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Juha Harju Is In The Well!


Bill Piche

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Yeah juha, thanks for doing this!

First off, i want to thank you for your video on how to recover after grip training. That video has been priceless to me.

1. What advice would you give to a guy who's current focus is closing grippers, but wants to improve on pinch? My specific pinch goals would be hub and plate pinches. How would you go about programming thumb work in so it doesn't affect gripper training or other upper body work i do?

2. Do you prefer dynamic work for your wrists, or do you like doing real heavy sledge holds? Or neither?

3. I've seen you close a gr8 coc 4 on video, rated at 211pounds, if i am right. That's awesome! Do you have any plans to cert the 3.5 and claim the throne at the very top of the mash monster ladder with an mm7 and...possibly mm8 cert?

Thanks juha!

Nice to hear that my video brought help for your recovering Anthony.

1. Hard to explain in english but thumbs needs lot of different stimulus. I usually do my pinch training after gripper training. It would be smart practice very wide and also real narrow pinch lifts. I do 3mm & 5mm & 8mm plate pinch lifts and holds, 40mm - 93mm wide discs pinch lifts ( without flexed wrist) + (flexed wrist) and sometimes I use slippery discs. I have also 50mm & 100mm fixed pinch blocks and especially this 100mm block is very good for thumbs. My opinion is that grippers and plate pinch training fits perfectly together. Round handles (50mm - 100mm) are good too for thumbs but gripper shape dont like them. :grin:

I have also used telegraph key, pony clamps with extra bands etc.. but nothing mentioned benefit. (Only my opinion).

Hope you will find of these some new ideas for your training.

I put here some videos where is tools for thumb work. 1st video includes "mammoth´s tooth " (60mm handle and 60kg). It´s really thumb killer! Best ever.

Pipe 48mm

Plate 8mm X 30mm

2.Dynamic work is good. I have tried some sledge workouts but not my thing.

3. MM7 and (MM8) are interesting challenges and I´ll face them in future. Ironmind´s certs are too difficult for me. I know that this is excuse but credit card closes are very challenging for my hands. I enjoy to watch videos where strong dudes do great closes with good technique like Paul Knight.

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Which is your biggest grip training goals, that you have yet to perform?

Thanks Juha!

Interesting question bro. :)

I like different grip challenges. For those must practise different ways and that´s fun.

Grippers

MM7

MM8

GHP8 5 reps with 1.5" block ( I did seven reps with GHP8 and 20mm block at European Grip Strength Championships 2013.)

INCH

Hand To Hand toss

Clean

Beat my best result at double farmer´s walk (+16 feet)

Pinch

2x25kg

Blob

Beat Jedd´s +100 feet farmer (still has not come :grin::shutup: )

Beat Wade´s 81.5lbs blob lift (still has not come :sick: )

I have watched this as many times as I watched Chad´s MM6 cert before my turn. It´s real sick stuff.

To do at official comps biggest lifts ever at one hand pinch, IM anvil trainer and one hand axle.

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Juha I have a question about gladiatorpower and the inch dumbells they have there.

I can do alittle more than 80kg in RT at the moment. (if that helps you at all)

What inch should I aim for? I want one that I cant lift yet :)

I dont want to buy one that I can lift already..

Im saving money to buy 2-3 blockweights from gladiatorpower and Im getting an inch at the same time.

If you want to buy one you cant lift, then you should consider 78kg INCH. :whistel

Do you have loadable dumbbell with 60mm handle or place where you can test it? It´s good for INCH training and it tell you how much you can lift. If 65-70kg is too much for full lift then 68kg baby INCH is good for you.

Sweden is near Finland. You are always welcome to my place to test my grip tools.

Please watch this video. There you can see loadable dumbbell.

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Hi Juha. Thanks for taking a turn in the Grip Well! Thank you also for all the motivating videos.

I was pleased to see that we are of similar age, considering you are one of the very best in the world in Grip. It gives me hope. :) I'm coming upon my third of grip training and am now 41 year old. Although I don't have a background in weight training, I definitely can feel my age and how it affects my recovery.

Do you program days as "off" or do you simply take it as necessary?

Since you have been training for strength for a long time now, I'm sure you now train much smarter than the younger Juha. If you could go back in time and give yourself some advice about training…what would that be?

In regards to child's development, do you believe there is a "proper age" to start weight training?

Are there exercises you would counsel children to avoid?

How tall are you?

As far as I know…there has never been a competitor who specifically started training grip at a very young age. With the right genes, training and time, what kind of numbers would you guess are close to the limits of human potential in grip sport (say… TSG's, DO Axle and 2HP)?

In the coming years, what would you most like to see advanced in Gripsport?

Thanks again.

Thanks Nathaniel.

