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Possible Grip Mutant?


mightyjoe

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Received an e-mail today from an individual telling me about his friend that has enormous grip strength

and went on to ask if his friend could perform 3 to 5 grip feats of my choosing would it be worth show casing

his friend? I immediately replied back and said absolutely!

He went on to say that it's his understanding that only one or two individuals have cleaned and pressed

a Thomas Inch Replica and he mentioned Mark Henry as one of these individuals. I asked him is he's suggesting his friend can pull this feat off? If so, I would have to see some video proof and if he's an unknown I would also ask that the DB be weighed in the video as well. I went on to say that if his friend can pull that feat off it wouldn't be necessary to prove his grip strength any further but I can list several things for you to suggest to him to try.

Now the part I haven't told you! This guy claims his friend has had absolutely no grip training whatsoever!

He sent me 2 pictures of his friend holding what he called a blob but it appeared to me to be 5 or 6 #10 plates

pinched together with one hand. The other picture is of his friends hand spread out on a sheet of paper with

a tape measure off to one side. The guys hand is easily 10" in length but not necessarily that thick for this kind

of length.

I will download the 2 pics and post them here late this evening. In the mean time I'm waiting to hear back this guy

to find out if he minds me mentioning his name and the name of his friend of which he hasn't told me yet.

Don't worry! I asked all kind of questions to this guy about his friend.

Did anyone else here get a similar e-mail today?

More later...

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Mark Henry and Rich Williams are two who have cleaned and pressed the Inch, I think Laine Snook has as well, I know for sure about the clean (from his Inch DB clean followed by 10 reps on the Rolling thunder with 300lbs) but haven't seen the press, though he may have done it some other time.

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10 inch hands I'm sure he would do well with wide pinch and thickbar kind of like that friend of juha that could easily curl the blob for reps against the wall despite no real grip training-I think-. He might suffer though just due to the size of his hands at maybe crush grip.

I would love to see the inch clean+ press though that takes more then grip strength though. You need to be insanely strong to pull that off no matter how strong you grip is.

I thought I read that kaz cleaned the inch also

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Yep you're right Stephen

http://samson-power.com/ASL/kazmore.html

So that's 3, maybe 4 men who have cleaned and pressed the Inch, if Laine has done it. One would say if this mysterious person could do that, he would be at world class grip strength... I highly doubt they are able to do this but it would be awesome to be proved wrong and see it.

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Damn, would be awesome if this is real. Definitely going to track this thread!

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Okay. Here's the 2 pics I got today attached to the e-mail of the possible grip mutant:

http://www.gripboard.com/index.php?app=galleryℑ=11155

After closer inspection when I got home from work the blob appears to be half of a #130 DB

that could be rubber coated which takes away from the feat IMO.

Here's the pic of the possible grip mutants hand:

http://www.gripboard.com/index.php?app=galleryℑ=11156

Still haven't heard back from the person who sent me the e-mail.

More when I get it!

Edited by Mighty Joe
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The guys hand is easily 10" in length but not necessarily that thick for this kind

of length.

I guess we will see Joe. I remain skeptical. The bottom of the hand is not at the bottom of the page, and there is more than an inch at the top of the page above his hand. His hand itself is average, but those fingers are truly Gibbon-like. It is like an 8 inch hand guy with an extra inch plus on all of the fingers. The forearms look way too slender to pull an Inch. We all know the kind of power that it takes (lots of it). I suspect someone is expanding a bit on the truth. But you will get to bottom of it, no doubt about it. It's fun to anticipate. For whatever reason, we don't know much what NBA guys can do with Thick Bar, but if Mark Felix can't do certain things (his hands are NBA-plus size), then I suspect that it would literally take a "one in a million" kind of guy to do what is claimed. This could be that guy, but one in a million is pretty slim...

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I'm always skeptical of the "never trained grip at all" mutants who pop up. usually it's never trained grip at all except for 5 years of strongman. or never trained grip excpet for some job that beats on the hands.

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I always think someone coming out of the shadows makes a cool story. Hopefully it pans out.

In the meantime, here's a confirmed grip mutant...(with a rubberized 62.5)

If you are unfamiliar with this bizzaro blob...it's at Jedd's and has an insanely wide girth.

