Closing The #4 Coc

[CoC#3]

MMS on a 200# or less #4 is achievable for many but certainly not everyone. As far as certing under the current rules and the most important word is 'current'; genetics and luck play the biggest role.

I think even a 'tough' #4 is closeable. At the british grip championships (rules are 20mm set, paused and wooden block inserted to measure set), Mobster got close to a 208lb #4. (4.01 calibrated) He was 2mm off first time, 1mm off second time. David Horne, Jim Wylie and myself all witnessed this close enough to confirm it. I stalled at about 5-6mm on the same gripper. If there were an easy #4 there on that day, a sub 200# one like you mention it would have been closed under competition rules. No one here in the UK is close to a CCS on the #4 though. Least of all on the new #4s which tend to calibrate at around 220lb-230lbs, lol.

[jad]

MMS on a 200# or less #4 is achievable for many but certainly not everyone. As far as certing under the current rules and the most important word is 'current'; genetics and luck play the biggest role.

I think even a 'tough' #4 is closeable. At the british grip championships (rules are 20mm set, paused and wooden block inserted to measure set), Mobster got close to a 208lb #4. (4.01 calibrated) He was 2mm off first time, 1mm off second time. David Horne, Jim Wylie and myself all witnessed this close enough to confirm it. I stalled at about 5-6mm on the same gripper. If there were an easy #4 there on that day, a sub 200# one like you mention it would have been closed under competition rules. No one here in the UK is close to a CCS on the #4 though. Least of all on the new #4s which tend to calibrate at around 220lb-230lbs, lol.

I agree, a 208# #4 is certainly closeable, not by very many, but it's not a paperweight. Sweep plays a HUGE role and isn't reflected in the calibrations. On the Gripperhell blog the MM6dup went 202.5, so assuming the dup is accurate, you're talking about another 6# added to a gripper that only one guy has closed. Aaron just missed a 199# at SOHGC and that was after his MM4 cert and three of us closed a 190# in official competition.

[CoC#3]

The sweep on this 208 #4 seemed reasonable, as i had no problems setting it. It loaded up nearer the end and gets hard over the last bit. I prefer this to one with a harder sweep and easier close, even if it calibrates lower. The #4 i use in my training (the #4 i am referring to in my training log etc...) seems harder than the 208 #4 but it is not calibrated. My gr8 #4 is harder still and i haven't done much good with this one yet (other than negs/holds etc..) I am looking into building the RGC cos us UK guys need one.

My best close in competition (rules as mentioned above) is a 182.5. I think i may have been able to do a 190 on the day as the 182.5 was not maximal. I failed the BBSE on the day by a little bit - can't remember the # rating however.

What did the #4 closed at BB1 calibrate at? 195 or 199?

[mobsterone]

MMS on a 200# or less #4 is achievable for many but certainly not everyone. As far as certing under the current rules and the most important word is 'current'; genetics and luck play the biggest role.

I think even a 'tough' #4 is closeable. At the british grip championships (rules are 20mm set, paused and wooden block inserted to measure set), Mobster got close to a 208lb #4. (4.01 calibrated) He was 2mm off first time, 1mm off second time. David Horne, Jim Wylie and myself all witnessed this close enough to confirm it. I stalled at about 5-6mm on the same gripper. If there were an easy #4 there on that day, a sub 200# one like you mention it would have been closed under competition rules. No one here in the UK is close to a CCS on the #4 though. Least of all on the new #4s which tend to calibrate at around 220lb-230lbs, lol.

I actually prefer, as you know, not to deep set to the degree that a 20mm block or parallel sets require. While not quite on the order of a CCS my usual set is deffo wider than 20mm (nearer to 30mm). As per my log I'll try 3-4 Vulcan Gripper only sessions (aiming for level 17 with 1-2 bands) before having another go at the 4.01 gripper. Once that's done (might be a few weeks yet) I'll look at getting it more often than not then work on the new 2008 gripper you sent me. I've also a FBBC Super to play with (feels brick like at the mo).

I also need to remind myself to make a few attempts using the free hand (just a finger mind) to settle/brace the spring. I used to use this trick all the time and seemed to have gotten out of the habit when attempting hard grippers.

Edited May 28, 2008 by mobsterone

[jad]

The sweep on this 208 #4 seemed reasonable, as i had no problems setting it. It loaded up nearer the end and gets hard over the last bit. I prefer this to one with a harder sweep and easier close, even if it calibrates lower. The #4 i use in my training (the #4 i am referring to in my training log etc...) seems harder than the 208 #4 but it is not calibrated. My gr8 #4 is harder still and i haven't done much good with this one yet (other than negs/holds etc..) I am looking into building the RGC cos us UK guys need one.

My best close in competition (rules as mentioned above) is a 182.5. I think i may have been able to do a 190 on the day as the 182.5 was not maximal. I failed the BBSE on the day by a little bit - can't remember the # rating however.

What did the #4 closed at BB1 calibrate at? 195 or 199?

