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bells used are Tanner Merkle’s inch replica and Eric Milfeld’s replica

Working with grippers on max reps Coc 3.5 20mm block x 16 Coc 3 20mm block x 34 Coc 2.5 20mm block x 52 Coc 1 20mm block x 102 Coc 2.5 no set x 21 left

Yes to the above. Bill the key will be persistent attempts. Unfortunately there’s no X lb on X rolling handle that = an inch lift. There’s no X row or dl that will translate. What will work is negative lifts / assisted lifts frequently and good wrist/thumb/finger training as you are familiar. I’m chasing a very heavy challenge bell and assisted lifts are my primary method to bridge the gap.

13.10.19 team practice with Eric Milfeld Tanner Merkle & Robert Nejedly. Thumbless inch lift 1/1-4 double thumbless inch 1-4 + Farmers attempts got 3 steps plate curl 45 lb Cap plate 1-3 60% rom. Crusher 192-1, 197-1, 202-1 flask 91-1, 96-1, 101-1 shallow hub 51-1, 56-1, 61-1, 66-1 lbh 197-1, 207-1, 217-1, 227-1 not high volume but very high effort attempts today screwing around in the yard.

I would almost say don't listen to the guys who lifted it easily, listen to the guys who trained forever making mjjure progress and finally got it. Most people are going to be in the latter category.

alright, I'm just too lazy to log the workouts I haven't logged so to sum those up = I'm getting stronger fast and feel like my old self more and more each day. Here is what I did today: Standing Overhead Barbell Shoulder Press - Week 1 2 warm up sets 145 lbs - 8x 160 lbs - 6x 175 lbs - 4x 185 lbs - 3x 200 lbs - 2x 205 lbs - 1x 165 lbs - 15x. Dam cardio AMRAP set. especially hard with this exercise since its hard to breathe. - Started a new overheard press program. Hopefully I can hit 245-250 at the end. Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press 60 lb DBs - 8x 70 lb DBs - 8x 80 lb DBs - 8x 90 lb Dbs - 7x. First time doing DB presses since the surgery. I trust my hand now to handle them. Machine Rear Lateral Flys 120 lbs - 10x 130 lbs - 10x 140 lbs - 10x 150 lbs - 10x Machine Lateral Raises 90 lbs - 10x 110 lbs - 10x 130 lbs - 10x 150 lbs - 10x Extensor Work IM Red Band - 5 sets of 50x each hand

Here's a pic of a Super RARE Victor Master Hand Gripper (right, w/3 springs) from the 1920's! I recently purchased this hand gripper from Dennis Rogers from a collection he had bought. NOTE: I have searched for over 20 years for one of these hand grippers! The ad behind the gripper is from a 1926 Strength magazine. Take a good look because you may possibly never see another one! ENJOY!!!

Made 83kg Saturday morning with a bit of water manipulation, and king kong training is going well. I'll be in bad shape when I start bending again, but oh well. Flask and shallow hub keep going up, crusher and anvil trainer are stuck I think, I'd be happy with 125 and maybe 145 on those. Would love to hit 88 flask and 50 shallow hub, might happen. 2 more training sessions to go, and who knows what I can actually do it the contest.

Haha no don't take that as me saying your information is bad. Just that it's easier to compare yourself to people like yourself, you have done a lot of feats way faster than the average grip guy and it's probably not realistic for others to expect that type of fast progress. Totally agree on all your progressive steps tho, whether that makes one an inch lifter or not its still going to get you a huge improvement in thick bar strength.

Your use of past tense bothers me Bill - have you given up on achieving this feat? You're still breathing and so long as you keep doing that why throw the towel in? A number of very determined posters have finally managed to achieve the feat over the years. Some have even taken a break for extended periods before resuming battle. If they got there then one day so will I - and I reckon you could as well. You just need to get quite obsessed !!!!

A few years back, I encouraged Bob Sundin to write an article for MILO on how he conquered the Inch. The timing was not right for him, and MILO is now defunct. I would be willing to pay money to read a small book, pamphlet or decent article if he would do it, and quite frankly, most of the people interested in lifting the Inch should be as well. Bob is not a big guy, does not have big hands, and is on the back side of Middle Age. He approached the feat with dedication and patience, and eventually made his goal. As far as I am concerned, I would look to him for advice before any of the monster Inch Lifters, as most of them have none of the strikes against them that Bob in theory has. edit: Adam, you made your post as I was typing mine. Didn’t mean to discount your good advice.

