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Who Will Be The First To Ccs The Number 4


jsmiley

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As per some comments and replies in my log and a chat here with Paul yesterday I'd need to change tact. My best in the last 12 months with a CCS was being 1mm off on the close of the 3.5 at the Euros. But other than a fooling around video on youtube (I had fun with the CCS 3.5 close / swiping card through of Tex by crushing a card between the handles of a 3) I haven't trained CCS at all.

Unlike Teemu's theory (according to Eric in my thread) I don't think my MMS any harder gripper would mean I could CCS a 4 or thereabouts. I'm training on so many lifts and under competition rules that I'd need to drop all that and focus entirely on closes, CCS, MMS, TNS's and so on on NOTHING but gripper work (well maybe other stuff for fun only). I'd feel more comfortable with a specific focus.

It could easily be argued that those who do more CCS work than me right now would get there first and I'd not dispute that at all. It's been said again and again that I'm one who might CCS a 4 but I've yet to take a serious run at it because I'd want 3 clear months and with competitions, displays (I've pencilled stuff in for Easter for example and then the summer after) my book right now is 'full' so to speak until after Chad's competition. That means I will not be able to focus on it until mid-August onwards and stuff might pop up in between now and then - as it does.

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I'd like to point out that so called "Teemu's theory" (I'm not the one to say it first that bringing up MMS will help with wider sets) has it's limitations if we were to assume that training grippers alone would lead you to the best possible gripper closes. That's not what I've said. I don't believe that you can endlessly improve on grippers and all set widths by training only grippers. I'm just convinced that gripper training time is best spent on MMS or little wider range (I would say 30 mm is the widest you need to actually train for strength) and that people should look elsewhere for better gains through other joint angles.

But as Steve points out, specific focus is what is needed. I just don't think CCS training is serving that purpose, some practice on it is in order in preparation for certification, to get the technique right, but save your max efforts for other stuff.

I think Steve has all the right pieces of the "#4 CCS puzzle" already, but would just have to drop everything else for some months in order to channel all that strength to highly specific task as the gripper close is. I have learned to appreciate how hard (nearly impossible) it is to keep grippers on the absolute peak when you train many other grip exercises at the same time. I know because I'm personally way off the gripper peak as I'm concentrating much more on the other stuff.

Edited by Teemu I
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Yeah Steve you're a beast, have you calibrated the MM7 dud yet?

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the original question is a few months late, but as far as the cert goes, i dont know who will be first, personally im not bothered about being the first anymore, but there are plenty of guys that are capable of doing it (unless they get a freak #4) - steve definately could with minimal training an most likely will, loz definately 'could' with even less training, same for tex henderson, richard williams (an all the other freaks who have mashed a #3 an then asked if it's good or not), but theres also a bunch of others, chad an rex certainly could if they wanted too, a number of fins could, an also i know two young brits that without a doubt are capable in a couple years (sam/fred) >i think some people are way off with predictions of how it will never happen, the sport is in growth mode an i can tell you with absolute fact that it will happen, an it certainly wont take 'many years' either

gabriel - have some faith, you are young/have many years of training ahead of you, aslong as you keep training hard you will definately certify one day

jsmiley - we dont have the machine to do it at the whey gym but it's a pretty strange gripper, when i first gave it a little sqeeze i thought it was real hard, but actually it's not as bad as i thought. When steve first tried it (cold) he got it to 3/4in an said 'thats a brick man!' then later on he got it to 1/4in, then after a little rest came back an closed it 3 times >it's a bit strange, it's almost the same pressure the whole way through

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As per Paul's comments.

We have no RGC set up and when he says cold he means literally I just picked it up and squeezed it. Then following some other training got it to the 1/4-inch. Finally I came back later, sans coffee, warmed up properly and kapow!

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The MM7 dud has a 2 5/8 handle spread as opposed to the corrected MM7 with the normal 2 3/4 handle spread. Also the

spring depth of the corrected MM7 is not that of the dud. Just an FYI :)

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the original question is a few months late, but as far as the cert goes, i dont know who will be first, personally im not bothered about being the first anymore, but there are plenty of guys that are capable of doing it (unless they get a freak #4) - steve definately could with minimal training an most likely will, loz definately 'could' with even less training, same for tex henderson, richard williams (an all the other freaks who have mashed a #3 an then asked if it's good or not), but theres also a bunch of others, chad an rex certainly could if they wanted too, a number of fins could, an also i know two young brits that without a doubt are capable in a couple years (sam/fred) >i think some people are way off with predictions of how it will never happen, the sport is in growth mode an i can tell you with absolute fact that it will happen, an it certainly wont take 'many years' either

gabriel - have some faith, you are young/have many years of training ahead of you, aslong as you keep training hard you will definately certify one day

jsmiley - we dont have the machine to do it at the whey gym but it's a pretty strange gripper, when i first gave it a little sqeeze i thought it was real hard, but actually it's not as bad as i thought. When steve first tried it (cold) he got it to 3/4in an said 'thats a brick man!' then later on he got it to 1/4in, then after a little rest came back an closed it 3 times >it's a bit strange, it's almost the same pressure the whole way through

Agreed. I just can't wait for someone to certify so I can laugh at all the doubters.

