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Jedd Johnson Is In The Grip Well


Bill Piche

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Our first grip expert in the well is Jedd Johnson!

See the pinned post on what the grip well is and start asking questions!

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In your opinion, is the Rolling Thunder a good tool to train thick bar? Or, is it better used to test thick bar progress?

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Should one specialize on grip goals or work overall grip and have multiple goals at once?

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1) What do you think is the best way to train pinch strength?

2) What is your favorite way to train pinch? (if this is different from your answer to #1).

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Hi Jedd. I know you've always got a bunch of pots on the burners, so I'm doubly appreciative that you've decided to take a turn in the Grip Well.

However…with that out of the way, it's time to pick your brain. ;)

1. Because of your vocation, you are one of the best "well rounded" gripsters out there…do you feel this has ever inhibited your progress towards any one specific goal?

2. How much (if any) fear did you have to overcome, when you decided to take the leap to follow your passion full time?

3. I know that physical training is a life long journey…can you share a few epiphanies (grip or otherwise) you've had along the way?

4. What part do you think that "ego" plays in helping or hampering someone achieve his/her goals?

5. How did the birth of your daughter change you?

6. I realize you are an extremely loyal and family oriented man, but would you ever consider a change in locale for a business opportunity? (purely curiosity btw)

7. While I'm aware you are training to Re-Cert (CCS) the #3, are there any "over the top" goals that you would like to achieve before the laws of nature catch up to you?

8. What keeps that inner fire burning…what motivates you.

9. What are your three favorite movies (other than "The Princess Bride")?

I realize these aren't "yes or no" questions so I'm not expecting an immediate response. Since I'm here, thanks again for all your help.

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3) What is the most effective set/rep approach you've found so far to train thick bar?

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If you could only train one aspect of grip for the rest of your life - what would it be?

-Pinch, grippers, thickbar, etc.

What would you do if your wife got fed up with your grip addiction and told you to throw out all your grip equipment?

-Flowers, maybe? :flowers:

Do you think that wider thickbar always translates to more narrow implements? As in, if lifter A could lift 200 on the RT and had a strong back, should he be axle lifting at least 400? (200 per hand on a more narrow bar). If lifter B could lift 100 on the 3" crusher, should he be able to lift at least that much on an RT?

What is your RT to axle ratio?

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Is there any grip exercise that would be hard to over train? Or , in other words, is there a grip exercise you could everyday without a big chance of over training or developing an over training injury.

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  1. When training 2HP, what is your favorite set/rep scheme? Do you alternate progressions?

What is your favorite extensor training method?

If there was a grip contest/event you could go back and do over, what/when would it be?

Red or green sauce?

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Is there a measurable correlation between unilateral lifts to and from bilateral lifts, i.e. does improving the 2HP make you a better blockweight lifter and vice versa?

What is the oddest activity/exercise that has had a remarkable transfer to grip?

Where is the strangest place grip has taken you?

Thank you for taking the time to do this.

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1. If you had to choose one way to train thickbar, what would be the most efficient way?

2. To reiterate what Tentaclegrip asked, does narrower thickbar strength translate to wider thickbar strength and vice versa? have you ever done experiments to test that?

3. When it comes to working towards strength in grip related vertical lifts I.E. Hub, Rolling Thunder, 2hp, axle, blobs etc. Do you think it is better to focus on the implement itself more often with occasional assistance like exercises, or is it better to train it occasionally but focusing on the general strength and areas involved in the lift with a variation or movement that lends itself to strength in that particular feat. For example, for lifting a blob, should someone work on that blob most of the time, or would it be smarter to include all kinds of pinching to lift your goal blob?

Not really grip related but:

If you had to choose only three mobility exercises/stretches for optimal squat development (depth, knee tracking, general hip and groin health etc), what would they be? The best bang for your buck kinda question.

What do you think are the best stretches for the adductors and hips when trying to get accustomed to a Sumo deadlift style?



Thanks for doing this, man.

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Boxers or Briefs?

:tongue:whacked:laugh

Just kidding, I'm with the guys wanting to know about carryover between thickbar implents. What is the most productive to spend time on?

Also, Saxon bar or 2HP setup if you can only have one.

Thanks man!

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1) Please try and describe your thinking process when approached with a problem/challenge?

2) What's your approach to increased neural activation when training grip? Realizing the CNS is always online

what methods do you suggest to increase motor unit recruitment of a muscle group or the rate of force production(rate coding) for a particular muscle group?

3) What indicators do you look for in over trained athletes without having to submit blood samples?

