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Showing content with the highest reputation since 03/29/2023 in all areas

  1. The time has come for me to step down from being the owner of the GripBoard. In February, it will be 23 years running the forum. No, nothing is wrong with me health-wise. I just feel it’s just time to move on and free up some time in my life given I am now 60 years old. The GripBoard has always been a "worry" whenever I might be out of pocket with having to constantly monitor it especially if the server is up and running, the software is up to date, and of course there are no major issues between members in discussion. To remove the server and software burden, we will be moving the forum to a cloud-based solution offered by the software company that develops the forum software. This will basically eliminate a ton of backend work and remove a ton of variables in the forum operation that could go south (software, server, database server, etc.). They will handle all of that by providing the cloud service. I would also like to announce the passing of the torch and future ownership of The Gripboard to Matt Cannon. Matt has been a member here for 17 years and a moderator for a long time as well. Matt also has the core values that I align with from a leadership perspective. I am super happy he is willing to take this on as I leave as the main leader and owner of the forum. Matt is going to bring a new energy to this to promote grip and the grip community that I am excited about that I just didn't have time to even attempt. There are a ton of forum features that can be used to better promote the board and grip as a community. And, some new ones with the cloud-based solution. I will still be around as a consultant for the smooth transfer of the operation of the forum for Matt and remain a moderator to some degree going forward. We will be moving to the cloud very soon. Maybe as early as next week. It will look exactly the same. Thank you to all the members who have supported this forum over the years. During the move, the forum will show a message that it is offline and the move is in process. When this message disappears, The GripBoard will look exactly the same to the members. It will appear that nothing has changed. I would like to give a special thanks to our current and past sponsors for supporting the board. Without them, the great grip community we have today would not have been possible. Thanks, everyone for supporting the forum in the past and into the future! Bill
    60 points
  2. Now it’s official, Carl Myerscough closed the #4 gripper according to the credit card set rule, the first man to do so. https://ironmind.com/news/Carl-Myerscough-Certifies-on-the-Captains-of-Crush-No.-4-Gripper/ Congratulations!
    45 points
  3. The greatest feat of grip strength ever. No question in my mind. I've been around the game a long time and I have seen a lot of things - this is out of this world. When we built the Level 10 I never really thought anyone would close it. It's so far past the level of strength of a CoC 4 or the GHP 9 that it's really hard to believe anyone's hand would be strong enough to handle the pressure. You can see in the video how hard of a time Carl has just holding the gripper at a set while he positions the block. Carl is the first and possibly the last that will ever accomplish this incredibly difficult feat of strength. I'm glad I got a chance to see it. Cheers Carl Myerscough - the greatest gripper close of all time!
    44 points
  4. This is the gripper workout plan that got me to the cert. Several caveats, this is not for beginners! I didn't need all the volume earlier in my journey, after I got stuck a few years ago at around a 209ccs it became necessary then to force further adaptation with more extreme training. These are the numbers from week 7 and then the cert was week 8: T × 8 #1 × 3 #2 × 3 #2.5 × 3 146 × 3 163 × 1 182 × 1 203 × 1 ccs 220 x 1 ccs 182 x 9 ccs 187 x 9 deep set(grip genie) All the warm ups sets before the ccs are medium depth. The ccs after the top set is to failure, not a particular number of reps, so weeks 6 and 7 were 9 but before that it was 8, 7 etc, same for the second drop set then on the 187, week before was 7 then 6, 5. After the 182 ccs x 9 my hand is trashed, thus making the grip genie 187 challenging and I did this to work the last bit of the close with the thinner handles. If I did the 187 before the ccs rep set I might be able to get 20, but I'm that deep into fatigue at that point its not so easy. This was necessary to make improvement. Earlier in the year I used the same basic plan but instead of the ccs' were max effort deep sets when I worked upto the 256 ghp10. That would be followed by a max deepset set 216 x 8 being my best. I try to only push 6-8 weeks and then start back lighter with higher reps and re- build. The thinking was get my deep set upto a whole new level and then convert that basic strength to the specific strength needed for the ccs. Assistance exercises were at the end of the gripper workout, band extensions holding the fingers together trying to closely resemble the reverse movement of a gripper close. About 8 sets of 6 working up through the different colors and then 3 x 6 with double red bands. The other assistance exercise I would do at the end of Mondays workout, (grippers were friday or sat) was standing reverse wrist curls holding the bar in a reverse curl position at 90° out from the body and then curling the wrists up and down. 4 sets of 6. 45lb x 6, 65lb x 6, 95 x 6, 105 x 6. Rest periods were always 3-5 minutes between all sets. So about 45 minutes to complete the gripper portion. One tip that might help someone is that between the early warm up sets I would grab a plate and do 3 standing wrist curls, overhand pushing the plate towards the body. Not heavy, I would do the Trainer then 10lb, #1, 25lb, #2, 45, #2.5 55lb and then stop with those. The purpose was to add some rigidity to the hand and pump up the thumb pad a little for better leverage. All sets were done aswell with the left hand and equal reps, they would just not be all closed at the top end. I always did right hand first and then left. Like I warned at the beginning, I would wake up the next day barely able to make a fist and move my hand and there would be soreness and tenderness every week for 3 to 5 days.
    39 points
  5. I've been a supporter of Ironmind and Dr Randall Strossen ever since 2009 when I certified myself on the #3. Back then it was a major achievement as I was the first teenager to do so since the implementation of the credit card rule and the birth of the Jesse Marunde trust fund. Now, I was a big fan of Marunde growing up, and, indeed, his forum and videos got me into grip. Ever since grip has always featured in my training no matter what sport I've done. I'm also continuing to make grip bigger by putting it the programs of the pros that I coach. By doing so, I get to see the best in PL and strongman, and see what they can do in grip stuff. This will only further the sport. The mouldy apple must be removed before it spreads, and as a result I have cut ties with Tiziano with immediate effect. I was waiting for Ironmind's verdict before putting an official statement out there. As for why he hired me, I have no idea. Perhaps he initially followed my plans , and got stronger, to a point. Perhaps it was the association with a "big name" that he wanted for further cover. He drops the names of the best grip guys in the game regularly, so perhaps I served as this. I can swear, infront of God if needed that I hand-on-heart had nothing to do with any foul play and if I suspected anything I would have sacked him with immediate effect. Phatmuscle Coaching from now on has nothing to do with Tiziano Becchio. I believe he should be relegated to memories, like our old friend Timmy "Samuel Scott" and serve all of us - myself included - as a reminder to be more vilgilant and do better. I should have known as literally EVERY OTHER client of mine has competed. It's literally "what I do". Make people good at their sports. He will never be welcome to train with me or to visit. He has blown his chances in the community and I will do my best to ensure he doesn't get credit from other companies, either. He is the "Danial Zamani" of grip, a charlatan and a fraud. Grip equivalent of faking an 800lb raw bench. Edit - he must have gone to extraordinary lengths to deceive both myself and the certification companies, both in terms of time and financial effort, for very little reward. I will never understand why, but at least now we know how. I would also like to apologise for initially sticking up for him, and hold my hands up and admit I was wrong. Sam
    36 points
  6. Hi guys this tuesday coc 3.5 official certification I'm the lightest in the world to have a 3.5 certified Now testing and working hard for coc4 and ghp9 . https://youtu.be/n5YZmhqKGPc My two video of official certs on my you tube Channel. @Cannon @Wannagrip@ @Jared P
    32 points
  7. Hello grip nerds! This is an update on the progress toward a new, updated Mash Monster certification! I have tried hard to preserve elements of the retired certification with some improvements. Some of this is driven by what's possible and some by my own preferences. Things that will stay the same The Mash Monster certification is intended to be an elite certification. Originally I had aspirations to expand the levels, but I believe that adds an unnecessary amount of additional logistics, cert management, and waters down the achievement. Throughout its duration, the retired certification averaged about 24 certifications per year. The new certification will be more accessible with more carefully spaced levels so I believe activity will increase as a baseline. A bunch of additional lower levels feels unwieldy. The Mash Monster Set. There is a chance to switch to a setting block, but I do not prefer that option. Most well-known certs use a block so the MM cert was unique in this respect. We will keep the parallel or wider Mash Monster Set. The certifications will be via video submission, no witness required. However I am implementing safeguards which I believe 100% guarantee authenticity of the certification. A primary safeguard is that the MM grippers will be unique items which are tightly controlled and received back as part of the certification, as before. It is a massive security to be able to scrutinize the gripper after the attempt and most other certifications do not operate this way. There will be protocols which the video must follow and it will be possible to fail the certification based entirely on execution in the video. There will also be tamper-evident safeguards which guarantee the judges will be able to identify the original gripper on video; not all of which will be explained to the public. An MM0-style door opener will still be required to establish readiness for the certification both in terms of strength level and ability to shoot an acceptable video. Judging will be completed by the Mash Monster judges as before. 