Actually, my wife told me to train outside today... Kinda shocked about that... My neighbor cut a huge tree down, so this bad boy was laying around, looking for a home. Don't know how much it weighs 225 lb sandbag... One day, want to press it overhead... One day Getting leaner around 265 lbs these days & my lower back is feeling better & stronger

You are going to get over 90 years old, there's still time!

Probably during the time I was trying to lift it. I forgot though. Getting old! LOL! Probably the reason I failed too. 😁

Squat 75x2x5 105x5 135x3 175x3 205x1 235x3 PR!!! That was a an all-time best by 17 pounds. Happy with my depth and form. No weird niggles, except for a left shoulder pain from deciding to throw jabs at myself in the mirror after watching too much Butterbean. Yes, 51 going on 12. 😆

I bent 102 red nails today! My hands and body are destroyed! I will do a detailed write up when I am feeling better. Here are some photos. Don Cummings

Saturday, November 16th, 2019 Larkin's Gym Three Rivers, Michigan Start Time: 11AM, rules at 10:30AM. Entry Fee: Jerri has the T-shirts designed. Please let Jerri know your size or I can relay. $25 donation to help cover T-shirts, food, bending gear. byob Food, get-together, after contest lifts, visit after. Events: SB Gripper Hold. (3 levels: #2, #3, old Tetting GE/T9. Don's challenge gripper was an old heavy gripper, made by Warren Tetting bought from Peary Rader/Ironman Magazine. 1/2 of old 100 lb. square DB hold. (3 levels: base, +25 lb. york, +50 lb. york) This is an old Don Larkin lift from 1970-1975. Don cut the DB in half and pinch lifted one in each hand with weight added. (3 5/8"wide) DO Bending: Don's bending was at another level. Don Cummings is running the bending. Ironmind pads. 3 min. per attempt. All bars 6" or 7". If there is a tie, fastest time wins. There may be more after Contest. Euro Thin 1HP, last man standing, using just the outside Euro plates from Don's friend David Horne. Similar to Don's thin disk challenge lift, except a bit under 1/2" and base weight will be under 40 lbs. not 52 1/2 lbs. Reverse Strongman Scoring following the grip portion: Don Larkin Memorial Deadlift Contest. Don's deadlifts were also at another level. powerlifting rules Open to all / Loved ones and friends of Don and Jerri please stop by. There will be food etc. after.