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The MM7 dud has a 2 5/8 handle spread as opposed to the corrected MM7 with the normal 2 3/4 handle spread. Also the

spring depth of the corrected MM7 is not that of the dud. Just an FYI :)

It will still be easy!

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The MM7 dud has a 2 5/8 handle spread as opposed to the corrected MM7 with the normal 2 3/4 handle spread. Also the

spring depth of the corrected MM7 is not that of the dud. Just an FYI :)

It will still be easy!

Ok...Whatcha waiting for then? :)

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Looks like my money is on Chad. Already closing a 4 out of the package and CCS to his hands probably feels like mms to mine.

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A lot went on at the Arnolds classic ..I sure you will hear about it.... At several meals we sat and talked about what to do in relation to "grip" both Rich and Mark Henry chimed in vowing to get in the mix with a concentrated effort to establish some new world standards of merit. Mark , the strongest natural grip guy I have EVER seen said he plans on training to break a "record a month" in grip. He plans to visit and train with us. I feel the CCS #4 will be addressed soon enough by both Rich and Mark . But ,I will leave it to them to separate "sayin' from doin'"in that respect. I thought the Arnolds hosting the worlds largest grip challenge(GNC Ggrip Gauntlet) was a fitting world wide stage to showcase just "what is possible" with Rich , Tex and Brian Shaws performances.RS

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A lot went on at the Arnolds classic ..I sure you will hear about it.... At several meals we sat and talked about what to do in relation to "grip" both Rich and Mark Henry chimed in vowing to get in the mix with a concentrated effort to establish some new world standards of merit. Mark , the strongest natural grip guy I have EVER seen said he plans on training to break a "record a month" in grip. He plans to visit and train with us. I feel the CCS #4 will be addressed soon enough by both Rich and Mark . But ,I will leave it to them to separate "sayin' from doin'"in that respect. I thought the Arnolds hosting the worlds largest grip challenge(GNC Ggrip Gauntlet) was a fitting world wide stage to showcase just "what is possible" with Rich , Tex and Brian Shaws performances.RS

It would be great if those guys would get serious about grip. Some big things could happen. Chad's contest is the right place to lift some official records IMO.

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Brian Shaw or Rich Williams will do it first.

Both have the potential, I'm sure. I hope they will really go for it :rock

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nothing bad ever happens from having the bar raised.

If an athlete is interested in a sport that he excells at and could change the concept of what is possible...i.e. Roger Bannister and the 4 minute mile, it is giving back to the sport to participate.

The advancement of "what is strong, what is fast, etc" is a great thing. I would love to have our "big lifts" be average in the coming months and years. It's exciting, it generates intrest, excitement, and participation.

What if there were other lifters out there like Phister who say have an interest in grip but because our numbers are so low, sees no competition. Lets not fool ourselves, there could be, may be freaks out there who just do not view our current level as competition. Who knows if Chad and others are able to draw in Tex and Rich, then they in turn draw in the next level of athlete who view them as competition but our current leaders as not? That would be great to get the truly strongest in our chosen sport into the game.

Ego's aside, pride aside, if you love the sport, seeing it advance has to get you excited whether you are at the forefront of it or not. Just being associated with this sport makes me happy.

If I hadn't been handed a #2 from a fireman at my local gym I'd never know about it. If Bill hadn't had the gripboard, I would not know many of you.

Perhaps Rich and Tex getting into this sport is that for the next level of athlete.

I will now shut up as I'm belaboring the point. I wish them the greatest in this sport and hope that they take the leap and continue to show us what they are capable of. Thanks for making them aware of us Mr. Sorin, you have always been a great ambasador of our sport and of strength, I sure would like to see that continue with your stable of athletes that are amazing us all.

Edited by dubthewonderscot
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For me I don't think there's a single guy out there at the moment that will ever CCS a new #4. We're yet to see anyone take a new #4 out of the packet and close it with any set. All of the videos of people closing #4's are of #4s that are seasoned.