3 judges will score the attempt and it will take 2 out of 3 "white lights" to pass. Participants must be a GripBoard Contributor at any level. Contributor Level 1 offers one certification attempt per year and Levels 2 and 3 offer unlimited attempts. Certification attempt means signing up for and attempting a level, not the number of tries you get during a single certification. That will remain as 3 attempts within a 15 minute time limit. Any one person can only have one level checked out at a time. There is no certification fee except to cover shipping. Things that are new Where the old certification referred to levels, the new certification will be based on ratings. There are 7 levels planned at this time beginning at 160 and increasing to 220. The levels are 160-170-180-190-200-210-220. You would refer to the levels by number such as "Mash Monster 160" or Mash Monster 190". This naming will also distinguish new certifications from the retired legacy. While this is fewer total levels than the original certification, I believe this actually offers more truly distinct levels. There is a possibility for a level at 230. You can jump directly to any level after completing the door opener. This is a huge change. The door opener will be two-fold in this respect. The door-opener for levels 160-170-180 is an IronMind #3 or equivalent, as before. For levels 190 and up the door opener is increased to an IronMind #3.5 or equivalent. The retired certification offered a semblance of "everyone did the same thing" by always using the exact same gripper. The truth is that we know grippers do change slightly over time. Knurling gets worn and ratings slide. The new certification will actively manage the Mash Monster set to be "the same" based on repeatable specifications. The grippers will be made from Standard springs and handles. The handles will have unique markings not otherwise commercially available. After each certification, the gripper will be scrutinized not only to ensure the authenticity of the attempt, but also to ensure the gripper has not appreciably changed in specifications. If critical measurements such as the rating or spread fall out of our accepted tolerance from natural use, the gripper will be replaced with an original. In other words, I am more concerned about "everyone did the same thing" than "everyone closed the exact same gripper". I expect any one gripper to last years. There will be a women's Mash Monster cert! Officially, it will also just be called Mash Monster and the respective levels which are planned to be 110-120-130-140. Door opener here is an IronMind #2 or equivalent. Everything else is the same. This does beg the question about Why can't anyone certify at these levels if they will exist? It goes back to a both a desire for the certification to remain elite, and a logistics issue about managing certification volume. I am planning for expanded International availability. The current idea is to have a period every year where the set of grippers is shipped to a European Hub and managed from there. I do not want to maintain an entirely separate set that just lives at the European Hub. During this time period--something like 3 months--we can cram in as many European certifications as possible. Nothing else about the cert process would change. It's simply a chance to accommodate International certifications at a much lower cost. International participants can always sign up any time, but the costs could be higher. We will not maintain profiles like before. The roster will be a list which records the highest level accomplished by each athlete. If you certify on multiple levels, your name will only remain on the highest level accomplished. We are considering the idea to list minimal personal info by the name such as weight class, age, height. Names will be listed in order and not numbered. Off-hand will not be considered a unique feat. You can certify with either hand, but the only result is whether you were successful in general. So what is the hold up? In short, springs. We have the new level of Chromium spring on order...and have for a while. Our spring supplier (and the manufacturing sector in general) is short-staffed, over worked, and still experiencing some supply chain issues. We want to have all levels in place at once for a grand reopening. Building the grippers, in general, is the only thing taking time. Since the plan is to pull from existing Standard supplies, the idea is that if CPW is rating grippers and comes across a 160 Cobalt or a 180 Titanium, it gets set aside to be converted. I can reliably hope to come across "back-ups" for all levels except 170. Or we can build grippers on purpose to land where we want. But, the whole reason we created Standard was to service a few dead zones in the gripper progression covered by other brands. In that same manner, Standard has dead zones as well. We essentially cannot make a 150 or 170 gripper for example. And I don't want to accomplish the levels by making the springs narrow or wide. So this will probably require ordering a special spring for 170, likely Cobalt with a slightly tighter coil (we're talking fractions of an inch here, maybe not noticeable to the naked eye). But we don't want 170 and 180 to be perceived as "the same difficulty" because the 170 is wide and the 180 is not. Otherwise, we have already started accumulating grippers at certain levels, hoping to essentially have a lifetime supply in place. This will help ensure consistency in the certification! We are really excited about the future of Mash Monster!
    29 points
  8. Been told to share this as a main thread instead of on my training log. My first press attempt was 6 months ago and was nowhere close to a lockout. Now that I’ve finally achieved it, I can reflect and only improve more! It’s been a tough 6 months but it paid off!
    28 points
  9. Just realized that today is my 18 year anniversary on here. A lot of time being inactive but still super grateful to be here steady the past 3 years. Here's some old clips from like 2011-2012 Here's to 18 more, cheers.
    28 points
  10. Hello Grip Nerds! There will be a slight forum reorganization at the beginning of 2024. Some of the updates won't be that noticeable but a couple will. If you primarily use the unread content button to view the forum then you might not even notice these changes immediately. The two biggest changes: 1) The GripBoard itself will move to the top of the page. So instead of being one of the communities under Training, our actual main community that is literally "the GripBoard" will be a stand-alone destination right at the very top. If you're a new person arriving here, we want that main community to be the first thing you see. 2) In order to make room at the top of the forum organization, the sponsor forums will move to the bottom. Another reason for this is that beginning in 2024, sponsorship will work differently and not include a sub-forum as part of the plan. More on that later. In the long run we will likely phase out these sub-forums, but there is a question of what to do with the content. For now, they will still be around, just featured less prominently. The smaller changes: Some of these changes have already taken place and focus on removing obsolete sub-forums and regrouping a few for clarity in navigation and prominence based on traffic. One example is there was a Powerball sub-forum under Equipment. Really, all those Powerball posts should just be in the Equipment forum so they have been moved. They were all tagged with "Powerball" so you can easily find them all if you wish. Otherwise, a couple forums will jockey around and a couple will be renamed for clarity in what they are used for now. A big one is Community Records and Stats. None of the lists in that forum tracked records or stats. So it will be rebranded as Grip Feat Lists. Won't this cause a huge mess? No, don't worry. The forum software is pretty brilliant and any forum, thread, or post is identified by a number that doesn't change no matter where that item is located or what it is called. So any links that exist within the forum or on Google will still work. Reorganizing forums on the back end is just a simple drag and drop. Easy peasy. Also, no content is being deleted. The GripBoard is a living history of this sport and we would hate to lose anything. Let's crush it in 2024!
    27 points
  11. For those who might have missed my post on retiring from the Gripboard, read it HERE What about the MashMonster certification moving forward? As you know, Matt has been the key person for the MashMonster certifications. He and I have worked super well as a team. Him being the most important front end and me the back end with the list updates, profiles, etc. The first MashMonster was certified on November 22, 2003 (Heath Sexton). In November of this year, the certification will be 20 years old! During this time, the grippers have traveled the world! What is amazing is we never lost ANY of the grippers. What is not known by members is that I had purchased “backup” grippers for most levels (several for Level 1) and they were made at the exact same time by the infamous Warren Tetting to ensure they were as close as possible to the same just in case we lost a gripper during their travels all over the world. We never had to replace a gripper with a backup due to loss in transit in over 20 years. Amazing! With my retirement from running this forum, it’s a fitting time to end an era with the current MashMonster certification. That does not mean an end to the MashMonster certification. Quite the contrary! Let me share the exciting possibilities going forward with Matt at the helm. Matt and I think it’s time to make the MashMonster certification more expansive, inclusive, sustainable, and stable. While all athletes closed the same grippers, there is a known issue that grippers do get easier over time and measurements show the strength is sliding especially at the lower levels. We have known for a long time that international shipping costs have been a huge barrier to a true worldwide certification. A new MashMonster certification means the potential to have international satellite shipping hubs for the MashMonster grippers to make the cost more economical. It might be time for more levels as well and that means more lower levels for women which is exciting! And, last but not least, which we think is a BIG one: the possibility of going straight to any of the expanded levels rather than having to do them all in order! Now that is a potential exciting change in the certification! The current MashMonster certification is hereby declared frozen in its current state. I will be transferring the MashMonster name over to Matt soon. The potential for a new revamped version of the MashMonster certification is exciting! What about the original grippers themselves? Well, stay tuned. Especially if you love collecting grippers and the history they represent. Bill
    25 points
  12. For those that may be interested I got the rating back from Cannon PowerWorks on my cert gripper. 215rgc. Matt said that they measured it straight out of my packaging at 216 with a 3.040" spread and then after there usual process of oiling and closing it 30 times it was stable at 215 with a 2.958" spread.