Here is my beginning to TNS the COC 3.5 base line starts here

I have been thinking about how to tell this story for years, and always end up putting it on the back-burner, due to its complexity and not wanting to face reality, that this journey is near-complete, and with it, the end of a huge chapter of my life. Getting into the final year, the time is now, I guess. Onward ... After my Red Nail certification in August, 2010, I was trying to think of something unique, in that I could do long-term, that no one else had ever done. From the beginning, when I started bending steel, I wanted to become one of the best all-around benders in the world and sustain this over (at the time) at least 5 years (which of course, turned out to be 10+ years). After my Red cert, I decided to undertake a personal challenge: to bend an Ironmind Red Nail, under official cert. conditions, every 7-10 days, for as long as I could sustain it. I do not have my old log from Benders Battlefield in its entirely, but kept notes from the first few years. Years 1-3 were typically done once per-week. I did a bunch of other bends (cut-Reds for certs etc.) that I did not include as part of this challenge in the overall count. Also, there were a lot of days that I bent 2-3 Reds in the same session. These were not included; just the Red bend for that week. The first few years were easy, in retrospect, especially as I compare those years to the past few years' attempts. During those first few years, Reds were usually the easiest of 2-3 "challenge bars" I would do during weekly sessions. It wasn't until I hit 40 years old around 2014 that things started to hurt more and these weekly/bi-weekly sessions became much more challenging. There were several instances where I thought about stopping, but kept going. When I hit 5 years, I told myself that I would keep doing this as long as I was physically able, and set my sights on 10 years. I have told a few people over the years about the 10 year Red challenge, but never officially posted or wrote about it in detail until now. As I type this, I am at 9 years of bending a Ironmind Red Nail every 1-2 weeks, nonstop. This was through a lot of challenges, aside from the obvious. A few of the major things I encountered that almost derailed things were: Birth of my first son, where I stayed in the hospital for multiple days, with little sleep and no one really making it easy to bend in the hospital (had to hide everything). When I made the actual attempt, it was on a few hours of sleep, just a few seconds before the nurse came into the room. She definitely would not have been happy if she walked in when I was bending the Red at this time. PRK eye surgery - I planned my bends around my surgery date, to give myself about 12 days after the surgery to bend the Red. Kidney stone surgery (invasive) - This one was tough. They told me I could resume light training after 4-5 days, and then "normal" activities after 10 days. I just figured bending was not "normal" so didn't bother even trying to explain to the doctor. Multiple injuries - After turning 40, things started to break down a lot more frequently. I haven't really changed too much in training, but aches and pains have been nonstop for the past 5 years; especially the past 1-2 years. KTA/RRBT - I did both of these programs multiple times and had great As gains with grippers. My hands were destroyed for the better part of a year, which really made bending tough, but did not stop it. As I worked through week-after-week, and month-after-month of bends, I began thinking about the gravity of this endeavor; mainly, that if I would stop, it would be over for good. It took me over a year of dedicated training to cert. the Red back when I was in my mid-30s, in much better shape and condition. After 40, I was fully aware of some of my newfound limitations, and the reality, if I would stop bending Reds, it would likely be over for good. And I wasn't willing to give this up just yet. Bending, and by extension the Red Nail, were so intertwined into my personality, identity, and weekly routine, that I have been fighting to keep this going as long as possible. At 9 years, the end is in sight. And that is partly why I am writing this now. This is probably a little too much rambling, and I might go back and fine-tune it a little later on, but I know the last year is going to be a challenge and I am hoping to use the board as a platform for accountability, and more importantly, motivation. As such, I will post updates here in this thread over the next year, and hopefully, wrap it up after 10 years of continuous, bi-weekly Red Nail bends. In the picture below are most of the Reds during this streak. I counted 292 Red Nails. As mentioned above, this does not include all of the nails, including some of the shorter (5.5") Reds and the official cert. nail, which are in the "big bend" box. It kinda makes me sad typing this up, as I know that this cannot go on forever. It;s been such a huge part of my life for so long, that I cannot remember when I wasn't bending. And wasn't waiting for the weekly/bi-weekly Red Nail bend to keep it going.

Thanks, Darrin! Just trying to keep up with your exploits!

October 13, 2019 Before Supper Week 2. Laziness and bad diet today gave me crap performance. CS Activation Bench Press 30s/2:30 wu to 126k x 4/4/4/4/4/3-1r Bench Press w/SS 30s/3:30 126/141/151r x 3r 156k x 2-1r Seated DB Curl 40e x 3 x 11r DB Skullcrushers 40e x 3 x 11r CS Recovery

Then I guess my input is invalid because it didn’t take me long to lift it? As with all things you want it achieve in training.... the whole point is specificity, and to use the tools that as closely mimic the action and feel of the inch. Wrist wrench is tops on loading pin devices, thick handled dumbbells with the plates ratcheted so they don’t spin of the same diameter as the inch are the top pick for specificity. The crusher is good, but the action is quite different. It’s similar and a good tool if you have no other option, but nothing can top the wrist wrenches action and dumbbell for full range movement that mimics the globe bells that have non rotating plates as far as duplicating an inch lift.

For those that cant lift it easily in a short period of time with regular training, I would say, yes , I would say specificity is the key. I would also say that for loading pin devices, wrist wrench is a much closer action and feel to an inch over any rolling handle any day of the week. Lift 100 or more on the WW and you will be at or close to an inch lift.

Awesome job Eric. Hitting PRs all the time. Very cool.