I believe these 3 questions will help me better understand you and your thinking process. Thanks for your

willingness to participate in this very unique sub forum!!!

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Given 5 years to maximize grip strength in an untrained person with no competitive goals (removing the need for event specialization), what percentage of their overall training time do you spend on grip each training year? Assume they will train 5 hours per week and have access to a gym with basic grip equipment.

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Don't want to overwhelm so I'll just ask questions for one topic.

1) How much carry over does the DH Wrist Developer really have to Reverse Bending?

2) Could you only train on the WD for months and see great gains with reverse bending?

3) Does reverse bending have much carry over to the WD?

Thanks again for taking time out to answer these questions. Much appreciated.

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What's up everybody? I meant to get this started yesterday, but a HUGE opportunity came my way and I had to work on it first.

But now, that is taken care of, so let's start attacking these questions.

In your opinion, is the Rolling Thunder a good tool to train thick bar? Or, is it better used to test thick bar progress?

Any training you do depends entirely on your goal. If your goal is to be good at "thick bar," or if your goal is to be good at "rolling thunder," then those are two entirely separate goals.

If someone wants to be good at "thick bar" then they should train on several different thick bar implements: axle, RT, thick dumbbell loadable handle, fat gripz, fat gripz extreme, 2" vertical bar, etc. That is how you get good at thick bar.

If someone wants to get good at the rolling thunder, then they need to work on a rolling thunder. They need to know how it rotates, because most other thick bar implements don't move like that. They need to acquaint themselves to the pull height of an RT attached to a Loading Pin, because other implements won't be.

To me, the whole idea of some things are good for training and some are good for testing is somewhat flawed. You can use anything for training and anything for testing.

Your volume work where you build strength, I would put that into the training category. The testing category would be after every few weeks when you go for a new max so that you "test" whether or not your training has been productive. But to say that an RT or an Inch Dumbbell, or an Axle are just testing equipment and you build your strength with something else, I think would be a mistake.

I hope that answered the question well enough. If not, or if you have another question to branch off, feel free to add it and I will answer it later on.

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Does hub lift training carry over to anything else besides hub lifting feats?

I have not done a ton of hub lifting. I have usually worked hubs for short 4 to 6 week bouts in order to prepare specifically for grip contests or to attain certain feats.

When I was doing the hub lifting work, if I ever would have noticed my strength going up on something that is more of a mainstay in grip contests, such as grippers, 2HP or axle, I would do more of it. So my suspicion from experience is that there is not much carryover.

However, we know that hub lifting works the thumbs and will most likely build the thumb pads. So, with that in mind, it is entirely possible that hub lifting will be a good supporting form of training for grippers. The bigger the thumb pad is, the better your set will be, especially with contest sets.

By the time I had begun working hubs in my training consistently, I was already a year or more in and had already been hitting plate pinching and block weights very hard. I know this training during this time made my hands grow (thumb pad and pinky pad) because I could no longer slide my hand into the gloves I used to wear when I played college baseball. My assumption there is that I had already built my thumb pad up from the work I had already done. Maybe, if I'd done hubs earlier, they would have built the thumb pad up and I would draw the connection between hubs and grippers more firmly.

I hope that answers your question OK. If not, let me know. Or any other branch-off questions - please post.

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Should one specialize on grip goals or work overall grip and have multiple goals at once?

The way I see it, it depends on what the primary goal is.

Specialization, in my experience is the quickest way to get to a goal. If you have multiple goals and work towards all of them, it will most likely take longer to accomplish all of these goals than specialization.

This is of course assuming that the person training has a regular life with a conventional job, family, and other life desires. If someone were independently wealthy or owned a gym and they could be inside the gym from morning to night, they could devote a lot more time to training than a person who only has 1 to 3 hours to train at a time.

Of course, I have at times focused on several goals at once and saw excellent progress in all of them. I call it a Goal Pyramid. I select one main goal - that is the very top of the pyramid. Then I select separate, but related goals which make up the base of the pyramid. Because all 4 goals are related, all the work you do on them assists the other goals. I have spoken about this at The Grip Authority before with my guys and gals.

I will also say that I think if you work multiple goals, you will see more well-rounded grip development. Whereas if you work only toward one goal specifically, you might develop less broadly. Examples are grippers and bending. Both seem to neglect the thumb, so pinching, thick bar, and open hand training will most likely suffer.

Hopefully this answers your question. If not, please post again. Or add any related questions.

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1) What do you think is the best way to train pinch strength?

As far as equipment, the best way is with a variety of sized and shaped implements. Block weights, plate pinching, hubs, blocks on loading pins. The variety will give you a well rounded grip. Then, if you hit up a get-together or compete in a medley, you will be better prepared for all that could be thrown at you.