To this day, I've no idea how he got his hands around it (far shy from 10").

7qdc.jpg

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The guys hand is easily 10" in length but not necessarily that thick for this kind

of length.

I guess we will see Joe. I remain skeptical. The bottom of the hand is not at the bottom of the page, and there is more than an inch at the top of the page above his hand. His hand itself is average, but those fingers are truly Gibbon-like. It is like an 8 inch hand guy with an extra inch plus on all of the fingers. The forearms look way too slender to pull an Inch. We all know the kind of power that it takes (lots of it). I suspect someone is expanding a bit on the truth. But you will get to bottom of it, no doubt about it. It's fun to anticipate. For whatever reason, we don't know much what NBA guys can do with Thick Bar, but if Mark Felix can't do certain things (his hands are NBA-plus size), then I suspect that it would literally take a "one in a million" kind of guy to do what is claimed. This could be that guy, but one in a million is pretty slim...

You are correct! I was at work when I initially read the e-mail and it was quickly at that.

It was when I got home that I made some more careful observations and I do agree with you here.

I'm anxious for this guy to get back with me and hopefully answered my questions.

You guys will know as soon as I know for sure.

Thanks for pointing out the details here!

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To the best of my memory Mark Henry cleaned and jerk pressed it, Rich Williams cleaned and pressed it but included a thigh brush that seen later on a review film , Laine Snook has cleaned it( not sure if then overhead) Mike Burke cleaned a pair of them, and one fellow on You Tube had a video of him cleaning one and perhaps jerk pressing it overhead. I think his last name was Green or started with that. The list is very , very short. I spoke with Kaz quite a bit on his Inch lift and he deadlifted it up as high as he could then boosted it along up and over to his shoulder supporting the bell along the way with his legs . He did a nice side press with it though. There might be more but they just don't come to mind. A stellar feat would be to clean a pair and then ( a true press being the ultimate) either jerking or pressing them overhead. Talking with several historians it would perhaps rank at the top of recorded strength feats.

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Well, pretty happy about seeing an obscure video once and remembering the name of the fellow.. Now only one thing to be reminded of . There is only one original Inch 172 bell and the rest ARE replicas out there. I have seen measured AND weighed bells that were used for Henry and Williams but have found out the density of cast Iron and the exact measurements ,quality and weight of other replicas may and HAS varied. I have in my collection along clearly marked with weight Inch replicas that while being exact in size as the original weighed as much 34 lbs light due to a casting blend error. I am pretty sure the bells used by Kaz , Snook, and Burke were as a point of historical accuracy were probably weighed and measured. The strength of Mr Green was evident but to what the bell weighs or measures I do not know. It is from my being around them on a daily basis impossible by ANY other means than by weighing and measuring that the 5 Bells I have that they can be distinguished from one another. To their credit the men that have lifted Inch Bell replicas I have listed are big men but not giant handed fellows putting a fairness and merit to what was actually lifted if strength and grip was what was being examined.

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Richard, you may enjoy reading these posts from 2004 on this very same board.

http://www.gripboard.com/index.php?showtopic=10300

Judging from the people speaking in there (another strongman) I would tend to believe it was a legit feat. Also Mr. Green seems to be a very large man at 6' or 6'1" and 365# ?? And that other strongman mentions he has a large palm and hand. But what is even more interesting is the mention of Hugo Girard also C+P'ing the Inch !!

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The Grip Mutant (Dave) is my daughters boyfriend; he has never tried Grip Training but I have him very interested. I am not new to Grip; because of my Armwrestling background I do know a little about it. Joe Musselwhite, Bert and Richard Sorin have been very helpful providing guidance and I want to thank them for their assistance on the form here. I am looking forward to see exactly what Dave can do now; and what he can do with some training. I will provide updates on the board.