One of the best ways is to put a finger on the globe to stop the initial rotation with as little force as possible to lift it. Perfonr many reps that way, or if it is too heavy for one to manage that way, lift with 2 hands and let go with one and hold for as long as you can and slowly lower. Also, adding resistance bands on a rack looped Under the bell can help many, just decrease the resistance as you get stronger. Another way is using a loadable dumbbell handle and do one arm deadlifts and rows with as much weight as you can as close to or beyond the actual inch weight. This will condition your hand to get used to the diameter and the weight and the real inch will eventually be in your reach. The key is to train for specificity. As close to the conditions of th feat you are attempting.

R.I.P. Warren. Very sad news 😢

I'm behind in the log again. I plan on updating with highlights from the workouts I didn't log tomorrow but today I took another step further with grippers and got an easy TNS close with my GHP 7 (147 RGC). The strength is coming back fast. I really didn't expect this. This wasn't even my gripper day but I was at a training session so I gave it shot. Really happy with the progress. The great thing is that I still haven't started to train hard yet. Still holding back.

WD-40 is still an anti-corrosion agent, not a lubricant and dries quickly, and oils for weapons or sewing machines do not flow well into the gap between the axis of the crusher and its “body”. I mixed them in a ratio of 1 to 1 (or 2 wd to 1 oil), the resulting mixture flowed well around the axis and began to flow from the other side. A few days later wd evaporated and only oil remained in the working gap ...

The Terminator franchise includes many books, comics, and films / TV shows. In which, in the aggregate, the technical features of all robots from this "universe" are described quite extensively (although sometimes contradictory). in these sources it is mentioned that T-800 engines developed a force of 200 kg per square cm ... If you don’t bother too much with calculating the area of the gripper handles under the fingers during closing (and some other moments) given their circular cross section and circular cross section of falanges, using the testimony of various dynamometers and calibrations of gripper, we can take, to a first approximation, that the average force of a person’s finger when closing CoC-4 is about 40 kg per square cm .. Although the actual effort of the fingers is very different, the index finger and the middle will give up to 80 percent of the total result ...

I approve this message. Great progress, Adam! If you’ve never trained with Adam don’t get the erroneous idea it’s all burgers and beer. He’s one of the most focused individuals you’ll ever meet. No freakish gifts of genetics, just consistent hard work for the long haul. Determination trumps all.

Larkin's Gym Ugly Man through the years...

Who’s gonna out eat us......

Congrats to Thom Fingalsson from Sweden for his entry into the GHP Gripper Challenge. https://youtu.be/OP4hW7_F9Mo Thom becomes only the second man from Sweden to enter the challenge and moves up to top spot for Swedish men! Checkout full results of the GHP Gripper Challenge at http://www.gillinghamhp.com/challenge

TNS close of COC #3 162ish No set attempt at a hard 3.5

Wow, how did you manage to get those 3.5 handles on the spring of a Guide? Truly a great magician, good work Joe.

That’s a brutal job!I remember that sort of work from my teens and twenties. Back perpetually sore. Hands blistered. But I never skipped a workout.

i train SB it’s part of my sport. That’s the only use I have for a gripper now. They do not improve the important lifts results but will drag the numbers down.

17.8.19 Bonehill Grip Contest at Hotel Salpa, Finland. Bw 95 kg, lifted in 105 kg class WOG Gold bar lift 31.8 kg - 3rd Place Double Overhand IM Axle 185 kg - 1st Place Finnish Ball 38.85 kg - 1st Place FBBC 2.5” crusher 91 kg - 3rd Place 3rd Place / 47 overall, best male lifter Team USA, 1st Place 105kg 8.18.19– up 26 hours traveling with a 11 & 2.5 hour flights 8.19.19 feeling the travel. Short lift more for psychological benefit than w/o Bearclaw rolling hand (Bad MF) 144 -3/3, 169 -3/3-3, 174-3/3-2, 179-1/1-2, 174-3/3/3 Doh Axle 215-1, 305-1, 395-1-3, 405-1, 400-1, 395-1, 355-1-2, 365-1, 375-1-2, 395-1-2 no name thing 56-3/3-2, 61-3/3, 66-3/2, 56-3/3/-2 im block 55 lb 7/7-5/5-3-3 im hub 40 3/3-5 clicker thing 5 sets cooking dinner each hand finished day with push ups, sit ups, deck squats for 20 minutes

