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Hand size limitations?


ChimpGrip

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If you have really small hands, is there a point that one will not go beyond just because of hand size?

Tip of thumb to tip of pinkie-just under 8.5 inches

 

Width of palm- a hair over 3.5 inches

 

base of palm to tip of middle finger- 7 inches

 

wrist circumference- 7 inches

 

 

I call it inferior genetics, but that's another story. 

Assuming my training remains steady, can I ever hope to one day close something like a #3.5, 4, or beyond? Or is there a glass ceiling that I will one day reach simply do to small hands?  

 

I ask this because Jedd Johnson said in one of his videos small hands are definitely a disadvantage. 

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23 minutes ago, ChimpGrip said:

Assuming my training remains steady, can I ever hope to one day close something like a #3.5, 4, or beyond? Or is there a glass ceiling that I will one day reach simply do to small hands?  

Are you talking about MMS close or CCS. Either way, your hand size won't stop you from achieving it. It will just make it more challenging especially for CCS. Hand size is a bigger deal for wide pinch and thick bar than mms grippers. 

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36 minutes ago, Chez said:

Are you talking about MMS close or CCS. Either way, your hand size won't stop you from achieving it. It will just make it more challenging especially for CCS. Hand size is a bigger deal for wide pinch and thick bar than mms grippers. 

CCS (which means credit card close?). Excuse my ignorance, but what does MMS stand for?

 

Will the first person to close a GHP 10 have to have big hands?

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You can mitigate by having super strong wrists, fingers and upper back. Everybody tells me they cant believe what I can lift with thick bar with my hand size being only 7 1/4"- many years doing heavy rows and shrugs w/o straps. Grippers no problem with MMS or 20MM but CCS is challenging to state the obvious. Below pull was 10 days ago to set OR open record 175-225 and further increase my 50-55 age record. You can be solid to very good on most lifts - just need to train hard and keep a journal of lifts

 

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23 minutes ago, ChimpGrip said:

CCS (which means credit card close?). Excuse my ignorance, but what does MMS stand for?

 

Will the first person to close a GHP 10 have to have big hands?

ya, CCS stands for credit card set and a bigger hand helps more on CCS. Small hands won't stop you from doing CCS, but it will make it more challenging.  

Edited by Chez
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24 minutes ago, ChimpGrip said:

CCS (which means credit card close?). Excuse my ignorance, but what does MMS stand for?

 

Will the first person to close a GHP 10 have to have big hands?

MMS = mash monster set 

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I have 8” mitts. CCS is a pain the ass. Because in order for me to do it I have to hold the set with my middle and ring fingers. Same with table no set. Those sets benefit from larger hands as was stated. 20/30mm and mms the skys the limit. 

Its definatly possible to get into heavy grippers with smaller hands I'm already playing with 3.5. 

Edited by KapMan
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21 minutes ago, KapMan said:

 

I have 8” mitts. CCS is a pain the ass. Because in order for me to do it I have to hold the set with my middle and ring fingers. Same with table no set. Those sets benefit from larger hands as was stated. 20/30mm and mms the skys the limit. 

Its definatly possible to get into heavy grippers with smaller hands I'm already playing with 3.5. 

My hands are 8 inches also.... but I don’t have a problem with TNS.  Is 8 inches considered a large hand? Where’s the standard?

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50 minutes ago, Joseph Sullivan said:

My hands are 8 inches also.... but I don’t have a problem with TNS.  Is 8 inches considered a large hand? Where’s the standard?

Mine are 8 also. Its above average but not huge. 

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Just now, Chez said:

Mine are 8 also. Its above average but not huge. 

Yea that’s what I thought. Mine may be a shade over...like 8.1 to tip of middle finger. My index is a lot shorter than my middle by  like half an inch. When I pick up blobs I can’t use my index... just my middle and ring finger. The index can’t grip it.... it lays useless on the inside curve of the block weight

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8 minutes ago, Joseph Sullivan said:

Yea that’s what I thought. Mine may be a shade over...like 8.1 to tip of middle finger. My index is a lot shorter than my middle by  like half an inch. When I pick up blobs I can’t use my index... just my middle and ring finger. The index can’t grip it.... it lays useless on the inside curve of the block weight

Finger length In relation to palm size is also important. Two guys can have hands same overall length with one having longer fingers and the other a larger plam. Handspan plays a role also. 

Edited by Chez
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34 minutes ago, Chez said:

Finger length In relation to palm size is also important. Two guys can have hands same overall length with one having longer fingers and the other a larger plam. Handspan plays a role also. 

Yup my fingers arent long but my palm is large. I actually set grippers differently to accomendate this fact.

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Chad Kovach had (I think) only about 5-3/4” hands and did most feats including playing with blobs. Aaron Corcorran’s hands I think are only a hair over 7”. Ben Edwards doesn’t have big hands either and did very well with his oily #3 closes. 

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The ones I consider "impossible" for me are Blob by the face etc - I simply can't get anything over the edges.  Probably some these newer Blob like weights might be too wide but I haven't tried them.  Things like the Inch may be more difficult but I do not consider them impossible with my 7 5/8" hands - I'm just too weak (for now).  Can't think of anything else that more strength probably wouldn't fix.  If your hand won't go over the edges of the implement - you are not going to be able to lift it.

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2 hours ago, Shoggoth said:

Chad Kovach had (I think) only about 5-3/4” hands and did most feats including playing with blobs. Aaron Corcorran’s hands I think are only a hair over 7”. Ben Edwards doesn’t have big hands either and did very well with his oily #3 closes. 

Chad Kovach hands were 7" and Aaron Corcorrans hands are 8" but He says of his hand thickness that his hand gap is one inch on the Inch and Ben Edwards are 8". 

.