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Arturo do we KNOW for100% sure that Hugo( what pressing power! ) did in fact make a true clean with it and not the "usual" used in strongman like with the first Inch pressing and continued Circus Bell pressing an TWO handed "customary lift "to the shoulders was used. Hugo called me years back telling his plans on doing 10 reps in the press with the Inch ( perhaps we sent him one) but I really can't recall what was said in context HOW he cleaned it. His pressing power was at that time top of the list but in the back of my mind I thought he said the grip factor on the Inch was holding him back. Is there a film, picture or witness that knows ( and shows Hugo)what a one handed one phase clean to the shoulders truly consists of or was it just reported " cleaned and pressed". Remember Kaz did a tremendous clean and press in his day with the Inch but as HE even said yes it was a one handed clean but resting on his body assist to complete it to the shoulder. Williams lift was spectacular with a real press at the end and after a 100 saw it and went wild( me too) did we sadly review the film and see a thigh brush contact while totally allowed in Olympic lifting is not " floor to shoulder in one movement without the bell touching the body" That call while being honest was truly a sad day for all just because of how the feat was interpreted by criteria and merit.

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The Grip Mutant (Dave) is my daughters boyfriend; he has never tried Grip Training but I have him very interested. I am not new to Grip; because of my Armwrestling background I do know a little about it. Joe Musselwhite, Bert and Richard Sorin have been very helpful providing guidance and I want to thank them for their assistance on the form here. I am looking forward to see exactly what Dave can do now; and what he can do with some training. I will provide updates on the board.

Hey Gary! Glad you spoke up here! Please do keep us posted on Dave's progress and if there's any more I can do to help you just let me know. BTW, you have joined the BEST Grip forum on the planet! There are many top notch grip athletes and champions here on this board! There are numerous individuals with tons of experience that can help and guide you as well. Lastly, there's some really bright minds here on the GB that know more than just Grip! ;)Welcome to the Grip Board my Grip friend!!! :)

Edited by Mighty Joe
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I managed to get the Oringinal Thomas Inch overhead in 1999 in the Oscar Heidenstam dinner .

I've cleaned and pressed a replica Inch dumbbell made by Nathan Holle a few times .

I also one hand deadlifted an Apollon Axle replica made by the Holle brothers featured in an old Milo magazine witnessed by the Holles .

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I managed to get the Oringinal Thomas Inch overhead in 1999 in the Oscar Heidenstam dinner .

I've cleaned and pressed a replica Inch dumbbell made by Nathan Holle a few times .

I also one hand deadlifted an Apollon Axle replica made by the Holle brothers featured in an old Milo magazine witnessed by the Holles .

Chris, how far off a clean and press with the Inch are you nowdays? A few weeks ago you posted a GIGANTIC axle pull (I think it was 512# or something). So obviously your thickbar strength is amazing, but perhaps it was stronger in the past, when you were also heavier it seems. It would be awesome if one of these days a video of you cleaning the Inch is posted... after all, all your videos display unbelievable strength!

On a side note, it seems even much lighter men (like sub 180 pounds) have one arm push-pressed the Inch (getting it into the "rack" possition with two hands, of course). So it's mostly the Clean that is a really unique feat. Perhaps this is why Laine Snook did not even try pressing it in his video? I must say his video to me shows the smoothest Inch clean of them all.

Someone will eventually Snatch it, I have the feeling. I remember an article, I think by Joe Roark perhaps, where I read this, and although it's just speculation I liked it.

It is generally conceded that Marx was second only to Apollon in all round hand/grip strength. The 226 lb bell with 2.38" handle that Marx could deadlift with one hand, Apollon tried to snatch with one hand, but lost his grip as the bell was going overhead and the bell landed (not rolled) several feet behind him. Marx, and Apollon, whose hand length was nine inches, would have toyed with Inch's 172.
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I think I remember reading that Laine was wanting to snatch the inch, may have been the IM forum or possibly Joe Roarks history forum where he said this. Either way, an inch snatch would be the most impressive grip feat of all time and in my opinion higher than a #4 CCS close.

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Wannagrip posted some additional history/grip expansion pictures on site today. One shows a real clear view showing how 5 more or less identical Inch replicas vary in weight 30+ lbs. Glad to see Chris James reply on his success with the Inch.

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Correction in my list. Mike Burke a true grip monster pulled both inch bells very high but did NOT fully clean them. He however was to my knowledge successful in cleaning a single Inch bell "like he owned it." Great stuff!