Yes! The only way I’m missing this is if I have to attend a funeral. My own funeral

Programming the double overhand axle lift 27-7-19 To set the tone - my best ever axle lift is 463-1 @225 lb witnesses by Matt Brouse, Mike T Nelson, and Jacob Eggleton lifted in Minneapolis at studio in 2012. My best in competition that year 433 lb at Decathlon III. My best this year 2019 is 455 lb @210 lb and 428lb in Competition. Score boards & records show I haven’t missed a 405+ lift in competition since Feb 2011. Let’s get this straight too - I don’t have big hands (7”&7/8”) and I’m 6’2” so it’s not like I’m the most natural build for this. I absolutely love this lift. I believe it’s the most important single lift you can do build a truly strong hand & body. The only lift that is a contender over the DohA is the Saxon lift to lock out. While many of my peers are stalled or even regress in their axle mine moves up month after month. For those who read this log I will tell you now how to see continous progress week in and week out. My programming is centered on 3 primary variations of the lift. Conventional or sumo stance? double overhand or thumbless double overhand? Loaded on 45s or 25s? Continously changing these three simple factors keeps your numbers climbing. Period. I am tracking a number of “max lifts” - what is best Doh sumo on 45s? What about sumo thumbless? What about conventional on 25s? Do you understand? I pull 3-5 days a week. Every training day features this bar in my hands with very few exceptions. I most typically use singles walking ups in small jumps. My sport uses the last man standing format with allows multiple attempts as the weight increases. It’s critical to build deep strength that can be called upon for many lifts at the meet. It’s not uncommon for me to do 7-12 attempts in an event walking up to my max. I lift most volume in the 80-92% range for singles. There’s many good reasons to use the axle for other than deadlift motions. I row, curl, press, clean, & snatch with my fatbar. If you want a bigger pull you must pull. Grip strength is a connective tissue sport. It is a slower transformation but once you get it- very permanent change to the body. Make no mistake- there’s no such thing as a strong man with a weak grip. There’s no such thing as a strong grip but a weak axle lift. Don’t kid yourself- pick up that bar if you want to see how strong you can get. And to the “I can’t deadlift because of my back” crowd, and your back will never be better if you don’t reclaim your triple flexion/triple extension. Your weak back could be fixed if you will get humble and be smart. Some of you are simply too proud or too stupid- I hope this helps you get over your dumbness. I will be the first 100 kg lifter to pull 500 doh. You see it written now you will see it happen soon. This is how I will accomplish it. ATG

I have tutorials on thegripauthority.com of Jug and Little Big Horn. PM me, @JHenze646. I'll hook you up.

Check out Lucas Raymond He won reddits vbar competition with 40lbs over nr 2!

