Contest Begins: 10AM
Rules: Below

Event 1: Blob Hold for Time

The Blobs used will be half 75lb York Blobs and 25lb Power Pills. Lifter will take a Grip on the Blobs and lift to lockout and hold for as long as possible. The Blobs may not contact your legs/thighs/body. Time continues until a Blob(s) falls out of your hand, or you set one/two of them down. You must get at least 5 seconds for your time to count. If you can not get 5 seconds with the half 75’s, you may take a second attempt with the 25lb Diesel Power Pills. Any holds of at least 5 seconds with the half 75s will beat holds with the 25b Power Pills.

Event 2: Anvil Hold for Time

The Anvils used will weigh 118lbs and 55lbs. Each lifter will get 1 attempt right-handed on the big anvil and 1 attempt right-handed on the small anvil. Lifters must get at least a 5-second hold with the 118lb Anvil for their attempt to count. Time begins once the Anvil breaks off the floor and goes until the Anvil slips out of your grip or until you return it to the floor. If you do not get a 5-second hold with the big anvil, you will get a second attempt on the small anvil. Any 5-count hold or longer with the big anvil beats holds with the smaller anvil.

The same process takes place left-handed for all competitors. You will have a combined score based on your performance on each Anvil.

Event 3: Wrist Wrench for Max Weight

The Wrist Wrench will be gripped so the strap crosses on the thumb side of the implement. The lifter gets one pull per attempt, and you must lift the Wrist Wrench so that your knees, hips, and off-hand shoulder are locked out. “Good lift” will be called, at which point you must return the implement back to the ground under reasonable control. If you drop it or if it pops out of your hand, your attempt will not count. One hand (strong hand) is to be used on all 4 attempts. This is a Rising Bar event, meaning once weight is added, it won’t be taken off, so make sure that you don’t start too high. Get on the board with a good lift and then make smart jumps up in weight. Smallest increments will be 2.5lbs. If you are unfamiliar with the Wrist Wrench, it is MUCH HARDER than the IronMind Rolling Thunder. As an example, 85lbs is a very respectable lift, and 100lbs is almost unheard of.

Scoring: Strongman Scoring will be used for all 3 events. You get points based on your placing, and low points at the end wins. Example: First Place = 1 point, Second Place = 2 points, etc.

EVENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTIFICATION.

Looking forward to seeing you at the Tilted Kilt in Syracuse, New York.

-Jedd-

I will be running a Grip Contest on May 7th as part of the Empire Fit Expo, in Spokane Washington.

Download the Entry Form Here

Empire Classic Grip Challenge

PROMOTER: Jedd Johnson

CONTACT: Email: jedd dot diesel at gmail dot com or call (607)857-6997

DATE: 5/7/16

TIME: Pinch width testing at 9AM, Rules briefing at 9:30am, Start time 10am

WEIGH-IN: Saturday, May 7th beginning at 8AM until 10AM

LOCATION: Spokane Convention Center (Hall 100ABC)

HOTEL: Hotels available upon request.

DIVISIONS: Men: 59kg / 66kg / 74kg / 83kg / 93kg / 105kg / 120kg / 120+kg; Women: Open

EVENTS: 20mm Block Set Grippers for Max (4 attempts)
Two Hands Pinch for Max (4 Attempts)
Axle 60-second Grip Rush (1 Attempt)
12-lb Hammer Sledge Choke (4 Attempts)

ENTRY FEES: $50 to compete. ENTRY DEADLINE: 4/22/16

MAIL PAYMENTS & ENTRIES TO: Jedd Johnson
PO Box 806
Wyalusing PA 18853

COLD SNAP CLASSIC

NAGS sanctioned Grip Contest with Crushed to Dust Certification

• Presented by TheGripAuthority.com

DOWNLOAD ENTRY FORM HERE

PROMOTER: Jedd Johnson, Diesel Crew

EVENTS: 20mm Block Set Grippers, Two Hands Pinch on Euro, Double Overhand Axle Deadlift, Front Pickaxe for Max Weight

ADDITIONAL EVENTS: Crushed to Dust, Inch Hold for Time with Cans on Globes, 2HP Hold for Time, Inch Unbraced Lift to Platform

DATE: February 13th, 2016
WEIGH-IN: Any time after 8:00am (scale is spot-calibrated)
SIGN-IN: 9:00am
RULES: 9:30am
START: 10:00am
LOCATION: Jedd Johnson’s Garage Gym
EMAIL FOR DIRECTIONS : JEDD dot DIESEL at GMAIL dot COM
ENTRY FEE: $30.

DEADLINE: Day of Contest

Events subject to change without notice
Events order subject to change without notice

MAKE ALL CHECKS/ MONEY ORDERS PAYABLE TO: JEDD JOHNSON

MAIL ENTRY FORM AND FEE TO:
JEDD JOHNSON
PO BOX 806
WYALUSING, PA 18853

HOTELS
Available upon request. Please contact me.

AIRPORTS (all three are about the same distance from Wyalusing, 1.5 hrs)
Scranton/Wilkes Barre PA
Binghampton NY
Elmira NY

King Kong of Grip 2015

I wasn’t planning on holding the competition here at my place, but when I heard another “nearby” promoter, Chez Riccezza, might not be able to run his leg of the multi-venue, global, mega-comp, the King Kong of Grip Challenge, I decided to get this organized in a pinch.

This was the 3rd time I’ve competed in the King Kong of Grip, and it has become a highly respected competition. The King Kong first appeared on the Grip Sport schedule in 2013, and has been in October every year.

The 2013 overall winner was Juha Harju, from Finland, and last year’s winner was Ari Siltaoja, also of Finland.

I got sick of poor finishes in the King Kong, finishing worse than Top 10 the first two years, mainly due to not focusing in and training the events the way you should, and this year I got serious.

And to my surprise, I came out on top, the first winner on the King Kong of Grip from North America.

Below are the videos, along with the worldwide standings, both in the overall, and for each event.

King Kong of Grip 2015 – Event 1 – One Hand Pinch

King Kong of Grip 2015 – Event 2 – 2.5″ FBBC Crusher

King Kong of Grip 2015 – Event 3 – Shallow Hub

King Kong of Grip 2015 – Event 4 – 2″ Vertical Bar

2015 International King Kong Grip Challenge – Overall Results

1 – Jedd Johnson – 22 points – “THE KING KONG OF GRIP”
2 – Jouni Mähönen – 23 points
3 – Ivan Beritashvili – 24.5 points
4 – Kody Burns – 27.5 points
5 – Jake Sahlaney – 31 points
6 – Arto Joronen – 34 points
7 – Eric Roussin – 39 points
8 – Anton Kladiev – 45 points
9 – John Stepien – 48.5 points
10 – Gilbert Goodman – 51 points
11 – Lucas Raymond – 62 points
12 – Bob Sundin – 63.5 points
13 – Pasi Mehtälä – 65 points
14 – Alexandr Kudashkin – 68.5 points
15 – Vladimir Abrikosov – 76 points
16 – Juha Lehtimäki – 76.5 points
17 – Kupinsky Igor – 78 points
18 – Justin “JT” Straussner – 83.5 points
19 – Daniel Reinard – 90 points
20 – Alexey Pritula – 90.5 points
21 – Andrew Pantke – 94 points
22 – Alexandr Asinovskiy – 101 points
23 – Jeff Parker – 102.5 points
24 – Fenne Muhonen – 105.5 points
25 – Josh Koenig – 107.5 points
26 – Petri Rantalainen – 108 points
27 – Dmitriy Osipov – 115 points
28 – Marc Turgeon – 118 points
29 – Zagoruiko Roman – 121 points
30 – Pupchenko Ivan – 121 points
31 – Rob McMurren – 122 points
32 – David Balayan – 130 points
33 – Petri Partanen – 131.5 points
34 – Michael Rogowski – 133 points
35 – Darrin Shallman – 139 points
36 – Aldo Alberico – 141.5 points
37 – Pavel Trotsko – 147 points
38 – Frank Pizzo – 151 points
39 – Chris gallagher – 152.5 points
40 – Jerry Szigethy – 155.5 points
41 – Adam Thatcher – 158 points
42 – Sylvain Desjarlais – 165 points
43 – Mike Hagios – 171.5 points
44 – Andrey Tereniev – 177.5 points
45 – Andrea Bertozzi – 178 points
46 – Simon-Pierre Desjarlais – 180 points
47 – Evan Raftopoulos – 184 points
48 – Skuyler Szigethy – 184.5 points
49 – Allen Heineck – 188 points
50 – Jor-el Koenig – 190.5 points
51 – Ivan Pachenkov – 191.5 points
52 – Massimigliano Zaganelli – 193.5 points
53 – Zynchenko Mykola – 195.5 points
54 – Massimo Mattiazzo – 204.5 points
55 – Enrico Polgrossi – 204.5 points
56 – Davide Cimatti – 208.5 points
57 – Philippe Tremblay – 212 points
58 – Mathieu Charbonneau – 215 points
59 – Daniel Montaleone – 217 points
60 – Jussi Wägg – 224 points
61 – Matti Harju – 226.5 points
62 – Jesse Larocque – 243.5 points
63 – Andrea Gramentieri – 244.5 points
64 – Mashkovets Vyacheslav – 253.5 points
65 – Ricky Bee – 254.5 points
66 – Shutka Svetlana – 255.5 points
67 – Rach Thatcher – 259 points
68 – Matteo Rossi – 264 points
69 – Emily Grigsby – 268 points
70 – Hugo Turgeon – 268 points
71 – Nikita Smolnikov – 268 points
72 – Andrey Smolnikov – 280 points
73 – Maria Bascetta – 280.5 points

Event 1 Results – One-Hand Pinch (Euro)

All weights in kilograms

Points – Name – Weight – Age – Class – Best Lift

1 – Kody Burns – 91.65 – 37 – 93 – 59.52
2 – Jedd Johnson – 116.48 – 36 – 120 – 54.01
3 – Jake Sahlaney – 104.81 – 27 – 105 – 51.72
4 – Jouni Mähönen – 101.1 – 37 – 105 – 50.88
5 – Bob Sundin – 77.13 – 55 – 83 – 49.19
6 – Jeff Parker – 106.17 – 31 – 120 – 47.75
7 – Lucas Raymond – 92.72 – 30 – 93 – 47.34
8 – Arto Joronen – 151.9 – 50 – 120+ – 47.30
9 – Anton Kladiev – 99.0 – 27 – 105 – 46.70
10 – Matti Harju – 106.3 – 35 – 120 – 45.33
11 – Ivan Beritashvili – 95.6 – 27 – 105 – 45.20
12 – Eric Roussin – 92.96 – 38 – 93 – 44.82
13 – Pasi Mehtälä – 118.5 – 42 – 120 – 44.35
14 – Fenne Muhonen – 81.3 – 26 – 83 – 44.20
15.5 – John Stepien – 120.79 – 31 – 120+ – 42.55
15.5 – Justin “JT” Straussner – 103.19 – 32 – 105 – 42.55
17 – Daniel Reinard – 88.90 – 33 – 93 – 40.81
18 – Marc Turgeon – 145.15 – 45 – 120+ – 40.27
19 – Andrew Pantke – 102.09 – 30 – 105 – 40.18
21 – Kupinsky Igor – 138.5 – 33 – 120+ – 39.70
21 – Pupchenko Ivan – 98.2 – 32 – 105 – 39.70
21 – Zagoruiko Roman – 92.8 – 30 – 93 – 39.70
24 – Alexandr Asinovskiy – 111.4 – 37 – 120 – 39.20
24 – Alexey Pritula – 106.4 – 25 – 120 – 39.20
24 – Vladimir Abrikosov – 81.1 – 28 – 83 – 39.20
26 – Petri Rantalainen – 79.7 – 29 – 83 – 38.79
27 – Gilbert Goodman – 96.60 – 29 – 105 – 38.45
28 – Rob McMurren – 119.78 – 42 – 120 – 38.38
29.5 – Darrin Shallman – 67.60 – 30 – 74 – 38.33
29.5 – Josh Koenig – 73.96 – 36 – 74 – 38.33
31 – Jussi Wägg – 94.4 – 28 – 105 – 38.28
32 – Juha Lehtimäki – 92.6 – 26 – 93 – 37.84
33.5 – Alexandr Kudashkin – 104.7 – 23 – 105 – 36.70
33.5 – Dmitriy Osipov – 81.8 – 36 – 83 – 36.70
35 – Michael Rogowski – 83.00 – 29 – 83 – 36.35
36 – Jerry Szigethy – 92.90 – 59 – 93 – 36.06
37 – Chris gallagher – 109.35 – 38 – 120 – 35.45
38 – Pavel Trotsko – 108.8 – 25 – 120 – 34.20
39 – Frank Pizzo – 112.98 – 32 – 120 – 33.25
40 – Sylvain Desjarlais – 70.76 – 33 – 74 – 33.04
41 – Mike Hagios – 119.05 – 33 – 120 – 32.93
42 – Massimigliano Zaganelli – 99.00 – 36 – 105 – 32.50
43 – Allen Heineck – 81.40 – 39 – 83 – 31.90
45 – Andrey Tereniev – 66.0 – 25 – 66 – 31.70
45 – David Balayan – 73.1 – 32 – 74 – 31.70
45 – Ivan Pachenkov – 122.6 – 21 – 120+ – 31.70
47 – Aldo Alberico – 82.10 – 37 – 83 – 31.25
48 – Simon-Pierre Desjarlais – 73.94 – 30 – 74 – 30.70
49 – Skuyler Szigethy – 65.20 – 27 – 66 – 30.63
50 – Evan Raftopoulos – 70.09 – 31 – 74 – 29.17
51 – Zynchenko Mykola – 88.9 – 69 – 93 – 29.10
52 – Jor-el Koenig – 65.11 – 33 – 66 – 28.63
53 – Massimo Mattiazzo – 70.70 – 40 – 74 – 28.25
55 – Andrea Bertozzi – 80.40 – 36 – 83 – 27.50
55 – Daniel Montaleone – 80.10 – 24 – 83 – 27.50
55 – Enrico Polgrossi – 80.70 – 30 – 83 – 27.50
57 – Jesse Larocque – 65.32 – 19 – 66 – 27.49
58.5 – Mathieu Charbonneau – 77.57 – 22 – 83 – 26.25
58.5 – Philippe Tremblay – 73.48 – 20 – 74 – 26.25
60 – Shutka Svetlana – 62.3 – 32 – Womens – 25.60
61.5 – Andrea Gramentieri – 80.70 – 33 – 83 – 25.00
61.5 – Davide Cimatti – 89.50 – 32 – 93 – 25.00
63 – Ricky Bee – 71.49 – 27 – 74 – 24.11
64 – Mashkovets Vyacheslav – 106.6 – 40 – 120 – 23.70
65 – Hugo Turgeon – 62.60 – 14 – 66 – 22.99
66 – Matteo Rossi – 88.20 – 23 – 93 – 20.00
67 – Emily Grigsby – 59.42 – 35 – Womens – 18.42
68 – Nikita Smolnikov – 50.2 – 15 – 59 – 18.35
69 – Andrey Smolnikov – 61.9 – 11 – 66 – 17.10
70 – Rach Thatcher – 82.58 – 39 – Womens – 10.00
72 – Adam Thatcher – 102.09 – 40 – 105 – 0.00
72 – Maria Bascetta – 69.75 – 32 – Womens – 0.00
72 – Petri Partanen – 92.3 – 38 – 93 – 0.00

