Jump to content

N A G S Championship Videos


Jedd Johnson

Recommended Posts

Posting some of the videos I have gotten edited and uploaded from the NAGS Championship.

Right Hand Grippers - Jedd and Luke

Left Hand Grippers - Jedd and Luke

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Two Hands Pinch - Luke

Two Hands Pinch - Jedd

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Luke Raymond Axle

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jedd - Axle

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Congrats on the Axle PR Jedd! Big pull brother!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks. I would rather have gotten the 402/403, whatever it was. 396 actually tied my all time PR for competition.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pinch Block Curl - Right Hand - Luke and Jedd

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pinch Curl - Left Hand

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Right Hand Sledge Choke

Left Hand Choke

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can the handle rest on the back of your wrist in the reverse sledgehammer v-bar lift or is there space between the handle and wrist?

Is the axel knurled or smooth?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is a reverse sledgehammer v-bar lift?

The axle is not knurled.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is a reverse sledgehammer v-bar lift?

The axle is not knurled.

I think he's poking fun at the not so strict technique used in the sledge choke event. IMO it's ok if everyone in a contest is judged the same and uses the same technique. I'm just an "armchair expert" so feel free to tell me to go F myself but In the future I personally would like to see a rule-change to where the technique is cleaned up a bit. I understand that having a rule that says that the handle must be parallel is difficult. However it's very easy to have a rule that says that the head of the hammer must leave the ground at the same time or even before the hand holding the handle is raised. If a person can lift the head off the ground before raising the hand holding the hammer, then they are strong enough to hold the handle parallel to the ground throughout the lift.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is a reverse sledgehammer v-bar lift?

The axle is not knurled.

I think he's poking fun at the not so strict technique used in the sledge choke event. IMO it's ok if everyone in a contest is judged the same and uses the same technique. I'm just an "armchair expert" so feel free to tell me to go F myself but In the future I personally would like to see a rule-change to where the technique is cleaned up a bit. I understand that having a rule that says that the handle must be parallel is difficult. However it's very easy to have a rule that says that the head of the hammer must leave the ground at the same time or even before the hand holding the handle is raised. If a person can lift the head off the ground before raising the hand holding the hammer, then they are strong enough to hold the handle parallel to the ground throughout the lift.

^this

Very well said David

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I figured that was what he was referencing...anyway...

Jon - It seems like you think the first time this method was used was at NAGS, and it wasn't. It was at Gripmas, and nobody had a problem with it then.

So, what has changed since December of 2013 until now?

The numbers being lifted.

Here's the thing - this change doesn't happen over night, or just by changing your grip or your wrist angle. We've been training this lift off and on for 6 months, and intensely since we got the 14-lbs hammer. When you spend that kind of time obsessing over a lift, if your numbers DON'T go up, then you might want to take a look at some other factors in your training.

Furthermore, I have about a half a dozen other lifts that I do in order to strengthen the Sledge Choke and some of them don't even involve a sledge hammer!! I have put a crapload of effort into this lift. So pardon me if I get a little sensitive when people start complaining about wrist angles.

David W - I wouldn't tell you to go F yourself for any reason, and especially not for a lift that involves wrist strength, since your wrists are by far stronger than mine. If a rule change is needed, so be it. I personally don't feel that way, but if it were to happen, I think the specific details you suggested would make the lift very hard to perform. More discussion would have to be done, hopefully on a different thread.

I really feel like I can't convey my true feelings about this through written format. I have written, erased, and re-written 2 or 3 times now. While I am trying to address people directly, I am not trying to start up a big fight. As I have said, I don't want there to be drama in our sport. I am willing to take some extra steps to clear the air.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

David,

I don't think your idea would work. As Jedd points out, it would be very hard to perform the lift. I suspect that it will be hard to perform from any distance; however, I notice that it will be particularly hard to perform if the athlete is strong enough to be lifting from near to the end of the handle. When the sledge is placed on the floor, the end of the handle is on the floor, and the handle slopes up to where it joins the head. When I lift, I like to start with the handle level from end to head, so I have to actually pick up the end of the handle. My hand does not touch the floor when I start the lift with the handle level. If I had to touch the floor, I would have to actually lever the hammer head upwards rather than just preventing it from dropping which we all know is much more difficult. I suspect this also applies to others.

If a level hammer is desired, I think finding a less stable object to place on top is the best option. I think Chris Rice suggested welding a nut on top and placing a ball on the nut so that it is stable enough to allow some play but will roll out if any significant tilt occurs. This seems like a good idea to me. In fact, the nut may serve its purpose whether it's welded or not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The ball bearing idea sounds good... very similar to what Hornes lever-top has & it works nicely. Good points made by all!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jedd, understood man.... It's good to work out disagreements in an open forum. It allows for many different perspectives. I was at gripmas 13 and I didn't find the sledge choke very safe then. I am not complaining about it cuz I suck at it and other guys like yourself and Luke excel. I honestly see bigger numbers in the future but I worry that someone will blow out their wrist because it basically gets locked in a static hold. As the torque #s keep increasing, so will the risk of injury. This seems to be why vbar is extinct in comps, because guys were blowing out the biceps. I hope that we can be proactive here - a wrist injury like what I'm imagining would effectively end someone's grip training for a long long time, most likely forever.

Trust me I'm not here to pick a fight. You have done a ton of work to bring this sport up in following. However, I sense a fair number of new guys are put off by the direction our contests are taking. I won't name people but I have been contacted directly by several seasoned and new guys who are perceiving insider advantage (pinch curl being announced late and judged by active competitors). Of the people who spoke i suspect there are others, perhaps more than just a handful who have chosen to keep their opinions silent. i know the insider stuff is not the case at all... but it's out there and people on the outside are seeing it that way...... And staying home.