21.6.19 the most useful overall grip tools? The question comes up all the time. Everyone’s answer is equally useful data. When I first began serious training of my hands it was in support of steel bending and some tearing / breaking interests. What got my attention was seeing the contest demonstrating how incredibly strong the “grip guys” were compared to the benders. In 2009 I began training for grip contests. My 2009 training was centered on double overhand axle, 2” vertical bar, single hand pinching blobs and plates, and torsion spring grippers. During this year I could close a 2.5 very easily but not a 3. My 2009 numbers would be like 380 doh A, 195-200 RT, 305 vertical bar, 2.5 COC (138-143 lb range a guess) I wasn’t training 2 hand pinch so I would only predict 165-175 range. For three years my focus was inch lifts, 2 hand euro pinch, griptopz heads, Vulcan gripper, 2” v bar, axle. Various lifts came and gone in vogue through the seasons but those never left rotation. I set my whole training season around World Strongest Hands series and the decathlon events. 2012 was my year when I felt the snow ball star the avalanche. Through the year my accumulated bests were 463 Doh axle (training) 433 Meet, 262 2HP (training) 255 meet, 350 2” vbar (training) 340 meet, 191 SE (training) 185 SE meet. I accomplished the 2nd highest 3 lift total in North America behind Andrew. I have literally a hundred different grip handles/tools but I only am using about 6 of them. 2013 very strong season. Mighty Mitts, WSH, International push pull. Incredibly diverse tool set- almost all training done with Inch, blob, Anvil, Axle and europinch. 2014-2018 I moved across the country. Changed jobs, changed everything. For 4 years I focused on figuring out gymnastics and Calisthenics. For these 4 years I used only 4 grip tools- 2” v bar, my 2”x4” Saxon bar, Rolling Thunder, and Fatgripz. In 2014 I achieved my leanest lowest adult weight of 181 lb@5% body fat. At such a lower weight than my contest weight of 215 I felt strong in a handstand and weak in a shoulder press. 2018 to present - training grip 3-4 days a week. My gym bag has only 6 things in it. I’m at a new level of overall strength to 5 years ago. 445 doh training 423 contest, 289 two hand pinch contest, 231 rolling thunder contest 231 anvil contest all at a lighter/leaner body weight than 2012. Progress has many colors of expression not just black and white The lesson learned over 10 years is this - overhand Axle - 2 hand pinch - 1 hand fat bell with something that creates rotation- some vertical bar - plate curls These are the top 5 for grip. I don’t think you need more than fatgripz and some kind of 2 hand pinch figured out the first 2 years to make phenomenal gains. There are probably 250 grip handles/devices/apparatus you can get right now but probably only 10 of them are truly useful and only 4-5 are truly necessary. Save your money buying gear you don’t need and instead invest in traveling to a meet with vets and learning what’s up. You’ll make more progress from attending one meet than buying 10 new toys

20.6.19 on the prevention, overcoming, and rising past injury. Exchanging messages this week a joking suggestion emerged- Half Penny, Stub, Shallow Hub- to a 1.5” cross bar- lifted while prone on the seal bench...a lot of people over coming injury. I probably keep in touch with 30 serious real adult athletes. Men who have a job, family, property, all levels of normal life but stay on track. On track with not just a fitness regime but also pursuing a high level in some sport. It’s not a money thing it’s something they love. Injury is the biggest killer of staying in the game. Fatigue and pain make us cowards. It becomes very easy to give up on goals when it’s no longer a straight forward march. To play the game longer you need to understand the cost. Tissue is laid along lines of stress, this provides mechanical advantage. Across bone, tendon, ligament, muscle we see increased rigidity. All motion of gen tissue system product of 1 mechanical properties of tissue & 2 contractile capability of NS+GTS. When one direction becomes excessively rigid there will be problems for all other motions. One side on a pully series is unable to overcome its antagonist direction. You have loss of elasticity. Reduced range of motion can be stated as loss of function. It can be simply viewed at joints of body. This particular joint has X number of motions and those motions posse X percentage of motion. It is not as personal trainers and coaches say necessary to maintain “full rom” but it is essential to maintain proportional amounts of rom for the specific build of your body. I am pointing at the relationships of rigidity across the body Many things cause pain immediately-cuts, impacts, burns, cold. This pain is a signal to move away or stop moving. Particular to motion- the long term pain is the signal to regain motion. A shoulder that hurts for 3 months is not just a signal to take it easy- it’s a signal to do differently and regain missing functionality. This is not Snuggie to wrap around every instance of pain. Cancers, nervous system dis function, genetic disorders- there are times when the conditions do not allow one to regain. On the particular topic of grip and pain. Observation over 10+ years of being a member here. Many people begin Grip training after successfully healing an older injury by including new grip lifts. Many people stop doing Grip training because they get an injury to arm. added new motions = regaining functionality staying in the same angles too long = loss of functionality There are many grip centered lifts and activities- but still generally they are a limited range of total motions. The arms have most degrees of joint articulation starting from shoulder to finger tip. This produces under use injury as one area of tissue is heavily developed while another under trained. The great news, this is social cause. This is a paradigm thing. You did that. You can fix it. When you say “Grip is X” you are also saying what it’s not. You’ll do what is and ignore what is not. Here is the short cut. Every time you move, event sport, every lift, every time a muscle fires- is all the same thing— motion. A chain of pulleys moving a bone from position A to B. This can understood by examining what joint motion is occurring and understanding what motions are paired oppositionally. If X still makes you hurt- don’t stop moving. Instead what has opposition relationship to the pattern you are hurting in. If you can’t do that- than do whatever you can that is pain free. Don’t break your schedule. It’s sadly easy to break the habit of training with the habit of not training. Expand your thinking. Now more interesting than the resolution of mechanical pain is what happens if you continue to do this, year after year. Strength sports are a battle of attrition. Everyone will get injured. If you do nothing you will get hurt worse. 45-55 years old is the prime of all the greats in strength. Not blown apart before 35 because they are too lazy to learn the game. All useful topics of training are testable. The only thing dumber than ignorance of expert advice is to blindly follow it. Question all things and you can discover the answers no one can tell you.