Event 2 Results – FBBC 2.5″ Crusher

All weights in kilograms

Points – Name – Weight – Age – Class – Best Lift

1 – Kupinsky Igor – 138.5 – 33 – 120+ – 100.50
2 – Arto Joronen – 151.9 – 50 – 120+ – 91.32
3 – Eric Roussin – 92.96 – 38 – 93 – 89.58
4 – Jedd Johnson – 116.48 – – 120 – 88.06
5 – Zagoruiko Roman – 92.8 – 30 – 93 – 87.50
6 – Ivan Beritashvili – 95.6 – 27 – 105 – 85.09
7 – Jouni Mähönen – 101.1 – 37 – 105 – 85.03
8 – John Stepien – 120.79 – 31 – 120+ – 84.91
9 – Kody Burns – 91.65 – 37 – 93 – 83.71
10 – Anton Kladiev – 99.0 – 27 – 105 – 82.59
11 – Gilbert Goodman – 96.60 – 29 – 105 – 81.40
12 – Alexandr Kudashkin – 104.7 – 23 – 105 – 81.34
13 – Bob Sundin – 77.13 – 55 – 83 – 78.27
14 – Alexandr Asinovskiy – 111.4 – 37 – 120 – 76.34
15 – Jake Sahlaney – 104.81 – 27 – 105 – 75.90
16 – Lucas Raymond – 92.72 – 30 – 93 – 75.86
17 – Pupchenko Ivan – 98.2 – 32 – 105 – 75.00
18 – Adam Thatcher – 102.09 – 40 – 105 – 72.48
20 – Alexey Pritula – 106.4 – 25 – 120 – 71.34
20 – Pavel Trotsko – 108.8 – 25 – 120 – 71.34
20 – Vladimir Abrikosov – 81.1 – 28 – 83 – 71.34
22.5 – Juha Lehtimäki – 92.6 – 26 – 93 – 71.33
22.5 – Pasi Mehtälä – 118.5 – 42 – 120 – 71.33
24 – Justin “JT” Straussner – 103.19 – 32 – 105 – 70.22
25 – Rob McMurren – 119.78 – 42 – 120 – 70.11
26 – Petri Partanen – 92.3 – 38 – 93 – 68.81
27 – Zynchenko Mykola – 88.9 – 69 – 93 – 67.50
28 – Daniel Reinard – 88.90 – 33 – 93 – 66.87
29.5 – David Balayan – 73.1 – 32 – 74 – 66.34
29.5 – Fenne Muhonen – 81.3 – 26 – 83 – 66.34
31 – Petri Rantalainen – 79.7 – 29 – 83 – 66.33
32 – Marc Turgeon – 145.15 – 45 – 120+ – 66.07
33 – Jerry Szigethy – 92.90 – 59 – 93 – 65.74
34 – Aldo Alberico – 82.10 – 37 – 83 – 64.25
35 – Simon-Pierre Desjarlais – 73.94 – 30 – 74 – 63.80
36.5 – Andrew Pantke – 102.09 – 30 – 105 – 63.74
36.5 – Jeff Parker – 106.17 – 31 – 120 – 63.74
38.5 – Andrea Bertozzi – 80.40 – 36 – 83 – 63.00
38.5 – Davide Cimatti – 89.50 – 32 – 93 – 63.00
40 – Michael Rogowski – 83.00 – 29 – 83 – 62.75
41 – Sylvain Desjarlais – 70.76 – 33 – 74 – 62.70
42 – Evan Raftopoulos – 70.09 – 31 – 74 – 61.70
43.5 – Dmitriy Osipov – 81.8 – 36 – 83 – 61.34
43.5 – Ivan Pachenkov – 122.6 – 21 – 120+ – 61.34
45 – Josh Koenig – 73.96 – 36 – 74 – 60.26
46 – Massimigliano Zaganelli – 99.00 – 36 – 105 – 58.00
47 – Andrey Tereniev – 66.0 – 25 – 66 – 56.34
48.5 – Jussi Wägg – 94.4 – 28 – 105 – 56.27
48.5 – Mike Hagios – 119.05 – 33 – 120 – 56.27
50 – Chris gallagher – 109.35 – 38 – 120 – 56.09
51.5 – Mathieu Charbonneau – 77.57 – 22 – 83 – 54.79
51.5 – Philippe Tremblay – 73.48 – 20 – 74 – 54.79
53 – Enrico Polgrossi – 80.70 – 30 – 83 – 54.25
54.5 – Frank Pizzo – 112.98 – 32 – 120 – 53.72
54.5 – Jor-el Koenig – 65.11 – 33 – 66 – 53.72
56 – Allen Heineck – 81.40 – 39 – 83 – 53.65
57 – Massimo Mattiazzo – 70.70 – 40 – 74 – 53.00
58 – Skuyler Szigethy – 65.20 – 27 – 66 – 51.78
59.5 – Andrea Gramentieri – 80.70 – 33 – 83 – 51.75
59.5 – Daniel Montaleone – 80.10 – 24 – 83 – 51.75
61 – Mashkovets Vyacheslav – 106.6 – 40 – 120 – 51.20
62 – Jesse Larocque – 65.32 – 19 – 66 – 40.88
63 – Rach Thatcher – 82.58 – 39 – Womens – 40.08
64 – Matteo Rossi – 88.20 – 23 – 93 – 39.25
65 – Ricky Bee – 71.49 – 27 – 74 – 38.61
66 – Nikita Smolnikov – 50.2 – 15 – 59 – 33.84
67.5 – Maria Bascetta – 69.75 – 32 – Womens – 33.80
67.5 – Shutka Svetlana – 62.3 – 32 – Womens – 33.80
69 – Emily Grigsby – 59.42 – 35 – Womens – 25.57
70 – Andrey Smolnikov – 61.9 – 11 – 66 – 20.60
72 – Darrin Shallman – 67.60 – 30 – 74 – 0.00
72 – Hugo Turgeon – 62.60 – 14 – 66 – 0.00
72 – Matti Harju – 106.3 – 35 – 120 – 0.00

Event 3 Results – Shallow Hub

All weights in kilograms

Points – Name – Weight – Age – Class – Best Lift

1 – Pasi Mehtälä – 118.5 – 42 – 120 – 30.31
2 – Ivan Beritashvili – 95.6 – 27 – 105 – 28.31
3 – Juha Lehtimäki – 92.6 – 26 – 93 – 27.59
4 – Jouni Mähönen – 101.1 – 37 – 105 – 27.08
5 – Petri Partanen – 92.3 – 38 – 93 – 26.58
6 – Jake Sahlaney – 104.81 – 27 – 105 – 24.88
7 – Jedd Johnson – 116.48 – – 120 – 24.76
8 – Arto Joronen – 151.9 – 50 – 120+ – 24.60
9 – Jeff Parker – 106.17 – 31 – 120 – 23.78
10 – Gilbert Goodman – 96.60 – 29 – 105 – 23.50
12 – Alexandr Kudashkin – 104.7 – 23 – 105 – 23.30
12 – Dmitriy Osipov – 81.8 – 36 – 83 – 23.30
12 – Vladimir Abrikosov – 81.1 – 28 – 83 – 23.30
14 – Eric Roussin – 92.96 – 38 – 93 – 22.92
16.5 – Andrew Pantke – 102.09 – 30 – 105 – 22.68
16.5 – Chris gallagher – 109.35 – 38 – 120 – 22.68
16.5 – Frank Pizzo – 112.98 – 32 – 120 – 22.67510954
16.5 – Kody Burns – 91.65 – 37 – 93 – 22.68
19 – Josh Koenig – 73.96 – 36 – 74 – 22.53
20.5 – Alexey Pritula – 106.4 – 25 – 120 – 22.06
20.5 – Anton Kladiev – 99.0 – 27 – 105 – 22.06
22 – Marc Turgeon – 145.15 – 45 – 120+ – 21.70
23 – John Stepien – 120.79 – 31 – 120+ – 21.56
24 – Daniel Reinard – 88.90 – 33 – 93 – 20.96
25 – Darrin Shallman – 67.60 – 30 – 74 – 20.31
26 – Justin “JT” Straussner – 103.19 – 32 – 105 – 20.27
27 – Michael Rogowski – 83.00 – 29 – 83 – 19.80
28 – Petri Rantalainen – 79.7 – 29 – 83 – 19.59
29.5 – David Balayan – 73.1 – 32 – 74 – 19.57
29.5 – Fenne Muhonen – 81.3 – 26 – 83 – 19.57
31 – Pupchenko Ivan – 98.2 – 32 – 105 – 19.30
33 – Adam Thatcher – 102.09 – 40 – 105 – 19.20
33 – Bob Sundin – 77.13 – 55 – 83 – 19.20
33 – Rob McMurren – 119.78 – 42 – 120 – 19.20
35 – Lucas Raymond – 92.72 – 30 – 93 – 19.11
36.5 – Aldo Alberico – 82.10 – 37 – 83 – 19.00
36.5 – Massimo Mattiazzo – 70.70 – 40 – 74 – 19.00
38 – Sylvain Desjarlais – 70.76 – 33 – 74 – 18.30
39 – Allen Heineck – 81.40 – 39 – 83 – 18.15
40 – Jor-el Koenig – 65.11 – 33 – 66 – 17.85
41 – Kupinsky Igor – 138.5 – 33 – 120+ – 17.50
42 – Simon-Pierre Desjarlais – 73.94 – 30 – 74 – 17.25
43.5 – Mike Hagios – 119.05 – 33 – 120 – 17.08
43.5 – Skuyler Szigethy – 65.20 – 27 – 66 – 17.08
46 – Alexandr Asinovskiy – 111.4 – 37 – 120 – 17.07
46 – Ivan Pachenkov – 122.6 – 21 – 120+ – 17.07
46 – Pavel Trotsko – 108.8 – 25 – 120 – 17.07
48 – Jerry Szigethy – 92.90 – 59 – 93 – 16.52
49.5 – Daniel Montaleone – 80.10 – 24 – 83 – 15.25
49.5 – Massimigliano Zaganelli – 99.00 – 36 – 105 – 15.25
51 – Mathieu Charbonneau – 77.57 – 22 – 83 – 14.99
52 – Evan Raftopoulos – 70.09 – 31 – 74 – 14.83
53 – Andrey Tereniev – 66.0 – 25 – 66 – 14.57
54.5 – Andrea Bertozzi – 80.40 – 36 – 83 – 14.00
54.5 – Enrico Polgrossi – 80.70 – 30 – 83 – 14.00
56 – Philippe Tremblay – 73.48 – 20 – 74 – 13.85
58 – Shutka Svetlana – 62.3 – 32 – Womens – 13.30
58 – Zagoruiko Roman – 92.8 – 30 – 93 – 13.30
58 – Zynchenko Mykola – 88.9 – 69 – 93 – 13.30
60.5 – Andrea Gramentieri – 80.70 – 33 – 83 – 12.75
60.5 – Davide Cimatti – 89.50 – 32 – 93 – 12.75
62.5 – Jesse Larocque – 65.32 – 19 – 66 – 12.67
62.5 – Ricky Bee – 71.49 – 27 – 74 – 12.67
64 – Emily Grigsby – 59.42 – 35 – Womens – 11.10
65 – Rach Thatcher – 82.58 – 39 – Womens – 10.54
66 – Hugo Turgeon – 62.60 – 14 – 66 – 10.48
67 – Matteo Rossi – 88.20 – 23 – 93 – 10.25
68 – Nikita Smolnikov – 50.2 – 15 – 59 – 9.58
69 – Mashkovets Vyacheslav – 106.6 – 40 – 120 – 9.30
70 – Andrey Smolnikov – 61.9 – 11 – 66 – 7.08
72 – Jussi Wägg – 94.4 – 28 – 105 – 0.00
72 – Maria Bascetta – 69.75 – 32 – Womens – 0.00
72 – Matti Harju – 106.3 – 35 – 120 – 0.00

Event 4 Results – FBBC 2″ V-Bar

All weights in kilograms

Points – Name – Weight – Age – Class – Best Lift

1 – Kody Burns – 91.65 – 37 – 93 – 143.13
2 – John Stepien – 120.79 – 31 – 120+ – 141.61
3 – Gilbert Goodman – 96.60 – 29 – 105 – 136.55
4 – Lucas Raymond – 92.72 – 30 – 93 – 130.60
5.5 – Anton Kladiev – 99.0 – 27 – 105 – 129.86
5.5 – Ivan Beritashvili – 95.6 – 27 – 105 – 129.86
7 – Jake Sahlaney – 104.81 – 27 – 105 – 129.19
8 – Jouni Mähönen – 101.1 – 37 – 105 – 126.61
9 – Jedd Johnson – 116.48 – – 120 – 126.15
10 – Eric Roussin – 92.96 – 38 – 93 – 125.43
11 – Alexandr Kudashkin – 104.7 – 23 – 105 – 124.86
12.5 – Bob Sundin – 77.13 – 55 – 83 – 124.85
12.5 – Darrin Shallman – 67.60 – 30 – 74 – 124.85
14 – Josh Koenig – 73.96 – 36 – 74 – 124.82
15 – Kupinsky Igor – 138.5 – 33 – 120+ – 121.70
16 – Arto Joronen – 151.9 – 50 – 120+ – 121.62
17 – Alexandr Asinovskiy – 111.4 – 37 – 120 – 117.36
18 – Justin “JT” Straussner – 103.19 – 32 – 105 – 116.72
19 – Juha Lehtimäki – 92.6 – 26 – 93 – 116.64
20 – Vladimir Abrikosov – 81.1 – 28 – 83 – 114.86
21 – Daniel Reinard – 88.90 – 33 – 93 – 111.67
22 – Andrew Pantke – 102.09 – 30 – 105 – 108.76
23 – Petri Rantalainen – 79.7 – 29 – 83 – 107.97
24 – Aldo Alberico – 82.10 – 37 – 83 – 105.00
26 – Alexey Pritula – 106.4 – 25 – 120 – 104.86
26 – David Balayan – 73.1 – 32 – 74 – 104.86
26 – Dmitriy Osipov – 81.8 – 36 – 83 – 104.86
28.5 – Pasi Mehtälä – 118.5 – 42 – 120 – 103.01
28.5 – Petri Partanen – 92.3 – 38 – 93 – 103.01
30 – Andrea Bertozzi – 80.40 – 36 – 83 – 102.50
31 – Michael Rogowski – 83.00 – 29 – 83 – 100.35
32.5 – Andrey Tereniev – 66.0 – 25 – 66 – 99.86
32.5 – Fenne Muhonen – 81.3 – 26 – 83 – 99.86
34 – Skuyler Szigethy – 65.20 – 27 – 66 – 99.83
35 – Adam Thatcher – 102.09 – 40 – 105 – 96.42
36 – Rob McMurren – 119.78 – 42 – 120 – 96.40
37 – Zagoruiko Roman – 92.8 – 30 – 93 – 96.20
38.5 – Jerry Szigethy – 92.90 – 59 – 93 – 95.62
38.5 – Mike Hagios – 119.05 – 33 – 120 – 95.62
40 – Evan Raftopoulos – 70.09 – 31 – 74 – 95.45
41 – Frank Pizzo – 112.98 – 32 – 120 – 95.16
42 – Enrico Polgrossi – 80.70 – 30 – 83 – 95.00
43 – Pavel Trotsko – 108.8 – 25 – 120 – 94.86
44 – Jor-el Koenig – 65.11 – 33 – 66 – 94.03
46 – Marc Turgeon – 145.15 – 45 – 120+ – 93.54
46 – Philippe Tremblay – 73.48 – 20 – 74 – 93.54
46 – Sylvain Desjarlais – 70.76 – 33 – 74 – 93.54
48 – Davide Cimatti – 89.50 – 32 – 93 – 92.50
49 – Chris gallagher – 109.35 – 38 – 120 – 91.58
50 – Allen Heineck – 81.40 – 39 – 83 – 90.95
51 – Jeff Parker – 106.17 – 31 – 120 – 90.78
52 – Pupchenko Ivan – 98.2 – 32 – 105 – 88.90
53 – Daniel Montaleone – 80.10 – 24 – 83 – 88.50
54 – Mathieu Charbonneau – 77.57 – 22 – 83 – 84.09
55 – Simon-Pierre Desjarlais – 73.94 – 30 – 74 – 82.91
56 – Massimigliano Zaganelli – 99.00 – 36 – 105 – 80.00
57 – Ivan Pachenkov – 122.6 – 21 – 120+ – 79.86
58 – Massimo Mattiazzo – 70.70 – 40 – 74 – 77.50
59.5 – Mashkovets Vyacheslav – 106.6 – 40 – 120 – 76.60
59.5 – Zynchenko Mykola – 88.9 – 69 – 93 – 76.60
61 – Rach Thatcher – 82.58 – 39 – Womens – 75.67
62 – Jesse Larocque – 65.32 – 19 – 66 – 72.70
63 – Andrea Gramentieri – 80.70 – 33 – 83 – 71.25
64 – Ricky Bee – 71.49 – 27 – 74 – 70.03
65 – Hugo Turgeon – 62.60 – 14 – 66 – 56.48
66 – Nikita Smolnikov – 50.2 – 15 – 59 – 54.86
67 – Matteo Rossi – 88.20 – 23 – 93 – 52.50
68 – Emily Grigsby – 59.42 – 35 – Womens – 52.39
69 – Maria Bascetta – 69.75 – 32 – Womens – 49.70
70 – Shutka Svetlana – 62.3 – 32 – Womens – 49.20
71 – Andrey Smolnikov – 61.9 – 11 – 66 – 36.11
72.5 – Jussi Wägg – 94.4 – 28 – 105 – 0.00
72.5 – Matti Harju – 106.3 – 35 – 120 – 0.00

I want to send a get well shout-out to Chez, who hurt himself the weekend before the comp, and Jerry, who hurt himself at my comp.

I also want to send a big CONGRATS to a couple of my members at TheGripAuthority.com…

First off, Darrin Shallman, who pulled a 2X Bodyweight lift of 300lbs in an extra attempt on the 2″ Vertical Bar, the first person ever to do so, and also congrats to Jake Sahlaney, whocame in 5th place out of the 73 competitors. Any time he’s competing, I know I’ve gotta keep an eye on him. We will see if and when the student overtakes the teacher!

Now, it’s time to train for the annual December contest in Crooksville, Ohio, GRIPMAS.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Grip Hogs Day 2015

In December, I decided to run a contest with the primary objective to help get new Grip Sport Athletes involved in the sport.

I chose 2/7/15 and since it was right after Groundhog’s Day, I decided to name it Grip Hogs Day.

There were two divisions: the Open Class and a Super Match between my partner, Luke and myself.

I am happy to say that the entire contest was quite a success, as 7 out of the 12 lifters were first-time competitors and ALL of them reported they loved the contest and can’t wait for the next one!

Before I get too far into this, I want to send out a thanks to Luke Raymond, my Dad, and my wife. With everything they did, it was the easiest contest I’ve ever run! Thanks everyone!

Grip Hogs Day

Here are videos of each of the events:

Silver Bullet Hold

This event involves holding the IronMind Silver Bullet between the handles of a #3 Captains of Crush for as long as possible. Everyone got one chance to get their best time on the #3, and if they could not do get a legal hold, they could try the #2.

I have been dancing very close to the World Record in this event for the last few months. I was close again this time, with 43 seconds, but just didn’t have enough to break the record.

Two Hands Pinch

The Adjustable Pinch Device was used, so each competitor could use the width that felt best in their hands. Each got 4 attempts to lift the biggest weight possible.

I broke a new World Record off the ground in December on this lift and I was hoping to complete it at GHD, but a rash of thumb tears really affected my training the last couple of months and I had to settle with 248.

Double Overhand Axle

This lift is like a regular deadlift, only a 1.9″ OD Axle is used with a double overhand grip, both of which tax the hands more than a regular deadlift. The highlight of this event for me was watching newcomer, John Stepien, pull 383lbs, matching my lift, in his first ever Grip competition.

I truly thought this would be the day I hit 400lbs in competition, as I hit it recently in training, but I couldn’t quite pull it to a legal height, or control it as needed to be legal.

Pickaxe Lift

This event is similar to the Sledge Choke, only instead of moving away from the head of the hammer in order to increase the difficulty, everyone grips in the same spot and weight is added to a loading pin at the front of the handle. To keep the lift strict, a shot is balanced on a nut on to the top ridge of the Pickaxe.

The record prior to the contest was something like 11.4lbs. I had broken this several times in training, as had my partner Luke Raymond. As we anticipated, the end of the event ended up being a shoot-out between Luke and me, as we both set new records of 11.77. I won the event, lifting 12.18 and 12.51lbs in my later attempts. Luke tried 12.51lbs on 2 separate attempts, but his wrist power just wasn’t there due to an injury he sustained in December.