Naturally, you would also want to work in ways to progress. Modifying the pull distance, the number of reps, the speed, weight added, etc. All these go into constantly stimulating your grip.

I hope this helps and answers the question well. Naturally, feel free to post again if you'd like more explanation or have a related question.

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2) What is your favorite way to train pinch? (if this is different from your answer to #1).

Actually, Pinch Grip work is my favorite. My favorite type of pinch training is with block weights. I have something like 20 different block weights and love them all. The biggest I have lifted is the Blobzilla. I have also lifted the Fatman Clone and several big hex blocks.

I find when my block weight strength is up there, so is the rest of my training. I fully buy into the Brookfield statement that "Block weights = hand strength," just based on how well they have complimented my training.

Keep in mind block weights are not limited to blobs and hexes. Scale weights are included as well as stones, slabs of concrete, chucks of iron or steel, and many other things that are block shaped.

Hi Jedd. I know you've always got a bunch of pots on the burners, so I'm doubly appreciative that you've decided to take a turn in the Grip Well.

Thank you Nate, I appreciate it. Lots of projects under way, including more ebooks, dvd's and a possible line of products.

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you are one of the best "well rounded" gripsters out there…do you feel this has ever inhibited your progress towards any one specific goal?

Thank you sir.

Do I think well-roundedness holds me back in other ways? Absolutely. Plus my lack of ability to focus. In high school and college, I could focus on one thing all day long and see it to completion. These days, with any type of work I do, whether it is writing, editing videos, training, etc., I am much more distracted. I have to believe it is Adult-Onset Attention Deficit Disorder.

As I said, this permeates my training as well. On more than one occasion, I have set my sights firmly on one primary goal only to veer away from it due to my inability to focus.

Aside from that issue, because my main goals focus around Grip Sport and I average a contest every 2 to 6 months, and because I aim to win the contest, I drop certain goals in order to focus on the contest events. To me, with my competitive history, I want to win. That doesn't always happen, but I know when I show up, I didn't short-change myself.

These are the times I focus best.

Unfortunately, focusing on 4 or 5 events for 4 to 6 weeks pretty much exclusively, will most likely hurt the other goals one might have.

I hope this helps and answers the question well. Naturally, feel free to post again if you'd like more explanation or have a related question.

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How much (if any) fear did you have to overcome, when you decided to take the leap to follow your passion full time?

Very very little, but at the time I was being fed a lot of information about how easy it would be to run this kind of a business. It hasn't always gone according to plan, I assure you. I would probably do things differently as I look back.

3. I know that physical training is a life long journey…can you share a few epiphanies (grip or otherwise) you've had along the way?

Honestly, one of the biggest ones I can point to is understanding the right amount of chalk. I used to just load my hands with a lot of chalk, but I didn't realize that one some surfaces, that works against you. I refer to this as the chalk acting as ball-bearings and almost lubricating the implement, if you will. Sort of like how corn starch is used on chutes so cardboard boxes will slide down them easier.

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Should one specialize on grip goals or work overall grip and have multiple goals at once?

The way I see it, it depends on what the primary goal is.

Specialization, in my experience is the quickest way to get to a goal. If you have multiple goals and work towards all of them, it will most likely take longer to accomplish all of these goals than specialization.

This is of course assuming that the person training has a regular life with a conventional job, family, and other life desires. If someone were independently wealthy or owned a gym and they could be inside the gym from morning to night, they could devote a lot more time to training than a person who only has 1 to 3 hours to train at a time.

Of course, I have at times focused on several goals at once and saw excellent progress in all of them. I call it a Goal Pyramid. I select one main goal - that is the very top of the pyramid. Then I select separate, but related goals which make up the base of the pyramid. Because all 4 goals are related, all the work you do on them assists the other goals. I have spoken about this at The Grip Authority before with my guys and gals.

I will also say that I think if you work multiple goals, you will see more well-rounded grip development. Whereas if you work only toward one goal specifically, you might develop less broadly. Examples are grippers and bending. Both seem to neglect the thumb, so pinching, thick bar, and open hand training will most likely suffer.

Hopefully this answers your question. If not, please post again. Or add any related questions.

If you focus on one goal at a time, specalization, would you lose new gained strength in say grippers if you switched to another specific goal like RT or will the gripper strength stay more or less the same even if left untrained for like 2 months?

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4. What part do you think that "ego" plays in helping or hampering someone achieve his/her goals?

This is not strong area of mine (psychology/philosophy). Can you be bit more specific please?

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