    25 points
  13. Thanks everybody. In order to meet the video requirements I had to set the camera in a much wider shot, they wanted to be able to see full body at certain times in the video. I did strain/get cramp in by bicep after the close hence me pulling away, but I had committed my mind to closing it no matter what and it was done. Sure it's not held shut for an extended period of time but do the handles momentarily touch together, yes 100% which is what is required. The original video is in good clear quality that ironmind has ownership off, but I do notice that when it gets put on youtube etc it's not quite as clear as I think youtube changes the format/pixels etc. I think in these screen captures from the video you can see metal touching metal clearly.
    25 points
  14. I just wanted to make this post to thank @Cannon for taking over the reins of the GripBoard. He has done a phenomenal job and has already improved and brought this forum to a new level. I am super happy to see this and there is much more to come! I am super excited to see what Matt has in store for this community, especially the new MashMonster certification! With that said, please remember that this forum still rises and falls based on you the members. Cannon Power Works is a very small niche business. This means the forum needs support from you the members to make it viable for decades to come. Matt has done a spectacular job of enabling this very easily with some new very cool benefits for those who donate to the GripBoard. Please consider supporting the GripBoard (link below) and helping enable all the ideas (he shared a bunch with me before he took over!) Matt has that will lead to growing the grip community! Thanks, everyone! https://www.gripboard.com/subscriptions/
    24 points
  15. I finally met with Hussain last week. The entire story is in my YouTube video description. Highlights were CoC # 3.5 close, near CoC # 4 rated at 217 (bad technique), Millennium dumbbell lift, and blob50 lift. He hadn't done any specific grip training, ever. Just powerlifting and strongman. He is 22 years old. He simply is a gem. I believe with the right technique and a slighty easier #4 he would close is on his first go. He isn't far off anyway. I also say his thumbs aren't developed much. All the power comes from the fingers. He is truly top tier grip athlete. Thank God he isn't camera shy. Two more impressive people came to the Grip Temple but they were camera shy.
    24 points
  16. Somewhat Grip related - anyway I wanted to post it here for friends to see. Teresa and I on top of Triconi Nail in the Black Hills region of South Dakota. We did it on our 27th and 42nd - now on our 50th.
    24 points
  17. @Cannon rated it at 256 RGC... Incredible!
    24 points
  18. Hey grip nerds. Turns out, making springs is hard. Last year we got an entire batch of Iron [Fe] springs which were too wide to be that level. Trying to make the best of that, we mounted them all over the place to get a bunch of grippers that ranged from 140 to 167. Those were the Legacy Tributes. Well, we still have zillions of those springs. So we are going to make a level between Iron [Fe] and Cobalt [Co]. It just so happens there is a metal between those two that we skipped because it had the same Mohs hardness as Iron. That metal is Nickel [Ni]! I think this is poetic because Fe and Ni will have the same spring and also the same Mohs hardness. As before, we will mount the new Nickel grippers all over the place so they vary on purpose. Similarly, our most recent batch of Platinum [Pt] springs include roughly 50% which are too narrow to be Pt grippers. In another stroke of poetic luck, we skipped a metal between Gold [Au] and Platinum [Pt] because we felt the symbol would be confusing. It's Copper [Cu]! Once we get these made, we'll have a one-time run of slightly more narrow Cu grippers which average about 105. In our world, being a small business means finding these serendipitous little happy accidents. Finally, one more reminder that we will have 30 more pinned Unobtanium this year. That will round out the first 100. These have been popular enough that we will likely make more, but it could be a minute before a spring reorder makes sense. So watch for those!
    23 points
  19. This project started with me wanting an "ultimate choker gripper"; basically a hybrid between Standard adjustables and the CPW/Aaron Corcorran style choker grippers. Although the huge washer solution works really well on the adjustables, the biggest downside is that choking at the spring is suboptimal compared to choking at the end of the handles. So I thought, why not design a gripper based on Standards (my favorite gripper line). I learned about torsion springs, including how to measure things and materials, and made the specification. I found a local company that makes springs for machines, old toys, etc., and they could make the spring I wanted. The handle was more problematic. Not even because of the tapping but because of the knurling. I wanted the handles to be stainless steel with nice knurling like on Standards or GHPs. Thankfully, @Cannon gave me some really useful pointers (thanks again, Matt), so I made the design and ordered the handle from the company I usually buy steel for bending. I wanted at least six levels, ended up with seven including Flush. The levels are laser engraved into the spring. I didn't want to cut the spring, so this seemed like the best solution. Getting the hardware for the choker mechanism wasn't a big deal. I've MMSd some of the easier Levels, and well, it is one hard gripper that's for sure. Even those easier settings are far from beginner level. Btw I don't plan to make this again, it's a nice one-of-a-kind gripper. Only one thing remains: sending the gripper to CPW for rating! Some general stats: Spread: Flush - 70.5mm, Level 6 - 83mm Spring: 8.0mm diameter (slightly thicker than a Tungsten), oil-tempered steel Handle: ~19.4mm diameter (same as Standard because of the aggressive knurling), 304 stainless steel Weight: 521g/1.15lb (for comparison, my CoC #3.5 is 261g/0.58lb) Choker: M6 stainless 304 Some pictures: First one is at Flush Second is Level 1 Third and fourth are showing the choker at Level 3 Fifth pic: the whole "kit" @EmilBB this is the project I was talking about
    23 points
  20. I have benefitted from the vast knowledge here on the gripboard and I really want to thank everyone for there support and encouragement that helped get me to this milestone. I hope I can give back and help others some now.
    23 points
  21. A Standard gripper exists! This was basically proof of process. Justin got to the point where we needed to see if the process and fixtures resulted in an acceptable gripper. There are a few wrinkles to iron out which make this not quite yet a production gripper. There is an undeniable "Tetting-ness" to them because of the pins (which is really the only way they are different than the glued version). We are not pretending this is novel or clever--it's just quicker, cheaper, stronger and cooler.
    23 points
  22. We regret to inform the grip community that Gillingham High Performance has no immediate plans to continue manufacturing grippers in 2024. As many of you have noticed this has been in the works for the past 6 months. In 2023 we worked through our remaining parts inventory and for the last half of the year had limited size offerings. The reason is simple: the high standards we set for our brand when we first started this journey back in 2010 are cost prohibitive today. We want to thank the overwhelming support for our brand from the GripBoard community. We started out with a simple mission to fulfill a need in the grip and torsion spring hand gripper community: to build the highest quality gripper with the most reproducible feel in the world. We sincerely hope that we filled that need for our customers. We certainly tried and I'm proud to say we never cut corners. I'm still discussing some things with Matt about how to move forward with the GHP Certification - will it still be run, by who, where will the results live, etc.. Also the last of the new stock of GHP grippers that are available can be found here: https://cannonpowerworks.com/products/gillingham-high-performance Thanks again for the support over the years. Wade
    22 points
  23. I was fortunate enough to find these as part of a listing. I could see the black spring and clear band in the listing’s pictures. They arrived today and I weighed them and tried a magnet. They’re 1 lb, 1.05 lb, and 1.10 lb - over twice the weight of their modern equivalents. Also, a magnet (my Massenomics Drink Spotter Lite) stuck to them. So I’m happy to say I’ve got the 1993 Stainless Steel CoCs! Next up, I’ll be sending these off to @Cannon to be rated.
    22 points
  24. Haha, I knew I was never making any money out of this. Nobody that is concerned with making money is going to be chasing a #4 cert. If you'd offered me a million dollars, I could not have trained any harder or wanted it anymore than what I did.