The Bull Ring Extensor Lift

This is a brand new event that was introduced at GHD. You place your hand inside the ring and lift the weight with the strength of the extensors.

The Bull Rings are available now. Contact me for ordering details at jedddotdieselatgmaildotcom. Aside from effectively allowing the extensors to be worked heavy and progressively, the Bull Ring can also be used as a hub device.

Looking Back on Grip Hogs Day

I would say this is easily the most fun I’ve ever had at one of my own contests, despite failing to break the records on the Silver Bullet and Two Hands Pinch. The group was all great, and I was so happy to meet all of the new competitors!

As you can see, we started everything off with a Flexing Pic, and aaalllmost everybody took part. Eli Thomas couldn’t believe the size of the guns on Napalm.

Mike Chaffee, Jedd Johnson, John Stepien

Mike Chaffee, who won the Novice Class award (first time competitors), and John Stepien, who came in 2nd place in the Novice category, both said they were hooked! I can’t wait to see what else they are capable of down the road!

I wish you would have been there, brother. You GOTTA make it to the next one!

Until then, all the best in your training.

Jedd

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Learn to Bend Horseshoes With Monster Hand Strength:

Hard Copy Version | Digital Version

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The Next Grip Strength Competition will take place on February 7th, and I am designing it to be very welcoming to new competitors.

Grip Hogs Day

DATE: February 7th, 2015
ENTRY FORM: Grip Hogs Day

EVENTS:
Silver Bullet Hold
Two Hands Pinch
Two Hand Axle Deadlift
Pickaxe Lift
Bull Ring Lift

WEIGH-IN: Any time after 8:00am (scale will be spot-calibrated)
WEIGHT CLASSES: Your lifts will be logged per North American Grip Sport’s weight class system (59k, 66k, 74k, 83k, 93k, 105k, 120k, 120k+)

DIVISIONS: Beginner / Experienced / Expert
Places will be figured based on experience level…examples:

**Beginners – Very limited grip experience

**Experienced – 2 or more grip contests

**Expert – Seasoned Veterans

SIGN-IN: 9:00am
RULES: 9:30am
START: 10:00am

LOCATION: Jedd Johnson’s Garage Gym
EMAIL FOR DIRECTIONS: jedd dot diesel at gmail dot com

ENTRY FEE: $20. POSSIBLE THROW-IN FOR PIZZA AFTERWARDS
DEADLINE: February 1st – Paying on contest day, add $10, unless otherwise notified.
Events subject to change without notice
Events order subject to change without notice

MAKE ALL CHECKS/ MONEY ORDERS PAYABLE TO: JEDD JOHNSON

MAIL ENTRY FORM AND FEE TO:
JEDD JOHNSON
PO BOX 806
WYALUSING, PA 18853

HOTELS
Available upon request. Please contact me.

AIRPORTS (all three are about the same distance from Wyalusing, 1.5 hrs)
Scranton/Wilkes Barre PA
Binghampton NY
Elmira NY

Event Explanations & Demonstrations

Silver Bullet
The IronMind Silver Bullet is placed between the handles of a #3 gripper. The #2 can be used by women and if the athlete can not get a proper attempt on the #3.

Two Hands Pinch
The adjustable pinch device is used, with steel outside plates and rubber inserts. It is adjustable from 12 to 64mm. With a two-hand, overhand grip, the athlete lifts the device until the loading pipe contacts a cross-bar 16.5 inches high, and then must return the implement to the floor without losing grip on it.

Two Hand Axle
A 1.9-inch thick barbell, called and Axle, is gripped with two hands in an overhand grip. The athlete must lift the axle to lockout. Once the referee gives the down signal, he must lower it back to the ground without losing his grip.

Pickaxe to Front (Max Weight)
The Pickaxe device is loaded at the front and gripped at the end. It must be lifted so the front crosses the height of 30 inches, without a steel shot falling off. The steel shot prevents excessive tilt. The Pickaxe can be lowered with two hands.

The Bull Ring
The Bull RIng is a brand new event testing extensor strength. The hand is placed palm-down inside the ring, contacting only the underside of the lifting surface, and at no time can come in contact with the V-shaped supports on the underside. The athlete must lift the Bull Ring to lockout, get a good call from the ref, and the return it to the floor without losing grip on the implement.

COMING SOON

I hope to see you on February 7th. It’s gonna be a great time.

Jedd

Increase Your Two Hands Pinch
Order Your Copy of Napalm Pinch TODAY

This past weekend, Saturday, October 25th, 2014, I ran one leg of the International King Kong of Grip Challenge. Congratulations to Ari Siltaoja of Finland on his victory.

Below are the overall results.

As you look at the event scores, keep in mind that Event 1 was One Hand Pinch, Event 2 was One Hand Axle, Event 3 was the Hub and Event 4 was the Little Big Horn.

Sorry for the formatting, by the way. I took screen shots off the Gripboard, and the formatting can be really hard to manage some time.

International King Kong of Grip 2014 Results

Here are the video clips from my location in Wyalusing.

One Hand Pinch

For the One Hand Pinch, the adjustable pinch device was used, made of steel disks on the outside and either rubber or plastic inserts inside. The objective is to pinch the implement with one hand and pick it up until the loading pipe hits the cross-bar and control it to the ground.

One Hand Axle

For the One Hand Axle, you grip it with one hand and then lift it to above the middle of the knee. Both ends of the bar must be at that height as well, with the legs locked, but the hips and shoulders do not have to be.

IronMind Hub

The new version of the IronMind Hub was used at all the competition locations. The index and middle fingers had to be used. The ring and pinky fingers could be used if desired. The four fingers had to be in a claw position. The thumb could be in clay position or hooked, but no portion of the thumb pad or palm could be touching the hub surface. The implement was then lifted to lockout and controlled to the ground after the “Good” signal/call.

IronMind Little Big Horn

The IronMind Little Big Horn, anvil-style implement, was used. The lift was done to lockout and you had to control it to the ground.

The competition in Wyalusing went very well. Nobody had any serious injuries. We had someone come for their first contest and he enjoyed it. We had some come for their second contest, and we had some veterans.

I would have been much happier with some better lifts. Unfortunately, I wanted to be cautious with my right shoulder, as pulling things from the floor is what really lights it up. So, I went left-handed on all the lifts. My left hand is actually my better hand for the One Hand Pinch, so that worked out fine, but it absolutely pathetic for me on the Hub and Axle. I was pretty happy with my lifts on the Little Big Horn and actually PR’d by a good 10+ lbs.

Many great lifts took place across the globe. On top of winning the overall, Ari Siltaoja set a new World Record mark in the Hub Lift that is being recognized by IronMind. John McCarter set a new world record in the Hub that is actually heavier than Ari’s lift. IronMind has not acknowledged John’s lift at this time, and I do not know the reason why.

Any questions on the competition, please feel free to post a comment.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

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King Kong of Grip 2014

I will be holding a venue for the second annual International King Kong Grip Challenge, taking place on October 25th, 2014. Here are the general details:

Events:

• One Hand Pinch Deadlift (Euro Device)
• One Hand Axle Deadlift (Ironmind Apollon’s Axle)
• Ironmind Hub
• Ironmind Little Big Horn
• Extra Event (Wyalusing Only) Silver Bullet Hold

Weight Classes:

• Men: 59kg / 66kg / 74kg / 83kg / 93kg / 105kg / 120kg / 120+kg
• Women: Open

Prizes:

• Medals for the top three finishers in each class
• Medals for the top lift in each event
• Award for the overall champion plus the title of “The King Kong of Grip”

Confirmed venues and promoters so far:

• Ottawa, Ontario, Canada – Eric Roussin
• Detroit, MI – Andrew Pantke
• Wooster, OH – Brandon Gerber
• Westchester, NY – Cesare Ricchezza
• Moscow, Russia – Ivan Beritashvili
• Finland – Juha Harju
• Santa Cruz, CA – Clay Edgin
• Fort Worth, TX – Eric Milfeld
• Wyalusing, PA – Jedd Johnson
• Denton, TX – Adam Glass
• Boston, MA – Michael Sheehan
• Marthasville, MO – Luke Wicks

Additional venues are popping up all the time, and this could end up being the BIGGEST Mega-Comp of all time.

If you are a promoter who is interested in taking part, please contact Eric Roussin by email at eroussin@rogers.com.

Entry Form: Download Here

How this contest will work:

As in any Grip Contest, the objective is to perform as well as possible on each event. Your best lift on each event will be sent in to the main promoter, Eric Roussin and will be added to the results for all the other events as well. So, you will be going up against lifters taking part in the overall contest in all corners of the United States, Canada, Russia, and Finland. Because there are multiple locations taking part in the same events on the same day, this sort of contest is called a Mega Comp.

You may use only one hand on each event. You may choose to use the Right hand on two events and the Left hand on two events, you can use your dominant hand on all the events, or in any combination you see fit. The only limitation is that once you take an official attempt with one of your hands, you may not change during that event.

All of the events being contest are Rising Bar events. This means that once weight is added to the loading pin, the overall weight is not reduced for later attempts. This means if you start out too high and miss your lift, you can not drop back down, so the best idea is to take a safe lift, to make sure you get on the board. You get four (4) attempts on each event to get your best score possible.

With the One Hand Pinch, the width of the implement is adjustable. Each competitor will be given time to test out the implement to see which width is best for them. Once you choose a width, you must stay with that width. We will begin with the narrowest width being used and then go up from there. The following widths are definitely attainable using the adjustable pinch device: 44mm, 48mm, 52mm, 56mm, 58mm, 64mm. Other widths may be attained as well as needed by lifters.

Individual Event Rules: (video demonstrations to come)

One Hand Pinch Deadlift: The lifter grips the plates in an overhand grip, with the thumb towards them and the fingers away. The lifter lifts the apparatus until the loading pipe touches a cross-bar sitting at 16.5″. The lifter must then return the implement back to the floor under control. 4 attempts

One Hand Axle Deadlift (Ironmind Apollon’s Axle): The lifter can use a straddle lift, where the bar runs between the legs, or a conventional lift, where the bar sits in front of the shins. The lifter must lift the bar off the ground so that the center of the bar and both ends are above the centerline of the knee caps and the legs lock out. Shorts must be worn. 4 attempts

Ironmind Hub: The lifter grips the Hub so that the finger tips of all 4 fingers and thumb contact the flat plate. They must then lift the Hub and loading pin to lockout and wait for a “Good” call from the judge. The lifter must then lower the implement back to the floor under control. 4 attempts

Ironmind Little Big Horn: The lifter grips the Horn and lifts the implement to the lockout position, waiting for a “Good” call from the judge and returns the implement to the floor under control. 4 attempts

In all of these lifts, the off-hand may be braced against the thigh in order to stabilize. The lifting hand, however, may not be assisted by bracing against the body and contact with the body is not permitted in the case of the Hub, Axle, or Horn. With the Pinch, it is very common and expected for the back of the loading pipe to contact the leg and does not disqualify a lift.

Additional Event at Wyalusing location:

Silver Bullet Hold: An optional fifth event will take place following the first four events, the Silver Bullet Hold. Men will crush down a #3 gripper onto an official IronMind Silver Bullet and hold it for time. The official IronMind Disk, weighing 2.5kg will be suspended from the Silver Bullet. Women will use a #1 Gripper.

Technical Demonstrations will be shot and posted here soon.

In the future, short clinics for the 5 events being held in the King Kong contest will be held in Wyalusing. Announcements will be made as they are scheduled.

Napalm Pinch Adjustable Pinch Devices can be order through my store:

• Napalm Pinch Pro: You receive the outside steel plates and 6mm (2) & 10mm (4) plastic inserts with tabs on the sides for quicker adjustments
• Napalm Pinch Basic: You will receive the outside steel plates and 1/4″ rubber inserts (9)

Looking forward to seeing you and many others on October 25th, 2014.

Who will be the 2014 King Kong of Grip???

Jedd

Diesel Crew and Titan Strength present:

A Branch of the 10th Anniversary of the Adjustable Pinch Contest

When: Saturday 3 May, 2014

Events
1. Two Hands Pinch Lift
4 Attempts to lift as big of weight as possible. Rising Bar will be used.
The European Adjustable pinch will be used.

2. Two Hands Pinch Lift Hold
4 Attempts to hold the biggest weight as long as possible. Reverse Rising Bar will be used
The European Adjustable pinch will be used.

3. Stub – Hold
4 Attempts to hold the biggest weight as long as possible. Reverse Rising Bar will be used
The Grip Topz Stub will be used

*These are the three events that will factor into the overall world-wide scoring for the 10th Anniversary Mega Comp

Additional Event(s) (Factored into Local Scoring)

1. IronMind Silver Bullet Hold
4 Attempts to hold 2.5-kgs as long as possible.
Men will use #3 or #2 gripper. Women will use #2 or #1 Gripper.
A Brand New #3 gripper will be opened for this event, in order to qualify for the official World Record, should anyone be bold enough to go for it.

2. Double Blob Lift Hold for Time
4 Attempts to hold 50-lb Blobs off the ground as long as possible.
Two Next Gen Blobs will be used.

Classes: Open

Venues: Various Clubs
David Horne, England
Juha Harju, Finland
Jedd Johnson, USA
Jon Umpherville, Canada

Entrance fees: $20

Trophies: There will be medals for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of the Open, sent by David Horne after the event.

Competitors will sign a release/waiver and pay entry fee prior to the event.

Address:

Titan Strength
352 East Franklin Street
Horseheads, NY 14845

All the best in your training,

Jedd

This weekend is the Arnold Classic and counting this year, I will have gone 6 out of the last 7 years. I love the atmosphere and it always triggers a spike in my training.

There’s something for everybody at the Arnold Classic. Let me paint a picture for you.

The Arnold take place in a HUGE convention center covering I don’t know how many blocks in the city of Columbus Ohio. The event started out as mainly a bodybuilding deal, but it has expanded over the years to include Powerlifting, Olympic Lifting, and Strongman contests as well as Martial Arts, Fitness and other competitions.

This year, they are also including their first ever Grip Contest on the main stage, called Mighty Mitts. I was lucky enough to get an invite and I am honored. I have been training hard and am geared up to get on the stage.

Now, here’s the deal. If you’re not prepared for the Arnold Classic weekend, you won’t maximize your experience, so here’s a few points to consider to get the most out of the Classic.

Take Water

It is extremely dry in the event center. They do sell water there, but it is like $8 a bottle, so pack your own and bring it with you.

Take Snacks

There’s very few places to eat outside the event center in the hallways, and it’s kind of expensive. There’s tons of free samples of hundreds of different supplements like shakes and bars and powders, but you can only handle so much of that stuff and some of it tastes like a pencil eraser during the SAT’s. So pack some good stuff to take in with you.

Bring Your Camera

There are lots of photo opportunities at the Arnold. There are Bodybuilders, MMA Fighters, Pro Powerlifters and Strongmen, Pro Wrestlers and dozens of Fitness chicks. They will often let you get a picture with them for free, but sometimes they do charge. Either way you’ll have photos that will last you a lifetime.

Wear Comfortable Cargo Pants

Get yourself a pair of loose fitting cargo pants with lots of pockets. This way you can easily carry your water, snacks and camera among other things. Make sure they are loose fitting and not a set of butt huggers. There are plenty of feats of strength to try in the event center, and you don’t want the seam in your ass to tear while trying to do them.

Bring a Back Pack

You may get the opportunity to get some free shirts and other swag while you’re at the Arnold. You’ll turn around and see some fitness model throwing them all over. Fight for the free shirt and stuff it into your pack. Aside from free stuff, you may want to buy shirts and stuff at the seemingly thousands of tables that are there, and the last thing you want to do is carry that stuff around in your hands all day. Now, if your back pack has the Care Bears on it, leave it at home. Some booths will hand out free plastic bags if you need them.

Try the Grip Gauntlet

Each year I have gone, the GNC booth holds the GNC Grip Gauntlet featuring IronMind Grippers, IronMind Rolling Thunder, and the Blob. If you lift the Blob, 207 on the Rolling Thunder, and close the #3 Gripper, you get a real nice gift certificate – I think it’s like $50 or $100! What’s a Blob? Check out this article = = > What is the Blob?

Bring a Towel

A lot of greasy sons-of-guns get their hands on the Blob over the course of the weekend. I mean THOUSANDS of people try this thing. The Blob is hard enough with the ultra-slick stove paint they put on it. It will just be harder if it is covered in hand sweat, so bring your towel to wipe it and the Rolling Thunder off before you make your attempt. A trip through the Gauntlet is worth just the opportunity to meet and shake hands with the Gillingham brothers.

Bring Some Cash, but Take a Deep Breath

You will have opportunities to buy a lot of cool stuff at the Arnold, so bring some cash or a credit card, but take it easy. Don’t just buy on impulse, because you could end up going off the deep end. If you are going with a friend, tell them to monitor your spending. Know what you want to look for, but set your limits.

Bring Your Diesel Shirt

When you walk through the event center, if you see me make sure to give me a holler, and wear your Diesel shirt so I can spot you easier.

Check out Mighty Mitts

Mighty Mitts will be taking place between events at the Arnold Strongman Competition on Friday Afternoon and Saturday evening. I will be competing with 10 of the top dudes in the world. Many, I have competed against in standard Grip competitions. Others, I have met before, but never competed against, and still others I have never met and never competed against. Some of these guys have tremendous Grips on them and have done awesome things Grip-related in the past, just never competed in standard contests before. With this event being all thick bar, it is going to be something to behold!

Wear Comfortable Shoes

You spend a lot of time on your feet at the Arnold and there is almost nowhere to sit down except on the floor, so make sure your shoes are comfortable or else your feet will be screaming by the end of the weekend.

Steal a Seat

It is a cut-throat process getting a chair in front of the stage. You basically have to swoop down immediately once someone stands up. This may mean if you are traveling in a group that you might get split up. The seat is worth it to give your feet a break, so steal your buddy’s seat if you have to.

Cell Phone on Vibrate

If you get split up from your crew, it’s very hard to meet back up, and it is so loud that it is almost impossible to hear a cell phone ring, so set the thing on vibrate and put it in your hip pocket so you will feel it.