I prefer the easier sweep/harder close to but the harder sweep version is definitely a tougher gripper, at least for me. The #4 at BBB was 190#. My #4 is 195# and the one that Aaron just missed went 199#.

[CoC#3]

Steve, yep, i think your set was about 30mm with that #4. By contrast i set it almost closed then opened just enough to get the block in and squeezed from there. The FBBC super is supposed to be a beast, never been closed, i'll have a squeeze on it next week (off work for a few days wed/thur). I also want to get back at that 4.01!!

Jad, closing a 190 gripper in a contest is great work. What sort of set was used at BBB? Is it a judged parallel set or just set as deep as you like and close it?

[jad]

Steve, yep, i think your set was about 30mm with that #4. By contrast i set it almost closed then opened just enough to get the block in and squeezed from there. The FBBC super is supposed to be a beast, never been closed, i'll have a squeeze on it next week (off work for a few days wed/thur). I also want to get back at that 4.01!!

Jad, closing a 190 gripper in a contest is great work. What sort of set was used at BBB? Is it a judged parallel set or just set as deep as you like and close it?

parallel

[Teemu I]

Good thoughts about the calibrated #4's. I totally agree on the huge role of the sweep. I'm working towards beeing better able to set some of the harder grippers I have. It's the main issue holding me back on 197 lbs - 202 lbs grippers at the moment.

Edited May 29, 2008 by Teemu I

[Zach]

So are there individuals who have been cranking away for years (4,5,6+ years) without the the no4 ever becoming a reality?

[Chris Mathison]

is Andrus Murmets certed on the #3? i saw and interview with him and Zyndrunas Savickas and he said he close the #3 but was a little short of the #4. he also said he didn't think it was good for training because when you do strongman it's more about the support grip.

I saw him at the Arnold before that interview and after I had certified. He said, from what I could gather because he speaks with a thick accent, that he would like to certify but its jut not in the forefront at the moment. I shook his hand and they are thick as hell!

[Teemu I]

is Andrus Murmets certed on the #3? i saw and interview with him and Zyndrunas Savickas and he said he close the #3 but was a little short of the #4. he also said he didn't think it was good for training because when you do strongman it's more about the support grip.

I saw him at the Arnold before that interview and after I had certified. He said, from what I could gather because he speaks with a thick accent, that he would like to certify but its jut not in the forefront at the moment. I shook his hand and they are thick as hell!

Did he talk about certifying on the #3 or #4?

[shizen]

is Andrus Murmets certed on the #3? i saw and interview with him and Zyndrunas Savickas and he said he close the #3 but was a little short of the #4. he also said he didn't think it was good for training because when you do strongman it's more about the support grip.

I saw him at the Arnold before that interview and after I had certified. He said, from what I could gather because he speaks with a thick accent, that he would like to certify but its jut not in the forefront at the moment. I shook his hand and they are thick as hell!

Did he talk about certifying on the #3 or #4?

about 2 min in he talks about them, he says he is few mm from closing 4 and has closed the #3, crazy farm kid grip strength.

[Pancake Sprawl]

the best part is when they ask him when he started training grip and he says shoveling cow crap when he was 7 in his grandma's farm. hahaha, and the interviewer is like "so the secret is cow sh*t?" and Zydrunas is just laughing.

[cemery]

I think the #4 is possible for those who believe it is possible and are willing to train hard enough to get there. One must ignore " Limits".

[Cannon]

So are there individuals who have been cranking away for years (4,5,6+ years) without the the no4 ever becoming a reality?

Yup!

[robdudley]

I thought the #3 was impossible for me when i first bought it.I told myself to forget it,you cant do it.But i trained,trained and trained some more.It has fallen in less than a year.So something i was convinced was impossible took less than a year of steady relentless training.If my perceptions on the #3 were SO wrong then i am convinced my perceptions on the #4 is just as wrong.By increasing my strength and my technique,just as i had to in order to close the #3,then the #4 is only a matter of time...

[Paul Savage]

most of the strongest people in the world are genetically gifted, absolute fact, but this doesn't mean it's not possible to be as strong as them without this being the case, it's just a lot harder. Personally im no freak, i was actually very weak starting out, my first lift was a bench press of 78lbs, which took about 10 seconds to complete, i started off deadlifting with 50kg for 6-8 reps to failure, my strength overhead was less than pathetic etc With grippers i couldn't close the #1 at first, strugled with the trainer left hand.

for those who are not genetically gifted, if you want to close a #4 or accomplish anything on that level, you have to be willing to take yourself far beyond the point where you thought you could, you have to have an unbreakable will, you have to want it more than everybody else - an never let the doubters get you down, just use it as motivation >i was mocked when i listed goals of closing HG500, repping a #4 etc i was told i would NEVER do these things >ive done them both an im only 21

most people ARE capable of closing a #4 - if you want it bad enough it will happen

[ClayEdgin1]

Sure, it's possible to close the #4. These new ones Ironmind is turning out are pretty stout, so much respect to the guys who are getting that thing close.

