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Is there a magic number you have to hit on the Rolling Thunder to be guaranteed you’ll lift the Inch Dumbbell? Is it a 1-to-1 relationship? And does the Rolling Thunder even work well for preparing you to Lift the Inch Dumbbell?
I cover all of this and more in today’s videos:
For more grip strength QnA Videos, be sure to subscribe to my channel here: Jedd Johnson on YouTube.
In episode 36, we talk about Gripmas, the LA Fit Expo, and many of the other competitions that are set to close out 2017 and get 2018 rolling with plenty of Grip Power! We also look at some of the biggest feats that went down in the past week, including a deep set #4 close by a gripster named Artur Tumaguzhin.
Next week, we plan on covering the Inch Dumbbell. What questions do you have on the Inch? Leave your questions below, or in the comments section on YouTube.
Thanks for watching and all the best in your training.
Jedd
This is the latest installment in my Beginner Grip Training series. Up to this point, I’ve already touched on Plate Pinch Grip Training, and Gripper Training, but did you know that even if you don’t have a single piece of grip strength training equipment, you’ve got perfect access to in just about ANY gym around?
It’s true – you can work Thick Bar in your next workout, and this video shows you how.
What questions do you have about Grip Training, Thick Bar Work, etc? Leave a comment below – I’d love to hear from you.
All the best in your training,
Jedd
This is probably gonna surprise some people, but I’m dead serious about this.
People are always asking me, “Hey, how much do I need to lift on the Rolling Thunder to know I’ll be able to lift the Inch?”
To me, the RT and the Inch are so different, there’s no way to even give a good number.
In fact, if you’re training to lift the Inch Dumbbell by using the Rolling Thunder, you’re wasting your time.
To be honest, basing your training to lift the Inch around Rolling Thunder training, is easily the biggest mistake you can make.
Here’s my top 3 reasons why the Rolling Thunder doesn’t work to get you strong enough to lift the Inch:
1) The Action Doesn’t Match Up
Although the Rolling Thunder spins, the action doesn’t match what happens when you try to pick up the Inch Dumbbell.
2) The Pull Height Doesn’t Match Up
When you lift the RT to lockout, most people only have to lift it about 8 inches or so. When lifting the Inch, the pull distance is at least doubled, so the time under tension factor is much more intense on the Inch.
3) Specificity is the Key
There’s no single factor that can help you lift the Inch Dumbbell than actually having one to train on. People knock their head off the wall trying to build thick bar strength with the Rolling Thunder only to be stopped in their tracks when they cross paths with one.
To give you an idea of how it worked with me, I trained my butt off for over the year using the RT and other tools, and failed to lift the Inch on many occasions.
Once, I bought one, I lifted within like 2 months.
Naturally, I don’t expect everyone to run out and buy an Inch Dumbbell, because of their expense.
However, if you do intend to one day lift the Inch Dumbbell, I do expect you to pick up this video: How to Lift the Inch
My Inch Video will set you straight on proper Inch Dumbbell training.
Now, I’m going to be completely honest with you…
I feel so strongly about the information in this video, that if you DON’T have it in your collection, I have to doubt
your desire to ever accomplish this renowned feat of strength.
Pick up your copy of the Inch Video, in digital format or hard copy DVD today by clicking here.
All the best in your training.
Jedd
Several Years ago, Zach Coulter, an avid grip competitor and steel bender during the mid-2000’s, decided to try to make an Inch Dumbbell replica out of 8″ round-stock steel for the bells with the thick handle welded into place.
With giant cylindrical heads and a 2.5″ handle, Coulter produced an extremely hard Inch Replica.
Over the years, I’ve tried many times to lift the Coulter Bell, never getting it completely to lockout without having my hand butted up against the back bell to reduce rotation.
I have gotten better though! In March this year, I broke it a few inches off the ground, before it toppled out of my grip.
Struggling with the Coulter Dumbbell
Then, in June of this year, I got it to mid-shin, before it squirmed away from the lock of my fingers.
In the video below, Eric Roussin also gets a nice pull on it, as well.
Coulter Dumbbell Attempts at NAGS Championship
And in December, after months and months of thick-bar emphasized training, I was able to get it a bit closer to knee height before it popped loose.
However, Andrew Durniat, the current owner of the Coulter Bell, took it to another level. Not only did he stroll over and do a 360-degree spin, effectively saying “IN YOUR FACE, NAPALM!” he also added 22lbs to it.
Check this out:
Andrew Durniat Destroys the Coulter Bell
There’s so many great challenge implements out there, to test your grip strength with.
And no matter how strong you think you are, there’s always someone stronger.
That’s what keeps me going, knowing that there’s always dudes out there like Andrew Durniat who are stronger than me in certain disciplines, and I will continue to train them all, with the objective of reaching and surpassing them.
All the best in your training.
Jedd
I’ve got a sale going on right now, on my DVD, “How to Lift the Inch Dumbbell.”
Grab it today and you’ll save yourself $20, and you’ll be instantly closer to lifting what was once considered “the unliftable dumbbell.
The Thomas Inch Replica Dumbbell, at 172lbs, with a nearly 2.5-inch handle, is a massive construction of cast iron that has tormented grip enthusiasts for too long.
This DVD gives you the weapons you need to do battle with the Inch.
From technique and grip application know-how, to training drills and programming expertise, the next time you face the Inch Dumbbell, you can rest assured that you will be ready.
You’ve struggled with the Inch Dumbbell long enough.
It’s time to ram your sword into the heart of the Inch Dumbbell, right now.
Grab this DVD today, and get the knowledge you need to take the Inch Dumbbell down, and conquer one of the most widely known feats of grip strength in the world today.
All the best in your training,
Jedd
I recently got a call from Dennis Rogers, inviting me to perform at the annual banquet/gala of the AOBS.
From their site: “The Association of Oldetime Barbell and Strongmen (AOBS) is the arm of WLO that focuses on education regarding Iron Game history and drug free sport, while the parent (WLO) concentrates on the development of the sport of weightlifting and amateur athletes, especially for national and international competition. The organization produces an quarterly newsletter and hosts an annual gala the educates, entertains and provides an opportunity to visit with legends of the Iron Game and old time friends.”
The WLO, or Weightlifting Org., Inc., is “… a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit corporation. It was created to educate the public and public institutions regarding the nature, benefits and history of weightlifting and related activities; the hazards of drug use and benefits of drug free sport; and to develop amateur athletes for national and international weightlifting competition.”
You can learn more about WLO and AOBS here.
I am totally honored to be invited to perform this year. In the past, true legends of strength and strongmanism have performed at the AOBS dinner, including names like Slim “The Hammer Man” Farman, Dennis Rogers, Stanless Steel, “The Human Vise” Pat Povilaitis, and Steve Weiner, just to name a few.
I feel particularly privileged to be chosen to perform this year because I’ll be doing something a little different, in my presentation.
I’ll be performing feats of grip strength, with popular grip challenge items, like the Inch Dumbbell and 50-lb Blob.
Since finding out about this incredible opportunity, I’ve totally re-examined my training, and have taken some emphasis away from my Grip Sport competition preparation (the King Kong of Grip is taking place on October 24th), and more toward refining some of my specialty feats with the Blob and Inch Dumbbell.
As a result of keying in on the Blob and Inch Dumbbell, my performance has truly skyrocketed, and I’m breaking through barriers that have been in my way for several years.
Here’s a couple examples…
Blob Deadlift for Reps
In 2009, out of nowhere, I decided to go for 40 repetitions in the Blob Deadlift. I don’t remember why anymore, to be honest. Well, I ended up miss-counting and only got 39, but that’s not important.
What’s important is it took my 6 minutes. Here’s the video from 2009:
50lb Blob for 39 Reps (2009)
I had stumbled upon this video after not watching it for quite some time, and when I watched it and saw that it took me 6+ minutes to get to 40 reps, I honestly couldn’t believe it. I remember thinking back then that this was pretty much unbeatable.