Wallet in Hip Pocket

Not sure what the crime rates are at the Arnold Classic, but there are pick-pockets everywhere. it is slightly harder for someone to pick your pocket if you stick your pocket in your front hip pocket than your back pocket or leg pocket. Don’t stick it in a zipper pocket in your book bag. They are too easy to unzip by someone else while you walk and you will never know it. It’s a shame this tip even has to appear here, but it is a sad truth. Awareness is preparedness.

Alright, my friends, it’s just about time for me to hit the road and be on my way to Columbus, Ohio. If you have any more tips for the better of the order, then please leave a comment in the comment box below!

Thanks a ton and have a great weekend, especially if you are at the Arnold.

And if you see me and I don’t see you, yell, shout, hit me with a rock, poke my eye or something to get my attention. It’ll be nice to meet everybody.

Read about last year’s Arnold Classic = = > Arnold 2009

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Hands Across the Sea Grip Contest

Head Organizer: David Horne
Locale Promoter: Jedd Johnson
Date: Saturday, February 8th, 2014
Times: Weigh-ins: 8:30 to 10 AM Rules: 9AM, Warm-ups: 9:30, Contest Begins 10:30AM Final Wrap-up: 3PM
Location: Jedd’s Gym, Wyalusing PA
Entrance Fee: $20

Additional Events: After the contest, if time allows, we will have an open training session. You will also be able to take attempts at NAGS qualification lifts, Grip Monsters Challenge, and other On-line Challenges.

Events:
1. Two Hands Pinch Lift: 4 Attempts to Get Your Max Lift
2. Stub – Hold: Hold for time using specified weights. (Rules Below)
3. IronMind Gripper #4, #3 or #2 – Silver Bullet: Hold for Time with 2.5-kilograms. (Rules Below)

Rules – 4 attempts allowed on each event if you wish
Event 1 – Two Hands Pinch Lift
The width of the pinch apparatus is adjustable to suit different hand sizes, but to keep it within the spirit of a pinch lift the minimum width allowed is the 2 outer steel discs and 2 rubber spacer discs, a width of 24mm. Before the event starts, you will be given the opportunity to try it and find your best width. The smooth-sided, adjustable-width disc is held on a 2” thick metal rod by a pair of collars. Extra weights will be added to the outsides. The top of this is grasped with an overhand pinch grip (with no further than a 3” gap between the index fingers) and lifted until the end of the bar touches a horizontal bar placed at 16.5”, measured from the underside of the bar to the floor. There is no referee’s signal. You do not have to be erect upon completion. You must lower the weight under control. If the outer discs accidentally touch the bar before the bar itself, referee’s discretion will be used to judge whether the correct height was attained. Pinch gripping the discs using an unorthodox underhand grip will not be allowed.

Additional equipment rules: 1. The apparatus has to be loaded with the same number of discs on each side, in the same order, and has to weigh similar (max 1k tolerance between the total weight of the weights at the front, and weights at the rear). 2. The heaviest discs should be loaded nearest to the adjustable pinch discs themselves. 3. The spacer/collars that hold the inside adjustable discs together should be the same length. 4. The discs added should be smaller in height than the adjustable discs you grasp, so that the view of the lifters hands are not totally obscured, and the lift starts from the proper height.

Event 2 – Stub Hold
1. The usual Stub rules apply; except you do not have to lift the apparatus to a certain height. Timing is started from the moment the weight is lifted off the floor, and stopped when it either drops out of the hands, or it is put down. The apparatus is not allowed to touch the legs or any other bodyparts apart from the hands holding it.

2. The minimum time accepted in the contest is 5 seconds. All times are rounded down to the full second ie. 17.77secs, becomes 17secs.

3. Weights to be used are: 21k, 19k, 16k, 13k, 10k or 7k if needed.

4. The best way to operate this event in a contest is to go from heavy (21k) to light, and this means that someone can have an attempt at the heavier weight, and if they fail they can fall back to a lighter weight.

Event 3 – IronMind Gripper – Silver Bullet

Not official record attempt.

1. Must use a CoC gripper #4, #3 or #2.

2. The best way to operate this event in a contest is to go from #4 to #2, and this means that someone can have an attempt at the tougher gripper, and if they fail they can fall back to an easier one.

3. A genuine IronMind CoC Silver Bullet must be used, with 2.5 kg of weight hanging from the strap silver bullet and this weight may take the form of either an IWF or IPF certified recognized (calibrated) plate or some other weight that has been demonstrated to be no less that 2.50 kg on a certified or otherwise demonstrably-accurate scale.

4. The CoC Silver Bullet is inserted by the competitor no deeper than up to the top edge of the clear band, so that the script Captains of Crush® is legible, and so that all four fingers are in contact with the CoC gripper handle* (dropping the pinky completely off the end of the gripper handle is expressly prohibited).

5. Using one or two hands, the competitor closes the CoC No. 3 in his own time so that the two handles hold the CoC Silver Bullet in place and once this position has been achieved, and only one hand is holding the gripper shut, the referee gives the signal to start the clock. If the competitor fails to get a secure hold on the CoC Silver Bullet he is allowed one chance to reset it.

6. The hand must be held with the gripper approximately vertical.

7. Time stops when the Silver Bullet drops from the handles or when the referee observes any opening of the gripper handle for any reason whatsoever.

*This means on the “top” side of the handle, as the fingers are normally positioned.

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If you have any questions at all, please post below.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

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Take Your Two Hands Pinch to the Next Level

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On September 28th, I promoted the Holdfast Gauntlet Grip Contest here at my gym in Wyalusing, PA. It was an awesome contest featuring a whole bunch of brand new competitors, plus a mix of veterans as well.

The DVD’s of the competition are ready and I am taking orders. To speed up the process, the DVD’s will be shipped in a jewel, instead of contracting an artist to do the artwork for an actual DVD cover for the artwork.

This also helps keep the cost down, so the price is only $10 for the DVD plus shipping. You can order them here: Holdfast Gauntlet.

In addition, I have also been working on making all of my other contests I have promoted in the past available. I have been promoting Grip Contests since 2004, so I have a huge amount of history on the hard drive of my computer.

I want to make the history of Grip Sport available to those who want to experience it, and you will be able to re-live these contests one event at a time.

Currently, on top of Holdfast Gauntlet, you can also access Global Grip Challenge 2006 and 2007. Here is where to go: Grip Contests

As long as interest is strong enough, I will continue to expand this library of past Grip Contests, including the very first contest I ever competed in, the Battle for Grip Supremacy, promoted by Rick Walker back in September of 2003.

Speaking of BFGS, the Holdfast Gauntlet was almost exactly 10 years after that event. Rick Walker ended up coming to Holdfast to help me out with judging, so as a surprise, I recognized him with an award. I have always considered him a Pioneer in the Sport of Grip, so I got him the Grip Pioneer award. Check out the video below.

Call me a sentimental guy – I think things like this are important. The work that goes into running a competition is unbelievable and hard to describe, and Rick did the very first one on the East Coast and the biggest one ever in the United States that I am aware of. Plus, as I said in the video, I never would have found out about Grip Sport if it weren’t for Rick. It was my pleasure to present him with this small token of my appreciation.

Once again, if you’d like to tap into the awesome history of the past Diesel Crew Grip Contests, be sure to go to this page: Grip Contests.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

King Kong Grip Challenge Preparation

My members at TheGripAuthority.com are always pushing themselves, and if there is a Grip Contest going on in the United States, you can bet that some of them have their eyes set on it, just like King Kong to the right.

In October, Eric Roussein will be holding a world-wide competition called the King Kong Grip Challenge, and this contest is no different, as at least two of my guys are getting ready to compete in it.

I was asked to put something together around this contest because of its interesting selection of events.

At the King Kong Grip Challenge, these are the events:

• 1 Hand Axle Deadlift
• 1 Hand Euro Pinch
• IronMind Hub
• IronMind Little Big Horn

The events that will be held in King Kong Grip Challenge are not the most common events. While all of them have appeared in contests before, they are not perennially featured events, and very little information is out there about them.

With that, I went straight to work laying out the Workout of the Month.

Naturally, I wanted to provide as complete information as possible for those planning to test themselves in this competition, so I also put together a video about strategy for this type of contest, and I did a technique demonstration for each event as well.

So, you are getting much more than just a workout.

This is a 2-Day Workout. I thought it best to set it up this way for two reasons.

1. All of the events are 1-handed. Training 4 different events all in one day will always cause one or two of the events to be trained with hands that are far too exhausted to get a good indication of progress, so two events are trained on one day, and the other two are trained on the other, along with a short gripper workout.

2. Since some of these events are uncommon, I knew most people would have to dedicate more time to some of them in order to get complete conditioning and development. Most just have not trained lifts like the 1-hand axle and the little big horn, so they need more dedicated time.

So, not only are you getting 1 workout, but 2.

Naturally, you can place the days wherever you like during the week, however it works for you. You can even switch days for certain events if you’d like. I set the days up like I did for the following reasons:

1. Thick Bar has a tendency to mess up gripper performance, so I put those on two separate days.

2. 1 Hand Euro and the Hub both work the thumbs, so I placed them on two separate days so they did not interfere with one another as much.

3. 1 Hand Axle and Little Big Horn are the two heaviest events, so I split them up, one on each day.

I think this workout will help you with your programming for the King Kong Grip Challenge. Any questions you have about personalizing this for your needs, just let me know.

Pick it up here: King Kong Grip Challenge Workout Just $9.95.

Jedd

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Check out some of my other popular products.

     

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A couple months ago, some of the guys from TheGripAuthority.com were talking in our Facebook Forum about Grip Contests.

They made mention of the fact that where they live, there are rarely, if ever, any Grip Contests anywhere remotely close.

They said, since they’d have to travel in order to compete (and they want to compete in a comp like caged wild dogs want to eat raw T-bone steaks), they figured, “Hey, if we’ve got to travel to compete anyway, we might as well travel to Jedd’s place and compete so he can show us how to do it right.”

Sound Wisdom.

These guys reached out to me, and I thought it was a great idea. These guys would be able to get their feet wet in Grip Sport, and I would be able to help them out every step along the way.

If you are looking to compete in Grip Sport, this is a GREAT contest for you to attend. And if you are a complete beginner, you should definitely consider it. Many people who have confirmed that they are coming have never competed in contests before.

Here is the info on the contest.

Holdfast Gauntlet

Date: Saturday, September 28, 2013

Start Time: 10AM

Weigh-ins: 8AM

Rules: 9AM

Weight Classes: All official NAGS weight classes will be run, provided the contestants send their entry forms prior to to 9/21/13. My scale will be point calibrated, so that your lifts will be official for the NAGS Records Lists.

Entry Fee: $50 ($70 day of event)

Entry Form: Download Here

Prizes: To be determined.

Events:

• Grippers with 20-mm Block
• 2 Hands Pinch
• 12-lb Hammer Coin Deadlift to 18″
• Speed Medley
• Hold for Time or Wrist Roller

I will put demonstrational videos up for the execution of all of the lifts at TGA, another benefit of being a member.

Here is a video about the contest. It contains links to other videos that give more specific info on the contest.

Airlines: 3 airlines are almost all within the same distance to my place: Scranton/Wilkes Barre International, Elmira/Corning NY and Binghampton NY. My town I am in is Wyalusing.

There are a lot more hotels around than there were the last time I ran a big comp, so I will get that information out to you.

Confirmed Entrants:

Rick Walker (possible depending on family events)
Mike Rinderle
Jedd Johnson Definite
Brent Barbe
Darrin Shallman
Lucas Wicks
Chris Andrade
Frank DeLuca
Colt Anstine & Wife
Robby Sparango
George Bristol
Chez (depending on injuries)
Kevin Collen
Karl M. Skjelvik (paid)

Questions? Post below if you do not see the answer here.

All the best in your training, and I look forward to seeing you here in Wyalusing, PA.

Jedd

Need Help Preparing for the Holdfast Gauntlet?
Join me at TheGripAuthority.com and Let’s Get Your Ready for the Platform

North American Grip Sport Championship 2013

This past weekend was the 2013 North American Grip Sport Championship. This is the annual championship contest, the SuperBowl, World Series and Sweet 16 all rolled into one day of Grip Sport Mayhem.

The contest was held this year at Andrew Durniat’s Gym, Durniat Strength and Optimal Performance, in Wooster, Ohio. In order to compete, athletes had to qualify through one of many means, including rankings from previous competitions during the season, as well as video submissions of certain feats of Grip Strength.

Before I get into the contest itself, I want to give some shout-outs to people who have been incredibly important to me in my training since Nationals 2012. You see, the Nationals 2012 competition was an all-time low for me. I really struggled, finishing poorly, and feeling totally disappointed in how I finished.

Luckily, I did not let that stop me, as I was able to turn it all around, but not without a lot of help.

I want to recognize the people who have helped me along the way over the past year.

As so often things do, my turn-around started when I hit bottom. In early August, one thing was happening after the other and before I knew it, I found myself extremely depressed. It was my two friends, Mike Rinderle and Rick Walker that got me back on track. These guys are two fellas that I consider friends for life for all they have done for me. We basically had a group counseling session via text messages that day and it ended up making a difference in my life that carried me through the next several months. That may have seemed like just another texting conversation to those guys, but it wasn’t. I know there are plenty of people with worse problems than I have, but that was seriously a bad day for me, and Mike and Rick pulled me out of a deep, dark hole with a big long rope and I won’t forget it.

Big Dude in the Red is Niko Hulslander

The next person I want to give a shout to is Niko Hulslander of Garage Ink. Niko is a renowned powerlifter and an amazing coach, and he turned out to be the trigger that finally got me going on the right track with some serious progress. I told him about how bad my body was hurting, how weak I was feeling, and how un-confident I was feeling and he took me under his wing and really got me going in the right direction. Week in and week out, I shot video of my training and he coached me, primarily on my Deadlift form, and this coaching helped me get back to a 500-lb Double Overhand Deadlift. I have told him a few times how grateful I was, but it has been a while, and I hope he knows just how important of a role he played for me in the last year.

The next person I’d like to mention is Paul Knight. Many of you who follow Grip know that name, but some may not. Paul is one of the world’s BEST gripper closers, having certified on the IronMind #3.5 and the Mash Monster Level 6. If you don’t know what these are, they are serious grippers and world-class accomplishments. Paul coached me for several months last year on Grippers, which helped a great deal, but more than that he got me thinking about Gripper training in a whole new way, something that has helped me out immeasurably. It was like my brain was chained in the corner of a dark room, but with his guidance and inspiration, I was able to finally make some improvements on my gripper training.

Mark Gannon

The next person I must thank is Mark Gannon. Mark has been a personal training client of mine since May of 2011, but in the Fall of 2012, he and I began hitting a weekly session together. It had been YEARS since I had a steady training partner, and working out with him, even though it was early in the morning and I am NOT a morning person, kicked me and my lifting into another level. Mark has never questioned a single thing I have had him do and he has been an INTENSE lifter ever since he came into the fold, and that did not stop when we started working out together either. He never has shied away from Log Lifts, Squats, Deadlifts or anything. He and I still train together once a week and each workout seems to somehow top the last one we did. Our favorite combination has become Back and Triceps. As I’ve mentioned before, this combination is KILLER, and I strongly suggest you try it. Although Mark does not train Grip with me, the momentum I get with him in the mornings often carries forward into the Grip workout I have later that night, or on the weekend, as he and I often hook up on Friday mornings.

During this time, while I was feeling like an absolute MONSTER in my full body training, my Grip lifts started to decline for some reason. It had gotten to the point that any lifts where I had to bend over were crumbling, and my numbers resembled more of a newcomer to grip than a seasoned veteran. I reached a point where I could no longer perform a full lift with the 50-lb Blob, something that just a few months prior I was snatching overhead in one movement. Something was seriously wrong, so I ended up seeing a doctor and getting some tests, and I learned that I had developed Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.

I began attending therapy sessions here in Wyalusing, PA at ProCare in December and continued until February. I did not lift at all from something like December 6th through the end of the month. I was going to go to the Gripmas Contest in December without training the last couple of weeks prior to it, but another injury to my forearm flexors kept me from going. I couldn’t even straighten my arm as I watched highlights of the contest and Kody Burns breaking my mark on the Two Hands Pinch. After 6 solid weeks of no training, I finally began to hit 30% weights in January and returned to full lifting in February. The very first day I was back, I was able to pick up the 50-lb Fatman Blob, the hardest I Blob I have in my collection, and hold it while I hit the speed bag. I owe a great deal of thanks to the skilled therapists at ProCare for helping me come back.

JT Straussner
In the still shot, seated, to the right, is Maryanne McKeague
The value she provides at contests by judging, loading, and recording is immeasurable!
Thank you for all you do, Maryanne!

Right around this time in early February, to my surprise, I found out that one of the best steel benders in the world, JT Straussner was living in the area, working in the Natural Gas industry. The truth is, he had been here for 4 months already and did not realize he was only 40 minutes away. He contacted me through Facebook and the next day he was here training. With JT here, I now have the closest thing to a full-time partner for Grip Training that I have ever had. When he isn’t here, we are texting back and forth about training ideas, analyzing lifts, and coming up with new schemes about how to get one more pound on a lift, shut a gripper down a hair further, or hold onto something for just a split second longer. I can’t say enough about how much he’s helped me, and we are already working on a plan for the next several weeks of training.

Finally, I must give recognition to Robby Sparango. I have been coaching him on-line throughout much of 2013 and despite the fact that we have never been in the same State together, his energy, will to learn and desire to improve has been inspiring. I feed off other people’s energy and Robby has that in spades. This guy is going to be great!

To each of these people, as well as every single person who has sent me messages, emails, youtube comments, etc., I owe a huge THANKS. Believe me, I am just like everybody else and have bad workouts, bad moments, and I get frustrated just as much as you all do, so when I get a note from you, it makes a difference. I am extremely lucky to have so many people who support me, so thank you to you all.