    22 points
  25. Sorry for yet another late one! Once again, not really my fault. This time, I was able to reach the previous month’s profilee’s nominee, and he said he was interested and would send me the questionnaire, but he has not yet supplied the questionnaire (he is welcome to do so and he will be the next profile if/when he does). Anyway, I was aiming at not missing any months and it is getting late early because February is a short month (even though it is leap year, we are about done). So I decided to go with someone who hasn’t been profiled yet, and who would answer the questions immediately, so that I won't miss February. I believe that I am the only one I know who has not been profiled yet and will respond to my invitation like, today. Because I am me. So here goes. 1. What are your stats? GripBoard name: Vinnie Age: 54 Height: 5’6” Weight: 180 Dominant hand, and hand size: Right hand, 7.5” from middle finger to wrist crease Country/City: Ronkonkoma (Long Island), NY Relationship Status: Living with my girlfriend Children: Vincent (17) Occupation: Assistant District Attorney in New York City (Bronx) 2. Why did you start training grip (and how long is it now)? I started training grippers on my own about 8 years ago (in 2016 I think), a while after I discovered grippers at an arm wrestling competition in 2015. I had no real experience arm wrestling other than that I routinely beat people (in social situations, not competitions) who looked like they should beat me. But none of us was actually any good at arm wrestling. So at the comp I go trounced, badly, by guys my own size who DID know how to arm wrestle. But, they showed me grippers, and I closed a 2, and they were impressed. I liked the grippers more than the arm wrestling and bought some, and I never really got into arm wrestling. I got myself up to a 2.5 a few months later, and eventually I started looking online for a community. In 2017, I found this community! Within days of finding the Grip Board, I was invited to Queens to work out with Anton, Anthony, Jose, and Chez, and I went to train grip at Anton's almost weekly from then until 2021 when Anton's daughter was born and he had to stop hosting. 3. What are you most proud of accomplishing in grip already, and what is/are your grip goal/goals? Easily, my biggest accomplishment is getting the IM certification on the COC 3. When I started, I thought I would never close a 3 by any means. My own 3 was pretty stout -- rated later by Cannon at 153 -- and it was 5 years from when I bought that gripper until I could CCS close it. I got there slowly and steadily from my first MMS close of an easier 3 in 2018 to my first CCS close of an easier COC 3 in early 2021, and when I finally CCS closed my 153 in late 2021, I signed up and did the cert that November. Only having my son was a bigger deal to me in my life. Sounds crazy but that's how it adds up for me. Close behind the IM cert was beating Tim Butler at the Stronghold Grip competition in October of 2023. Tim is way stronger than me, but I had a great day (closed a 170 RGC gripper with a 20mm block, 2nd best comp close in my weight class ever), and Tim wasn't feeling great, and the other events were pinch-heavy which is my best area besides grippers. So he and I were neck and neck and it was as close to a tie as it could be, but somehow I pulled that one off. As for goals: I would like to do Cannon's new gripper cert as far as I can go; I think 170 RGC or thereabouts would be a nice milestone, but I'll pursue whatever is the one after I achieve. I would like to set the weight class world record on Euro, if I can do it before someone else does: I am currently 3rd (213 pounds), but 10 more pounds would put me on top. I would like to say that lifting the Inch and/or doing crushed to dust would be a reasonable goal, but I am not sure I have the discipline and constitution to train up to either of those. I'm not close to it. Double body weight axle might also be cool, but I think losing my potbelly is more likely to get me there than increasing my deadlift/thick bar strength. 4. How do you currently structure your overall training/how do you incorporate your grip training? I don't train much, other than grippers. With grippers, I generally train twice a week, usually in my office. I do light warmups with a trainer, then a couple of reps with a light COC 3 or GHP 7, then single reps approaching my max until I get tired. I often spread these closes out over an hour or more, in between working. I don't have a formal regimen or system and go mostly by feel. I often stop for a couple of months when I am stressed with work, but not for too long, and I can usually get back to where I was in a few weeks and then make another little gain or two. Shout out to @Chez, who has always been my go-to gripper expert for questions and informal coaching. He certainly has helped me progress. I am one of the rare folks who believes that grippers DO transfer to other grip strengths. In particular, pinch. My pinch has improved steadily without separate training. Some of this is learning better form, such as when Chris Rice helped me out on Euro and got me 20 pounds over my previous PR. But I also notice strength improvement there over time, and I think staying vigilant with grippers has to be related. Even Chez has noticed a correlation with pinch and grip, as he told me he sometimes trains pinch a little the day before grippers and finds some benefit there. I don't see why there wouldn't be some correlation, albeit not precise because there are different muscles involved. But some must be useful in both disciplines. 5. What hobbies (other than grip/bending/lifting) do you enjoy? I am pretty into word games and board games, and at one time I collected antique tube radios and learned a little about repairing them, although that has stagnated since I got divorced and have less space for the radio collection and time for the hobby. 6. Do you have a personal anecdote, topic or thoughts you'd like to include in your profile? I discovered this community right around when I was getting divorced. Grip (and the great, great people involved in it) has become a central feature of my life. It has added to my social life, my happiness, and my health. I hope to stay involved until I die. 7. Whose Grip profile would you like to see next? @devinhoo is on deck whenever he gets me his questionnaire, but I'd say it would also be cool to see @C8Myotome up here.
    21 points
  26. Randall J. Strossen: "The gripper in Tiziano's 3.5 certification video 100%, emphatically, did not come from IronMind." This was discovered by noticing the UPC code sticker on the back of the IronMind gripper package, in the top right corner of the card stock. I watched dozens of other IronMind certifications, and noticed that all of them had only the one standard UPC code, rather than an additional UPC code over top of it, as in Tiziano's video. The only other video that also had this additional sticker was with a gripper purchased from Amazon. Both Matt Cannon, and Randall J. Strossen himself, verified this information as factual, and evidence of fraud. Here are the screenshots of the different UPC codes: Photo 1: The gripper from Tiziano's 3.5 certification video (second angle), with the incorrect additional UPC code sticker Photo 2: The gripper from Jaland Worley's 3.5 certification attempt video, with the correct IronMind UPC code only Randall is checking on further information with his team as we speak, and will be following up shortly.
    21 points
  27. Happy Independence Day! Since I belatedly posted the June profile later than June 1, I am working my way back to the first of each month with this intermediate offering. For our next installment, let me introduce yet another phenomenon: Carl Myerscough! I think everyone in grip already knows a bit about Carl, with all the buzz about the possible COC 4 certification -- Carl is one of the few (if not the only) who has offered solid, video evidence of himself closing a COC 4 from a credit card set. I'm sure we all think that it is only a matter of time, and perhaps not all that much time, until he formalizes the feat. And of course, Carl's grip feats extend beyond just grippers, as he has several world records on other events. He is also a kind and generous sort, as I know first hand because he took the time to offer me some advice two years ago when I was chasing a much easier cert than he was (the IM COC 3). And his emails are exceedingly polite, making the recipient feel important when Carl is actually the movie star in most grip conversations. I am sure we all wish him the best with the Big Cert, but in the meantime, let's see what he has to say in answer to the profile questions. 1. What are your stats? GripBoard name: (no reply - Carl, if you see this post and have a grip board profile, please reply!) Age: 43 Height: 6'10" (208 cm) Weight: 352 lbs. (160 kg) Dominant hand, and hand size: Right, 8.5" Country/City: Yorba Linda, California (USA) Relationship Status: Married Children: 2 Occupation: Track & Field coach 2. Why did you start training grip (and how long is it now)? I started training and competing in grip in June 2016 after I retired from throwing. However I always had an interest in grip and had done some grip feats throughout my life as my dad was into grip and his farther before him, so I'm at least a third generation gripster. 3. What are you most proud of accomplishing in grip already, and what is/are your grip goal/goals? I would say my 237.5kg Iron mind Axle WR. My 300lb 3 x 4" Saxon bar WR, Millennium dumbbell level deadlift and deep set closing the Ghp 10. Goal is and has always been to cert the #4. 4. How do you currently structure your overall training/how do you incorporate your grip training? Currently rehabbing from tricep surgery but my basic training program generally is as follows: Monday Axle deadlifts, standing axle wrist curls, chest/shoulders/triceps. Wednesday: Squats, calves, lower back. Friday: Grippers, pinch, biceps. (All grip workouts take 2- 2.5 hrs). 5. What hobbies (other than grip/bending/lifting) do you enjoy? Art, painting, drawing ceramics, movies. 6. Do you have a personal anecdote, topic or thoughts you'd like to include in your profile? I have found that focusing on wrist strength helps most lifts more than the full lift itself. So I mostly do low reps or singles on things like Axle and then will do 4 sets of 6 on standing wrist curls. It has been said that grippers aren't that helpful for other lifts. I would say that grippers plus wrist work in all plains of motion is nearly all you need as long as you have the body strength to make the lift as well. My dad could close a 2.5 gripper the first time he tried at 72yrs old. I saw him one hand deadlift 350lb no hook grip (30yrs ago) with zero warm up. (BW 195lb). Thank you to all the wonderful grip community it's a pleasure to be a part of this. 7. Whose Grip profile would you like to see next? Tiziano Becchio.