When man will come over 40 years then he is in the best age of his life and unstoppable! :laugh

Earlier my training program was like this:

Monday

Lower body maximum effort day + assistance exercises + Grip (includes rolling handles and thick bar training + INCH)

Tuesday

Upper body maximum effort day + assistance exercises + cardio training

Wednesday

Low cardio training + stretching

Thursday

Lower body dynamic effort day + assistance exercises + Grip (Horne´s species + speed grippers)

Friday

Upper body dynamic effort day + assistance exercises + heavy grippers & pinch

Saturday

Cardio + stretching

Sunday

Grip Medley

This program works but it´s challenging to match all contest rising in. Also muscle membranes needs separated attention.

Nowdays I´m more merciful to myself. I take off days when I feel like it.

When I was young (16-30 years) I trained like mad bull. My first bulk season (from 75kg to 100kg) was slow and difficult. I came stronger all the time but my bodyweight rise slowly. When I started to train for strongman contests and I started forced overeating and then I got more power and mass very fast. My bw was highest when it was about 140kg. I´m only 177cm tall. Even I had much power I had problems because of my height. Power stairs and loading was difficult. Log press, farmers walk, deadlift, squat etc was good for me. I shouldnt have worried about my height and only should have made special boots and continue competiting. I never went to big strongman competitions. From there I would have change to go big stage.

In principle I did all as good as I knew when I was young. I had great coaches so I just did what they told me to do. If I could go back to time when I was 16 years old, I would continue competiting at Kick Boxing (63.5kg weight class) and would have never started stupid bulking. :shuriken:
Other kids are "faster ready" to start weight training than other. But it is good to know that everyone can do training using his/her own bodyweight. Push ups, chin ups, squats, abs, etc.. fits good for youngsters.
No, all exercises are good if dont use too much extraweights. Only wooden stick can be enough. Also needed adult who knows right lifting techniques and can show them to children.
Grip Strength World Championships every second year.
Pro and amateur classes
Every time different organizer and different country
Weight classes
Records should be done only in one weight class (like in powerlifting, weight lifting).
Referees should have common judging line. This is important.
Rolling Thunder handle should be replaced by steel bearing handle. Current system is ridiculous.
General:
All contests records should be done only in one weight class (like in powerlifting, weight lifting).
Referees should have common judging line. Some kind of education / course would be good for this.
Must be video of world record lifts. (It´s not fair that has done "WR´s" in somewhere saloon without anyone seeing them)
Grip Strength visibility is still weak. Too often people asks what is grip strength. :santa:
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Hey Jahu i want to try some hose clamp

training on my super elite 197#. I was

wondering what kinda clamp i would need

and the best way to train with this. Thanks

Buddy.

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Hey Jahu i want to try some hose clamp

training on my super elite 197#. I was

wondering what kinda clamp i would need

and the best way to train with this. Thanks

Buddy.

Hi Joshua.

I have used many different clamps but those clamps at in those pictures are good. Choked from around handles is more powerful style than choked from spring. You must remember to put tape to handles before choking. That way gripper stays in better shape.

Here is video from seven years ago when I started my grip training. There you can see how I did singles with "easy way choked" coc#4 gripper. It is good to do 3-5 x 1 with same width. You can open choke about 2mm at every week and try to do always good and strong closes with that width and then open again more. Then when you can do 3x1 from 32mm width with your super elite then you are really ready for crush MM2 gripper! :sorcerer:

13117875.t.jpg

2_148265-500x500.jpeg

Edited by Juha Harju
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For some reason I cant post you tube video in here. I´ll put it later.

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Hi Juha,

I have done a decent amount of axle training, but I have had difficulty adding any weight to my max.

Its not a strength issue, my regular deadlift (with a mixed grip) is probably 200# heavier.

Do you have some tips for improving on the axle?

Also, do you think working on the revolving handles like RT and Crusher is useful for me now, or should I really concentrate on the basic axle. My hands are 7.5" in length, but I have a 9" spread.

Thank you very much.

Here's my best attempt for reference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pevtkCs5vkM&list=UUXpTbhVCDiUccUuCP4NBGmQ

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Thanks alot for the advice!

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Hi Juha,

I have done a decent amount of axle training, but I have had difficulty adding any weight to my max.

Its not a strength issue, my regular deadlift (with a mixed grip) is probably 200# heavier.

Do you have some tips for improving on the axle?

Also, do you think working on the revolving handles like RT and Crusher is useful for me now, or should I really concentrate on the basic axle. My hands are 7.5" in length, but I have a 9" spread.

Thank you very much.

Here's my best attempt for reference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pevtkCs5vkM&list=UUXpTbhVCDiUccUuCP4NBGmQ

Hi Mike!

My opinion is that you should do more specific RT and other thick bar trainings. Have you tried pull ups at 60mm fatbar or rolling thunder pull ups? Rafter pull ups? Those are fantastic work outs for thumbs. Wrist roller with big weights (dynamic work) is good one too. I like also do heavy lifts with axle from under my patella + static holds.

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Thanks to Juha for being in the well!

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