Now, after all that, here’s the run-down on the NAGS Championship 2013

Event 1: Grippers

The first event was Grippers. In 2010 and 2011, I closed a 182-rated #3.5, but in 2012, I couldn’t even come close. As I look back, with as poorly as I did at NAGS 2012, that was probably right around where my Thoracic Outlet Syndrome either started or where it reached the point of volatility where it began pulling my numbers down. I don’t recall what I got last year, but it might have been in the 170’s. This year, I closed a 182.1 gripper on my first attempt, and then a 185-rated gripper on my second. I tried a 187 on my third attempt, but it was quite a ways from closing, so I waived my 3rd attempt.

I did not get the 182.1 close on film, but I got the 185 and it is posted below.

The 185 was an outlier gripper. What I mean is it rates 185 on the device time and time again, but when squeezing it, it feels less. I should have gone for it immediately on my first left-handed attempt, but did not do so until my 2nd or 3rd attempt. It’s funny how memory clouds up after less than a week, even after such an important event. I was close to closing it with my left hand, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, so I had to settle for a 150 or so close with my left hand.

Event 2: Two Hands Pinch

The second event was the Two Hands Pinch. As I stated before, Kody Burns exceeded my mark of 268lbs in December, moving it to 270 plus change, and this would be the first time he and I would compete against one another since doing so, so it added a bit of drama to the event.

I struggled to lift 255 last year at Nationals, missing on it 3 times before finally lifting it on the 4th. With such a close call last year, this year, I decided to play it safe and started much lower. I remember my first pull came up extremely easy, pulling it well beyond the stick and setting it down under control. Although we were lifting on two separate implements, Kody and I ended up hitting our attempts at the same time and we switched back and forth for each one to go. I thought that was cool, although I have heard feedback since that it drug on too long. Oh well.

Kody had hit something around 245, so I went on to 253. I missed it on the first attempt, but I shouldn’t have. I noticed the spacers had partially popped up out of the steel frame prior to lifting, and I should have asked for it to be re-adjusted, but instead I just lifted. The result was the implement only came up off the ground a few inches. This REALLY pissed me off, because I knew I had the strength to pull it plus some more on that day.

I came back and hit 253 clean while Kody couldn’t quite get 262 to cooperate, so I won the Pinch event with my pull of 253.

By this point, I knew I was in good standing in the overall and was probably either 2nd or 3rd. We were now going into the Axle Deadlift.

Event 3: Axle Deadlift

Thick Bar has always been a struggle for me, despite my willingness to train it hard. In actuality, I trained Axle much harder the last two months than I did the Two Hands Pinch. I am not sure if that helped me as much as I would have liked…

Again, I started out light here, because last year I totally BOMBED on all my lifts. This year, being more careful, I got two successful lifts at around 355 and 365, then missed 375 during my final two events. I was really trying to focus in and squeeze as hard as I could, and while on the second attempt I think I actually pulled it higher, it was still nowhere near lockout.

Going into the 4th event, the Medley, I was now in 3rd place, trailing Andrew Durniat by who knows how much and behind Brad Ardrey by 7/100’s of a point – CRAZY.

Event 4: Medley

This year, I attacked the Medley. Strike that. JT and I attacked the Medley. We had a list of the challenges and analyzed it both during each workout and while we drove to the contest. We had gone over everything so many times, that it was like we practiced on the actual implements that were in the Medley, we were so confident. While Andrew again won the event with an awesome 51 points, I came in second with 45 and Brad Ardrey got 44. Now, I had pulled slightly ahead of Brad in the overall standings, so I knew I had to take it to the next level mentally on the final event, the Wrist Roller.

Big thanks to Brandon Gerber for filming and providing commentary

Event 5: Wrist Roller

I have done the Wrist Roller in several contests over the years, but this would be the first time on this type of design. The wrist roller had a cable attached to it and on the other end of the cable was a big, long lever arm. Attached to the lever arm was a GIANT MASS CHAINS that looked like the tangled mess of Christmas Lights that Chevy Chase pulls out of the box in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. However, despite the scariness of that knot, I had no fear going into the event. I had trained it so hard, I knew going in I would feel no fatigue, no burning, or discomfort as I powered through it.

The way the event was timed, was like this. The cable had a piece of tape wrapped around it, and once that tape hit the spool between the hands, time was up. When it was my turn to hit the Wrist Roller, the leading time was something like 8.02 seconds, set by Brandon Gerber. JT came very close to that mark, although I don’t recall what he actually hit on it. I was the first to go sub-8 seconds, hitting 7.98 seconds on my turn. I thought I was good to go, but Brad Ardrey finished just behind me with 7.96 seconds. Unfortunately, Andrew was on his game this day, as he vanquished both our marks with a time closer to 7.5 seconds than 8.

In the end, Andrew had come out in the Top spot in the overall category. I came in at the top spot in the 120-kilo class and finished 2nd behind Andrew in the Overall, and just ahead of Brad. The separation between us had to be less than 1/2 a point.

The 2013 National Championship was a good day for me. I can not say I am perfectly content with all my performances, but I am happy to have finished how I did.

Once again, I thank everyone who supported me over the last year. It means so much.

Finally, I want to send a shout-out to Dan Huff, Joe Carabase and Corey MacGregor, three guys I am in a business team with. These gentlemen have helped me out tremendously with my diet. I was actually down nearly 25 pounds for the 2013 comp, weighing under 255-lbs, compared to the portly 279 of a year ago. I feel so much better that is hard to described, but I wouldn’t have been there without those 3.

In closing, I just want to say that anybody reading this is just as capable of attaining this level of performance as I am. You just have to believe it and take the good information that is available and put it into action.

All the best in your training, and I hope to see you at a future competition, some time soon.

Jedd

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Want to get started on your path to Nationals, right now? Join The Grip Authority, TODAY.
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I’ve had some readers write in and ask for more information on Grip Sport, things such as how the sport of grip developed and how I got involved in grip sport. I answer these questions below.

Sorry for the small number of new posts here on the site lately. I have been rehabbing an injury and the therapy has been taking up a lot of my time. This has also cut into my time to shoot videos for the Challenges that I said would be coming. If you remember, in December, I posted a Diesel Crew Challenge called 21’s or Black Jacks. There were many impressive performances.

The originator of the challenge, Mike Rinderle, showed incredible improvement over the course of the month. He started out on December 1st with a time of 57:27 and managed to cut it all the way down to 21:30.

A really good friend of Mike Rinderle’s, Kris Hamilton, did Black Jack in 8:48, and posted a double Black Jack time of just under 29 minutes.

Bill Long did 11:27, Zach Counter did 13:29, Peter Hellman – 25:26; a fellow posting under the name Ric completed the challenge in 8:27. Matt C posted a time of 44:45.

In addition, Southern Maryland Cross Fit used Black Jacks as their Workout of the Day one day during December and an entire group gave it a shot. Posted below are the times:

It was a very popular challenge, so thanks Mike for introducing it to us!

I will be posting more challenges, but I don’t feel right calling the Diesel Universe to task when I am not capable of pushing myself. I guess I am looking for guidance from all of you as to whether you would like me to start them now while I am still in PT. I am just not the kind of guy to say, “Here do this,” over and over while I can not push my own limits to the same degree.

Thanks and all the best in your training.

Jedd

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Good times were had over the weekend, at the International Pinch and Pull here in Wyalusing as well as something like 10 other locations around the world.
Here are the videos of the attempts.

Two Hands Pinch Lift

Attempts: Green = Good Lift; Red = Failed Lift

Axle Deadlift

Attempts: Green = Good Lift; Red = Failed Lift

Half Penny Lift

Attempts: Green = Good Lift; Red = Failed Lift

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Instead of going over my lifts, I want to point out two important areas for any form of strength training, whether it be bench press and other powerlifting movements, or if it’s Grip Sport and Steel Bending.
These are two things that I’ve noticed at both of the competitions I have run this year. These are a couple of often over-looked factors that can have a huge effect on the numbers you put out. As you run down through them, think about whether or not you might be making these mistakes or missing these marks…

1. Managing Tension

Tension is necessary for optimized performance. If your body is too loose, there is no possible way you can produce the force that you need to lift properly, and that goes for any type of strength sport where heavy weights are used. There is a level of coordination between the various muscle groups and the joints of the body in order to create strength and express it.
In the contest, I saw several degrees of Tension management ability. For instance, Jim Storch, the man with the camouflage pants, was able to coordinate this tension much better than Brian, the youngest lifter in the competition. Jim is an experienced Olympic Weightlifting coach and competitor, as well as Powerlifting competitor, so he has been able to hone this ability. He is also able to better parlay this skill into the Grip Lifts that Brian. You can hear in the videos, I am cuing him to produce tension on several of his lifts, unless they got cut off when I edited everything. I think once he develops this skill to a further degree, he will see improvement in many of his lifts, not just Grip Sport Lifts.
I am not trying to pick on Brian. talked about these things with him while he was here, and with the way he walks around with that Razor Ramon bad-ass toothpick, I don’t think he will have a problem with me putting these out there.

2. Upper Back Strength / Torso Strength Balance

Upper Back Strength is very important as well. One of the things I talked about with Brian before he left, just as coaching points, was to bring up his upper back strength. One several of his lifts, you can tell that his upper back caves in at times, which hindered his ability to finish off some of his lifts.
This is something that I have to constantly be harping on toward myself. In any deadlift-type of movement, I almost always film myself to see if I am losing my tension in my upper back. Storchy is great at this. That is what I aspire for.
Up to this point I haven’t mentioned Parris Jannusek. I think Parris is going to kick a lot of ass in the coming years when it comes to Grip Sport. He has HUGE hands and is able to 180 his pinky and thumb very well. A 180 is when you open your hand as wide as you can, and then see how close you can come to drawing a straight line through your thumb and pinky. This is a huge asset to Gripping. But on top of all that, he is very strong. he told me he wanted to hit some squats and promptly threw on 225 for a set of 10. This was with no warm-up. he pretty much just walked in out of the car, hit 225, then loaded it up to 315. Once Parris refines his technique, brings up his ability to manage tension, and gets some more time on the implements, I think he is going to be a contender.
Most important of all is he recently quit smoking cold turkey. This is his most important feat of all those he has done, so I wanted to give him some recognition for that.
So, how’s your tension? Are you working to apply it and see how much is right for you? You don’t have to squeeze things until your knuckles pop and connective tissues fail, but tension is key, and when you learn to manage it, it will pay dividends.
Also, how is your upper back strength? Be honest with yourself, now. Are you doing too much pushing exercises and not enough pulls? Is your posture poor? If you answered yes to either of these, then a weak upper back might be holding your numbers back.
OK, that’s it for now. All the best for a killer week. Start it out strong, DIESELS!!
Jedd
P.S. Been getting lots of questions about the Nail Bending eBook lately. This ebook covers Tension Management in great detail and will help you to understand Hydraulic Tension and apply it better, not only in steel bending but all your other lifts as well. Check it out below.

Nail Bending eBook

Good times were had over the weekend, at the International Pinch and Pull here in Wyalusing as well as something like 10 other locations around the world.

Here are the videos of the attempts.

Two Hands Pinch Lift

Attempts: Green = Good Lift; Red = Failed Lift

Axle Deadlift

Attempts: Green = Good Lift; Red = Failed Lift

Half Penny Lift

Attempts: Green = Good Lift; Red = Failed Lift

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Instead of going over my lifts, I want to point out two important areas for any form of strength training, whether it be bench press and other powerlifting movements, or if it’s Grip Sport and Steel Bending.

These are two things that I’ve noticed at both of the competitions I have run this year. These are a couple of often over-looked factors that can have a huge effect on the numbers you put out. As you run down through them, think about whether or not you might be making these mistakes or missing these marks…

1. Managing Tension

Tension is necessary for optimized performance. If your body is too loose, there is no possible way you can produce the force that you need to lift properly, and that goes for any type of strength sport where heavy weights are used. There is a level of coordination between the various muscle groups and the joints of the body in order to create strength and express it.

In the contest, I saw several degrees of Tension management ability. For instance, Jim Storch, the man with the camouflage pants, was able to coordinate this tension much better than Brian, the youngest lifter in the competition. Jim is an experienced Olympic Weightlifting coach and competitor, as well as Powerlifting competitor, so he has been able to hone this ability. He is also able to better parlay this skill into the Grip Lifts that Brian. You can hear in the videos, I am cuing him to produce tension on several of his lifts, unless they got cut off when I edited everything. I think once he develops this skill to a further degree, he will see improvement in many of his lifts, not just Grip Sport Lifts.

I am not trying to pick on Brian. talked about these things with him while he was here, and with the way he walks around with that Razor Ramon bad-ass toothpick, I don’t think he will have a problem with me putting these out there.

2. Upper Back Strength / Torso Strength Balance

Upper Back Strength is very important as well. One of the things I talked about with Brian before he left, just as coaching points, was to bring up his upper back strength. One several of his lifts, you can tell that his upper back caves in at times, which hindered his ability to finish off some of his lifts.

This is something that I have to constantly be harping on toward myself. In any deadlift-type of movement, I almost always film myself to see if I am losing my tension in my upper back. Storchy is great at this. That is what I aspire for.

Up to this point I haven’t mentioned Parris Jannusek. I think Parris is going to kick a lot of ass in the coming years when it comes to Grip Sport. He has HUGE hands and is able to 180 his pinky and thumb very well. A 180 is when you open your hand as wide as you can, and then see how close you can come to drawing a straight line through your thumb and pinky. This is a huge asset to Gripping. But on top of all that, he is very strong. he told me he wanted to hit some squats and promptly threw on 225 for a set of 10. This was with no warm-up. he pretty much just walked in out of the car, hit 225, then loaded it up to 315. Once Parris refines his technique, brings up his ability to manage tension, and gets some more time on the implements, I think he is going to be a contender.

Most important of all is he recently quit smoking cold turkey. This is his most important feat of all those he has done, so I wanted to give him some recognition for that.

So, how’s your tension? Are you working to apply it and see how much is right for you? You don’t have to squeeze things until your knuckles pop and connective tissues fail, but tension is key, and when you learn to manage it, it will pay dividends.

Also, how is your upper back strength? Be honest with yourself, now. Are you doing too much pushing exercises and not enough pulls? Is your posture poor? If you answered yes to either of these, then a weak upper back might be holding your numbers back.

OK, that’s it for now. All the best for a killer week. Start it out strong, DIESELS!!

Jedd

P.S. Been getting lots of questions about the Nail Bending eBook lately. This ebook covers Tension Management in great detail and will help you to understand Hydraulic Tension and apply it better, not only in steel bending but all your other lifts as well. Check it out below.

Nail Bending eBook

I will be holding a leg of the International Pinch and Pull Grip Contest here in Wyalusing on September 29th.

All of the details are below:

Date: September 29th

Time: 9:45 Rules / 10:00 AM Start

Location: Wyalusing, PA. Email me for directions – jedd.diesel@gmail.com

Events

Event 1: Two Hands Pinch:

As always, we will use the adjustable Euro-Pinch Apparatus, 4 attempts, rising bar. All standard rules will be applied. We will start with narrow width first and work our way up.

For an idea on how this event runs, check out the following video:

Double Overhand Axle Deadlift

Last man standing format will be used.

Griptopz Half Penny

4 attempts. Rising Bar. This lift will be done with the key grip only, no other grips are allowed.

Scoring will be done using the NAGS scoring system. First Place gets 100 points. Other competitors receive a percentage based score, divided by the first place performance.

International weight classes will be used, all contestants will be weighed before the contest.

There are no entry fee’s. We will warm-up, compete, and disperse. This should be a fairly quick contest with only three events, and with only one being a rising bar event with multiple widths or handles.

Other Locations:
Minneapolis, MN – Adam Glass (Movement Minneapolis) 10 AM start time
Wooster, OH – Andrew Durniat (Durniat Strength)
Three Rivers, MI – David Thornton (Don Larkin’s Gym)
Bay Area, CA – Dan Reinard (Diablo Rock Climbing Gym)
Boston, MA – Mike Sheehan (Movement Boston)
United Kingdom – Mark M-Dy
Kirkkonummi, Finland – Juha Harju
Victoria, Australia – Jarrod Riordan

See you on the 29th.

Jedd

Worlds Strongest Hands 2012

Today, I received the official announcement from David Horne on the 2012 Worlds Strongest Hands Series, the 3rd annual installment. Below is the information regarding specifics of the contest.

Information on 2012 Worlds Strongest Hands

Date: Saturday 18 August, 2012
The 2012 WSH is a one-leg event this year. In 2010, it was 4 legs, and in 2011 it was 3 legs, but with the proximity to the Worlds Strongest Hands Gathering and other scheduling issues, it was decided to make it a one-leg event only.

Events:
1. One Hand Vulcan Gripper (V2) – 20mm block close
2. Wrist Developer
3. Adjustable Thick Bar (one hand) – GripTopz
4. Stub Lift (one hand) – GripTopz

Classes: Open, Women’s and 93k class.

We recently added a variety of weight classes to the world grip sport rankings for the men. In past years, the split between the men’s class happened at the 82.5-kg mark, but this year, the divider will take place at 93-kg.

Venue: All around the world.

I will be holding my leg in Wyalusing, PA. As more locations in North America are confirmed, I will do my best to post them here. For sure, there will be one venue in Wooster, Ohio, and in past years there have been venues to compete in Minnesota, Michigan, and Arizona. I ahve also been told that there might be a competing venue in New England.

Entrance fee: £20 GBP ($32 dollars, 25 euro)

Trophies: There will be trophies for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each class.

Rules: Video to follow

All of the individual contests within Worlds Strongest Hands take place on the very same day. However, some countries participate earlier than others due to their location on the globe. In order to allow no unfair advantages, results are not shared between promoters. All results are sent to David Horne for tabulation and then he puts out the results after the contest.

As I receive more information, I will post it here on this thread.

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Additional Information on Worlds Strongest Hands

I get a lot of questions about Worlds Strongest Hands from people who want to know more about the event and the equipment used in the competition, so I want to put them here as they come in, to make this a good post to reference.

I know some questions are more common than others, so I will go ahead and put them down right now, but if you have additional questions, post them in the comments section and I will add them in and update the post.

What is the Vulcan or V2 Gripper?