    21 points
  28. Congrats to Charles! Charles is making waves!
    21 points
  29. Recently I’ve had to decide how to address a challenging situation that developed in Ukraine pertaining to the International King Kong Grip Challenge. For transparency and greater understanding, I wanted to summarize what has happened. As context, Ivan Pupchenko has been the Ukrainian contact for King Kong for several years now. In an effort to involve as many people as possible, over the years he has gone from hosting a King Kong venue in the city where he lives to now travelling to different cities and running multiple venues over the two-week contest period. It has been explained to me by Ivan that within the current context (war), travel is more challenging in Ukraine. As such, to provide athletes with as many opportunities to compete as in previous years, he now lends out the King Kong implements (which, I believe, is the only complete set in the country) to other individuals so that they can host the contest on their own. Such an arrangement was made with Dmitriy Grunsky, who held a King Kong venue on October 14 in Dnipro. For assurance purposes, all competition lifts were recorded at Ivan’s request. Upon review of the Dnipro venue lifts, several lifts were determined to not meet the rule requirements for the Pinch Block and Crusher lifts and the results from these could not be counted. In some cases, competitors made acceptable lifts at lower weights, so Ivan was planning on counting these. But for Dmitriy, rule violations occurred for every single lift for one of the implements, so no result could be recorded. The specific violations were excessive tilt/incorrect hand placement with the Crusher and excessive tilt/incorrect hand placement and bracing against the thigh for the Pinch Block. Dmitriy claims he wasn’t aware of all the rules. While this may be true (Ivan regrettably admits that he neglected to send Dmitriy the rules clarification video that I shared with all promoters in September), some rules are widely known by experienced grip athletes like Dmitriy, like the rule for illegal bracing. Ivan had also noticed Dmitriy’s tendency to excessively tilt the Crusher in past contests, which he repeatedly pointed out to him. Nonetheless, he continued to use this technique. Following Ivan’s communication that he would need to exclude results, Dmitriy immediately insisted (via multiple calls and texts) that Ivan either send back the equipment so that he could re-attempt his lifts, or that the results be allowed to stand. The situation escalated further when Ivan went to the post office to pick up the King Kong implements that Dmitriy had shipped back immediately following the contest. When he removed them from the box, they all felt “sticky” – some more than others, with the Pinch Block and Crusher being the stickiest. Ivan couldn’t tell with certainty what type of substance was on the implements, but he was convinced that it was not simply chalk. At the time he opened the package he was at a training facility, so he asked other armwrestlers/gripsters to feel the implements and tell him what they thought. They all agreed that there was some stickiness. So now Ivan had even greater concerns about the Dnipro performances – not only were there technique violations (proven via video), but now there was also possibly equipment tampering (which cannot be proven 100%). His confidence in Dmitriy dropped even further, and returning the equipment was no longer an option. Further communications between Dmitiry and Ivan soured, to the point that Ivan no longer has any interest in participating in contest alongside Dmitriy. So travelling to Ivan’s to re-do his lifts is not an option (I respect Ivan’s position, given the circumstances). Traveling outside of the country to compete in another King Kong promoter’s venue would be acceptable, but I recognize this may be challenging, if not impossible at this time. I hope you can appreciate that what I’m recounting is my understanding of what occurred, primarily based on Ivan’s communications with me. I cannot know with certainty if the implements were tampered with, nor can I confirm whether Dmitriy does or does not have a history of such actions. But having seen the King Kong videos myself, I can concur that the lifts conducted on October 14 violate the rules, and therefore cannot be counted in the official King Kong results. Through my years of collaborating with Ivan on King Kong, I feel strongly that the integrity of the contest is extremely important to him. As such, if he has serious doubts about how an event was conducted, I choose to rely on his judgment and will endorse his decision. I hope you can appreciate the difficulty of the decision, but understand why I’m making it. The International King Kong Grip Challenge has been running annually since 2013, but it is not a perfect contest. I continue to try to learn each year and will see what additional steps could be taken to lessen the probability of similar situations occurring in the future.
    20 points
  30. Thank you everyone for your comments and support, I really appreciate it.
    20 points
  31. 20 points
  32. He is on the fast track to the top of the ladder! Congrats!
    20 points
  33. I just got my grippers back in the mail and they look awesome! Matt has great customer service and the turnaround time wasn't bad either. Here's a plaque that I made a long time ago to hold 12 grippers, though I have a few more that won't fit... Judging by the ratings, I have a nice spread from 66 up to 208. The filed ones are awesome too, very well done. They are all mostly from 2008-09. I also got a special #3 rated at a super low 135.
    19 points
  34. UPDATE: Previously, my most treasured gripper had always been my Tetting Super Master rated at 139. Now it has been supplanted. I won the fastest fingers contest on NYE, and I originally told @Cannon that I wanted the next Standard Nickel rated at 157 because it would fill a gap in my gripper progression. Before that number came up in Cannon's rating, however, I watched the awesome podcast put out by @pancho_grip_lift, and I saw that awesome purple spectrum RB280N. My oldest daughter's favorite color is purple, and she has ALWAYS told me that I HAVE to get a purple gripper, so I reached out to Matt, and he said that I could have that very gripper for my contest win. On top of that, given the backstory for why I wanted it, he made my daughter her very own name tag to go on the gripper. Just because he's awesome. She was thrilled to get it, and now it is my most treasured gripper. In second place is the next gripper. With the old MM cert closing down as I felt like I was finally approaching being ready for it, I was pretty bummed. Then I was bummed again when my bids didn't cut it for the auction. As a result, I was looking for an MM1 replica to use one day to prove to myself that I could've started climbing the MM ladder. @Allen Heineck delivered, and I ended up with this awesome MM1 replica, which had the added benefit of hitting the number I wanted from CPW in the first place, 157. Plus, it has one of the old 'Joann Bottle Caps' from the early days of CPW. So cool.
    19 points
  35. Just received another phone call from Dr. Randall Strossen. He called the discovery of the sticker the coup de grâce to verifying the certification as fraudulent (any of us could have found this, I'm not taking any kind of weird pride in this, just relaying the message), and wanted to say that not only has Tiziano's certification, video, and write-up been revoked, but Tiziano has been banned for life from ever competing in any IronMind certification or event. He also said that they discovered numerous methods by which the fraud was or could be achieved, and are going to be taking major steps forward to ensure that all future certifications are safeguarded from fraud, not exclusive to, but likely including, in-person judging again.
    19 points
  36. @Tiziano Becchio I am going to put an end to this actually. I object to you asking us for an apology when you will not respond to the questions about the scale. You have suffered this scrutiny at your own choice. I would not expect anyone to be ready to start over without you getting involved in the civil discussion about the scale. REGARDING THE SCALE AND ONLY THE SCALE These are the questions: 1) Your scale model is common and well-known. The kilograms indicator is buried in the upper right corner. Pounds is below that. Images from your own videos show the scale set to pounds. What is your explanation or clarification? 2) Your scale model is accurate to 0.2 when weighing in pounds. For kilograms it will weigh every 0.1 kgs. Your videos exhibit pairing of 0.2 lbs which is only possible when set to pounds. If your scale is set to kilograms, what is the explanation or clarification? 3) Please provide a video where you clearly show the front of your scale, then weigh something, then switch between kilograms and pounds. It is not time to get offended or make an emotional appeal. If you will not address these simple questions, the only conclusion is that there is no explanation. You cannot expect us to ignore these facts and move on. You are welcome to message this information to me. Once received, I will reopen the thread and you can post it here as well. Not taking this chance will be viewed as an admission of guilt about the scale. Respectfully, this is your last chance to address this issue with supporters who are willing to listen. Do not waste this opportunity.