We need these new guys to compete for grip to grow.. Otherwise it'll be just diehards like us every year battling it out. I mean all this in the most respectful way... I hope you haven't taken this as anything personal towards you.

Edited by jvance
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I am sorry that people feel that way.

Regarding judging, I was doing my best to help Andrew run the comp. If you' remember, Brent and I were doing the majority of the Axle judging. I always help out judging at contests. I remember that I helped judge the one hand deadlift at Gripmas and I did much of the judging at Chez's comp. He put me in charge because I was "the senior member of grip" or something like that.

As far as the insider thing, if you missed the post I put up here about the pinch curl, I am sorry. It is on my website and youtube channel. The link to get the equipment is under the video where we talk about the rules. Andrew and I worked on the rules to get them ironed out as quickly as possible. The events were announced late, but it surely is not because Andrew and I were somehow emailing one another about events, if that is what you are getting at.

I wish the other people would come forward. You can either post here in public, PM me, or even email, text or call me.

Sorry that this whole thing has turned into this. I really am.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

John, do you think Jedd cheated, or had an unfair advantage? Do you think you personally were at a disadvantage leading up to and during the competition? If yes to any of these questions, please detail specifically why you feel this way. How many people expressed their concerns to you?

Respectfully,

Joel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Regarding injury, it's like I told someone else. I remember telling Chris he should consider the Choke at Gripmas because it causes no pain to the wrist. (In the past, I always had severe pain from his sledge hammer events)

Ironically enough, I ended up hurting myself on the choke at gripmas. The best I can describe it, it felt like a small bone in my wrist on the pinky edge of my hand got whacked out of alignment, and by my third or fourth attempt, I couldn't even take a real attempt.

So, what I would have considered a safe event ended up causing me pain, and I needed a couple weeks for this pain to go away.

Does this other technique hurt? I would say no, it doesnt "hurt," but it surely isn't comfortable.

As for V-bar, that never hurt my either, but there is definitely a risk of bicep tearing, as it has happened at least once that I remember with Kolle Lane or somethign similar.

Risk is always a possibility. Those are my thoughts on injury for the sledge choke.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

as far as safety with the hammer goes...safety is always considered. and if events slip through that seem to be wounding people left and right they tend to get dropped pretty quick. however this is a strength sport. there will be torn calluses torn muscles and blown out joints. some degree of risk is unavoidable.

I was in contact with Jedd and Andrew and the higher ups n general. except for the new grippers 2hp and axle the events were up in the air until the week they were announced.

plate curl was an oddball that was essential 100% new at this comp. sledge lifting in different forms has been around for quite a while and has been specifically contested in this format quite a bit in the last year or so.

i wasn't crazy about the curl rules but, there was solid reasoning behind it. the rules were chosen to bring us into line with USAWA. As fiddly as they turned out to be I would like to see them tweaked a bit going forward. but, very often with a new event those adjustments can only be made after the event ha been contested.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

John, do you think Jedd cheated, or had an unfair advantage? Do you think you personally were at a disadvantage leading up to and during the competition? If yes to any of these questions, please detail specifically why you feel this way. How many people expressed their concerns to you?

Respectfully,

Joel

I never said or implied that Jedd or anyone cheated. (foot stomp for emphasis) At this point I am just speaking for those who are newer and perhaps uncomfortable stepping into the discussion. At this point I've had 5 people express their concerns about NAGSC and the last two events. I'm speaking from the standpoint that we don't want to lose interest in competing from the newer people... we have to improve the perception. A lot of these guys are on the fencepost at this point :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I am sorry that people feel that way.

Regarding judging, I was doing my best to help Andrew run the comp. If you' remember, Brent and I were doing the majority of the Axle judging. I always help out judging at contests. I remember that I helped judge the one hand deadlift at Gripmas and I did much of the judging at Chez's comp. He put me in charge because I was "the senior member of grip" or something like that.

As far as the insider thing, if you missed the post I put up here about the pinch curl, I am sorry. It is on my website and youtube channel. The link to get the equipment is under the video where we talk about the rules. Andrew and I worked on the rules to get them ironed out as quickly as possible. The events were announced late, but it surely is not because Andrew and I were somehow emailing one another about events, if that is what you are getting at.

I wish the other people would come forward. You can either post here in public, PM me, or even email, text or call me.

Sorry that this whole thing has turned into this. I really am.

Definitely not brother, I am not a conspiracy theorist. But for those who don't know you as well as I do from our interaction over the past couple years, I can see how they think it was sketchy announcing a brand new event 9 weeks out. With which the specs and feel of the implement would not be known until the day of the event. I know you made these available on your site, but there are some who think you and Luke had these things made prior and were training the lift before others knew about it. I DON'T think this was the case but there are some who do, and I don't want a misunderstanding to be out there festering and not be cleared up.

I'm sorry too... maybe I went too far with my rant early on and I apologize. My intention wasn't to stir the pot, it was to get this out there so you could explain things openly. It'd be one thing to email you or call you, but that doesn't address the concerns and negativity that's out there silently. I know where your heart is, and if I came across too negative I apologize. I appreciate you hearing out my concerns.

Edited by jvance
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do not recall the 4th event last year, but the 5th was the Medley. I think Andrew said the Medley last year took 3.5 hours or something like that. So we (the NAGS committee) discussed possible new events days after Nationals was over.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only delay between the time I got the prototype and the time the equipment was announced was the time it took my equipment guy to make up a dozen units. I didn't want to announce a piece of equipment for sale that wasn't in my possession.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy policies.