Genetics help with strength, no question about that, but they're not the entire reason you succeed or fail. You still gotta put in the hard work and time to do it right, lose your mental limitations, and get creative with training. Most of all, have fun! This grip stuff is supposed to be fun. When it gets too demanding or becomes a chore, then you can get burnt out.

[shizen]

most of the strongest people in the world are genetically gifted, absolute fact, but this doesn't mean it's not possible to be as strong as them without this being the case, it's just a lot harder. Personally im no freak, i was actually very weak starting out, my first lift was a bench press of 78lbs, which took about 10 seconds to complete, i started off deadlifting with 50kg for 6-8 reps to failure, my strength overhead was less than pathetic etc With grippers i couldn't close the #1 at first, strugled with the trainer left hand.

for those who are not genetically gifted, if you want to close a #4 or accomplish anything on that level, you have to be willing to take yourself far beyond the point where you thought you could, you have to have an unbreakable will, you have to want it more than everybody else - an never let the doubters get you down, just use it as motivation >i was mocked when i listed goals of closing HG500, repping a #4 etc i was told i would NEVER do these things >ive done them both an im only 21

most people ARE capable of closing a #4 - if you want it bad enough it will happen

Could you post a vid of you repping the 4?

he has one on his youtube account

[Chalked_Up]

most of the strongest people in the world are genetically gifted, absolute fact, but this doesn't mean it's not possible to be as strong as them without this being the case, it's just a lot harder. Personally im no freak, i was actually very weak starting out, my first lift was a bench press of 78lbs, which took about 10 seconds to complete, i started off deadlifting with 50kg for 6-8 reps to failure, my strength overhead was less than pathetic etc With grippers i couldn't close the #1 at first, strugled with the trainer left hand.

for those who are not genetically gifted, if you want to close a #4 or accomplish anything on that level, you have to be willing to take yourself far beyond the point where you thought you could, you have to have an unbreakable will, you have to want it more than everybody else - an never let the doubters get you down, just use it as motivation >i was mocked when i listed goals of closing HG500, repping a #4 etc i was told i would NEVER do these things >ive done them both an im only 21

most people ARE capable of closing a #4 - if you want it bad enough it will happen

Could you post a vid of you repping the 4?

ya dude, it's on his youtube

but in the description it says it's calibrated at 3.7-3.8. but to me that's still pretty damn strong

Edited June 10, 2008 by Jacob_Seanor

[sheepmullet]

I will always rate the physical ability or "physical base" as the most important piece of the puzzle.

I saw a couple of weeks ago 3 bouncers (probably each around 100kg) struggle to restrain a 60 kiloish woman who was on drugs. I have seen the strength drugs can give you and so I think that most people who can close a #3 could on drugs close a #4. If they can close it while on drugs then clearly physically they can handle it. And I believe it is possible for the average male to close a #3 after a lot of training. This to me suggests that it IS a mental problem, rather than a physical one.

Take my opinion with a grain of salt though as I still can't consistently close the #2.

[PowerHouse]

I thought the #3 was impossible for me when i first bought it.I told myself to forget it,you cant do it.But i trained,trained and trained some more.It has fallen in less than a year.So something i was convinced was impossible took less than a year of steady relentless training.If my perceptions on the #3 were SO wrong then i am convinced my perceptions on the #4 is just as wrong.By increasing my strength and my technique,just as i had to in order to close the #3,then the #4 is only a matter of time...

But you also have to look on the flip side of that. I have closed my BBSM(2.7ish) almost 2 years ago and have yet to close a #3. Tried everything with grippers thus far. Two rounds of KTA helped a lot but still didn't get me there. Tons of negs, OC's, strapholds, BTR stuff and im still not there. Yet it took you less than a year, which proves my point that everybody is different. There would be a hell of a lot more people on the #4 list if all it took was hard work.

[Pancake Sprawl]

i myself thought it was probably a pipe dream that i'd close a #3. then i repped a #1 out of the box to my surprise, then i repped the #2 out of the box to my surprise, then 2 weeks after i got the #3 i shut it. it was an amazing feeling. i felt like superman, it gives you a huge boost of confidence knowing you did something that very few people did and with barely any training and no technique. i still think the #4 is a pipe dream, because i see a lot of massively strong guys not be able to close it, Gabriel Sum comes to mind, but who knows in reality, i thought the #3 was a pipe dream and i killed it.

[StalwartSentinel]

Closing the #4 with a parallel set... very possible.

Certifying COC with the #4... very different story.

[naturalstrength]

Man, this is one of the longest threads....EVER!!!! I think we all know that a CoC #4 can be closed. A 1000 lbs bench press is achievable, but unfortunately very few will attain this. Thus is the same story with the Coc #4, especially Credit Card Set. Close the CoC #3.5 FIRST, then think about whether the #4 is within reach. Not trying to be rude, but the show must go on. Time for another thread, like can the CoC #4 be closed with two fingers. Or can a #4 be closed using one's eyelids or something of the sort

Edited June 12, 2008 by naturalstrength