Qianchen is absolutely incredible. Here he close the GHP 9 MMS:

Eric - Thank You for the kind words! And I love my gym - it my version of a "Man Cave" - many decades in the making. My favorite Grip Contest is easy. It was one of John Beatty's Backyard Bastard Bashs- not sure which one. Anyway he had a Hercules Hold as one of the events and I won the event overall - the only time I have ever done so I think - at least beating the guys I did that day. John Beatty, Jedd, and big Chad Woodall among others - I remember going to the bathroom and walking back towards the events and Chads mom was on the phone talking to Chads Dad and she was telling him I had beat Chad in a Strongman event. It was my proudest moment in a Grip Comp. Wish I could pull it off again someday .

This is the Mash Monster certification sign-up thread. Please post your name and desired level. Your name will be added to the queue above and then your post will be deleted. Therefore this thread should generally be empty. Please do not post encouragements here. You can save them for the athlete's certification thread once opened.

Grip Companies IM = Ironmind (produces "Captains of Crush" grippers and other grip tools.) RB = Robert Baraban (produces his own line of grippers in Austria.) APT = APT Pro Wrist Straps (sells Heavy grips and Ivanko Super Grippers.) FHS = Functional Hand Strength WW = Weight Lifters Warehouse (sells grip tools made by Warren Tetting.) BB = Beef Builder (made by Warren Tetting.) FBBC = Fat Bastard Barbell Co. HG = Heavy Grips PDA = Peidmont Design Associates (No longer produces grippers, still has other grip tools.) Grippers #G = Ironmind Guide (rated @ 60lbs.) #S = Ironmind Sport (rated @ 80lbs.) #T = Ironmind Trainer (rated @ 100lbs.) #1 = Ironmind #1 (rated @ 140lbs. numbers 1-4 denotes strength level.) #2 = Ironmind #2 (rated @ 195lbs.) #3 = Ironmind #3 (rated @ 280lbs.) #4 = Ironmind #4 (rated @ 365lbs.) HG100 = Heavy Grips 100 (number denotes in/lbs measured at mid-handle) HG150 = Heavy Grips 150 HG200 = Heavy Grips 200 HG250 = Heavy Grips 250 HG300 = Heavy Grips 300 HG400 = Heavy Grips 400 (limited edition, numbered of 400) HG500 = Heavy Grips 500 (limited edition, numbered of 300) BBB = Beef Builder Beginner BBA = Beef Builder Advanced BBSA = Beef Builder Super Advanced BBM = Beef Builder Master BBSM = Beef Builder Super Master BBGM = Beef Builder Grand Master BBE = Beef Builder Elite BBSE = Beef Builder Super Elite BBGE = Beef Builder Grand Elite BBP = Beef Builder Pro BBWC = Beef Builder World Class BBG = Beef Builder Galaxy MM1-5 = Mash Monster (1,2,3,4,5 denotes strength level. Grippers owned by Gripboard for forum certification program. Made by Warren Tetting) MM1-5dud = Mash Monster replica (Same strength but can be purchased thru Warren Tetting) GM1-3 = (1,2,3 denotes strength level. Grippers owned by Grippermania for forum certification program. Made by Warren Tetting) GM4-5 = (4,5 denotes strength level. Grippers owned by Grippermania for certification program. Made by Robert Baraban) RBWT = Robert Baraban Worlds Toughest gripper (limited edition numbered of 50. rated @ 720lbs.) RB70-RB365 = Robert Baraban (number denotes strength level) RB240-RB330N =Robert Baraban (same as above except "N" denotes a narrow handle spread.) PDA243 = Peidmont Design Associates (number on each gripper denotes wire size) PDA262 = Peidmont Design Associates PDA280 = Peidmont Design Associates PDA295 = Peidmont Design Associates PDA280HD = Peidmont Design Associates (Heavy Duty 280 due to spring set lower) ISG = Ivanko Super Gripper (strength denoted by spring setting. ex; 7,10 = one spring at seven and the other at ten.) TSG = Torsion Spring