What a fool I was. There have been times in my life where I have gotten complacent, and this, obviously, was one of them. As I watched myself struggle to get to 39 reps, like a man with concrete boots trudging uphill through a quagmire, I knew that I could beat this.
So, the next workout, I dragged the Blob back out and went for 40 reps again, as fast as I could. Here’s the video:
50lb Blob for 40 Reps
It’s like my Dad always said to me as a kid. “You can never rest on your laurels.” In other words, you can never feel that what you’ve done is enough. You’re always capable of more. You need to know that you can surpass what you’ve done in the past with the right training.
Inch Dumbbell Rows
Another feat I just recently FINALLY was able to reach, involves Inch Dumbbell Rows.
I have been able to perform a Side Dumbbell Row with the Inch Dumbbell since the mid-2000’s. I think I got my first one in 2007.
Here’s another case, where I was letting my mind get the best on me.
For nearly 8 years, I’ve been stuck at 1 Rep. In fact, I remember a few times thinking that I’d NEVER be able to get 2 reps, meaning 2 consecutive reps, without dropping and/or re-gripping the Inch Dumbbell.
Inch Dumbbell Rows (2011)
Again, what a fool I can be sometimes! Why would I ever think that something is impossible? Talk about mentally painting myself into a corner. Unbelievable.
Finally, for the first time I was able to perform 2 consecutive reps in the Inch Dumbbell Row. Here’s the video:
Inch Dumbbell Rows
I’m still not totally pleased with these, as there’s quite a tilt going on, but I’ll continue to work on them.
Here’s the thing guys, take a lesson from my mistakes, and get your head right with your training.
The mental side of training is HUGE. If you’re head isn’t right, it will keep you from attaining your goals.
And you can’t rest once you hit a certain mark. You can’t get complacent. You can’t hit a goal and just get comfortable. Keep pushing hard and keep growing.
Get your mindset locked in, starting today.
And if you need help with that, stay tuned for a message from me next week called Mental Muscle.
All the best in your training.
Jedd
P.S. Wish me luck at the AOBS on 10/17/15!
Training to Lift the Blob? Get This:
As I always say, don’t EVER count yourself out.
At the beginning of last Thursday’s session, I was questioning if it was even a good idea to train with all the aches and pains I had all over my body. It was hard getting warm, and it seemed like even the equipment was working against me, as my Pull-down Machine was giving me a hassle and so was my Glute Ham.
It would have been easy to just say, “Screw It,” and wrap the session up before it even started, but Luke was making the drive down, so I just put my head down forged ahead.
The resolve paid off BIG TIME, as I had what I can only describe as my absolute best day of thick bar training in my lifetime.
I’ve rarely been able to even Deadlift 2 Inch Dumbbells more than once in my lifting career, so to be able to carry them multiple times in one session is out of this world for me.
What’s crazy is my best DIFW probably would have been my first one, but I wasn’t prepared to even walk them. They just felt good when I stood up, so I decided to take a few steps and had to set them down because I ran out of platform to carry them on.
My training has definitely been dialed in as of late. I thank God for that.
After years and years of Inch Dumbbell Frustration, it is nice to have finally carried these beasts a few times the other day. I pretty much carried them on Thursday, in that one session, just as many times (if not more) than I have carried them in all the rest of my life, put together.
Next time, I gotta get them outside for some REAL distance!
All the best in your training!
Jedd
I’m excited to announce that I have a new DVD coming out soon on How to Lift the Inch Dumbbell.
This is a topic that readers have been asking me about for several years.
For many, Lifting the Inch Dumbbell is a lifetime goal of theirs.
For others, it’s something that they think they might never be able to reach, because it is so challenging to lift.
Well, I say, STOP PUTTING THE INCH ON A PEDESTAL.
With this DVD, everyone, from newbies in the world of Grip, to wily veterans who’ve set the Inch as their next goal, and even to the gripster who bought the Inch on a whim and is unsure how to go about working with it, will understand how to train on the Inch Dumbbell.
To be the first to get your hands on this DVD, add your information to the box below:
Here are some of the things you’re gonna learn when you pick up this DVD:
There are 4 main ways to lift the Inch. You’ll learn exactly what they are, which one provides you with the most mechanical advantage, and which ones are more challenging.
Do you just “Grab n Go?” They you might be making it harder on yourself to lift the Inch. You’re gonna learn the way you should apply your grip to maximize your grip strength, and also how to take advantage of the elastic properties of your hand skin.
: You may not know it yet, but you may not be truly taking advantage of your individual strengths when you try to lift the Inch. You’re going to learn the three grip variations you can use on your attempts so you CAN take better advantage of your strengths and make lifting the Inch easier.
What if you don’t have an Inch Dumbbell Replica yet? Does that mean you’re outta luck? No way! There’s plenty of good implements you can use to build Inch Lifting hand strength, you’ve just gotta know which ones are legit, and which ones are a waste of your time. You’ll find all that out here.
There is SO MUCH you can do with your Inch Dumbbell, but you might not have thought of it yet. In 10 years of Inch Dumbbell training, I’ve discovered dozens of ways to work with the Inch. You’re gonna learn my absolute best Inch training drills so you can waste less time and move closer to the Inch faster than ever.
If you’ve bought a bunch of gear and you’re not sure what to do with it, no worries. You’ll soon see some High Impact drills you can do with things like the Rolling Thunder, Wrist Wrench, Gulley Grip, FBBC Crusher, Shot Loadable and Plate Loadable Dumbbells, and MORE!
At this point, your mouth MUST be watering to get your hands on this DVD.
Well, I’m not even done shooting this thing yet, so there’s gonna be EVEN MORE once this thing’s done.
While it’s not 100% complete yet, I’m at the stage where things are going to accelerate very quickly.
Make sure you’re on the Inch Dumbbell DVD List so you’ll know when it comes out ASAP.
For now, I’ve got a little bit more filming, quite a bit of editing, and some uploading and mastering to do.
All the best in your training!
Jedd
To me, the greatest thing about lifting weights is the never ending ways to challenge yourself.
Just when you accomplish one goal, there’s any number of other things you can do to make yourself better.
In the Fall of 2014, I pushed myself to the limit with 20-Rep Squats.
I wanted to see how far I could go.
I started with 225-lbs, and over the course of about 10 weeks, I worked my way to 355-lbs. I only got 16 reps with that, however, as on my last rep I strained a hamstring/groin muscle.
But I had no regrets. Sometimes an injury happens when you’re trying to see what you limits truly are.
After a couple months of rehab, recovery, and rebuilding, I decided I was ready for another round of 20-Rep Squats, only this time i was gonna do it a little different.
Instead, this time, the goal would be to hit 20-reps of Goblet Squats with the Inch Dumbbell.
Here’s my best effort to date in max reps: 13 with the 176-lb Inch Dumbbell on loan from John Eaton:
Goblet Squats are a great exercise. While they are usually used as a precursor to Back Squatting by using lighter weights, they can also be used for heavy training as well. On top of using the Inch Dumbbell for Goblet Squats, I was also using the 200-lb Kettlebell for Goblet Squats for a time this year as well. You can see some videos of that here => 200-lb Kettlebell Goblet Squats.
What’s interesting about Heavy Goblet Squatting, especially with a circus-style dumbbell such as the Inch Dumbbell, is that a part of the bell lies on your stomach.
So, not only is breathing difficult due to the dumbbell being held at chest height, you’ve also got the additional challenge of breathing through the belly against the lower portion of the dumbbell at the same time.
I liken this challenge to performing multiple repetitions of Atlas Stone lifting. The difference is, you never drop the stone to re-grip or load it atop a platform. Instead, it’s like you just keep going from the lap to the chest-load position.
Above, Steve Slater lifts a stone to the chest-load position. Going from lap to chest-load like this feels VERY similar to Inch Dumbbell Goblet Squats.
It makes for an awesome physical challenge, and that’s what it’s all about, for me, when it comes to strength training.
I’ll keep you updated on the 20-Rep Inch Dumbbell Goblet Squat Saga.