If you look at some really strong guys, Arrildson, Chad, Temmu, Steve, Tex, Paul Knight, Acorn and some of the others I forget, it'd look like they'd be doing very very well to #3.5 cert. It took Tex quite a few tries to cert on the #3.5 and it looked tough for him. Temmu and Mobster have failed a #3.5 cert and Paul Knight looks like he may be the next to #3.5 cert.

Now if you look at those names, if they're finding it tough to #3.5 cert then the #4 is a HUGE jump from the #3.5 so I just don't see it happening.

If you look at the other guys that certed on the #4 before the CCS rule came in I think you'd have to say that those guys wouldn't be able to CCS a #4 now.

I maybe wrong but I'll be stunned if I ever see a legit #4 cert on video, I'd be even more stunned if it's someone we already know of.

You guys are forgetting Gabriel Sum, who I think can close the #3.5 now better than Tex and any others you might have seen.

Check this out:

Problem is that if it wasn't for the CCS rules being added in 2004, you would see few more names on the #4 list - such as the people we have seen MMS the #4. But see the people on the certification list aren't any stronger than those mentioned above because all the people on the list had a MMS close of the #4, same close. No one has ever CCS'd a #4 and this feat of strength so far seems far out of reach.

We should soon see some more guys on the #3.5 list though. I wouldn't be surprised if you saw Gabriel Sum on there in the near future (notice the CCS close was less than 10 days ago).

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Maybe Richard can tell us whether this is true or not, but wasn't Mark Henry seriously training to close the #4 at one point? I remember hearing something about this. I would like to know if he stopped training for it, or if instead he is still training, it's just taking him longer than he thought.

-Rex

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i think it said on one of Gabriels videos that he is going for the 3.5 cert very very soon, this week or next, or may have already tried

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I saw a 3.5 closed by Tex, Rich, and Paul, and narrowly missed by Brian (CCS), Andrew, and Jedd, this past weekend. As you have heard Rich certified. The 3.5 is a nice gripper to bridge the gap and make the 4 more achievable. I think many people gave up on the 4 after the CCS rule change - I did - and the 3.5 can help bring them back, and for those new to the game the 3.5 was there when you started so you didn't have to deal with the demoralizing effect that the jump from 3 to 4 had. I'm sure the 4 will be closed with a CCS, just a matter of time.

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In answer to Rex's question. I never heard he did "specific" training for any grip related lift other than his historic the Inch replica clean and press.(275 witnesses present at Old time Strongman dinner 6-22-02) Most of his lifts are just done in training. Dr. Terry Todd revered strength historian stated" I have seen Mark snatch the Inch replica do sets and reps rowing the replica bell as well", "The first time mark tried the #3 he shut it with either hand and with the springs in both up and down position".

I think when that info was brought forward "thoughts" that he would continue onward grew from this. Honestly, he loves strength, and is very respectful of strength and doing things right, but, his life "as chosen" has kept him wrestling for 13 years , every night in a new hotel and getting beat on. He has no complaints or excuses ..just as he said it's just "how it is". Now,according to him as his career demands allow a bit more time, his love for strength again will be manifested in working on his truly amazing grip .Rich and Mark got along famously and from that I think good will come of it.RS

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Brian Shaw or Rich Williams will do it first.

Both have the potential, I'm sure. I hope they will really go for it :rock

Brian told me this weekend he will ccs or shut the 4. cant remember which he said.. i believe he will cert on the 4.

Edited by Chris Mathison
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i think it said on one of Gabriels videos that he is going for the 3.5 cert very very soon, this week or next, or may have already tried

He's going for it on the 14th.

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i think it said on one of Gabriels videos that he is going for the 3.5 cert very very soon, this week or next, or may have already tried

He's going for it on the 14th.

Let's see it Gabriel! :rock

-Rex

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I think that with some (and in many cases little to none) concentrated training, alot of strongmen would blow the grip community's axle lifts away. Same goes for RT, blob, inch, etc. I'd imagine alot of football players would do the same. I think there might be some standouts in grippers, but on the whole grip guys wouldn't get blown away by guys who didn't train them. Just my thoughts.

I would be interested in what alot of those guys have for a pinch. I know Wade can hang in that regard. Wade in fact is a good example of what one of those types can do. Untrained, I am thinking the top grip guys are quite a bit better than strongmen types on the Euro pinch.

There is lots of crossover talent in strength sports anyways. Lots of throwers make good powerlifters, olympic lifters, strongmen, and back and forth all kinds of ways.

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