This is a large, steel gripper, sold by David Horne / World of Grip, with a straight coil spring, that can be adjusted across various strength levels. The gripper is used similarly to a Torsion Spring Gripper, first setting it, then swiping a 30-mm block, and finally closing the handles of the Gripper together.

It was originally called the Vulcan Gripper, but the design was re-worked for a cleaner look and the spread between the handles was increased, so the ones that are sold now are called V2, as in Vulcan 2 or Version 2.

What is the Wrist Developer?

This is another steel device that is manufactured by David Horne / World of Grip, with a mobile straight coil spring that can be adjusted for various strength levels.

What is a 20-mm Setting Block?

Think of the 20-mm as a gauge that is used with Grippers. For instance, the gauge in the Two Hands Pinch is a horizontal bar that is set at 16.5 inches in height that must be touched with the loading bar of the Euro Pinch Device. In Grippers, we use the setting block to make sure everyone is being judged with the same set width. So, the athlete is allowed to set the handles, and then he/she must pass the 20-mm block between the handles to show a legal set depth. This effectively takes hand size limitations out of the equation with Gripper Contests, because everyone is permitted to get an advantageous set, by pre-positioning the handles with the off-hand, then they pass the block through, and then they make the attempt at the close.

What are the Grip Topz?

The Grip Topz are another series of Griplements from David Horne / World of Grip. They are all used with the same base, which serves as the loading pin for weights. Then, on top of the loading pin base, attachments are hooked and gripped by the competitor. There are many different Grip Topz attachments that test a variety of hand strength disciplines. They are very handy for accomplishing a wide range of Grip Training challenges and goals.

The Grip Topz events utilize the same gauge that is used in the Euro Pinch Two Hands Pinch Lift event, which is set at 16.5 inches.

What is the Adjustable Thick Bar?

The Adjustable Thick Bar is a new item in the Grip Topz series, which is a thick bar handle. It is has multiple thick handles that will be used based upon the hand size of the competitor. This event tests Open Hand Strength on a round device. So it is not pure support strength (static finger strength), but rather a hybrid challenge combining support and thumb strength.

David Horne has a video demonstrating this lift:

What is the Stub Lift?

The Stub Lift is one of the items from the first Grip Topz series which was used in last year’s Worlds Strongest Hands 2011. The Stub Lift is a steel bar which juts out of a flat steel plate, which you must grip with your index finger and thumb and try to lift. This event tests Key Pinch, and surprisingly enough hits the wrist a bit as well.

As time allows, I will shoot some videos showing the various pieces of equipment in action, so that you can see them and understand them even better.

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How to Buy Vulcan V2’s & Wrist Developers:

Many people have written in asking about when I would be getting more Vulcan V2’s, Wrist Developers, etc.

Now that the contest is announced and the events are official, I would like to know who is interested in getting a Vulcan V2 or Wrist Developer. Please leave a comment below or email me.

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Wrist Developer Training Info: I released a DVD on how to train with the Wrist Developer in February. It has gotten lots of good feedback.

From: Frank Deluca: “Jedd – I watched the vid today and it is awesome. This is one of your best instructional videos in my opinion and I have bought many of yours. Nice job.”

From: Karl M. Skjelvik: “Great stuff, Jedd. I learned a lot on technique and different ways to train with the WD. Tomorrow is a training day, and I’m gonna try it out.”

If you want to kick ass in World’s Strongest Hands in the Wrist Developer, or if you simply want to improve how you perform on the WD in your own training, then this is the DVD for you – pick it up today by clicking the image below.

Again, if you need any other information, please leave a comment below, or feel free to email me or hit me up through Facebook or Twitter.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

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Crank Your Wrist Strength Up a Notch with the Wrist Developer DVD

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Amy Wattles – Axle Deadlift in Poland, 2008
DIESELS,
A few months back, I was contacted by woman looking for coaching for Grip Sport. While this in itself is awesome, I was even more impressed to find out that it was none other than successful Strongwoman and Highlander Games competitor, as well as Elite FTS-sponsored athlete, Amy Wattles.
Over the coming weeks and months, it was my pleasure to coach her in preparation for Grip Sport Nationals 2012.
After setting a new world record in the women’s division, I asked her if she could take the time for a short interview, and she obliged. If YOU have any additional questions for Amy, leave them in the comment box and I will get them to her. Enjoy the interview. -Jedd-

---

Jedd: Amy, tell us a little bit about your athletic background.

Amy: I am currently a nationally ranked strongwoman competitor, compete in highland games and as of this past week now compete in Grip Sport.
My athletic background growing up was pretty typical and there was nothing remarkable about it except I was above average in the sports I played. At that time girls didn’t really go into the weight room much and if they did, I was first in line to make fun of them.
There weren’t many strength athletes or opportunities available to me at that time. Or perhaps it’s better to say, I wasn’t aware of those opportunities. This was at a time when the internet didn’t exist so accessing strength training opportunities and resources was far more difficult than it currently is.
I’ve always been athletic and played softball and volleyball as a child all the way through high school. I actually stopped playing volleyball my final year in high school to do a few beauty pageants. In hindsight that’s hilarious. I’m not sure what I was even thinking but it was a good time. Truth be told, I did it to try something different.
In one of the pageants, I was on stage giving what was supposed to be a heart filled, moving speech. In the middle of my speech I burst out laughing and couldn’t stop. I was hunched over, slapping myself on my knee just laughing and laughing. The more I tried to contain myself, the harder I would laugh. I learned pretty quickly that I was probably better suited for other activities. In the end, a girl can’t hide who she is no matter how much make up, big hair and fancy dresses she has.

Jedd: How did you get involved in strength sports?

Amy: When I started college, I was enrolled in a few weight lifting classes and loved the exposure to the weight room. I walked into the weight room being able to squat 315 raw. It was at that point my husband Matt convinced me that I was pretty strong. I took his word for it, I had nothing else to compare it to.
In the back of my mind I thought 315 wasn’t too much, 405 would have been impressive. It’s that mind set that still sticks with me. I haven’t decided if it’s a positive or negative influence on my training.
There have only been a handful of times in my career when I felt really good about a lift or performance. There’s always a voice in the back of my head telling me that a lift wasn’t big enough, I could have been quicker, someone else could have done something I wasn’t able to, etc.
I continued to train sporadically and was always very interested in strongman. I would watch World’s Strongest Woman on television and knew that was something I could do. After about 10 years of sporadic training and having the desire to do strongman, I finally had the opportunity. Corey St. Clair was a local pro strongman and his mother was my principal at the school I was teaching at. She was training for a local strongman competition. She convinced me to come out and train with them. I was actually pregnant at the time with my daughter, so three months after she was born I started training. Once she was born, I dragged her saucer along and propped her up in it on the sidewalk so I could train.
As a mother of two young kids at the time, training quickly became “me” time. It was something that allowed me to get away from all of the demands and expectations, hang out with my friends, socialize and unleash the fury of all the things a working mother of two could possibly be feeling. Training was my sanity and helped me stay connected with who I am.
There are several strongwoman competitors who started competing after the birth of their children. I think there’s a common thread there. We were looking for a way to maintain our own identities aside from motherhood and realized how quickly our lives became about meeting other people’s needs. Training provided the opportunity for us to stay true to who we are and not fall into that typical “mom” role.

---

Jedd: What titles/championships have you won as a strength athlete?

Amy: Really and truly the one that I am the most proud of is my performance at Grip Nationals this past week. Grip has been something I’ve wanted to do for a long time and throughout my strongman training I always drew a line in the sand to not use straps, to train my grip consistently and work with the axle to the greatest extent possible on all lifts in training. There was a point when using a standard bar was far more difficult than the axle. My performance this last week was a culmination of many years of strongman training.
In 2010 I won the North American Highlander Assoc (NAHA) national championship which is a mixture of highland games and strongman events. I have competed in way too many to count local and regional strongman competitions, always doing exceptionally well. In 2008 I competed in the World Strongwoman Championship and came in 6th place.

---

Jedd: You recently competed in your first grip contest. How did you find out about Grip Sport?

Amy: Through the years I had always followed grip feats through Ironmind. The Rolling Thunder record was always on my to do list but I never came across an event or competition that had it. Julie Havelka had promoted some grip competitions out in Oregon so I always followed her accomplishments and competitions. Once she stopped doing grip, I never really followed grip after that.

Amy and I After Nationals
I was checking out a forum one day and happened to see Andrew Durniat’s post about grip nationals. I didn’t even know it existed. I found out about Jedd and that quickly became a positive and educational experience with my own training.

---

Jedd: What did you think about Grip going in? Were you surprised about anything as you trained for the contest?

Amy: Going in to grip training, I under estimated how taxing the training was on my body. I figured it was pretty basic stuff and with strongman as my typical training, I didn’t think it would be too difficult. The grip training in conjunction with my regular strength training was breaking me down pretty badly, especially once I switched to more high volume training. There were several times that Jedd and I had to restructure my training in order to accommodate the stress and fatigue my body was feeling. I was also seeing some nice carry over on the overhead pressing which I did not anticipate.

---

Jedd: What did you learn from your first contest? Big take-aways?

Amy: Going in to my first contest, I was counting on people showing me the ropes and would be patient explaining all of the rules to me. I was right. The grip competitors are on par with highland games competitors, very supportive and patient to the newbie. I am so grateful for all of their help.
During the competition I wasn’t sure of some of the rules and regulations. I didn’t realize you could go sumo on the deadlift. Not that I use sumo, but it was something that never really crossed my mind.
In hindsight I needed to trust my own knowledge and experience as a lifter. I’ve been involved in strength sports long enough that I know what works for me and what doesn’t. My set up on the axle was TERRIBLE! I typically take a much wider stance with my arms and legs. In my video you will see my arms pulling against my shins. I wasn’t better prepared for hand placement on the axle and I was concerned about not fully understanding the rules. I was fortunate that my bad set up still allowed me to pull a decent amount of weight.
That voice inside me also tells me that I could have pulled more had I followed the technicalities of a good lift and what works for me as a lifter. I also under estimated my own knowledge and experience on the 2hp with the chalk. Again, I know what works for me but I ignored that knowledge and didn’t do as well as I had expected.
Another big take away I had was how awesome the other competitors were. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in but people quickly made me feel at home and at ease. Grip proved to be a very positive experience.

---

Jedd: What advice could you give to other men and women interested in competing in Grip?

Amy: The best piece of advice I could give someone is to hook up with someone who knows grip. In my case that was Jedd. Researching and understanding all of the different events and implements takes time. I didn’t have that time, so I went to the expert to help me through that learning curve. There are many excellent resources out there and connecting with other competitors is essential. The Grip Board was very helpful for me along with the billions of resources and videos Jedd has out there. His coaching was worth the investment and ensured that I could maximize my performance in the time I had available to me to prepare.
My next piece of advice is to just get out there and try it. There is never the perfect time for a competition or event. Like strongman and highland games, the best learning opportunities come when you actually compete. Nobody is going to point and laugh at you (unless you really deserve it) and will help any competitor though the uncertainty and inexperience. Once that first competition is over, personal reflection and goal setting become much easier for the next competition.

---

Jedd: Amy, thanks for taking the time out of your schedule to do the interview with me. It was great working with you and watching you do so well, and I hope to see you move your numbers up even further very soon.
If you would like to learn more about Amy and her experience with Grip Sport, or if you’d like to follow her on Elite, check out the following links:
Elite FTS Q & A
Amy’s Training Log on Elite
To discuss Coaching Programs with me, email me at jedd dot diesel at gmail.com
All the best in your training,
Jedd

Amy Wattles – Axle Deadlift in Poland, 2008

DIESELS,

A few months back, I was contacted by woman looking for coaching for Grip Sport. While this in itself is awesome, I was even more impressed to find out that it was none other than successful Strongwoman and Highlander Games competitor, as well as Elite FTS-sponsored athlete, Amy Wattles.

Over the coming weeks and months, it was my pleasure to coach her in preparation for Grip Sport Nationals 2012.

After setting a new world record in the women’s division, I asked her if she could take the time for a short interview, and she obliged. If YOU have any additional questions for Amy, leave them in the comment box and I will get them to her. Enjoy the interview. -Jedd-

---

Jedd: Amy, tell us a little bit about your athletic background.

Amy: I am currently a nationally ranked strongwoman competitor, compete in highland games and as of this past week now compete in Grip Sport.

My athletic background growing up was pretty typical and there was nothing remarkable about it except I was above average in the sports I played. At that time girls didn’t really go into the weight room much and if they did, I was first in line to make fun of them.

There weren’t many strength athletes or opportunities available to me at that time. Or perhaps it’s better to say, I wasn’t aware of those opportunities. This was at a time when the internet didn’t exist so accessing strength training opportunities and resources was far more difficult than it currently is.

I’ve always been athletic and played softball and volleyball as a child all the way through high school. I actually stopped playing volleyball my final year in high school to do a few beauty pageants. In hindsight that’s hilarious. I’m not sure what I was even thinking but it was a good time. Truth be told, I did it to try something different.

In one of the pageants, I was on stage giving what was supposed to be a heart filled, moving speech. In the middle of my speech I burst out laughing and couldn’t stop. I was hunched over, slapping myself on my knee just laughing and laughing. The more I tried to contain myself, the harder I would laugh. I learned pretty quickly that I was probably better suited for other activities. In the end, a girl can’t hide who she is no matter how much make up, big hair and fancy dresses she has.

Jedd: How did you get involved in strength sports?

Amy: When I started college, I was enrolled in a few weight lifting classes and loved the exposure to the weight room. I walked into the weight room being able to squat 315 raw. It was at that point my husband Matt convinced me that I was pretty strong. I took his word for it, I had nothing else to compare it to.

In the back of my mind I thought 315 wasn’t too much, 405 would have been impressive. It’s that mind set that still sticks with me. I haven’t decided if it’s a positive or negative influence on my training.

There have only been a handful of times in my career when I felt really good about a lift or performance. There’s always a voice in the back of my head telling me that a lift wasn’t big enough, I could have been quicker, someone else could have done something I wasn’t able to, etc.

I continued to train sporadically and was always very interested in strongman. I would watch World’s Strongest Woman on television and knew that was something I could do. After about 10 years of sporadic training and having the desire to do strongman, I finally had the opportunity. Corey St. Clair was a local pro strongman and his mother was my principal at the school I was teaching at. She was training for a local strongman competition. She convinced me to come out and train with them. I was actually pregnant at the time with my daughter, so three months after she was born I started training. Once she was born, I dragged her saucer along and propped her up in it on the sidewalk so I could train.

As a mother of two young kids at the time, training quickly became “me” time. It was something that allowed me to get away from all of the demands and expectations, hang out with my friends, socialize and unleash the fury of all the things a working mother of two could possibly be feeling. Training was my sanity and helped me stay connected with who I am.

There are several strongwoman competitors who started competing after the birth of their children. I think there’s a common thread there. We were looking for a way to maintain our own identities aside from motherhood and realized how quickly our lives became about meeting other people’s needs. Training provided the opportunity for us to stay true to who we are and not fall into that typical “mom” role.

---

Jedd: What titles/championships have you won as a strength athlete?

Amy: Really and truly the one that I am the most proud of is my performance at Grip Nationals this past week. Grip has been something I’ve wanted to do for a long time and throughout my strongman training I always drew a line in the sand to not use straps, to train my grip consistently and work with the axle to the greatest extent possible on all lifts in training. There was a point when using a standard bar was far more difficult than the axle. My performance this last week was a culmination of many years of strongman training.

In 2010 I won the North American Highlander Assoc (NAHA) national championship which is a mixture of highland games and strongman events. I have competed in way too many to count local and regional strongman competitions, always doing exceptionally well. In 2008 I competed in the World Strongwoman Championship and came in 6th place.

---

Jedd: You recently competed in your first grip contest. How did you find out about Grip Sport?

Amy: Through the years I had always followed grip feats through Ironmind. The Rolling Thunder record was always on my to do list but I never came across an event or competition that had it. Julie Havelka had promoted some grip competitions out in Oregon so I always followed her accomplishments and competitions. Once she stopped doing grip, I never really followed grip after that.

Amy and I After Nationals

I was checking out a forum one day and happened to see Andrew Durniat’s post about grip nationals. I didn’t even know it existed. I found out about Jedd and that quickly became a positive and educational experience with my own training.

---

Jedd: What did you think about Grip going in? Were you surprised about anything as you trained for the contest?

Amy: Going in to grip training, I under estimated how taxing the training was on my body. I figured it was pretty basic stuff and with strongman as my typical training, I didn’t think it would be too difficult. The grip training in conjunction with my regular strength training was breaking me down pretty badly, especially once I switched to more high volume training. There were several times that Jedd and I had to restructure my training in order to accommodate the stress and fatigue my body was feeling. I was also seeing some nice carry over on the overhead pressing which I did not anticipate.

---

Jedd: What did you learn from your first contest? Big take-aways?

Amy: Going in to my first contest, I was counting on people showing me the ropes and would be patient explaining all of the rules to me. I was right. The grip competitors are on par with highland games competitors, very supportive and patient to the newbie. I am so grateful for all of their help.

During the competition I wasn’t sure of some of the rules and regulations. I didn’t realize you could go sumo on the deadlift. Not that I use sumo, but it was something that never really crossed my mind.

In hindsight I needed to trust my own knowledge and experience as a lifter. I’ve been involved in strength sports long enough that I know what works for me and what doesn’t. My set up on the axle was TERRIBLE! I typically take a much wider stance with my arms and legs. In my video you will see my arms pulling against my shins. I wasn’t better prepared for hand placement on the axle and I was concerned about not fully understanding the rules. I was fortunate that my bad set up still allowed me to pull a decent amount of weight.

That voice inside me also tells me that I could have pulled more had I followed the technicalities of a good lift and what works for me as a lifter. I also under estimated my own knowledge and experience on the 2hp with the chalk. Again, I know what works for me but I ignored that knowledge and didn’t do as well as I had expected.

Another big take away I had was how awesome the other competitors were. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in but people quickly made me feel at home and at ease. Grip proved to be a very positive experience.

---

Jedd: What advice could you give to other men and women interested in competing in Grip?