Speaking of the Inch Dumbbell, next week, I will be shooting a DVD on that very subject. If you’re training to lift the Inch Dumbbell, make sure you sign up for updates about it using the form below.
Lift the Inch Dumbbell – Sign up Below:
All the best in your training.
Jedd
Thomas Inch was a performing strongman who lived during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. He is most well known for his challenge dumbbell, an all-one-piece, cast-iron dumbbell with a nearly 2.5-inch handle, weighing 172-lbs.
To this day, replicas of what is now know as the Inch Dumbbell, remain one of the biggest challenge items in Grip.
After a short break from Inch Dumbbell Training, due to very sore shoulders that were causing pain every time I tried pulling something off the floor, I have resumed my Inch Dumbbell Training.
The Inch is never a simple feat for me. It is always something I need to have my mind right for. But I am working hard to make it easier all the time.
Here are some of the Inch Dumbbell feats I have tried and attained in recent training:
Inch Dumbbell + 55-lb Anvil
The Robo Blob is a Fatman Blob replica machined from a raw steel billet. It is pretty tough for me to lift, but not nearly as tough as some of my other Blobs, especially the Handle Blob.
Inch Dumbbell + Half 115lb Block Weight
This half 115lb Hex head has been around for a long time. Its sides actually slope out every so slightly, amking it a bit tougher than some other straight-sided blocks.
Inch Dumbbell Rows
These lifts all took place inside of one workout. I am trying to hit the Inch as many times as possible throughout the week. The idea is to make lifting it feel easier and easier and easier.
It’s time “Lifting the Inch” is no longer up on such a high pedestal.
All the best in your training.
Jedd
In September, my friend from Finland, Juha Harju put up a video of himself lifting the Inch Dumbbell in one hand while doing a #3.5 Silver Bullet Hold at the same time.
I have written about this type of training many times in the past, and it is called Bi-Polar Training.
Here are a couple of examples of past articles on Bi-Polar Training:
This feat was called “Feat of the Year” by someone on Facebook, and the name stuck.
I tried the feat and couldn’t quite get it at first, but with time, I was able to get it.
I then challenged Juha to perform the feat both hands: the gripper in one hand and the Inch in the other, and then reversing the combination within 2 minutes of completing the first one.
This has been a crazy challenge for me, as it combines two of my poorest events, but it has been great seeing the progress come along, brotherrr.
First Attempt at Feat of the Year (Misses)
The FRUSTRATING Feat of the Year Challenge
First Successful Feat of the Year & First Attempt at Double Feat of the Year
First Official Double Feat of the Year
Training this feat has unfortunately slowed to an absolute HALT.
At some point along the lines of performing this feat, I strained something in both shoulders, either a triceps muscle, a lat muscle, or worst yet, a rotator cuff muscle.
At this point, deadlifting anything off the floor has become impossible to do without substantial pain, so I have shut down most one-handed grip lifts from the floor in order to give the injured tissues time to heal.
What this also means is that I can’t train most of the lifts in the King Kong of Grip Challenge taking place at the end of this month.
I was really looking forward to it, but I would rather write this one off in order to get back to 100%.
I will still be running the Pennsylvania Leg of the King Kong here at my place in Wyalusing though, and not competing will enable me to run a more organized contest and help out the new competitors.
So, if you have been kicking around the idea of competing here, by all means come over and go for it, brotherrr!
All the best in your training.
Jedd
If you are not yet subscribed to my YouTube Channel, click that link in order to do so.
I hope you have been having a great year. I set out to make this year MINE from the get go, and I am loving it.
One of my initiatives going forward to make more posts here at the site to share more of what is going down in my training, but being a subscriber to my channel is the absolute best way to make sure you are not missing anything.
Here are some cool things I am pretty proud of that have taken place this year, but I haven’t had the chance to post here.
Inch Dumbbell Plus 10lbs
The Inch Dumbbell weighs 172-lbs and has a handle that is 2 & 3/8″ in diameter. There are many ways to add weight to an Inch Dumbbell, but perhaps the strictest way to do so is to actually set the plates on top of the globes. Any rotation of the dumbbell whatsoever and the plates will fall right off, so this method shows you have excellent control of the implement.
Earlier this year, I was able to hit a lift on Inch + 10lbs.
Robo Blob Lifts
Last last year, I partnered with a local steel company to get Fatman Blob Replicas made. Our replicas, currently called Robo Blobs, are machined directly from steel billets and carved to the perfect flawless shape of a Fatman Blob.
For the longest time, I could get NO AIR underneath my Robo Blob, until finally after several months I was able to break it free from gravity’s hold. One small break was all I needed.
Order your own Diesel Robo Blob Here
Shortly after, I was able to lift the Robo Blob with about 2.5pounds added, as well.
Monster Dumbbell Curls
Over the last couple of years, I have expanded my obsession from not just developing a strength in the lower arms in the form of tremendous grip strength, but big and strong arms OVERALL. This year I have decided to set myself a goal of 20″ arms COLD, meaning not with a pump, but just walking around, regular sized.
I have been told that this is an IMPOSSIBLE goal by some, at least impossible to do it without chemical assistance, but I am determined to do so with the use of a mix of training methods, including heavy training, high volume, and other extreme tactics.
So far, the strength improvements are coming along nicely, as this year I was able to set some new PR’s in the Dumbbell Curl. Below is a set of 80-lb Curls.
A few months later, I was also able to curl 85’s.
One objective I set out for is to keep the Dumbbell Curls strict. Often, when people post Dumbbell Curl videos, there is a substantial amount of throwing going on, and I try to avoid that as much as possible.
There’s still a lot to catch up on. Like I said before, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube Channel, and be sure to sign up for my email newsletter as well.
All the best in your training.
Jedd
Want to Order a Robo Blob? Go here => Diesel Robo Blob
Want to Build Big Arms? Answer the Call to Arms today.
Grip Sport and Grip Training are just plain awesome. The equipment that is used to develop a world class grip ranges from plain to extravagant, from simple to complex, and from basic to scary.
One of the scariest pieces of training equipment that exists is the Inch Dumbbell. Its scariness comes from many things. First and foremost is the fact that its weight and size will intimidate you. They will get into your mind and make you think before even touching it that you probably do not have any chance to lift it.
Then, once you try to lift it, several times in succession, and watch it merely spin out of your grip and never leave its original spot, it starts to work its way into your head even deeper, down into your psyche, and it owns your thoughts and haunts your dreams until you cross paths with it again.
I am one of the few who owns an Inch Dumbbell, and one of the very rare who owns two. I have owned these pieces of iron for nearly 10 years and to this day they still give me heart-ache and frustration.
Occasionally, I will mark my progress with my Inch Dumbbell training by shooting and uploading a video to YouTube and just about every time someone stumbles onto the video and ask questions like “What is the Inch Dumbbell?” “Why is the Inch Dumbbell so Hard to Lift?” and many other things.
In order to help bring some clarity to the situation, I shot a video describing exactly what the Inch Dumbbell is and discussed some of the history of the dumbbell, and other important pieces of information around it.
Of course, as always happens when you try to put an informational video like this together, you miss certain points or leave certain things out, so I will be adding the pertinent information here in an effort to make everything as complete as possible.
Naturally, if you have any further questions, let me know by leaving a comment and I will tackle your question at a later date.
Thomas Inch: The Inch Dumbbell is named after the famous performing strongman, Thomas Inch (1881 – 1963), who was born in Scarborough, England. Inch would take this and other challenge dumbbells with him in his act and challenge many a by-stander to lift it, with the great majority never breaking it from the ground, just as is the case today in most cases.
Important Note: The Original Inch Dumbbell designed by Thomas Inch is now owned by Kim Wood. So now, any Inch Dumbbell that you see will be a replica.
Statistics of the Dumbbell: The Inch Dumbbell weighs 172 lbs, 9 oz. and has a handle with is 2.38 inches in diameter and 4 inches in length. Replica Inch Dumbbells often have a handle that is slightly thicker, 2.47 inches in diameter, but can of course vary in dimensions slightly. Regardless of the variation, all Inch Dumbbell Replicas are hard as hell to lift. If you have never witnessed an Inch Dumbbell, a soda can is a close indicator of the handle size. The Original Inch’s handle circumference is 7.5 inches with most replicas being closer to 7.75, while a soda can circumference is about 8.25 inches. For more info on the Inch Dumbbell, check out the great article at the BodyBuilding.com website.
