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The Last Gripmas Carol What’s going on? For my last hurrah I want to keep the Gripmas tradition of doing something different. I think this format will certainly cover that. What events will be contested? It might be easier to list what “isn’t” really. · First thing will be any “certs” that have been set up. I have not set this up through IM yet but will be talking to IM in September about it. I hope to offer certs thru IM – FBBC – Barrel Strength etc. If OKed you will have to go through the regular process for each cert through the company itself but asking for your judge to be at Gripmas (several of those I think will be attending have judged for IM in the past – I can furnish a list of names later on). I want this first so everyone will be able to watch and cheer them on. · Next there will be a traditional contest format available – optional but not mandatory – consisting of 20 mm block set grippers using the NAGS gripper set – Two hand pinch on the Euro setup by David Horne – then Two Hand Iron Mind Axle dead lift. This format is the one that gives everyone a chance to make an “Elite” total or compete in a traditional contest format. You can do this with or without doing the rest of the events. This could take a while even with multiple set ups. · Then comes the “Different”. I’m calling this part the “Listmas Carol”. Most (at least those items I can beg or borrow) items on the NAGS Top 50 Lists – the FBBC lists – the Barrel Strength Leader Board lists – and any other list I can set up an agreement with. You can do both the “contest” and/or one or all of these list events as you choose or you can do one OR the other. Any result set in the contest portion will of course also effect any of those List Items". All of these I can find the event tools for will be available so that 1. If you are not on a list you will have the opportunity to make a position there. 2. If you are on a list you will have the opportunity to advance your position on the list. 3. If you have changed weight classes – you can make that portion of the list. 4. If you have become eligible for a Masters Class or changed your Masters class age bracket or weight class – you can make those lists. You will need to offer proof of your age. 5. You will have the opportunity to set a World Record for any events in which you are able to do so on the various lists. 6. If there is interest in “bending” I will set a section up for that also. I will need to know in advance if anyone is interested and the general steel needed. This will not be a separate “competition”. 7. Any of the “Feats of grip strength” listed on the Gripboard may also be done here with witnesses and video to be judged under their rules. This is probably going to be a very long day if you choose to make it so. Depending on how many people sign up – I plan to have multiple set ups for Euro and Axle at the least. So come and hang out - or compete in the "contest - or any one or more of the list items available. I’m going to need an awful lot of help from everyone – it’s impossible for me to be everywhere at once with a format like this. I hope there will be a lot of experienced people who can pitch in and act as judges. I think I have loaders covered with the local football team members but I do hope you will help check their loading as needed. I think I can find enough score keepers also but may ask people to chip in at times on different list events. Any Questions - let’s get them all worked out now and not wait until the last minute.

I said it to Strossen ten or so years ago. "Grip is the last bastion for the "normal" man."

Sunday is the big day. I trimmed all my fur off with the clippers yesterday and will shave Sunday evening (this sucks - I don't know how women do it all the time :). The plan is to oil up and take the pictures Monday or Tues depending on what else is happening. After that I start my 70 items fitness, strength, and grip Challenge. Last time I did this was after my 50th birthday (I do a challenge every year) - be interesting to see what has changed over 20 years. Going to change my routine to climbing oriented until early Oct - then after the short planned trip I will go into Gripmas training.

Gripper is out. Let's get behind Michael with some good vibes. He sounded unsure about smashing this so let's make it a CERTAINTY! DIG DEEP AND SLAM THAT SUCKER SHUT!

Thats so cool that Shaws interested in grip lifts, shows it to others, and talks about how enjoyable it is - really cool to see and hear - he always seems like such a nice guy too

If he spent 3 months learning the technical aspects of the grip lifts, he could break EVERY record in grip... in one contest. Don't kid yourselves. He's on another planet size and strength wise than anyone who has ever done grip seriously. He might struggle with the stub and hub, but sheer power would probably have him win those too. Seriously guys, it would be like the time Jason Bergmann took up horseshoe bending and took all of three months to bend shoes nobody else in the world had ever wobbled. If Shaw had time to master setting grippers, etc. He would own every non-gimmick lift record in gripsport in short order. The man has baseball gloves for hands and is stronger than all but 1 or two guys walking the earth.

I think I've got 400 in me once I get used to hook grip again. The virgin thumb was definitely the limiting factor. 1 arm dl

Lets get serious now: Brian vs Jerome Bloom Stub. Who you got?

Can we agree it is not anywhere near his main focus? Compared to the majority of us gripsters he dabbles. Which is understandable since it doesn't pay his bills. Showing up for one comp for fun doesn't really qualify someone as serious about our teeny lil sport. He does train grip insofar as it helps him with strongman for sure, but he certainly doesn't make it his focus. Listen, I have no dog in this fight, although I know which one I would bet on. If people want to believe that anybody currently competing regularly in gripsport could beat Shaw or any of these monsters if they concentrated a large portion of their training effort on gripsport events... have at it.

