Diesel Crew - Muscle Building, Athletic Development, Strength Training, Grip Strength

Strength and Conditioning for Elite Athletic Performance - Free Articles, Videos for Coaches, Fitness Professionals, Personal Trainers, Athletic Trainers, Physical Therapists for All Sports

As Seen On
  • Home
  • Media
    • Video
    • Articles
    • Galleries
    • Interviews
    • GS Radio
    • Contact
  • Products
    • eBooks
    • Manuals
    • DVDs
    • Services
  • Team Diesel
    • Napalm’s Blog
    • Smiitty’s Blog
    • Spray Series
    • Testmonials
  • Resources
    • Links
    • Contact
  • Forum
  • Home
  • Media
    • Video
    • Articles
    • Galleries
    • Interviews
    • GS Radio
    • Contact
  • Products
    • eBooks
    • Manuals
    • DVDs
    • Services
  • Team Diesel
    • Napalm’s Blog
    • Smiitty’s Blog
    • Spray Series
    • Testmonials
  • Resources
    • Links
    • Contact
  • Forum

Posts Tagged ‘gripper sets’

Gripper Training Questions – The Metal Block Used with Grippers

Thursday, May 31st, 2012

Grip Sport, like any sport, has its funny little quirky things about it that strike people funny.

At least once a month, I am asked by someone on YouTube the same question, so I thought I’d go ahead and do a video and blog post about.

What is the Metal Thing Used with Grippers?

The metal object that you often see used by those closing grippers, especially during official certification closes and when competing or training for contests, is called a Block. The Block is used to make sure all athletes are using the same set depth (or wider) when they close the gripper.

In this video, I show you exactly how this is done.

The History of Gripper Sets in a Nutshell

I found out about Grip specialization training in 2002 and since I was a bodybuilder at the time, I thought it was insane to spend so much time training so hard on such a small portion of your body.

The Old IronMind Set

Then, I found out that there were Gripper Certifications that you could attain, and being that I was always hungry to prove myself physically, I decided I wanted to pursue the Captains of Crush certification through IronMind.

By 2003, I was certified for closing the #3 Gripper. At the time, the rules stated you could pre-position the gripper with your off hand, provided the last full inch of the gripper sweep was clearly visible by the judge and unaided by the off-hand.

Mash Monster Set

Well, how easy is it to judge the space between two handles, exactly? Not really that easy, and pretty controversial, as it would turn out. Eventually another gripper certification was started by the Gripboard, called the Mash Monsters. A set of grippers in graduated difficulty was produced, and in order to make judging easier, instead of one inch, a parallel set was used, so you could set the gripper with the off hand, but before closing it, the video being shot of the attempt had to clearly show a parallel handle position prior to closing the gripper. This certification still remains unchanged to this day at Gripboard.com.

New IronMind Set – Credit Card Setting

The way I remember it, IronMind caught wind of some gripper certs that were done with deep sets, so they changed their certification around 2004 or 2005 (I don’t remember exactly without googling), and they began requiring a credit card set – the handles could still be pre-positioned with the off-hand, but prior to closing the gripper, a credit card had to be inserted width-wise between the handles. This is what they require to this day.


GGC 2006 – I certified Tex Henderson.
He was the first to certify with the credit card.
My hair was awesome then, too.
Image: IronMind.com

In 2006, at our Grip National Championship, then called Global Grip Challenge, we implemented a credit card spacer that the judge would slide through the handles for the athlete. Unfortunately, this created a great deal of debate because for smaller handed individuals, the wide set was giving them serious troubles.

Block Sets

Around this time, the use of a marker narrower than a credit card also started popping up. You could see videos from European grip contests where the competitors would set their gripper and then either they or a judge would slide the marker between the handles.


20-mm Block Set with Vulcan Gripper

Over the years, this practice evolved. In some competitions, it was used, while in others it was not required. Then, in 2010, David Horne required a 20-mm block was required to be put between the handles prior to closing them together. In 2011, David shipped official setting blocks out to the all the promoters of the World’s Strongest Hands series. This has pretty much become the standard of setting blocks used in competitions. In almost all cases that I can think of, the athlete must pass the setting block between the handles himself. The judge is no longer permitted to do it.


20-mm/30-mm Block – Image: David Horne’s World of Grip

To me, while using a setting block makes the close slightly harder because there is a pause and hold prior to closing the gripper handles together, I think is a great addition to the sport. I think the blocks that David Horne produces are awesome because the narrow way they serve for a 20-mm set, and the wider way, they serve for a 30-mm set. These are the two most commonly used setting widths and they seem to be comfortable for just about everyone who competes.

Plus, with the use of the blocks, you always know that every single competitor has closed their gripper from a legal set width. There are no partially shielded closes, no drifting closes and no complaints or excuses. If someone has a weak set, they may end up taking an attempt from a wider distance, which is fine, but there’s virtually no chance someone uses too deep of a set because they must clearly show the properly swiped block between the handles.

DIESELS, I hope this has been a helpful post for you that clears up some of the questions. Setting Blocks may seem as foreign and strange as a right-handed pitcher being allowed to fake to third base before throwing to first base, but like that deceptive baseball pick-off move, setting blocks are just part of the game.