Amy: The best piece of advice I could give someone is to hook up with someone who knows grip. In my case that was Jedd. Researching and understanding all of the different events and implements takes time. I didn’t have that time, so I went to the expert to help me through that learning curve. There are many excellent resources out there and connecting with other competitors is essential. The Grip Board was very helpful for me along with the billions of resources and videos Jedd has out there. His coaching was worth the investment and ensured that I could maximize my performance in the time I had available to me to prepare.

My next piece of advice is to just get out there and try it. There is never the perfect time for a competition or event. Like strongman and highland games, the best learning opportunities come when you actually compete. Nobody is going to point and laugh at you (unless you really deserve it) and will help any competitor though the uncertainty and inexperience. Once that first competition is over, personal reflection and goal setting become much easier for the next competition.

---

Jedd: Amy, thanks for taking the time out of your schedule to do the interview with me. It was great working with you and watching you do so well, and I hope to see you move your numbers up even further very soon.

If you would like to learn more about Amy and her experience with Grip Sport, or if you’d like to follow her on Elite, check out the following links:

Elite FTS Q & A

Amy’s Training Log on Elite

To discuss Coaching Programs with me, email me at jedd dot diesel at gmail.com

All the best in your training,

Jedd

Mighty Mitts 2012 – Part II

Getting ready to lift both Fatman Blobs

As I posted yesterday, Mighty Mitts was an absolute honor for me to be a part of and it is truly a pinnacle of the sport of grip. Being up on that stage, in front of all those people performing, when they could have done ANYTHING with their time, but they hung around to watch us – it was my honor to put on a show for them, and that is exactly what I aimed to do.

As you’ll see in many of my videos, I tried to engage the crowd by pumping my arms and circling my hands to get them going a bit. And the fact that the Day 2 events were much more my specialty gave me increased confidence that I could do well and prove that I deserved to be there.

Day 2 Events

Medley

The Medley is an event that is commonly held in Grip contests. Because I knew the challenge items that would be in the medley, I only trained them a few times. Primarily, I worked on the Hub Deadlift, Circus Dumbbell (I trained using a similar device) and the Anvil High-Pull, but I only hit them a couple of times because I was mostly focused on bringing up my thick bar strength.

The Basic Rules

The way the Medley was set up, there were 9 challenge items, each listed below in order.

We had 2 minutes to complete all the challenges.

The main difference between this and other Medleys I have competed in was that once you went past one of the challenge items, you could not go back. You could try as many times as you wanted to lift the item, but returning was not permitted.

This gave the event a very interesting twist because in other competitions, we have always been able to go back and try items again, although very, very rarely are you able to successfully lift something upon going back. So this increased the strategic level of the event, and made it very cool.

Also, the time would stop once you finished the final challenge, the Phone Book Tear. If there were ties, the leader would be the person who finished the phone book first. This also made things very interesting and in the end played a huge role in my scoring.

You might know, the three challenge items I trained on the most, (Hubs, Circus Bell, and Anvil) I ended up failing on in the actual event.

Here is a rundown of each of the challenge items and how I did on them.

1. Circus Dumbbell (Miss) – This is one of the challenge items that I worked intently on during my Medley item training days, because I recognized it as a weakness. Richard Sorin announced it to be in the Medley very early on, and I knew that in the past I had never lifted it, so I put the time in on my very thick 4-inch loadable handle. The handle of the Circus Dumbbell was very well knurled, so slickness was no excuse. I just simply could not maintain my grip on the handle as I tried to pull it to the height of the platform. Looking back, I might have been able to pull it a bit higher had I braced the rear head of the dumbbell against my forearm, however, it never crossed my mind to give it a try.

2. 100-lb Pinch – This was a one-handed pinch lift to a full deadlift. Normally, a 100-lb pinch on plates or on the Euro would be a fairly challenging lift, but this plate had a rather prominent indented rim around the outside of the plate, making it much easier to lift. As a result, I think everyone was able to lift this item, meaning I was unable to make up any points by lifting it myself – drat!

3. Globed Leverage Bar / Weaver Stick Lift – This was an interesting piece. The handle was oval-shaped, similar to a sledge hammer, so you had to make sure that you got your grip on it right or else it would try to wobble out of your grip. The weight was in the neighborhood of 13- to 15-lbs I believe. You had to either deadlift it parallel to the ground or you could stand upright and lever it strictly to the parallel position. Either way, handle had to be kept right near your thigh or it would not count. I think everybody got this one too. Drat – no points against these beasts!

4. Hub Lift – This was done on a rather slick 45-lb York Barbell Plate with the characteristic sloping flange, which makes gripping it much more difficult than today’s more common tube-shaped hub designs. The dial grip was permitted instead of just the claw grip, which was good because I am not sure I would have been able to break that plate off the ground by the hub using the standard grip. I ended up pulling the plate up to nearly the height of the loading platform, but for some reason every time I tried changing directions and moving it toward or over top of the platform, it would slip right out of my hand. The platforms were a bit higher than normal, but I actually like a higher platform because it requires more endurance and skill in the loading process. The height was not the issue – my strength on hubs was. I could have really used the point for the hub lift, as it would have put me into sole ownership of first place in the event when all was said and done.

5. Fatman Style Blobs – Two Fatman Blobs had to be loaded on top of the same platform as the hub and same height as the Circus Bell. I had no fear going into this one, as my Blobs are off the charts right now. In prep for MM, I was able to lift Josh Dale’s Fatman with no warm-up, something I have never been able to do. The way this challenge was scored is you had to do one with your left hand and one with your right, and if you did both of them simultaneously, you would get a bonus point. I was the only one in the body of competitors who got both at the same time, although some did get both separately. So I was able to pick up a valuable extra point.

6. Anvil – Next was an Anvil that naturally weighed around 170-lbs and also had a chain wrapped around it for extra weight. In warm-ups, I tested this piece and the horn felt like sand paper, so I was feeling golden to rock this one with no problem. Once I got to it and hit like 5 tries between my left and right hands and it still wasn’t on the platform yet, I was getting pissed, but maintained my cool. Another item that I prepared for hard, felt good on in warm-ups yet failed to load to the 8- or 10-inch platform. And also, mor emuch needed points down the drain. Undaunted, I continued to the next apparatus.

7. Sorinex G-Rex – The G-Rex was loaded with four 45-lb plates and the objective was to grip the handle with both hands and squeeze it until the two handles met, at which point a light would illuminate on the device. I was actually intimidated by this because the fully opened spread on the G-Rex is pretty damn wide, but to my enjoyment, once I got my firngers all the way on there, it came up pretty easily and with a little fishing around at the top I was able to light all three lights. In this case, three red lights was a good thing!

8. Millstone – Richard Sorin feels this Millstone is liftable, but I think in order to accomplish it, it will take some specific training to do so. In my estimation, the stone is about 5 inches thick and in the neighborhood of 120-lbs (just estimates), so it is a very large and heavy object to pinch with one hand. A two-hand lift has been done by many, including my good friend, Chris Rice, who did so in 2006 and got an awesome picture of it, to boot. I gave it a pull with at least my right hand, and maybe my left, but I did not waste a lot of time because when I spun around to check out the time that was left, I was under 30 seconds of time to go before I was done, so I scooted ahead to the last item.

9. Phone Book – The last item in the line was the phone book, more or less 1200-pages, supplied by Nick Rosendaul. It is just hard to believe how many people had a hand in making this contest a success. Awesome! I can usually finish a phone book like this in about 5 seconds, but in this case it took me a bit longer because I don’t normally tear a phone book after lifting and trying to lift so many other things, so I was a bit spent, but finished it before the time limit expired and let out a big scream of excitement to the crowd, which many returned back to me.

Since I knew I was close on many of the items, I took extra time in order to take a couple of extra attempts on things like the Hub and the Anvil, but what this ended up doing is hurting me a bit because in the end I had 7 points for the event, and so did Tex Henderson, but since he made his way to and through the phone book quicker than I did, he grabbed first place points. I am not sure how much first place in this event would have helped me since I finished so poorly on day one, but it would have been cool to make some bigger jumps up the standings.

Here is the video of me going through the Medley.

Medley

I have tons more video clips of the other competitors’ medley runs up on my YouTube channel. I words them all similarly, so I am hoping they show up once that video ends. But just in case, I have also put together a playlist of all the videos I have uploaded from Mighty Mitts 2012. <= Click that link to view the playlist. If I got the chance to speak on the Mike, I wanted to make sure to work in there some words of recognition and appreciation to the Sorins and their crew for all that they had done, and I got my chance after the Medley. Here is my little nod to them.

Shout Out to Sorinex’s Crew

Wrist Roller

The last event of the contest was the Wrist Roller. These guys really out-did themselves with the Wrist Roller this year, making it both a challenging lift for the contestants, and also a pretty visually appealing lift for the audience as well. A strap was connected to the wrist roller, and a series of weights including chain and other odd objects were lifted upwards, getting heavier and heavier as the distance increased. Thankfully, for safety’s sake, they thought to make the wrist roller a ratcheting device so that if your grip slipped, it didn’t all just roll backwards on you. The perfect balance between function, look, and challenge, if you ask me.

This sucker got really heavy on me towards the end and I had to get crazy near the end of the run. I just shut my eyes and kept digging hard, and even ended up going further and longer than I had to. I was so focused on completed the wrist roller that I could not hear Bert saying I was done and I could not see Cyborg tapping on the device telling me I was done.

While I don’t have all my stats, points, etc., I do know that I finished 7th, and I was damn happy to climb out of the cellar, after a dismal day 1.

DIESELS, I can’t tell you how awesome of an experience the entire Arnold / Mighty Mitts weekend was. It was truly an honor to be a part of it and it was a spectacle to behold. I still have tons of video to upload and once I get caught up, I am going to post a video right below here of the crowd surrounding the stage – what an awesome site to witness – literally hundreds of people gathered around for a Grip Contest – AWESOME!

When I think back to a year ago and realize that I was “suffering” from the worst finger injuries I ever had, wondering if I would ever be able to return to form, I am truly thankful to have gotten this opportunity one more time.

Thanks for your support, and all the best in your training.

Jedd

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Learn the basics and advanced techniques of Phone Book Tearing with Phone Book Mass Destruction. Click the banner below:

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Mighty Mitts 2012 – Part I

Preparing the Hands for Battle with the Inch Dumbbells (Photo: Bill Piche)

For my 2nd time in the last 3 years, I made the trip to Columbus Ohio and the Arnold Classic in order to compete in Mighty Mitts. Mighty Mitts was organized and held by Richard and Bert Sorin.

I can’t say enough about how well these gentleman, their company, and their crew supported us competitors this year. It was unbelievable. I felt like royalty. I can’t really put into words how nice everyone was.

Mighty Mitts is a huge opportunity for Grip Sport. The platform of the Arnold Classic and the chance to get events in front of so many people is amazing, and I hope it brings more people into the sport. I truly appreciate everything that Sorinex has done to help Grip grow.

Never a dull moment in my Grip life, the trip to Mighty Mitts started out an interesting one. I spent about 30 minutes on Wednesday cleaning out unnecessary junk, removing the baby seat, and loading it with everything I needed for the trip. All the while I was blasting the coolest Johnny Cash DVD that I bought recently at Dollar General, so it was an awesome time.

Unfortunately, I must have had the doors open, lights on, and music blaring for a little too long because when I tried to start up to get on the road, the battery was dead. Just my luck.

I called my fiancee and she came home from work to give me a jump start. While I was waiting for her, I figured I’d take a moment to check and fill the fluids, so I raised the hood up and got that done. I noticed there was some rust on the clamp-thing that holds the hood down, so I also grabbed some WD-40 and sprayed that to try to keep it moving right.

When I tried to clean of the excess oil, I activated the clamp and it closed down. I went back inside the vehicle and pulled the release to open it back up again, and I thought I saw it working, so I thought I was in good shape. Unfortunately, I was mistaken and after jumping my battery, I went to close the hood back down and I think I damaged the clamp-thing.

Unable to close the hood down, I was forced to move everything out of my car and into the fiancee’s car, forgetting my car charger, ibuprofen, and a bunch of other stuff that I had thrown into a plastic shopping bag (dramatic foreshadowing here)

Eventually I got on the road and 8 hours later, I was in Columbus and on the shuttle bus to go meet Arnold.

Yes, I said meet Arnold – the man himself. We actually got to site in a press-conference type of scenario and Arnold addressed us and the Strongman Crew. It was a crazy opportunity. I got a bunch of pics and there was even a big photo taken of our entire group with Arnold. Totally blew me away.

The next thing we did was check out the equipment and go over the rules for the Mighty Mitts events at the actual event center. It was good to see everything and get to put my hands on it to see how it felt and to have an idea of the difficulty. We were able to ask questions about the rules and then we were back to the hotel for nice dinner in the restaurant.

Left: Me with “The Iron Tamer” Dave Whitley. Right: Me with Mike “The Machine” Bruce

During dinner, I got to meet guys like Dave Whitley and Dennis Rogers again and even met Mike “The Machine” Bruce for the first time.

Day 1 Events

I knew going in that Day 1 was going to be the harder of the two days for me. With both of the events being thick bar, my nemesis, my work was cut out for me. At this point, I knew I had trained as absolutely hard as possible for these events and began focusing all of my thoughts on successful attempts.

Double Inch Dumbbell Farmer’s Walk

In my training, I had worked up to taking several steps with two Inch Dumbbells, but these were dumbbells with rather rough handles on them. Whenever I tried picking up my slicker-handled Inch, it gave me problems. In fact, I was only able to deadlift my slicker Inch dumbbell one time. That was several weeks prior to the contest, so at the time I thought I was seeing some gains, but it wasn’t meant to be as I failed to lift them on the Mighty Mitts stage.

I put a tremendous amount of effort into this event. Some would say that it was all a waste, since in 2010 I was not able to deadlift them either, but I don’t see it that way, exactly, because during the time I worked so hard on the inches, my Axle numbers improved greatly. I have some plans in mind for modifying my training in order to get some better results on the Inch Dumbbell, after speaking with my Mighty Mitts roommate, Chad Woodall, so I am looking ahead, and not looking back.

Sorinex Monster Bell Deadlift

Squeezing as hard as I could and my eyes are nearly popping out. (Photo: Sorinex Facebook Page)

The Sorinex Monster Bell is a 500-lb Axle Bar. The handle region is well knurled over the majority of the gripping surface, which helps with the grip a bit, but the sheer weight of 500-lbs combined with the fact that the globe heads of the dumbbell act very similarly to the Inch Dumbbell made the event very challenging for me.

Although this year I felt I had much better control of the Monster Bell, I still did not complete any full repetitions. Whereas two years ago, as soon as I began lifting up on the barbell it seemed to pop right out of my hand, this year, I was able to pull it to my knee height before dropping it to the floor again.

As you can see in the video above, I tried primarily the sumo stance, as this is the stance I used in training. I did try one repetition with the conventional stance, but that did not go so well, so I went back to the sumo position in order to try to muster up enough strength for a full repetition. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t meant to be.

At the end of Day 1, I found myself at the very bottom of the standings, with a lot of work ahead of me and a great distance to overcome in order to reach the leaders.

I was so upset, that even thought I had just met Mike Bruce, I slapped a sleeper on him and put him down for the count.

There’s no extinguishing the power of Napalm’s Sleeper Hold

In truth, the image above was staged by Mike himself and I was not upset either. Although I would have been happier with better performances on the day’s events, I knew that the Day 2 events were my events, and I looked forward to the challenge.

Stay tuned, because Part II will be up as soon as I can get it finished.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

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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

Next Grip Contest for me is the Gripmas Carole, hosted by Chris Rice, in Zanesville, Ohio on December 10th.

I have gone to this contest every year (except one) since it became a Contest. The first year it was held it was just a get together where the guys just did feats. The only year I have missed this grip contest was last year when I had a prior commitment.

I truly look forward to Gripmas every year because it gives me the chance to compete in a contest without also having to run it, which can hinder performance, to say the least. Chris has seemed to find a way to delegate enough of it where he can remain focused though, as I have seen him put up big numbers and win his weight class time and again.

Speaking of weight classes, if you are of a smaller build, and don’t want to go against the heavy weights in your first competition, you should think about giving this one a try, especially if you can sneak in under 207, the cut-off for the weight classes.

The events for this comp will be the following (I think I have them in the right order, but I could be slightly off):

1. Choked Grippers

Torsion Spring Grippers are choked at parallel and the athlete must squeeze the handles together. There are four attempts and it is not rising bar. The video above will show you how the event will be judged this year.

To see how to choke grippers, join TheGripAuthority.com. Aside from being a way to test crushing strength without having to set the gripper, choked grippers is an excellent way to perform ROM-specific crush grip work. In October I showed how to choke grippers with a hose clamp and built them into the workout of the month. Join today for $7.

(more…)

After three long months, World’s Strongest Hands Series 2011 is complete.

In case you are not familiar with WSH, it started in 2010 with a 4-leg series of contests for a cumulative score. This year was the second time it was held, and there were three Legs you could attend to accumulate as high of a score as possible.

The Legs were held on August 16, September 11, and October 8 and on each leg there were 4 events. The Vulcan Gripper and the Two Hands Pinch were held on each leg and then each event was rounded out by two out of three possible Grip Topz apparatus, the Shallow Hub, the Stub, and the Half Penny.

After the dust settled, I am proud as hell to be able to say that I finished number 5 in the Open Class (over 82.5 kg bodyweight). This was a complete surprise to me, as my first two legs went very poorly, especially in the Two Hands Pinch, due to extremely humid conditions, and my standing going into Leg 3 was down around number 10.

Here are the top 5 in the Open and Light Classes:

At Leg 3, the events were Vulcan Gripper, Two Hands Pinch, Hub and Stub. Below are write-ups and video clips from each event.

Vulcan Gripper

Going into Leg 3, my top close in competition and in training was Level 17, but with the fortune of a good quick set on my third attempt I was able to hit an all-time best PR on the Silver / Black Dip Spring with a Level 18 close.

Below, is a quick video of several of the attempts from all of the competitors. Take note, as you watch the video and you will see, Jim Storch, USAW-certified Olympic lifting coach, competing in his first ever Grip Contest after many years of competition in Olympic Lifting and Powerlifting.