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When I visited the Stark center last year Dr. Terry Todd told me that he encouraged Mark Henry

to try and snatch the Inch DB and on the 3rd attempt he snatched it. I don't know if he's shared this

story with Richard or not but he told both me and my wife that he witnessed him do this in the hidden

room that's not open to the public where many, many vintage items are stored away at the Center.

For those that may not know. If Dr. Todd claimed he witnessed a strength feat and gives precise

details like he did. I believe it without question! The man is a true historian, weight lifting judge, and scholar.

If you are to ever meet Dr. Todd one thing becomes apparent rather quickly! The man knows all about

strength in any of its forms! He went on to encourage Mark to practice this feat over and over until he could consistently perform it and as you may or may not know, Mark Henry is not consistent at all when it comes to setting a goal and sticking with it. Does this make him a bad person? Absolutely not! It does make it frustrating for people like myself that know and realize what Mark could do with consistent, concentrated effort and practice.

Rather you choose to believe this account or not due to lack of a video keep in mind the generation that Dr. Todd came from. A time when most men could be taken for their word and a video camera was not needed nor a camera to snap a picture. Is video evidence better? Yes! Is it needed for an extremely credible witness like Dr. Todd? Not for me! There's very few individuals I would believe outside of video evidence but Dr. Todd is one of them as is Richard Sorin, Joe Roark, John Fair, Eric Milfeld, Bill Piche, and a few others.

Has the Thomas Inch ever been snatched with one hand? I believe it has indeed!

Which is more impressive and could go down as the single greatest grip feat of all time? Closing a legit COC #4 without a set or snatching the Thomas Inch? I would say closing a legit #4 without a set would edge out snatching the Inch. I believe this for several reasons but this is simply my opinion here. What do you think?

Edited by Mighty Joe
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When I visited the Stark center last year Dr. Terry Todd told me that he encouraged Mark Henry

to try and snatch the Inch DB and on the 3rd attempt he snatched it. I don't know if he's shared this

story with Richard or not but he told both me and my wife that he witnessed him do this in the hidden

room that's not open to the public where many, many vintage items are stored away at the Center.

For those that may not know. If Dr. Todd claimed he witnessed a strength feat and gives precise

details like he did. I believe it without question! The man is a true historian, weight lifting judge, and scholar.

If you are to ever meet Dr. Todd one thing becomes apparent rather quickly! The man knows all about

strength in any of its forms! He went on to encourage Mark to practice this feat over and over until he could consistently perform it and as you may or may not know, Mark Henry is not consistent at all when it comes to setting a goal and sticking with it. Does this make him a bad person? Absolutely not! It does make it frustrating for people like myself that know and realize what Mark could do with consistent, concentrated effort and practice.

Rather you choose to believe this account or not due to lack of a video keep in mind the generation that Dr. Todd came from. A time when most men could be taken for their word and a video camera was not needed nor a camera to snap a picture. Is video evidence better? Yes! Is it needed for an extremely credible witness like Dr. Todd? Not for me! There's very few individuals I would believe outside of video evidence but Dr. Todd is one of them as is Richard Sorin, Joe Roark, John Fair, Eric Milfeld, Bill Piche, and a few others.

Has the Thomas Inch ever been snatched with one hand? I believe it has indeed!

Which is more impressive and could go down as the single greatest grip feat of all time? Closing a legit COC #4 without a set or snatching the Thomas Inch? I would say closing a legit #4 without a set would edge out snatching the Inch. I believe this for several reasons but this is simply my opinion here. What do you think?

What do I think?

I think a no set #4 is more impressive than an Inch Snatch. However, the people with the potential for an Inch Snatch are fewer than those who could do a #4 no set. Weird that I believe that, seems like they are mutually exclusive. I think there are lots of "strongmen", who if they made a hardcore commitment, could snatch the Inch. But the amount of WORK that goes into a Number 4 no set close is something that not many people have the ability to withstand.

Seems like I heard 10 years ago that Mark Henry was snatching the Inch in training. Yeah, I believe he has done it. The way and speed that he powered that thing up 11 years ago is still quite impressive, doesn't see to be that big a leap to go from there to a Snatch...

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