(Actually, I heard recently that the fake to third pick-off move to first is going to be out-lawed next season, but it rarely worked for anyone besides the Yankees’ Jeff Nelson anyway, and he’s been retired for several years now…)

All the best in your training,

Jedd

Got more gripper questions? I bet you the answers are in my gripper Training DVD, CRUSH.
If you watch it and are still unsure, just shoot me an email and take advantage
of my 30-days of email support, like with all my products:

Tags: crush grip, gripper set technique, gripper sets, gripper technique, gripper training, gripper work
Posted in Grip Sport, grip strength, grip strength competition contest, gripper training, hand strength, how to improve grip strength, improve grip strength crush | 4 Comments »

TGA Member Spotlight - Jason Steeves
Chuck Sipes - Intense Bastard

Diesel Crew Newsletter


Get Diesel Blog Posts Emailed to You:

  



DIESEL DIRECTORY

Find EVERY Single Post Ever Written on DieselCrew.com.

Click Here: All DieselCrew.com Entries

Search DieselCrew.com

Upcoming Events

CONTEST: Grip Hogs Day, Wyalusing PA

Click Here


Motivation & Muscle Podcast

Featured Products

DC Grip Strength
how to train to lift the blob

bend steel, bend wrenches, roll frying pans




How to Bend Horseshoes








How to Bend Horseshoes
    How to Tear Phone Books
Card Tearing Ebook
     Bending Manual
Nail Bending DVD
Euro Pinch Two Hands Pinch Yraining
Nail Bending DVD
    build grip strength hand strength forearm strength
Diesel Strength Training Products

build strength strongman training information
Advanced Kettlebell Challenges Build Strength with Kettlebells
    improve strength conditioning recovery grip strength
home made strength training equipment
how to do strongman atlas stone training
Members Only
build grip strength and learn feats of strength

Stay Connected – Jedd

Friend me on Twitter!
Subscribe to my Youtube Videos!
Friend me on Facebook!
Check Out my Images on Flickr!
Join my Network on LinkedIn!
Check out my blog!

Training Center

FREE EBOOK - AWESOME

How to Build Muscle Articles

3 Insanely Effective Upper Body Warm-ups

Ultimate Lower Body Warm-up

Ultimate Pull-up Video

How to Shoulder Rehab

How to Bench Press

How to Squat

How to Deadlift

How to Train with Odd Objects

Top 7 Tips for Building Muscle

Massive Back Training

Massive Arm Training 1

Massive Arm Training 2

Massive Arm Training 3

Advanced Activation Techniques

Speed Training for Athletes

Perfect Workout for Travelers

Popular Videos

Shoulder Rehab Protocol

Ultimate Two Minute Warm-up

No More Knee Pain - Part 1

No More Knee Pain - Part 2

Advanced Pull-up Training 1

Advanced Pull-up Training 2

Improve Pressing Power 1

Improve Pressing Power 2

Popular Articles

Celebrity Fitness - Build Muscle

How to Build Muscle

Build Muscle Now with Ladders

19 Tips for Fixing Your Squat

Fix Your Squat - Part 2

Fixing the Shoulders

The Summer Six-Pack

Keys for the Hard Gainer

Improving Your Deadlift Grip

Top 5 Core Exercises

Media

Home Team Diesel
Media Resources
Products Forum

MUSCLE BUILDING / GAIN MUSCLE MASS / HOW TO BUILD MUSCLE:
Accelerated Muscular Development | How to Build Muscle | How to Bench Press Muscle Building Anatomy | Muscle Building Nutrition - Build Muscle Mass | Sled Dragging Workouts Strength Training - Muscle Building Workouts | Strength Training Powerlifting | Strength Training Workouts How to Lose Fat - Fat Loss | Kettlebell Training | Strength Training Workouts Injury Rehab - How to Rehab an Injury

CORE WORKOUTS / CORE TRAINING / SIX PACKS ABS:
Core Training Workouts | Core Workouts for Athletes

ATHLETIC STRENGTH TRAINING / STRENGTH WORKOUTS / BUILD STRENGTH:
Athletic Strength Training Train With Odd Objects Strength Training to Improve Athletic Performance | Core Workouts for Athletes | Strongman Training for Athletes Baseball Strength and Conditioning | Improve Speed Bag Training

GRIP STRENGTH / IMPROVE GRIP STRENGTH / GRIP TRAINING FOR ATHLETES:
Bending Grip Strength | How to Tear Cards | Grip Strength Blob Lifting | How to Improve Crushing Grip Strength Improve Grip Strength | Improve Crushing Grip Strength | Grip Strength Blob Lifting | Grip Strength Competition

OLD STRONGMAN / OLD TIME STRONGMAN / STRONGMAN FEATS OF STRENGTH:
Old Strongman Feats of Strength

DAILY MOTIVATION / INSPIRATION:
Daily Inspiration - Motivation

BUILD YOUR OWN GYM:
Create Your Own Garage Gym

Copyright © 2006 – 2009 The Diesel Crew, LLC. All rights reserved.

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer

Cleantalk Pixel