To truly understand the dynamics of the Inch, they can’t be just read off a piece of paper or website page. They must be seen in action. With that, I give you my Inch Dumbbell Movie, where I discuss the Inch Dumbbell and its defiant nature in detail.
Stay tuned for the Inch Dumbbell Training DVD coming soon. Add your email below to make sure you’re notified the instant it comes out:
In the video above, I show a feat where the Inch is lifted with cans on the globes. This is an advanced feat of Grip Strength. Below, I will list the common feats associated with the Inch Dumbbell.
One Hand Deadlift: The principle objective with the Inch Dumbbell is to lift it to a full deadlift, one handed. This means that you have tremendous static open hand strength to be able to control the action of the dumbbell long enough to pull it to the erect position.
Double Inch Deadlift: This is the next step up, and if you can do this, it shows that your grip is evenly balanced in both hands for the most part.
Inch Deadlift with Cans on Globes: As mentioned in the video above, being able to stand up with the Inch Dumbbell in hand while also being able to keep cans balanced on the globes shows that you have extreme control over the rotation of the dumbbell, plus the cans force you to keep it level, which is a much more difficult way to lift it. When lifted with a tilt, other factors come into play making the lift easier.
Double Inch Farmers Walk: It’s one thing to lift something up. It’s another thing altogether to pick it/them up and walk away with them. This has been one of the main events in the Mighty Mitts contest for several years, although this year it seems to have been taken out for a slight change.
Inch Clean and Press: One of the ultimate goals for anyone who toils with the Inch Dumbbell is to one day clean it to the shoulder and then press it overhead. This, after all, was the main challenge Thomas Inch had for those who took their tries on his challenge dumbbell. To this day, there have been some who have cleaned the Inch to their shoulder and then further either pressed it, push-pressed it, or jerked it overhead one-handed, including Mark Henry and Ryan Green, two of which happened in the early 2000’s when I was first learning about Grip.
As a natural progression to the Clean and Press, the Inch Dumbbell can also be “continentaled” to the shoulder and then pressed, push-pressed, or jerked it overhead. A continental involves pulling the Inch Dumbbell off the ground one handed and then using the body one or more times to assist in getting the Inch to the shoulder in order to launch it overhead. I recently watched Matt Brouse do this on Facebook. Awesome.
Below are some of my best efforts with the Inch Dumbbell trying some of the various feats shown above.
In this clip, instead of carefully approaching the Inch and digging in the grip, I move over to it and try to apply the grip more quickly in order to replicate the rush of a medley even in a grip contest.
Related Article: Thick Bar Strength Training Methods
In this clip, I set a PR of about 8 feet in what can probably best be called a Double Inch Dumbbell Shuffle…
Related Article: Double Inch Farmer’s Walk Progress
This is something I was just recently able to accomplish. It’s hard to deadlift the Inch with the cans on them without hitting the cans on my leg or the crotch of my pants, so I generally need to pull my arm out away from my body in sort of a rowing motion.
This is a feat that I have rarely trained. There’s no real reason, except that I train for so many other feats. Even with the assistance of the body to get the dumbbell to the shoulder, this feat is still tremendously difficult.
This is a feat I’ve never seen anyone else duplicate, or even try for that matter. Here, I lift the Inch and hold it while I forward flip and catch a 95-lb kettlebell, a feat in itself I’ve only seen done by a handful of awesome strength enthusiasts.
Related Article: Inch Dumbbell Feats of Strength
These are just a handful of my most impressive Inch Dumbbell feats. In some ways, they are top of the line, but in others, they pale in comparison to what some of the other greats in the world are doing. Surely, there is much more to come in both my Grip career and theirs, and surely the limits will continue to be pushed beyond what they are now in all directions.
Stay tuned for the Inch Dumbbell Training DVD coming soon. Add your email below to make sure you’re notified the instant it comes out:
All the best,
Jedd
DIFW – Double Inch Farmer’s Walk
Lifting two Inch Dumbbells at the same time and then walking with them.
I have done a few short walks with two Inch Dumbbells. This one took place in December before I took John Eaton’s Inch Dumbbell to Chris Rice’s place so that he could train on it. Big Thanks to John Eaton for letting me borrow it for a few months.
DIFW – Double Inch Farmer’s Walk
Lifting two Inch Dumbbells at the same time and then walking with them.
I have done a few short walks with two Inch Dumbbells. This one took place in December before I took John Eaton’s Inch Dumbbell to Chris Rice’s place so that he could train on it. Big Thanks to John Eaton for letting me borrow it for a few months.
It was great getting some practice on two Inch Dumbbells while my second one was away for a while with Ryan Pitts and Adam Glass. Adam sent mine back in early January and its handle is much slicker than both of the ones shown above, and the DIFW’s have not come as of yet. Texture on the handles is an incredibly important element of the lift, especially if you do the lift level.
I am drilling this hard and frequently as often as I can as it is the first event at Mighty Mitts.
So who is going to the Arnold and who will bee checking out Mighty Mitts? Post below in the comments.
All the best in your training,
Jedd
The other day I decided to try a Bipolar Strength Feat (combination feat of strength with a different implement in each hand; read more here: Bipolar Training).
David Horne’s World of Grip is having a contest – a video tournament for a tee-shirt giveaway, and I have been meaning to put in a video for it for quite some time, but I couldn’t seem to fit it into my training.
I wanted to do something that had never been done before by anyone that I know of, and I was coming up short, but it finally came to me the other day – Lift the Inch Dumbbell, hold it at lockout, and perform a kettlebell flip with the big 95-lb Kettlebell.
If you are a loyal reader of this site, you probably know what the implements are in this video, but many of the people who watch YouTube do not know exactly what some of the implements I train with are, so I am going to try my best to explain everything below.
In my left hand in the video, I am performing a suitcase deadlift with the Inch Dumbbell. The Inch Dumbbell is NOT named due to the size of the handle, the gap between the fingers when gripping the dumbbell, or anything like that. It is named after the performing Strongman from the late 1800’s who originally introduced the dumbbell, Thomas Inch. Inch would take his challenge dumbbells (there were three, if memory serves) with him to his performances and challenge on-lookers to lift it. This most likely almost never happened, since the level of thumb and fingertip strength required to do so are pretty substantial.
The thing that sets the Inch Dumbbell apart from other Grip Strength challenge items is it’s weight, size, and design. Check out the specs on this piece:
Inch Dumbbell Specs
A lot of people scoff at the Inch Dumbbell when they hear that it is only 172-lbs, but because of the handle diameter and the fact that it is all one piece of cast iron, it is a bitch to lift. The globe heads reach way outside of the handle, so when they start to turn, the handle also wants to turn as well, and it begins to rip out of your hand. To lift it, you need a strong thumb to resist rotation, strong fingertips to lock in on the handle, and / or a strong wrist to compensate for weaknesses in the other two areas.
This dumbbell came from Max Kettlebells, a now defunct Kettlebell company that was located in Pennsylvania, so the design is not the same as the more widespread Dragondoor Kettlebells and others that are so popular out on the market these days. Instead of being completely round, the handle actually has what feels like corners and flat spots on it, so when you flip it you want to catch it just in the right spot or else it can hurt pretty badly.
Aside from the fact that the Inch is so damn hard to lift and the Max Kettlebell is so damn hard to flip and catch, there is more to this feat that makes it feat so challenging.
When flipping and juggling kettlebells, the power to elevate the bell comes from the hips. Because I was holding the massive Inch Dumbbell beside my hip, I could not hinge at the hip or generate any drive from my glutes in order to propel the kettlebell upwards, so essentially what you are seeing is a really big cheat front lateral with the kettlebell, instead of a powerful swing that you would normally see.