    19 points
  37. Once-in-a-Lifetime Sale of the Original Mash Monster Grippers Updates 1/22/2024 The offer period is open and runs through Sunday, January 28th at Noon. Check out the GALLERY for more information on individual grippers and detail photos. Finally, a reminder of the offer guidelines: How to Make an Offer Offers should be submitted to thegripboard@gmail.com. All offers should be in USD. In addition to your offer we will require contact information including full name, address and phone number. Please only submit offers you are ready to close. If you need to talk to a spouse, see more pictures, or ask questions; do that before placing an offer. Accepted offers will be required to sign an "as is" bill of sale. You may submit multiple offers. For example, you may offer $X for Lot 1, $XX for Lots 1-3, or $XXX for everything. Include any preferences about what you would like the most. We will not break up the individual lots so please only make offers for any combination of Lots 1 through 11. Offers must be actual figures chosen by you and not "would go up to" amounts or offers such as "the highest bid plus $5". You must offer a set dollar amount figure. We strongly encourage you to put your best foot forward. No direct feedback on offers will be provided as this is not truly an auction. We simply want to work with real offers from real people who would like these collector items. For those who have asked, we estimate the minimum value of back-ups at $300 and certification grippers at $500. You can increase previously submitted offers at any time by emailing the new information. The accepted offer(s) will be closed in a private sale with the owner, Bill Piche. Paypal will be the payment processor only. Proceeds do not benefit The GripBoard or Cannon PowerWorks. For International buyers, the HS Tariff Code 9705.10.00 will be used to designate the items as collector's pieces. Theoretically this designation is free from general rates of duty. However, we make no representations about what duty fees, customs charges, or import taxes may be charged. Any such charges are the sole responsibility of the buyer and not included in the purchase price. The declared value will match the purchase price. As always, contact Matt with any questions at thegripboard@gmail.com. Updates 1/20/2024 A photo gallery of all lots with more information about the individual grippers has been posted at the GripBoard. See the gallery here: https://www.gripboard.com/gallery/category/22-official-mash-monster-sale-gallery/ As always, feel free to contact Matt with any questions: thegripboard@gmail.com Updates 1/18/2024 Posting the original announcement well in advance of the sale produced exactly the kind of feedback and questions we were hoping to get. We have had a chance to address many of them and have a couple more updates below. A Change to Lot Choices We received numerous suggestions about how the lots are structured. So many, in fact, that there was very little overlap and clearly no way to make everyone happy. But there is one change we feel makes sense. The second back-up will be pulled off Lots 1-3 and used to form a mixed Bonus Lot 11. This change makes Lots 1-3 more affordable and generates one opportunity for a mixed lot which was one of the most common requests. The new Lot structure is as follows: Lot 1: Mash Monster Level 1 certification grippers and 1 back-up Lot 2: Mash Monster Level 2 certification grippers and 1 back-up Lot 3: Mash Monster Level 3 certification grippers and 1 back-up Lot 4: Mash Monster Level 4 certification grippers and 1 back-up Lot 5: Mash Monster Level 5 certification grippers and 1 back-up Lot 6: Mash Monster Level 6 certification grippers and 1 back-up Lot 7: Mash Monster Level 7 certification gripper Lot 8: Mash Monster Level 8 certification gripper Lot 9: Mash Monster Level 9 certification grippers and 1 back-up Lot 10: Mash Monster Level 10 certification gripper Bonus Lot 11: One back-up each for Mash Monster Levels 1, 2 and 3. Not Truly an Auction Many have asked if they will be able to see the best offers so they know what to bid. However, bid is the wrong word. The offers will not be made public and there will be no feedback provided for submitted offers. We are simply motivated to sell the items to interested collectors. We are not looking to leverage buyers against each other in an auction environment. Simply submit your best offers and we will consider them and work with the ones we enjoy, which may give consideration to a number of factors. Condition of the Grippers In all cases, the springs are in great condition. The certification grippers for Levels 1-3 have been shipped, used, and cleaned enough that the springs have a lighter appearance as compared to other levels. Otherwise the grippers are "as removed from service". The handles on many grippers, including the back-ups, bear the marks of existing for 20 years and may have some chalk residue from certifications. A gallery of photographs for each gripper is forthcoming. How to Make an Offer The offer period does not start until January 22nd but here is the offer structure. Beginning January 22nd, offers will be submitted to thegripboard@gmail.com. All offers should be in USD. In addition to your offer we will require contact information including full name, address and phone number. Please only submit offers you are ready to close. If you need to talk to a spouse, see more pictures, or ask questions; do that before placing an offer. Accepted offers will be required to sign an "as is" bill of sale. You may submit multiple offers. For example, you may offer $X for Lot 1, $XX for Lots 1-3, or $XXX for everything. Include any preferences about what you would like the most. We will not break up the individual lots so please only make offers for any combination of Lots 1 through 11. Offers must be actual figures chosen by you and not "would go up to" amounts or offers such as "the highest bid plus $5". You must offer a set dollar amount figure. We strongly encourage you to put your best foot forward. No direct feedback on offers will be provided as this is not truly an auction. We simply want to work with real offers from real people who would like these collector items. For those who have asked, we estimate the minimum value of back-ups at $300 and certification grippers at $500. You can increase previously submitted offers at any time by emailing the new information. The accepted offer(s) will be closed in a private sale with the owner, Bill Piche. Paypal will be the payment processor only. Proceeds do not benefit The GripBoard or Cannon PowerWorks. For International buyers, the HS Tariff Code 9705.10.00 will be used to designate the items as collector's pieces. Theoretically this designation is free from general rates of duty. However, we make no representations about what duty fees, customs charges, or import taxes may be charged. Any such charges are the sole responsibility of the buyer and not included in the purchase price. The declared value will match the purchase price. As always, contact Matt with any questions at thegripboard@gmail.com. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> What is happening? The time is approaching for the once-in-a-lifetime sale of the original Mash Monster Grippers. These pieces of grip history would be the crowning jewel of any grip collection. This may be your chance to own some--or all--of the grippers. The Mash Monster certification began in 2003 and ran through 2023. The grippers were custom made by the Godfather of Grip himself, Warren Tetting at his shop in St. Paul, Minnesota. There are 10 levels and 128 athletes throughout those levels. For all levels, every single certification was completed on the exact same gripper which was shipped all over the world for 20 years. No other grippers have this depth of legacy and legend. These are the actual grippers which will be auctioned. How will the auction work? Once the sale starts, offers will be accepted for 7 days. Members of the community will be able to submit offers for consideration during those 7 days. Offers can be submitted for any combination of lots. For example, you could make an offer for all lots at once, or for lots 1-3, or lots 4/6/10, whatever you want to acquire. Once the sale has closed, the entirety of all offers will be reviewed at once. Consideration will be given to a number of factors including: the strength of the offer, whether the offer includes multiple lots, and the likelihood the offer will close. Possible responses include acceptance, counteroffer, or decline. We encourage buyers to swing for the fence if they want to grab a piece of history. What are the lots? The grippers will be divided into 11 lots and posted for viewing at Cannon PowerWorks and The GripBoard. Each lot will represent one level of grippers, including any back-up grippers. During 20 years of the Mash Monster certification, none of the main grippers were ever lost or damaged. Therefore, the main grippers show corresponding wear and the back-ups are effectively new grippers. The lots breakdown as follows: Lot 1: Mash Monster Level 1 certification grippers and 1 back-up Lot 2: Mash Monster Level 2 certification grippers and 1 back-up Lot 3: Mash Monster Level 3 certification grippers and 1 back-up Lot 4: Mash Monster Level 4 certification grippers and 1 back-up Lot 5: Mash Monster Level 5 certification grippers and 1 back-up Lot 6: Mash Monster Level 6 certification grippers and 1 back-up Lot 7: Mash Monster Level 7 certification gripper Lot 8: Mash Monster Level 8 certification gripper Lot 9: Mash Monster Level 9 certification grippers and 1 back-up Lot 10: Mash Monster Level 10 certification gripper Bonus Lot 11: One back-up each for Mash Monster Levels 1, 2 and 3. (Lot structure updated 1/18/24) In total, all levels comprise a staggering collection of 20 grippers. Considering Mash Monster replica grippers have routinely sold for hundreds of dollars, this truly is a treasure trove of grippers on another level. Each lot will come with a certificate of authenticity, pouches for the grippers and buyers may have the grippers rated at their discretion. Although they may wish to preserve the mystique of unknown ratings. When is the sale? The sale will start January 22, 2024 and run through Noon on January 28, 2024. This page will be updated with further information. DO NOT MISS THIS HISTORIC SALE. Please contact Matt Cannon at TheGripboard@gmail.com with any questions.
    19 points
  38. There is no way in hell I believe Cannon is acting in cahoots to hoodwink the Grip population. That is just plain stupid.
    19 points
  39. My opinion, everyone needs to shut the fnck up and put that energy into training and making the most of your life. There will always be someone bigger, faster, and/or stronger than you. Learn to cope in other ways than whining and making excuses like school children. You either have the ability or you don't.