Have you guys seen this video? I remember when Brian lifted Gigantor blob. It was impressive but looked difficult. In this video he lifts a 50lb blob, blobzilla, and then Gigantor blob without rechalking!!

A friend of mine runs a climbing competition every year called Texas Legends. This year there will be a long break in between qualifiers and finals.He has asked me to put on a basic gripsport competition for anyone interested (probably 20-30 people). Winner will receive a small cash prize of $50. I am trying to think of a fun way to promote grip to people who have never been exposed to it. I thought it would be fun to have every person make a 60 second medley run through as many implements as they can, whoever gets the most successful lifts wins. I have a flask, tips tester, blockbuster pinch, mini tips tester, blobs 35-50lbs, Vbar, 2.5" jug, 2.5" crusher, rolling thunder, 2 3/8" loadable handle, ironmind hub, grippers 60lbs - Chez, 60d nails, 2 3/8" napalms nightmare, inch pinch, stirrup, stub (lol)....etc lots more. I own 3 loading pins. What do you guys think? Any format suggestions? weight ranges for the above mentioned implements? This will be a very low key event, all lifts will be to lockout. I don't want to make it overly complex and scare people off.

Back to the 500 meter row and Strongman. I keep thinking Strongman Lawrence Shahleai (sp) also turned in one heck of a 500 meter row a few years back? I know we all like to think we are strong and many of us are - but there is 200 to 250# normal man strong and 400# professional Strongman strong - I think they are two completely different things!

Lower body work. there was lots of different movements but with mostly just body weight or not much. With such a long layoff I feel like I need to progress in slowly. Notable “Grip” exercise. finger curls 115 3x15

Hed definitely kill it. I would put money on him winning as well. not sure if any of you watch Mark Bell on youtube, but Bell had Brian come by his gym for a training session/collab, and while Brian was there, he just “decided” to sit down on the row machine and attempt the world record. And guess what?.. without ever having competed in any kind of rowing sport, he did indeed destroy the world record. On a whim. First attempt. There is video of this exact incident on Marks channel. it was actually incredible to see a 400lb guy move that fast! so yeah, its NOT far fetched to assume Brian would quickly destroy all the grip records in short order. Especially if he decided to focus on them. He has already proved he is capable of smashing a world record on a whim. It would actually be foolish to bet against him in anything strength related.

I just send link to Bill(Wannagrip) Thanks everyone involved

Box containing MM2 gripper has arrived. I will attempt tonight (8/15) or tomorrow night (8/16) depending on how one of my camera crew is feeling:) Thanks

At that point, he was a 22 yo kid just out of college and new to strongman. Basically still a college basketball player at that point. Probably ONLY weighed about 300 in 2005. He played ball at 260 the year before. He's gained the muscle mass of me since then. Maybe 1.5 Rindos. I seriously can't believe anybody is arguing that he wouldn't dominate all of us if he got motivated to do so.

Obviously nobody is going to put up that kind of money nor is someone like Brian going to train for 3 months specifically for a grip contest, but I think you are vastly underestimating how much he already trains his grip. He's not just going to get 25% better in 3 months, there would be decent chance he would get worse due to injury and overtraining if he tried to put more focus on grip. Keep in mind he has struggled with the frame at worlds strongest man many times, had nerve damage in his hand etc Believe it or not there's a good few strongman that have a better grip than him. Brian isn't the best in the world at everything in strongman, he's just very well rounded and doesn't have many weaknesses. Again, not to take anything away from his freak strength on those blobs, that was crazy.

So... a guy who dabbles in grip ties one of the all time greats and another genetic freak who does train grip, but with 1/10th the training of Steve beats him. Mob has been doing this stuff for decades. Thanks for making my point. If Shaw specifically concentrated on grip for 3 months, he would beat everyone. Heck, not to take anything away from him, but Chad Woodall, who isn't close to Brian, was dominant in grip when he dabbled. Size and strength are king. We're all just normal guys that do well at a sport because there isn't enough prize money to attract the strongest and biggest athletes in the world. If you don't believe that, you are deluding yourself. Don't believe me? Get somebody to put up $100k for a grip contest 6 months out and see if any current grip athletes would finish on the podium.

Thanks Don, closing the MM2 would cap off a nice summer with family and some nice grip feats👍

On a hunch, spur of the moment idea after a whole body maintenance workout

Does anyone know if anyone under 18 has lifted a 50lb blob. I don't recall anyone over the 12 years of the grip gauntlet and nobody that has trained with us at jackals. I had a kid lift it last week that's 17! He wanted to know if that was good Wade

Wednesday August 15, 2018 Axle clean and jerk work up to 200 Deadlift work up to 450 Banded zercher squats 250+50×2×10 every 2min Last workout before the contest! @JHenze646 thanks I'm going to try my hardest!

Good workout today. I did a 7” and 8” 3/8 Grade 2 bolt and did a 7” KOAB to 2 5/8”. I want to start reversing more with the goal of a bastard reverse. Today, I did a red reverse to 7 degrees. I will post below the videos of the 2 bolts and the red reverse photo.