So, all together, this is a giant combination feat that involves the Grip Strength needed to lift and hold the Inch Dumbbell, the strength to flip the 95-lb Kettlebell, and the coordination to maintain all of the tension to not crumble under the uneven loading of the Inch and the continuity to then catch the Kettlebell and recover to the standing position.
This feat is MUCH more difficult than the similar one I did several months back with the Blob instead of the Inch Dumbbell.
I am looking forward to continuing my experimentation with different Bipolar Lifts in the coming year, as I feel it is a very good form of training in order to hit multiple aspects of strength all at the same time.
You should give it a try too! Put together a Bi-Polar lift, give it a try in your next workout, and then post a comment below to tell everyone in the Diesel Universe about it!
Thanks and all the best in your training.
Jedd
P.S. Need help learning to Flip and Juggle Kettlebells? Check out Logan Christopher’s DVD, The Definitive Guide to Kettlebell Juggling, the most complete resource on the planet for Kettlebell Juggling.
I have continued to train my ass off on the Inch Dumbbells the last few weeks.
Even though the Inch Dumbbell and Thick Bar itself was not an event that was part of Gripmas, I continued to train it hard because I was seeing a relationship develop between my performance on the Inch Dumbbell and my Two Hands Pinch lifting, as I highlighted in this article: Continued Progress with the Inch Dumbbell Deadlift.
Here is my first lift, which I luckily caught on tape.
I have since carried the dumbbells a longer distance, but I have not had the opportunity to cut up the videos yet. When I do another batch of editing, I will do my best to get more footage uploaded.
Training continues to go well each time I get to the gym. I have begun training specifically for the Arnold Sports Festival and the Sorinex Mighty Mitts competition. I have not actually been selected yet to compete, nor do I know what the events will be. However, if I wait to be told I am in, then I will be wasting time, and I have a hunch of the general idea of the events, so I am not wasting any time getting started.
If you have any interest at all in going to the Arnold Classic, which is the first weekend in March, then I hope you will come and cheer me on from the crowd. Having the support of the people watching when you are up on stage feels amazing.
I competed at the 2010 Mighty Mitts competition, and was selected to participate in the 2011 competition as well, but I had injured the middle and index fingers on both hands and was able to do almost no Grip Training from February to May, and so I had to write the organizers and tell them I could not make it.
This year, I am not even thinking about that. I am just focusing on training smart and staying healthy, which has been working very well for me over the last few months.
On the work side, I just went to Bucknell University yesterday and shot footage with my good friend, Head Strength Coach, Jerry Shreck. We looked at the system he uses to reduce and eliminate knee injuries in his collegiate athletes, especially his basketball, lacrosse, and volleyball players. I am anxious to bring this project out.
In addition, I am working as hard as I can to finish up Braced Bending: How to Destroy Everything in Your Path. Between computer snags, babysitter call-offs, and other commitments, my progress has slowed, but I know this one is going to be awesome for those looking to bend stuff like wrenches, short, mid-length, and long bars, frying pans, and other things. If this is something you are interested, make sure to get on my Feats of Strength Newsletter below.
I am also in the planning stages of a collaborative effort with Rick Kaselj on preventing and eliminating forearm pain. We don’t have everything worked out yet, but we do have a general idea of what we want to do and we spoke on the phone earlier this week and he is just as excited about it as I am. While many gripsters, strongmen, and powerlifters come to me for advice on how to fix what they are feeling in their forearms, Rick, I am sure gets even more in his line of work because he covers a much broader scope. I think be working together on this we can really put something together that will help a lot of people.
Another iron I have in the fire is a DVD that I shot the footage for with Steve Slater when I was in Ohio on Strongman Atlas Stones. There was more to shoot when I left his place but we were not at the position to shoot it, so he had to shoot it a few days later. he will be compiling the footage on his end and sending it to me so that I can process the video and get the ball rolling. More on that down the road.
And, I think the last video project I am working on here and there is another documentary on my Two Hands Pinch Record. I had the camera running during every training session and you will be able to see everything I did leading up to the event, including many tactics I have never tried before, but have come to love very much.
That is enough of the updates for now. There is still a ton of stuff I am working on. I will share this at a later date.
The plan for the next post here on the site will be a Diesel Classic. This one has recently come up as a request from multiple people across the land, so I am going to dust it off and post it for all to see soon.
Thanks and all the best in your training.
Jedd
If you are into feats of strength, check out Hammering Horseshoes. It’s gotten incredible reviews from many satisfied customers. Click the image below…
I have continued to train my ass off on the Inch Dumbbells the last few weeks.
Even though the Inch Dumbbell and Thick Bar itself was not an event that was part of Gripmas, I continued to train it hard because I was seeing a relationship develop between my performance on the Inch Dumbbell and my Two Hands Pinch lifting, as I highlighted in this article: Continued Progress with the Inch Dumbbell Deadlift.
Here is my first lift, which I luckily caught on tape.
The year was 2004 and the month was March. I believe the day was a Thursday and that we had wings for dinner.
The only pic I can find of my buddy Rick: Rick Walker, Don Pope, and Napalm
On this awesome day in DIESEL history, Smitty and I went to Rick Walker’s place the day before the Arnold Classic. We were going in order to attend an event called Night of Strength, sponsored by Atomic Athletic. We had no idea what to expect at Night of Strength, so we hit stuff hard at Rick’s.
We didn’t realize that Night of Strength would end up being the biggest 3 hours of Grip and Bending ever known to man.
I distinctly remember the pain in my left hand from carpal bone misalignment was killing me by the end of this session. I still get this pain occasionally, but I know how to fix it now, so it doesn’t affect my training. Also, from all the wide pinching, both of my thumbs were throbbing and wanting to fall off. They were so tired I don’t think i could have hitch-hiked a ride home if my life depended on it, but it was worth it to enjoy the day with good friends and train grip hard.
We did so much Volume on this day that by the time Night of Strength rolled around the next night, I was destroyed. I distinctly remember failing miserably over and over on the Original Fatman Blob repeatedly while watch guys like Sean Dockery bust it off the floor repeatedly. It’s hard to believe it would be over 7 years until I would take a try again at the Fatman.
So here is the video. The music is by Systematic and it is called “Beginning of the End.” They had an album that came out in like 2000 or something like that. I saw them open for Cold, Stain’d and Godsmack and picked up a two-song disk with this and the song, “Dopesick” on it and played like every day for like 6 weeks.
I remember the lead singer, Tim Narducci, looked about 7 feet tall with a big bald head and played the entire set with his foot up on an amp, sort of like Captain Morgan. Dude looked so freakin big I bet he could lift the Inch Dumbbell.
Back to the video… Let’s look at some of the stuff you are going to see:
Most of the feats in the video are marked, but if there’s anything I missed, just leave a comment below.
All the best in your training.
Jedd
I have been continuing to work toward improving my Double Inch Deadlift with plans to progress to the Double Inch Farmer’s Walk.
Last week I was able to pull a solid deadlift and even got a good pause at the top before the bells overtook my thumb and ripped the Inch out of my hands…
I recorded some of the tools and methods I have been using to bring my thick bar strength up when I wrote about the double inch dumbbell deadlift last week.
The methods I covered in that post involved solely use of the Inch Dumbbell itself, however that is not all that I have been doing on a regular basis. I have also been using two pieces of training equipment, which I am sure you have heard about – Fat Gripz and Grip 4orce Handles, quite frequently.
Until now, of the two tools listed above, Fat Gripz has probably gotten much more notoriety, but I think that the Grip 4orce handles are going to get more attention very soon.
First off, I want to say right off the bat that I like both of these handles. They both go on and off dumbbells or barbells so quickly that they add next to no time to your workout. You can literally put them on and perform a set of one lift and then pull them off and put them on something else for a superset / giant set
However, I feel the Grip 4orce handles are equally impressive, but in a different way. I see them particularly powerful tools for building thumb strength.
So I probably just lost you right? You’re probably thinking, “How can a thick bar trainer help with thumb strength?”