Two Hands Pinch

At Leg 1 and 2, the humidity conditions were repulsive for the Two Hands Pinch event. At Leg 1, I had forgotten to run the dehumidifier and at Leg 2 I ran it but it was so hot out and with so many people in such a small place, the Pinch Plates felt soupy.

I vowed there would be no humidity issues for Leg 3!

Prior to the Pinch event, we assessed the inside feel versus the outside feel and with a slight breeze and comfortable temperature, we decided to open the garage doors. Soon, the Two Hands Pinch device began to feel like its old self.

Instead of grabbing it and thinking you were trying to pick up a freshly caught Pickerel, it felt gritty and rough like so many contests of the past where the Pinch Gods looked down on me and smiled.

After the coin flip to see whether 54-mil or 58-mil would be contested first on the Pinch, we got started. The 54-mil group went first and many guys put up their first ever numbers on the European Adjustable Pinch device. One athlete, Sean Kovacic, traveling from Ontario Canada, got his first taste of Pinch Pr and Pinch Pain, as he posted a personal best, while also watching the apparatus slip out of his hands with absolutely no warning at all.

Soon, it was time for the 58-mil group. I chose to take part in this group for the first time ever, since my first competition on the 2HP since 2005. Shortly after Leg 2, I saw in training that 54-mil just was not feeling right. Testing out 58-mil brought about numbers about 20-lbs higher, so I continued training on it for the next several weeks, one time posting a legal lift in training of 240+ lbs which general means I am good for well over 250-lbs in competition.

For my first attempt, just to be safe and make sure I got on the board, I started out light at 235-lbs. That familiar feeling of radiant tension pulsating through my body as I compressed into the Pinch and continuing as I levered it up through action at the hips came back and I knew it was going to be a good day. I immediately requested 15 more pounds for my second attempt and 250-lbs felt just as good as I brought the Euro up to the target bar and controlled it back to the floor.

On that pull however, I had something happen that I have never had happen on the Two Hands Pinch before – I ripped the seat of my pants out. I opted not to change them, figuring that the rip would not phase me on my second try. A new record-weight of 265-lbs exactly was loaded on the device and I made my way to the platform. However, upon lifting the implement clear of the ground, I heard another loud rrrrrrrrrrrriiip, which slightly threw me off and the massive 265 came crashing back to the ground.

Now it was time for re-grouping. Now it was time for a wardrobe change. I sprinted from the gym, through the lower level of my mansion, up the many flights of stairs and up to my dressing room. There, my hair stylist was taking in some Angry Birds on her Smart Phone. I asked her to leave so that I could change into some sweats and she took off, flinging yellow birds at green pigs.

Now, when it comes to competition attire, my friends, I do not take things lightly. The shorts I was wearing that ripped were the off-white cargo pants that I was wearing in June when I went to Sorinex and in July when I set the record at 120-kilos. These dockers have become rather special to me, so in losing them to a wardrobe malfunction, I knew I had to choose wisely the pair of shorts or pants that I would go into battle with for my last attempt.

I knew there could be no other pair of competition pants to choose than my amazing fleece sweat pants which I was wearing when I first broke the record in 2009 and when I broke it again last year at World’s Strongest Hands 2010 Leg 4.

After pulling on these loyal threads, I took a breath to mentally prepare, told my hair stylist she could come back to her table, and marched back down stairs to the Den of Iron where I would make my final attempt.

As you can see, I came very close to completing the lift. I have watched this clip over and over and the only technical flaw I can pick out is that my speed to the cross-bar slowed tremendously. This tells me I need to do more speed work in my training, which is one of the things that has helped me tremendously over the years. In fact, I show a lot of this speed work in my DVD, The Road to the Record. It’s amazing that the same handful of tactics have continued to pay off for so many years.

Below are some of the attempts that I got on film of the other competitors. As you will see, the Two Hands Pinch is one of the most exciting events, and one that the crowd often gets the most crazy about.

You’ll also see, above, Daniel Reinard set the first of his World Records of the day for his weight class, 82.5-kg and under.

Shallow Hub

The next lift was the Shallow Hub, which is one of the Grip Topz. Normally Hub Lifting is a weakness for me, but with this device I have had some pretty outstanding results. I have been able to move my numbers up at each leg, and I even took a shot at the World Record on this lift, although I did not get it.

Daniel Reinard, from San Francisco, actually set a new World Record in this lift in the 82.5-kg and under class as well.

Stub

Testing Key Pinch, an ultra narrow form of pinching where the thumb squeezes against side of the index finger, the Stub is a piece of +/- 5/16″ steel roughly 1.5 inches long. It is very difficult to get a grip onto, but I think I have figured it out, as I showed my members at The Grip Authority, when I first started training heavily with them.

As you can tell, Leg 3 of WSH was an awesome experience. With the conditions nearly perfect for both humidity and temperature on a normally unpredictable Fall Day, many competitors were able to set new PR’s on multiple events.

For me, the next competition will be December 10th, 2011, at the Gripmas Carol in Zanesville Ohio. I have already begun training specifically for the event, and am ratcheting the intensity of my Two Hands Pinch training up a couple of notches because I am gunning to move the record up again, since I will not have the pressure of having to run the contest to any degree, like with WSH.

Also, I plan on continuing my focus on Gripper training for the next couple of weeks as I would like to have another go at the MM3, which I am all paid up for but have not tried since November of 2009, I believe.

If you competed at World’s Strongest Hands, share your experience in the comments section below. I’d love to hear from you!

All the best in your training.

Jedd

P.S. Check back later in the week for more video clips of some additional feat of strength challenges that we tried later on following the event!

P.P.S. The methods I used to break the record on the Two hands Pinch have continued to work over the years. If you want to jack up your thumb strength and get your own run for the record started, check out this documentary and employ the techniques yourself!

After three long months, World’s Strongest Hands Series 2011 is complete.
In case you are not familiar with WSH, it started in 2010 with a 4-leg series of contests for a cumulative score. This year was the second time it was held, and there were three Legs you could attend to accumulate as high of a score as possible.
The Legs were held on August 16, September 11, and October 8 and on each leg there were 4 events. The Vulcan Gripper and the Two Hands Pinch were held on each leg and then each event was rounded out by two out of three possible Grip Topz apparatus, the Shallow Hub, the Stub, and the Half Penny.
After the dust settled, I am proud as hell to be able to say that I finished number 5 in the Open Class (over 82.5 kg bodyweight). This was a complete surprise to me, as my first two legs went very poorly, especially in the Two Hands Pinch, due to extremely humid conditions, and my standing going into Leg 3 was down around number 10.
Here are the top 5 in the Open and Light Classes:
At Leg 3, the events were Vulcan Gripper, Two Hands Pinch, Hub and Stub. Below are write-ups and video clips from each event.

Vulcan Gripper

Going into Leg 3, my top close in competition and in training was Level 17, but with the fortune of a good quick set on my third attempt I was able to hit an all-time best PR on the Silver / Black Dip Spring with a Level 18 close.
Below, is a quick video of several of the attempts from all of the competitors. Take note, as you watch the video and you will see, Jim Storch, USAW-certified Olympic lifting coach, competing in his first ever Grip Contest after many years of competition in Olympic Lifting and Powerlifting.

Two Hands Pinch

At Leg 1 and 2, the humidity conditions were repulsive for the Two Hands Pinch event. At Leg 1, I had forgotten to run the dehumidifier and at Leg 2 I ran it but it was so hot out and with so many people in such a small place, the Pinch Plates felt soupy.
I vowed there would be no humidity issues for Leg 3!
Prior to the Pinch event, we assessed the inside feel versus the outside feel and with a slight breeze and comfortable temperature, we decided to open the garage doors. Soon, the Two Hands Pinch device began to feel like its old self.
Instead of grabbing it and thinking you were trying to pick up a freshly caught Pickerel, it felt gritty and rough like so many contests of the past where the Pinch Gods looked down on me and smiled.
After the coin flip to see whether 54-mil or 58-mil would be contested first on the Pinch, we got started. The 54-mil group went first and many guys put up their first ever numbers on the European Adjustable Pinch device. One athlete, Sean Kovacic, traveling from Ontario Canada, got his first taste of Pinch Pr and Pinch Pain, as he posted a personal best, while also watching the apparatus slip out of his hands with absolutely no warning at all.
Soon, it was time for the 58-mil group. I chose to take part in this group for the first time ever, since my first competition on the 2HP since 2005. Shortly after Leg 2, I saw in training that 54-mil just was not feeling right. Testing out 58-mil brought about numbers about 20-lbs higher, so I continued training on it for the next several weeks, one time posting a legal lift in training of 240+ lbs which general means I am good for well over 250-lbs in competition.
For my first attempt, just to be safe and make sure I got on the board, I started out light at 235-lbs. That familiar feeling of radiant tension pulsating through my body as I compressed into the Pinch and continuing as I levered it up through action at the hips came back and I knew it was going to be a good day. I immediately requested 15 more pounds for my second attempt and 250-lbs felt just as good as I brought the Euro up to the target bar and controlled it back to the floor.
On that pull however, I had something happen that I have never had happen on the Two Hands Pinch before – I ripped the seat of my pants out. I opted not to change them, figuring that the rip would not phase me on my second try. A new record-weight of 265-lbs exactly was loaded on the device and I made my way to the platform. However, upon lifting the implement clear of the ground, I heard another loud rrrrrrrrrrrriiip, which slightly threw me off and the massive 265 came crashing back to the ground.

Now it was time for re-grouping. Now it was time for a wardrobe change. I sprinted from the gym, through the lower level of my mansion, up the many flights of stairs and up to my dressing room. There, my hair stylist was taking in some Angry Birds on her Smart Phone. I asked her to leave so that I could change into some sweats and she took off, flinging yellow birds at green pigs.
Now, when it comes to competition attire, my friends, I do not take things lightly. The shorts I was wearing that ripped were the off-white cargo pants that I was wearing in June when I went to Sorinex and in July when I set the record at 120-kilos. These dockers have become rather special to me, so in losing them to a wardrobe malfunction, I knew I had to choose wisely the pair of shorts or pants that I would go into battle with for my last attempt.
I knew there could be no other pair of competition pants to choose than my amazing fleece sweat pants which I was wearing when I first broke the record in 2009 and when I broke it again last year at World’s Strongest Hands 2010 Leg 4.
After pulling on these loyal threads, I took a breath to mentally prepare, told my hair stylist she could come back to her table, and marched back down stairs to the Den of Iron where I would make my final attempt.

As you can see, I came very close to completing the lift. I have watched this clip over and over and the only technical flaw I can pick out is that my speed to the cross-bar slowed tremendously. This tells me I need to do more speed work in my training, which is one of the things that has helped me tremendously over the years. In fact, I show a lot of this speed work in my DVD, The Road to the Record. It’s amazing that the same handful of tactics have continued to pay off for so many years.

Below are some of the attempts that I got on film of the other competitors. As you will see, the Two Hands Pinch is one of the most exciting events, and one that the crowd often gets the most crazy about.

You’ll also see, above, Daniel Reinard set the first of his World Records of the day for his weight class, 82.5-kg and under.

Shallow Hub

The next lift was the Shallow Hub, which is one of the Grip Topz. Normally Hub Lifting is a weakness for me, but with this device I have had some pretty outstanding results. I have been able to move my numbers up at each leg, and I even took a shot at the World Record on this lift, although I did not get it.

Daniel Reinard, from San Francisco, actually set a new World Record in this lift in the 82.5-kg and under class as well.

Stub

Testing Key Pinch, an ultra narrow form of pinching where the thumb squeezes against side of the index finger, the Stub is a piece of +/- 5/16″ steel roughly 1.5 inches long. It is very difficult to get a grip onto, but I think I have figured it out, as I showed my members at The Grip Authority, when I first started training heavily with them.

As you can tell, Leg 3 of WSH was an awesome experience. With the conditions nearly perfect for both humidity and temperature on a normally unpredictable Fall Day, many competitors were able to set new PR’s on multiple events.
For me, the next competition will be December 10th, 2011, at the Gripmas Carol in Zanesville Ohio. I have already begun training specifically for the event, and am ratcheting the intensity of my Two Hands Pinch training up a couple of notches because I am gunning to move the record up again, since I will not have the pressure of having to run the contest to any degree, like with WSH.
Also, I plan on continuing my focus on Gripper training for the next couple of weeks as I would like to have another go at the MM3, which I am all paid up for but have not tried since November of 2009, I believe.
If you competed at World’s Strongest Hands, share your experience in the comments section below. I’d love to hear from you!
All the best in your training.
Jedd
P.S. Check back later in the week for more video clips of some additional feat of strength challenges that we tried later on following the event!

P.P.S. The methods I used to break the record on the Two hands Pinch have continued to work over the years. If you want to jack up your thumb strength and get your own run for the record started, check out this documentary and employ the techniques yourself!

So you’ve been coming to this site for years and you know the importance of Grip Strength and how there is this awesome sport that tests forearm, wrist and hand strength, called Grip Sport.

Well don’t you want to give it a try?

World’s Strongest Hands Leg 3

On October 8th, 2011, I will hold the Pennsylvania constituent of the 2011 World’s Strongest Hands Series.

This is a four-event contest that could be a fantastic opportunity for you to give this stuff a try.

My primary reason for even holding a World’s Strongest Hands venue is to help get new people involved.

So far this year, with the help of my good friend, Mike Rinderle, with whom I released Hammering Horseshoes, the DVD that shows you exactly how to bend horseshoes, we have introduced several new grip strength fanatics to the sport of Grip.

Check out this list of new grip competitors from this year, and check out their training backgrounds. As you’ll see, Grip Sport athletes have very diverse backgrounds, coming from other sports and training focuses…

Christopher Smith – I started strength training when 14 and the pursuit of strength has been a huge part of my life since. I got certified as a personal trainer with the American College of Sports Medicine so that I could help other people get stronger and in an effort to reach even more people, I founded Train Better Fitness in 2008. Currently I offer strength and conditioning to people from all backgrounds. In 2010 I competed in my first powerlifting meet, setting two state records in my weight class and then in June of 2011 I organized and competed in my first strongman contest. Over the past few years I’ve become more interested in grip training and put it to the test for the first time in August of 2011 at the World’s Strongest Hands contest. The contest was a great experience and I encourage anyone who is interested to give competing a shot.

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Eric St. Onge – Eric is a competitive Kettlebell Sport who’s been lifting kettlebells for almost 4 years now and has traveled to numerous places in North America for competitions. He set the 2x32kg kettlebell jerk North American record of 101 reps in 10 minutes. Eric began training Grip sporadically 4 years ago. As of July 2011, his training has been centered on grip. His first competition was WHS II Leg 2 and he says, “I had a really great experience and am looking forward to competing again soon.” Eric is a CSCS through the NSCA and is working on his Doctor of Chiropractic degree at New York Chiropractic College. Feel free to visit his youtube channel at http://www.youtube.com/KBmania360

 

 

 

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Mike Turpin – Mike Turpin, 23, from northern Harford County, MD, started training before his senior year in high school when he was tipping the scales at 340 pounds. He got in shape, interested in overall fitness and strength, losing over 100 pounds. He started instructing Spinn and fitness classes over three years ago and began powerlifting out of Niko Hulslander’s gym in Brogue, PA. This drug tested athlete recently competed at USAPL RAW Nationals. His goals for the next year are to only become more well-rounded and knowledgeable, looking to compete in all aspects of strength– powerlifting, grip sport, olympic lifting, and strongman. Hell, he is probably going to do a 10 mile run just to top it all off. Either way, grip is one of his main focuses coming into the new year and only looks to take it more seriously!

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Eric Lloyd – Eric is a friend of mine that I first met when he was about 15 years old at a local seminar I held on squat training. We continued to say hello for the next several years whenever we saw one another in town. He recently put together a big garage gym at his home and I let him take my strongman tire to it. At that point, I invited him to try out World’s Strongest Hands and he has taken up grip training with full steam! Now we train at least once a week and Eric is kicking some serious ass!

 

 

 

 

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Adam Spizman – Adam is the owner of Spizman’s Strength System, an underground/warehouse style gym in Oswego, NY, 45 minutes north of Syracuse. He began the business in 2009 and has continued to grow it ever since. For years, Adam has trained with Fat Grips/bars, thick ropes, kettlebells and many grip improving tools at his gym. He believes all athletes can benefit from grip strength and really emphasizes it with his wrestling/fighting clients. After further research he began digging deeper into the world of grip training. About 6 months ago he began visiting John Eaton on occasion to train with different things such as blobs, 1″ V-Bar, and grippers. He loved the opportunity to train with master trainer Jedd Johnson and jumped on the opportunity to compete. Since the competition Adam continues to grow his business and evolves his training and grip devices at the gym. For more information on his training visit SpizmanTraining.com

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Richard Bean – I contacted Richard, but I have not heard back from him yet. I do however know that Richard is a certified Red Nail bender and a Blob Lifter.

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If you are interested in trying out a comp, don’t be shy. A long time customer and friend of mine, Mike Sheehan, is coming to Leg 3 to give this a try (he could not make the other legs due to his work schedule) and he is raring to go!

Also, I have one gent from California making the trip in – you know him as Mr. Wild Card, Daniel Reinard, who qualified for Nationals through the Wild Card Grip Strength Challenge, and he won the Novice Class. Also, Bob Sundin will be coming up for Leg 3 again. He is the world record holder in the Two Hands Pinch for the under 182-lb class.

At Leg 3, the events will be in this order: Vulcan Gripper with 20-mm set, Two hands Pinch, Grip Topz Hub Lift, and Half a Penny hub Lift.

We will start at 11:00 on October 8, here in my garage in Wyalusing, PA.

After the standard events, there will be a Blob Off! Max Next Gen Blob plus Weight as well as the Block Weight Medley from Hell. Every Block Weight I own will be lined up and the objective is to load them all in a medley. This will include all types of Block Weights: Hex Blocks, Next Gen Blobs, a Blob Clone, a Fatman Blob, Chunks, Inverted Dumbbells, Scale Weights and an Anvil.

Cost of the entire contest is just $15!

I hope to see you there – all the best in your training.

Jedd