    19 points
  40. Finally decided to try training CCS full force since I certed on the #3. Now it's just hoping I can get the #3.5 cert before the psoriatic arthritis claims my hands
    18 points
  41. And probably the final update from me, we have decided to ban his GripBoard member account. The motive to announce this is so members know there is no reason to tag him or try and rouse him for future replies or explanations. His confirmed actions to defraud and exploit the grip community are inexcusable. Especially in the absence of any apology or acknowledgement of accountability in the matter.
    18 points
  42. Don't ask me how. I will never tell. I estimate it to be 170 RGC or so. My right hand is not 100%, and I didn't want to push it. I'm working on what appears to be a viable way to get it back and sealed in the package. Also, @Cannon is the only one who will ever know what I have done to the gripper. He's aware. I don't want people accusing me of stuff. I'm doing this for my own understanding and to hopefully safeguard against dishonesty in the future.
    18 points
  43. Guys, another dream that came to reality, I hope you enjoy this video as much as we enjoyed this chat with @Cannon Don't forget to subscribe to my youtube channel and leave a comment in the YouTube video!
    18 points
  44. When I saw the event lineup for the Stronghold Grip Competition promoted by Ronni Bossie, I thought: Wow, those are good events for me. I could probably win my weight class in those events. The events were 20 mm grippers, 2-inch Saxon bar, 2-inch one-hand Napalm's nightmare, Inch Pinch, and medley. Grippers are my best event, and pinch second. And if we are talking thick bar, 2-inch is better for me than thicker. So it would be hard to find a better lineup of events to favor me than this. It made me want to go, despite it being in Fort Fairfield, Maine. Where? Right, I had never heard of it either. Because it is far away from the rest of the country. Like, at the very tip top of Maine, unless you are from there, in which case you will boast that Maine goes on for yet another few miles north from there. But to a NYC dude who just drove 14 hours practically to the tip top of the country, the fact that there's an hour or so left is not really going to make me say oh, then you're not really too far north. Well, somehow I convinced Tim Butler and Anthony Clarino to sign up with me and make the trip. They hadn't trained for it, but they really, really waned to see a bear and a moose, and Ronni said those guys are all over the place up there in the wild. We booked an excellent cabin in Mars Hill, about a half hour from the comp, and we drove up Friday. I left home on Long Island around 10:00 a.m. and got Anthony in NYC around 11:00 and Tim in New Jersey around 12:30. We loaded up a bunch of stuff to bring for the medley and hit the road. But it was slow going; we had traffic and lousy weather a lot of the way, and did not get into the cabin until after midnight. Thankfully we did not have to be at the comp until 11. That worked out fine. Ronni was an excellent host. It was evident immediately: the venue was a real gymnasium, and he set it up with spectator seats and a stage (and he had spectators there watching us). He also had sponsors who included real swag in the goody bags that every competitor got: $10 gift cards to Subway and a local restaurant called Ferris, Cannon Power Works skull blocks for grippers (engraved with SH23!), some protein and snack stuff, a little candy, and a thank you note (for coming). And he had a nice tee shirt memorializing the comp. Classy all around! Ronni also had his wife and some friends keeping track of all the stats, and a few high school kids loading and changing the weights. He drove them hard and they delivered. We had 5 events to do starting between 12 and 1 pm, and we had dinner reservations at Ferris for 6pm, and had to empty out the gym between ending the comp and driving 15 minutes to the restaurant. Tall order, for a 15-competitor comp! But these kids managed, and we did make it to dinner just 2 minutes late. Anthony was easily in the 74kg weight class, I was easily in 83kg (at 181 pounds, about a kilogram to spare), and Tim -- after he took two pisses, removed his earring, and blew his nose, just made 93kg by about a gram (or less). There were a few guys bigger than Tim (Emmit Samon and one or two others), and a few smaller than Anthony (two teens). And some in the middle, and Kristi, a woman who was new to grip but not to lifting (she deadlifts over 300 easily). I wouldn't be able to name everyone, but 15 in all. OK, so the events. As always, I will try to pepper this review with comments of general interest where I can, but it is mostly my recap of my experience there, so please forgive the self-centered perspective. For reasons that will become apparent later in this writeup, you may understand why I'm especially amped up about this comp. -20 mm block set grippers: My 20mm PR was 165 and my goal was to PR at 170, although I had very little basis to predict whether it would work. I got my PR at Jedd's this year, when I closed his Tetting rated 165 with the 20mm block. I've also closed my COC 3.5 rated 165 for an MMS single a few times in my life, and doubled my COC 3.5 rated 159 a couple of times. I was stagnant for a while before this year but have been training grippers again for the last six or seven months, and I may be at about my best ever with crush. But, I had never closed a gripper rated more than 165, even MMS. So I asked Ronnie what grippers he had available for the comp, and he replied with a very comprehensive list. But what jumped out as me was that he had a COC 3.5 rated 165 and then a COC 3.5 rated 173, with nothing in between. A pretty big jump! Ronnie invited Tim Butler and me to fill in any gaps we perceived. But I actually don't own a gripper over 165 (I know, I need one, I'll get there). Tim has one though: a Tetting rated 170. I asked him to bring it, so at least that would give me something to shoot for as a PR. Still a bit of a jump, but I find Tettings easier than COCs, and I closed a Tetting rated 160 with a 30mm block in September. So I'd have a better shot at that than at the 3.5 rated even higher. Ronnie decided to do grippers in reverse order of each person's opener, so that lowest went first. A lot of the folks had no grip experience, so everyone else had opened with grippers rated below 100 when Anthony Clarino opened with 105. I heard a murmur or two; "Wow, look at this guy, he's doing more than 100 for his first attempt!" Of course Anthony was just opening low to get on the board and warm up, and got that easily, and then Tim opened with and easily got 130, inspiring a new wave of murmur. But grippers is my strength, and the one event at this comp I thought I had a good faith belief I might win. I opened with 159, figuring I'd get on the board with that, and maybe win with it because I had no idea if I'd do more. And I got it first try. So I decided for my second attempt, I would go right to the Tetting rated 170. Getting the 165 wouldn't do anything more for this comp than getting the 159, and wouldn't get me a new stat, since I've done that. Also, I am better with Tetting than COC. So even with the higher rating, I might have a better shot at it. Well -- I got it! I was surprised at how fast Ronni called it good, but I was pretty hyped at how good I felt. And boy do I love Tettings. If you had told me before the comp that I could have the 170 close but I'd have to zero the remaining events to have it, I'd have accepted that bargain. I was ecstatic. But I do sometimes surprise myself with my performance at comps. I just get extra amped. It worked. Of course for my third attempt I took a stab at the 3.5 rated 173; I got closer than I had any business expecting to, but missed it by enough that I knew I wouldn't get it on a fourth attempt and just took my 170. Tim ended with the second highest close of 150, and Anthony third at 130. NYC swept the quintessential grip event. -2-inch Saxon bar: I am better at 2-inch Saxon than 3-inch, but I've never done it in comp (I actually thought I had, but I cannot find any record of it in the GS top 100). I knew I had done over 200 in training years ago, and have been inching closer to 200 on the 3-inch. So I decided to open at 180. It was here that I began bugging the assistants who were keeping score: we were supposed to tell them after each attempt what our next attempt would be. But I kept strategizing and changing my mind. Tim opened at 180 also, and we both decided to go for 195 as a second attempt. We both got both of those, and I thought it felt really good. I asked Tim if we should both go for 210 next, but he suggested 205, and I decided to keep things simple and do the same. But Tim missed and I got it. So I jumped to 215 for my fourth. I felt really solid. I stopped at the top and whooped or grunted or something. I felt like I could stand there for a while and just hold it. But there were more events. I put it down and we moved on. I was now in first place in the first two events (Tim in second), and Anthony whispered to me, "You know, it might all ride on the Inch Pinch - you might win the comp." As an aside: there was a boy named Gage there, who at age 15 and 125 pounds was beating some of the men at every event. I just wanted to give him a shout out in this write up, because if he chooses to get involved in grip going forward, I think he will be a key player. He's very very strong for his size, and a decent kid. -2-inch one-hand Napalm Nightmare: When Anthony said it would all come down to pinch, he was referring to the fact that NOBODY puts Temmmmeeeeeeeeememeeememeeeem in the corner. It was beyond peradventure (my geeky way of saying that Anthony and I both knew) that Tim would win the thick bar event and the medley, which was strewn with blobs that have names like the Next Gen and the Fat Man, as well as the Inch dumbbell. Tim is even more a thick bar and blob man than I am gripper and pinch. So by winning the first two events, I was