Well, here is why Grip 4orce builds thumb strength…
When you put the Grip 4orce handles onto dumbbells and curl them, in order to keep them on the handles, you have to squeeze not only your fingers tightly, but also the thumbs must fire throughout the range of motion and continue to adjust pressure in order to keep the G4‘s secured on the dumbbell handle.
What People Don’t Realize about Thick Bar Training
What many people do not realize about thick bar work is it actually requires a substantial amount of thumb activity, especially if you do not flex the wrist while you perform the thick-bar lift.
In other words, when you lift a thick bar, such as an axle, in a double overhand grip, if you keep your wrist in extension, you will have to apply pinching strength onto the bar in order to lift it. If you flex your wrist more, then you shift the emphasis more to the wrist and forearm flexors, and also more on the fingers and less toward the thumbs.
The same is true for lifting the inch dumbbell. If you goose-neck your wrist (if I do this, I get a terrible pain in my wrist and have for years) the thumb does not come into play.
However, if you have your wrist in extension when you lift the inch dumbbell, then you essentially have to “Pinch the Inch” in order to lift it.
Pinching the Inch
This is how I have done it for years – I Pinch the Inch Dumbbell in order to lift it because if I flex my wrist to take emphasis away from my thumb it hurts immensely, almost like an electrical shock through my wrist.
This is also why it is even tougher for me to lift the Inch Dumbbells with them sitting outside my feet as compared to straddling them. When they lie outside my feet, my wrist goes even more into extension, requiring even more effort from and emphasis on my thumbs.
Back to the Grip 4orce handles. I first got a set when I wrote the owner, Jim Hartman, about sponsoring the 2011 National Grip Sport Championship. He sent me a pair to review and a few sets for the prize package at Nationals.
The first thing I did with the Grip4orce handles was to put them onto the dumbbells for my next workout that involved curls, and I noticed how much they work the thumbs right away. The next day, my thumb pads were very sore, much more so than any Two Hand Pinch or Block Weight workout I had recently. In fact, I would compare the feeling to a Volume Workout of Dynamic Pinch, using a Pony Clamp or TTK.
I feel the reason that Grip4orce training feels so much like dynamic pinch is because when you use them on curls, your thumb is acting dynamically the entire time, adjusting the force it is creating throughout the strength curve of the curling range of motion.
I have been using Grip4orce handles on every set of curls I have done since June, and I absolutely love them. They hit my thumbs, they work the fingers, and my forearms feel completely wasted after 3 to 5 sets of curls because they too have to work harder in order to keep the handles secure throughout the curling motion.
I continue to use Grip 4orce handles on every set of curls I do, and my Inch Dumbbell lifting continues to go up. I have even seen improvement in my gripper work, nearly credit-card closing a #3 for the first time ever this week.
I strongly suggest you add these to your equipment collection today. If you currently do curls in your training, this will make them even more worthwhile, and if you are not currently doing curls, then this just might give you a reason to put them back into your routine. They certainly have done that for me.
Get your Grip4orce handles here => Buy Grip4orce Handles
All the best in your training.
Jedd
Hello DIESELS!
Earlier this week, I posted a video of myself doing my second ever Double Inch Dumbbell Deadlift, and first one I was able to get on film. (Thanks to everyone who dropped a comment of congratulations!)
What I wanted to do was cover a few things that I have been doing to work towards developing the grip strength to do this feat after so many years of training on the Inch.
Sometimes when you work on something for years, you can get complacent, which I think I have been doing for a while, but by thinking outside the box and using some OUTLAW strategies, I am starting to see progress I am happy with.
I have really been wanting to do this feat for quite some time and last Winter I really started working my ass off to get it done. I implemented the following things on a routine basis to spend more time in the open hand position.
1. Nearly All Pull-ups on Rolling Thunders, Often with Weight Added
I generally do pull-ups every single week on my back days, so I figured this would be a good opportunity to work in more open-handed training.
Remember, the SAID principle, which is used in the Strength and Conditioning Field…
Specific
Adaptations
(to)
Imposed
Demands
What this means is your body will get better doing at what you throw at it. Since, the Inch Dumbbell is a thick bar implement, there is open hand grip strength cross-over from using RT’s for pull-ups.
Normally, I do pull-ups on RT’s in the rep-range of 8 to 12 reps, but I don’t have any of those video, so I posted this clip where I do a single with a 95-lb KB hanging from my waist.
2. Lots of Suitcase Inch Dumbbell Lifts
There are three main ways to pick up the Inch Dumbbell: Straddled with the wrist in neutral, Straddled with the wrist pronated, and Suitcase-style, positioned outside the feet. For me, Straddled + Neutral is the easiest way for me to lift the Inch, Straddled + Pronated lies in the middle and I historically STRUGGLE to even lift it.
Since a Farmer’s Walk with the Inch Dumbbell would require picking the dumbbells up in a Suitcase Position, I have been doing a lot of work lifting the Inch outside my body.
Here is a clip from video where I was just plain dominating the Suitcase Deadlift with the Inch Dumbbell.
3. Inch Dumbbell Hustle Lifts
The last thing I have been doing a lot of recently is what I call Hustles. I started doing these primarily because I wanted to develop the grip strength necessary to be able to lift the Inch in a hurry for medleys. I found very quickly that this method left my fingers and thumb MUCH more tired the next day, so I have continued doing them.
You might be asking yourself…
How Do I Apply This Information to My Training?
Most of you do not have an Inch Dumbbell Replica so you may be wondering how this can be applied to your training. Let me explain a few ways.
1. Try incorporating your goal implement or something very similar into other methods of your training. For instance, if your goal is to develop the hand strength to pinch two 45’s, you could try performing rows or shrugs while pinching something of a similar size (SAID Principle)
2. Try modifying the position from which you lift the implement. If you are working toward developing the grip strength to lift the Blob, then take note of how you usually set up to make your attempts. You can move the Blob outside of your body, like a Suitcase Deadlift, or you could change the distance you pull the implement, among other position changes.
3. Try working with a less-than-optimal set-up. Normally when I lift the Inch, I make sure to synch my grip in tight. By not doing this, it make the lift a small percentage more difficult. This can be applied to any grip strength feats, even Grippers. Don’t take the time to get the set perfect every time. Rush it a bit or even purposely leave a finger off…
These tactics have all seemed to work pretty well for me. They represent the great majority of work I have done to improve performance on the Inch.
If you want to build your own Loadable Thick Bar Handle, I can show you how to make one for about $7 or so. Just check out my On-line DVD, Home Made Strength II and I will show you how to build your own grip equipment. It will take you about 20 minutes to put together and you can be training on it this weekend.
All the best in your training,
Jedd
Hello DIESELS!
As I am writing this, I am pretty stoked!
Blob (L) and Inch Dumbbell (R)
If you are on my newsletter, on the 4th of July you should have gotten a note from me on the 4th of July telling you to get out there and have an Independence Day Workout and to choose some stuff that you just plain wanted to do for the enjoyment and to celebrate the Freedom you have to do whatever the hell you want to!
I also did the same thing. I said screw it and went out and tried some stuff I have never done before in a training session here at my awesome home gym.
One of the things I tried was a Farmer’s Walk with both the Blob (Next Generation) and the Inch Dumbbell.
If you remember, at Sorinex, I couldn’t even deadlift the Inch and Blob at the same time, so I was pretty pleased to get such good results here in my drive way…
Blob and Inch Dumbbell Farmer’s Walk
As you can see, I walked them so far the first time, that I walked out of the screen on my Flip Cam. It was a total surprise to me to get this. My hands were just feeling so good! A couple days before this, I had spent a ton of time in a swimming pool, so maybe that had something to do with it. I went over to the filter return where it blows the water back into the pool from the filter cleaning unit and let it beat on my thumb pad and pinky pad – felt AWAZING.
I am really looking forward to Nationals, which are this weekend in Crooksville Ohio, this Saturday. If you are in the area and would like to watch, please leave a comment or email me. All I ask is $5 to go toward food and port-o-john expenses!