Gripper (all of the above are this type of gripper except the ISG.) Grip Tools RT = Rolling Thunder (made by Ironmind for thick bar one-hand deadlifts.) TTK = Titan Telegraph Key (made by Ironmind for dynamic pinch grip training.) BBPB = Block Buster Pinch Block (made by Ironmind for static pinch grip training.) PH = Pinch Hub (made by Ironmind for training to lift 45lb plate by hub.) OLL = Outer Limit Loops (made by Ironmind for extensor training.) IDB = Inch Dumbell (172 lb. dumbell made famous by Thomas Inch.) MDB = Millenium Dumbell (228lb. dumbell same construction as the Inch dumbell.) HDB = Holle it Up Dumbell (made by Ironmind for training to lift Inch Dumbell.) GM = Grip Machine (plate loaded, guillotine style grip machine.) TYW = Twist Yo Wrist (yo-yo shaped wrist roller made by Ironmind.) WS = Weaver Stick V-Bar = Vertical Bar HH1 - Heavy Hammer I Leverage Bar HH2 - Heavy Hammer II Levarage Bar Training Terminology LH = Left Hand RH = Right Hand BH = Both Hands PR = Personal Record PB = Personal Best WU = Warmup BTR = Beyond the Range (filing the inside handle(s) of gripper to close beyond the normal range of closing.) GG = Goal Gripper (the current gripper you are trying to close) CC = Choker Close (works the close portion by using a washer or hose clamp to narrow the spread to desired width.) BC = Braced Close (one method is using free hand to push dogleg handle into palm to help finish the close.) NC = Negative Crush (using a gripper one level above your goal gripper close gripper with 2 hands or other form of assistance then with only one hand "try" to close grippers as hard as you can for 5-7 seconds.) SON = Smooth Out Negative (using gripper one level above your goal gripper close gripper with 2 hands or other form of assistance then with only one hand "smoothly" let gripper open in 2-3 seconds.) SH = Strap Holds (close gripper onto one end of a "strap" or other thin material while a weight is attached to other end of strap.) OC = Overcrush (using a gripper you can close try to "crush" gripper as hard as you possibly can for 4-7 seconds.) IC = Inverted Close (gripper is placed upside down in hand and closed.) NS = No Set (free hand can be used to position gripper in hand but cannot help with closing of gripper.) TNS = Table No Set (gripper is picked up from table with one hand and closed. Free hand does not touch gripper at all.) CCS = Credit Card Set (free hand can be used to position gripper in hand to a width no narrower than a credit card approx. 2". Ironmind's current standard for their certification program.) PC = Plate Curl (bicep curl using a weight plate in a pinch grip.) PWC = Plate Wrist Curl (wrist curl using a weight plate in a pinch grip.) PP = Plate Pinch (lifting plate(s) in a pinch grip with thumb on one side and fingers on the opposite side.) DL = Deadlift FW = Farmers Walk CRS = Cold Rolled Steel HRS = Hot Rolled Steel RND = Round Stock SQR = Square Stock DU = Double Underhand (style of bending steel with palms facing up.) DO = Double Overhand (style of bending steel with palms facing down.) Misc. Terminology KTA = Kinney Training Adapted (successful gripper training e-book sold by Bill Piche, CEO of the Gripboard.) SAG = Simplified Adjustable Gripper (make your current grippers harder by placing a hose clamp around the spring which prevents the "fanning" of the spring making the gripper harder to close.) JAG = John's Adjustable Gripper AW = Arm Wrestling COC = Captains of Crush (list of certified closers of the Ironmind #3 and #4 grippers. also is the name of Ironmind's grippers.) DOMS = Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness I posted the listed from Bri's deleted post.