far from being the favorite: I had only potentially offset Tim's sure wins, but even to do that, I had to do my best to be second to Tim in the two events he would surely win, since he was second in the ones I won. If I could make a good showing in the events Tim won, the Inch Pinch would matter. Well, I tied for second: Tim pulled 225 on the handle, and Emmit and I each pulled 200. This was getting precarious! -Inch Pinch. Tim and I both opened on 60 and got it easily. But on 65, I got it and Tim missed. When he tried it (and got it) for his third, my third was 67.5. And Emmit snuck up to 70 for his third, taking the lead. Tim got 65 on his third and went to 67.5 for his fourth, to tie with me. I decided to take my final attempt at 70, figuring that 67.5 was hard enough and the Inch gets harder fast. If Emmit could make his fourth attempt, he could have this event. I'd be very, very pleased with hitting 70. And wow was this a good choice. I think this was the most precarious lift I ever made. The thing felt like it might drop the whole (excruciatingly slow) trip up to a mere kiss of the cross bar, and I put it own fast. JUST made 70. Emmit, for his part, made 72.5 and looked like if it hadn't been his final attempt, he might have gotten a little more. Emmit first, me second, Tim third. -Medley. As noted above, half the medley was stuff Tim brought. A/k/a stuff Tim can lift. Half-hundred blob things, the Inch dumbbell, and assorted other stuff Tim does. All 15 of us went through the 20-ish items doing what we could. I won't try to list every item, but in the end, before Tim went, I was in the lead; I didn't even try the Inch, and I got more blobs than anyone else but not all of them, and I missed a couple other items no one else had gotten either. And then Tim went through the entire medley, lifting every single thing easily, as if to say: "VIN: congrats on winning the comp! But I'm still stronger." And that is exactly what happened. At a comp where the events were skewed exactly to my strength, and at which I put forth my best performance (other than that I could have gone a little higher on Saxon bar, but that wouldn't have changed the placing), I just edged out Tim on a lackluster day for him doing events that were not all his faves. I'll take it. It is not likely to happen again. I know I am reasonably strong for my size and age, but not elite like Tim. This was something to remember! Many thanks to Tim, who is a close friend and threw me no shade for the upset. Many thanks to Anthony, for completing our NYC "three gripsketeers" crew. Many thanks to Ronni Bossi and his many minions, for throwing such an awesome comp. At the end of the comp, standing by the trunk of my car, I sold Ronni my arm wrestling table and some grip equipment, and it covered my trip cost, which was helpful. Then when Ronni asked me whether I wanted to sell my crusher, I said no. I turned to 15-year-old Gage, who had so impressed everyone at the comp and was helping us clear out the gym, and I gave it to him. I chanted, "Go forth, young padawan!" No, I did not say that. No, I think I just said here, you can have this. Or something more mundane, but basically, I wanted him to get a taste of the general positive vibe that I see all around in grip. After the comp, most of us went out to a barbecue place, where we got to use our $10 gift cards from the goody bag. The food was really good, and the conversation better. This weekend I got to experience what some of the big grip guys get to experience when they win a comp, and it was fun. It was motivating. Maybe once in a while something like this can happen again, but it's fine if not. It was a great weekend and I will remember it. Also on the way home we saw a bear and a moose. They were fake, but at least we got what we asked for. Cheers!
    18 points
  45. This month's profile features JALAND WORLEY: Newbie or old-timer? You'd think that a guy who certified on the COC 3 last year and sets world records on hotly contested implements would be someone who's been around the grip Block for a while (see what I did there?) -- but Jaland is actually a newbie, chronologically, having just become interested in grip in the middle of last year. I had the honor of meeting him in Colorado, at the Rolling Hills Grip Challenge this past March. We had been communicating a little before that, as I was watching his meteoric gripper climb: Jaland certed the COC 3 less than a year ago, just months after deciding he was interested in grip. He thereafter climbed the mash monster ladder to something like level 7, and undoubtedly would have kept going if the ladder had not been yanked from under us (just kidding, @Cannon). I am sure there are other certs to fall soon though. For example, in Colorado, I offered Jaland my light COC 3.5 to attempt a TNS close. He dang near almost got it. By now, he probably would get it. The credit card set of a harder gripper and thus the 3.5 cert cannot be far off. Also in Colorado, I set some sort of 80kg arm lifting weight class record on the IM hub (it was dual sanctioned; I didn't get the grip sport international weight class record, I think I was second on that leaderboard). Guess who was the only one at the comp to beat me on that event? Jaland (and he won the comp, as well). At least he's not in my weight class, and I can keep my crumb until it's contested again! Jaland is a fierce competitor, and yet a decent guy to compete and hang out with. Good combination, and I hope to see him at future comps. Without further ado, here is what Jaland had to say (his preface, then the standard questions and his answers): <<I recently did an interview on The Grip Show with Zach Mullins, and I touched on many of these topics, so I am going to attack them from different angles. I don't want to repeat what I have already taken the time to say. 1. What are your stats? GripBoard name: dubyagrip Age: 37 Height: 6'0 Weight: 257lbs (I am on a serious cut, down from 275lbs.) Dominant hand, and hand size: I'm right handed, but I train both hands differently for the various one-handed lifts. My hands are 8.5" in length and span 10.25". Country/City: Mead, Colorado Relationship Status: N/A Children: Two Boys Occupation: I lead and manage a technology operations team for a popular health and wellness retailer/website. 2. Why did you start training grip (and how long is it now)? September 2022 was when I decided I should actually figure out how to close the #3 when I had found it and the other grippers I had purchased back in like 2010. I would squeeze them occasionally over the years, but I never did any structured training. I didn't even know what the different sets were. I did everything with a poor TNS technique. I trained hard after educating myself and the #3 fell on November 15th, which is my birthday. 3. What are you most proud of accomplishing in grip already, and what is/are your grip goal/goals? I am proud of how quickly I am picking up the sport and entering rare territory on my lifts and gripper closes, and I am also happy that I can help people who want to get stronger but don't know how to get started. My life is kind of a mess right now, but grip is something I can use as an anchor to what I know my potential and capabilites as a human are. If I narrow it down to a specific thing, I think I am most proud of how I turned pinch grip into my strongest asset after being embarrassingly weak to start. My first session with the IM block was 50lbs or so back in March, and I put up 121lbs on it at King Kong 2023 (*VIN's editorial note: since Jaland managed to do this without using sticky stuff, hand misplacement, or bracing, it is actually the new WORLD RECORD!*). I will put that same focus into training my wrists and fingers for thickbar and rolling handles now. My goals for the rest of the year are to try and cert the 3.5 and GHP9, but my gripper hand isn't really healthy, so there may be a delay. Next year, I will solely target the #4 since Mash Monster isn't a thing anymore. I would also like to break some more records, win a larger competition, and lift some more of the biggest blobs next year. 4. How do you currently structure your overall training/how do you incorporate your grip training? I train all aspects of grip every 5-7 days. I don't do rolling handles with my gripper hand, and vice versa. The staples of my training are grippers, saxon bar (2" and 3"), 2-3/8" Axle, and 2" Vbar. I will add in other implements as competitions or feats call for them. I train the rest of my body on non-grip days, protecting my hands so they can recover. My workouts are short and intense. I rarely exceed 20 minutes a day. I do not live in the gym. 5. What hobbies (other than grip/bending/lifting) do you enjoy? I like hiking in the backcountry out here in Colorado. Photography is something I have enjoyed since I was young, as well as writing and playing music. I'm always looking for ways to be creative. I'm working on getting better at chess. I will go back to jiujitsu someday, and I have plans to train judo. My kids are starting sports, so I am teaching them how to train, practice, and become killers. I play video games with and without my kids. I read a lot. Life is hard, so I make a point to escape from reality as often as I can once I'm sure I have done my duty to provide and maintain order for my family. 6. Do you have a personal anecdote, topic or thoughts you'd like to include in your profile? I think as a man heavily involved in strength training and sports, it would be easy to let it define me and become the stereotypical, "bro," but I have never been down with being one-dimensional. We can be more than one thing. There's so much to do and learn in the world, and I think it is a shame to limit oneself, unless that person has found and is at peace with where they are. Grip is cool, but if you sat down to talk to me outside of a competition or sports setting, you'd be way more interested in everything else I'm doing. 7. Whose Grip profile would you like to see next? Zach Ebel>>
    18 points
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