Once Nationals is over with, I plan on taking a week off of Grip Training to get rejuvenated, which is pretty much what I do each year, and is the only real Grip Training Drought I go through each year. I moderate volume and intensity throughout the year, but don’t do much along the lines of “time off” that much at all, as I have learned how to keep my training volume in check for the most part.
However, once that week of time off is over, it is right back into the swing of things with the World’s Strongest Hands Series.
World’s Strongest Hands Series II – 2011
The World’s Strongest Hands Series is organized by David Horne and there are contests going on all over the world.
I would love to have a decent sized group at each stage of the series here at my place in PA. For more information on the World’s Strongest Hands Series, check out this post I put up a while back: Grip Strength Contests – World’s Strongest Hands
Regional Grip Championship
Also as a quick addition, this year the contests I run here in PA will be part of a Regional Championship Series for the 2011-2012 Grip Sport Calendar. In addition to the 4 events pre-determined for WSH II, I will hold at least one additional event. I am not sure what name I will be going with. At first I thought of Pennsylvania’s Strongest Hands, but I may go with something a bit larger, like the East Coast Regional Grip Championship, as I know several people from Maryland and New York State may indeed be coming.
Either way, stay tuned for a lot of Grip action. I figure, if something is worth being done, it is worth being done RIGHT.
So stay tuned for more on this, and please post below if you are interested in coming!
All the best in your training.
Jedd
Hello DIESELS!
When I left off the last time, in Part I of the Sorinex Series, I had just told you about how Andrew Durniat and Tex Henderson battled in the Rolling Thunder Pull-up Challenge and how Chad Woodall worked his ass off to pinch two Old Style York 45’s in each hand, and came so friggin’ close!
Well, my friends, as they say, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
Next up on the docket was Rich Williams. On this day in history, Rich Williams would be attempting to Clean and Press the Inch Dumbbell.
Just in case you are not familiar with the Inch Dumbbell, let me give you a quick run-down.
The Inch Dumbbell is named after the traveling strongman from the late 1800’s who used to take it around to circuses and expo’s and challenge people to lift it – his name was Thomas Inch. The original Inch Dumbbell is owned by Kim Wood, and at some point both Sorinex and IronMind got molds made and sold replicas up until about 2004 or 2005.
The Inch DB has a 2 and 3/8 inch handle that is roughly 4 or 5 inches long and has large globe heads. This is a solid dumbbell weighing in the neighborhood of 172-lbs, and because it is cast iron and one solid piece, once you try to lift it, the globes start to turn and rip your thumb away and pry your fingers open at the same time.
Deadlifting the Inch Dumbbell is a World Class feat. To walk with one or even Two is out of this world and to clean and press it is damn near godly.
Let me show you what it looks like to clean and press the Inch Dumbbell, Rich Williams style…
That feat is so freakin’ awesome that it it even has a WATER MARK.
As Richard Sorin states at the beginning of the clip, the Inch Dumbbell in this video has only been cleaned and pressed one other time and that was done by the WWE’s Mark Henry in 2002. Other Inch Dumbbells have been clean and pressed in the past, but the people that have done it can all be counted on one hand.
Now, once that was over, plenty of other people tried giving the Inch Dumbbell a ride.
Below, a serious Highland Games Competitor goes for a continental of the Inch Dumbbell. He doesn’t get it, but I am pretty sure he has gotten it in the past, I just can’t recall his name.
I did not bother trying to continental the Inch, but instead, I tried deadlifting it and the original Blob at the same time. As you’ll see, I miss pretty badly on the Inch…
…and then Andrew Durniat came up and hit it pretty easy. Before doing so, he talks about the different disciplines in Grip Sport and how strengths and weaknesses come into play.
Now, it was time to give the baby Inches a try. Both of these lighter Inch Replicas weigh in the neighborhood of 139. They were some of the original replicas that were cast and they did not come out quite right, so Richard just held onto them.
Again, I tried deadlifting the 172 Inch in one hand and one of the baby Inches in the other. Unfortunately, that didn’t go so well either, but instead of just stopping and setting the lighter Inch Dumbbell down, I kept my grip on it, walked it over to the other baby inch, picked the second one up and did a Slow Motion Irish Jig.
Now, something to point out. Sorinex also has a 150-something baby Inch, but I did not try it. I wish I had and here’s why…
I can control the 139 baby Inch like Andrew can control the actual 172 Inch. So does that essentially mean that he can out thick bar me by 30-lbs? If so, how much must Rich out thick bar me by if he is cleaning the Inch dumbbell? 60-lbs? 100-lbs?
Scary thoughts. I really wish i would have tried the 150-something Baby Inch.
More Baby Inch Mayhem
In this next video, a Pro Strongman from the area jumps up and does a continental and several presses. Again, sorry, but I did not catch his name. I then gave it a shot and cleaned it to my shoulder pretty easy and then got three push jerks. These guys are freakin’ monsters for being able to press these things with no leg drive. AWESOME!
Again, Rich came up and showed us how it is done, cleaning it with ease and then pressing it for 20+ like it was his job.
Andrew also tried to snatch the damn thing, but it proved to be just a bit beyond him. Some day it WILL happen.
OK DIESELS, that’s it for Part II. In Part III, we are going to break away from the Inch stuff and get some serious BLOB-bery going…
Hasta la proxima, all the best in your training.
Jedd
Hello DIESELS!
I want to sit down for a while and start telling you about my fantastic trip to Sorinex two weekends ago.
Before I get into that, let me just tell you that if you EVER get the chance to go to Sorinex, do it. Their place rocks. Not only will you get to try some of the most outstanding grip equipment in the world, but they also have a completely fully functional training area for the rest of your body as well. Awesome.
With that, I also suggest that if you ever get invited anywhere for a strength training get-together, DO IT. The environment at these things is just plain awesome. Guys (or gals) pushing one another to try new things, cheering each other on, increasing the volume demands of the lower arms, all of this stuff can bring about PR’s. And once you get one or two PR’s, you really start getting momentum, confidence, and adrenaline which can lead to even more PR’s.
So, the weekend started for me by flying down to South Carolina, where Bert Sorin picked me up at the airport. I got into his giant SUV, I forget what it was, but it was beautiful, and I got to meet Nick Tumminello, a fantastic trainer, fitness coach, and strength coach from Baltimore.
Nick trains a great variety of clientele and his knowledge is fantastic. I also got to meet his good friend Benji, who came into town with his collection of cameras. Nick and Bert shot a DVD on Sunday on training with the Landmine. Benji does all of the video work for Nick, which must be awesome, because I do all that stuff on my own.
On Friday night, I got ready for the next day’s activities by eating nearly two dozen buffalo wings at a place called Carolina Wings. I figured a place like that must make good wings, so I ordered them and they pulled through. Really good stuff!
Bert took me back to the hotel and dropped me off and I did a few hours of work on the laptop before turning in for the night.
In the morning, I met Nick and Benji in the hotel lobby and we walked across the driveway to Cracker Barrel. This is a damn good restaurant to get breakfast made the old fashioned way, but make sure you go early. We were there before 7 so we got in there easily. I tried to do the same thing the next day around noon with a hangover and I had to wait about 30 minutes though. I’m getting ahead of myself now…
So after breakfast, Bert came and got us and we went to the Sorinex facility. To give you a bit better idea of this facility, it is more than just a weight room. By rights, it is actually a showroom. All of the equipment is gorgeous. No paint is scratched off, there’s no sweat or spit on the floor like most gyms, and it smells like a normal gym, not an arm pit. BUT even with all its beauty, it is still fully functional and you can use all of it when you visit. It is great.
I didn’t really know what to expect at Summer Strong #4. I thought it was just a day of training, but actually they have like a full day of events planned, which was cool.
The first thing on the agenda was a gentleman named Coach Shrock who presented on speed development. He put this early 20’s kid through a workout that involved about a week’s worth of volume. The drills were awesome and I have stolen a couple for the guys I work with. The kid doing the demo’s took it all in stride (get it?) though and just kept on going.