Edited by Kluv#0
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2 hours ago, Tommy J. said:

Im in agreement that you should be fine with grippers. Having sub 8" hands, the only grip implement that i have come across that is physically impossible for me is a blobzilla lift, and or any wider blobs if there are any. Simply cant even get a middle finger and a thumb digit on it. Just dont have the hand span. However, i think if i could just get a thumb and a middle finger digit on it, i would consider it "possible".. but the odds of me lifting the blobzilla would still be slim to none with that small of a purchase.

In all honesty, all the other grip stuff i cant do is due to simply not being strong enough. But then again, i dont have small hands per say. Just not big ones. so its hard to speculate how many implements become more impossible the smaller the hand size. Im a bit of an optimist though when considering whats possible and what isnt. That said, i would have to witness someone attempting an implement that they say is impossible for them before i believed it. Much like if you were to watch me try to grab a blobzilla. I might as well be trying to palm an atlas stone.

while much debate has been hashed in regards to hand size, i still see nearly all grip implements as somewhat hand size neutral. Neutral as in- still possible for smaller hands with enough dedicated training. While larger hands are certainly helpful on some implements, that just means us with not so large hands are gonna have to train a little more for them.

This is the truth from one of the best gripsters ever!

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4 hours ago, Tommy J. said:

Thanks for the kind words brother. I do admit though that i was never well rounded. Not at the same time anyways. When i was doing alright with grippers, very inconsistent albiet, the only other thing i could do okay during my gripper run was bending. Then i had to focus on other stuff to get better at it after deleting gripper training and bending. Its hard to be good across the board and be near 100% pr on all facets of grip. I never could do it. Folks who train a little smarter and diet more strictly certainly can though.

You are welcome. I enjoyed watching BigJ fitness videos and you, PK and others would do some crazy strong stuff. I liked when you closed the COC#3 with CCS -super easy then closed COC #3.5 with MMS and held the close for well over 5 seconds!!

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15 hours ago, Joseph Sullivan said:

Yea that’s what I thought. Mine may be a shade over...like 8.1 to tip of middle finger. My index is a lot shorter than my middle by  like half an inch. When I pick up blobs I can’t use my index... just my middle and ring finger. The index can’t grip it.... it lays useless on the inside curve of the block weight

Didn't know you don't use your index on the blob lift. I use it fine and my hands are smaller.

12 hours ago, Shoggoth said:

Chad Kovach had (I think) only about 5-3/4” hands and did most feats including playing with blobs. Aaron Corcorran’s hands I think are only a hair over 7”. Ben Edwards doesn’t have big hands either and did very well with his oily #3 closes. 

5.75" hands? You sure? I doubt it but he didnt have a big hands maybe 7.1" or so. Aaron was over 7.8" if I remember correctly. Ben yes around 7.8 or so too and he TNSed 172 Elite if I remember correctly. So yes you can get stronger with small hands.

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19 minutes ago, Alawadhi said:

Didn't know you don't use your index on the blob lift. I use it fine and my hands are smaller.

5.75" hands? You sure? I doubt it but he didnt have a big hands maybe 7.1" or so. Aaron was over 7.8" if I remember correctly. Ben yes around 7.8 or so too and he TNSed 172 Elite if I remember correctly. So yes you can get stronger with small hands.

Bader, watch close at my hand on the blob.

 

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So crazy, I can't lift a blob but I have no problems grabbing it with 7.7" hands. Thumb length maybe? Just goes to show the minor variables in hands can play a big role.

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6 minutes ago, Climber028 said:

So crazy, I can't lift a blob but I have no problems grabbing it with 7.7" hands. Thumb length maybe? Just goes to show the minor variables in hands can play a big role.

No I have a short index finger. Like half an inch shorter than my middle. I think not having the index finger on it makes it even harder. That finger isn’t providing any assistance. Sucks. I can get the index on to the edge a bit.... but not enough to produce force and it actually hinders the lift for me!

Edited by Guest
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7 5/8" hands, I have to lose the index finger on my 45lb fatman to lift it. I can get it on there but just makes things worse. Fine with all fingers on 40lb usa blob.

I can facelift the 40 but the tip of my index finger doesn't make it to the edge, I thought that would be impossible but apparently not.

Whatever you want to do, somebody has probably done it with the same or smaller hands. If not, maybe you'll be the first. Don't get hung up on it.

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Just now, wobbler said:

7 5/8" hands, I have to lose the index finger on my 45lb fatman to lift it. I can get it on there but just makes things worse. Fine with all fingers on 40lb usa blob.

I can facelift the 40 but the tip of my index finger doesn't make it to the edge, I thought that would be impossible but apparently not.

Whatever you want to do, somebody has probably done it with the same or smaller hands. If not, maybe you'll be the first. Don't get hung up on it.

It’s all in the amount of work you want to put in and how badly you want to lift something ! I wonder what it says about us all wanting to lift such awkward, heavy and obscure items? I would not have it any other way! 

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12 hours ago, Kluv#0 said:

Chad Kovach hands were 7" and Aaron Corcorrans hands are 8" but He says of his hand thickness that his hand gap is one inch on the Inch and Ben Edwards are 8". 

.

My hand length is 7 and 7/8". Not quite 8".

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1 hour ago, Joseph Sullivan said:

No I have a short index finger. Like half an inch shorter than my middle. I think not having the index finger on it makes it even harder. That finger isn’t providing any assistance. Sucks. I can get the index on to the edge a bit.... but not enough to produce force and it actually hinders the lift for me!

Hmm, my index is almost a full inch shorter than my long finger but I can grip a 50 lbs blob just fine. I’m thinking it’s maybe more due to the angle of the thumb joint? Like depening on how you thumb faces your fingers you have to hold the blob on an angle where the index finger just wont reach the other side of the blob whilst maintaining a good grip.

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