After the speed training seminar, it was time for Andrew Durniat to do his section on Density Training. I thought he was going to talk about his kettlebell sport, but actually he talked about the stuff he does with his trainees at his facility. This is based on Charles Staley’s Escalating Density Training. He says it works out great for his trainees, and they rarely miss a workout because they are always so intense and also concise. If the client only has 20 minutes to train, it is no problem because they set up an EDT frame and get it done.
If you are wondering about the layout of these EDT blocks, Andrew says they usually pair up antagonsitic movement patterns, such as Pull-ups and Dips, and they go for a certain amount of time…Pull-ups then Dips, Pull-ups then Dips. I believe he said it is done in sets of 5 reps for each movement and they do about ten sets, but I could be slightly off on that. I took notes, but I lost my sheet along with about 20 email addresses I collected.
Once Andrew finished, it was time for an open lift. What went on is all of the people there just started training. It was awesome. I got in some foam roller work because I was still really badly locked up from the plane ride the day before. I pretty much did foam rolling, activation movements and stretching for an hour straight and I felt amazing.
After the open lift, it was lunch time. The day was moving pretty quickly. For lunch, they cooked a gigantic stew in a stainless steel barrel. The stew was a mixture of sausage, rice, eggs, and I believe pork lard. It tasted fantastic. I overhead one of the main cooks, who goes by the name Breeze, and who I believe used to be competitive Olympic weightlifter in the early 80’s talk about the importance of cholesterol in testosterone production. I didn’t catch it all, but what I did catch seemed to be logical.
Once lunch was over, there was a presentation Olympic lifting. The guys that did this presentation were Don McAllie and Glenn Pendlay. Don has a book called Power Up.
I was really into this presentation. Oly lifting was a major interest of mine when I first got into strength training. What got my attention right away was that these guys said that many Oly Strength Coaches these days teach the lifts wrong. They said that before listening to an Oly coach, you should ask them what they have done and who they have coached.
What it sounded like they were saying was that there are some coaches out there that make these claims to be these awesome Oly coaches, yet have done nothing themselves in competition and also have never coached anyone who has done anything in competition. I don’t have a lot of trouble believing this because that kind of stuff happens in every sport and in every profession. However, I do not know exactly who they were talking about.
Along the lines of doing the lifts wrong, I do remember three points they made. One was that at no time during the Oly lifts should you jump. I thought this was fairly obvious. I am not sure why anyone would want to leave the ground during one of the Olympic lifts. However, these next two points were pretty shocking to me.
They said that they do not teach triple extension during the lift. Now that was kind of a shock to me. Triple extension is the systematic firing of the hips, knees and ankles in extension in order to generate power into the bar, such as on the pulls and on the jerk.
The other thing that struck me as a surprise for them to say, but actually made perfect sense to me is that they do not teach a high pull, as in pulling the bar up high near the sternum when training for the Olympic Clean. Instead, you are using your traps and upper back to pull yourself under the bar. However, the high pull is a common derivative movement that is used to train for the Olympic lifts. This was a very interesting point.
I would have stayed and listened to the entire presentation, but we, the Grip Guys, were up next and Bert rounded us all up. He and his father, Richard Sorin, originator of the Blob, appointed me MC for the Grip segment.
When it was our turn, Bert introduced me and I walked the crowd through an explanation of what Grip is and how it can benefit you, as well as a little bit on Grip Feats and Grip Sport. After this, I ran down the list of events that would be going on.
I told them that first we would have a Pull-up contest between Tex Henderson and Andrew Durniat. Tex weighs 340+ lbs and Andrew weighs about 230, so Andrew was going to do is while hanging an additional 135-lbs from his waist, just to make things fair. In addition, to make this even more challenging for both guys, the pull-ups were done from Rolling Thunder handles.
Check out the video below…
Andrew Durniat vs Tex Henderson
Can anyone reading this do pull-ups with 135-lbs hanging from their waist?
Next up was Chad Woodall. Chad would be trying to pinch Two 45’s in each hand. Pinching two 45’s in one hand is an ELITE feat of Grip Strength in itself. Pinching Two 45’s in each hand at the same time is something I have only seen once or twice in my life. To make all of this even more challenging, Chad would be trying to pinch two old-style YORK 45’s. Old York plates are roughly twice the size of most 45-lb plates manufactured these days, so this feat is EXTRAORDINARILY DIFFICULT. Check out this video below…
Chad Woodall Attempting Two 45’s Pinch with Old York Plates
Again, this is unbelievably HARD!
If you can not watch the entire video, here is Chad coming damn close
Chad will soon get this feat. It is just a matter of time.
In case your wondering, he also was able to fully deadlift two of these old Yorks in each hand separately. It as awesome to watch. Check out the video around the 4:20 mark…
Feats of strength that were once thought impossible are being performed on a regular basis now. It may only be a matter of time until we are doing Farmer’s Walks with two old York 45’s in each hand. Don’t EVER look at the videos and think that these feats are something you won’t be able to do. You might not be able to now, but down the line, who knows…
I’ve got tons more videos coming your way. Make sure to check back here tomorrow, or sign up for my newsletter, below, and I will hit you with an email when Summer Strong #4 Part II gets posted!
See what happened the rest of the day!
Summer Strong Part II
Summer Strong Part III
All the best in your training.
Jedd
P.S. Couple other pics for you…
I have been kicking the Inch Dumbbell’s arse lately.
If you don’t know what the Inch Dumbbell is, it is the globe dumbbell shown below.
One of the most widely recognized feats of Grip Strength is lifting the Inch Dumbbell.
The original Inch Dumbbell belonged to Thomas Inch, a traveling performing strongman in the early 1900’s (shown to the left, photo via SandowPlus.co.uk
The Challenge Dumbbell weighed roughly 172-lbs, which isn’t too daunting of a weight. However, the difficulty in lifting the Inch Dumbbell is due to it’s significant handle size (2.38 inch) plus the fact that the handle and bells are all one solid cast iron implement. Once both bells leave the ground, the entire implement begins to turn and rip out of your grasp.
Deadlifting the Inch Dumbbell proves to be a feat that few people are able to complete on their first try.
I am one of the lucky individuals who owns an Inch Dumbbell and one of the rare people who owns two.
The first one I got several years ago from a good friend of mine, Rick Walker.
I picked the other one up from a mailman on eBay a couple of years back.
Recently, Rick has set out to conquer the Inch Dumbbell, and he shot a video of one of the implements he is currently using to train his hands to be ready the next time he crosses paths with it.
This implement is surprisingly simple to make and seems to be a great way to get it done.
The video below shows exactly how to set this device up.
As you can see, this home made implement is simple to make and is comprised of very cheap materials, yet it could very well prove to be one of the most beneficial ways to train to lift the Inch Dumbbell, because it seems to replicate the violent spin of the actual dumbbell.
I am very interested to see how Rick progresses with this set-up. I also plan on training with it to increase my thick bar strength, as I sometimes still have trouble with my newer Inch Dumbbell. It will be a great addition to my collection of home made strength training devices.
Speaking of Home Made Equipment, The Home Made Strength On-line DVD is now one year old, so to celebrate it’s birthday, we are lowering the price $10 until Wednesday. If you’d like to pick it up at the lowest price ever, you can do so by clicking this link = > Home Made Strength Training Equipment.
Also, in the coming weeks, I will be releasing a new installment of the HMS Series, Home Made Strength II: Grip Strength Edition. This DVD will be full of implements you can put together and use to build serious Grip strength, whether you want to compete in Grip Contests, Strongman contests, or just want to increase your hand strength for the sport you play. This will also be an excellent resource for Strength Coaches who are still handcuffed by their university’s budget limitations.
I build everything right on camera, taking about 5 minutes per piece and then walk you through some of the best ways to train with it, all on pristine quality video.
This should be ready in a matter of weeks. I am in the final stages, so stay tuned.
Stay tuned and in the mean time, keep kicking ass in the gym.
Jedd
Here’s a video where I was peaking for thick bar and was able to row the Inch Dumbbell. I set it up to play just seconds before I lift it…
Check out my channel here = > Jedd’s YouTube Channel