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Hand Size and Credit Card Set


Onerepman

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21 minutes ago, Tommy J. said:

Wow great post!

 

To summarize, hes saying stop being so nerdy specific with how in depth we think we need to go to test/compare each other. Because after a certain point, it no longer is fun. 

thats how i gathered it. Andrew correct me if im wrong.

Also agree. 100%. I actually have never seen anything like it before with all the what if’s and it would be different ifs 

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30 minutes ago, Tommy J. said:

Wow great post!

 

To summarize, hes saying stop being so nerdy specific with how in depth we think we need to go to test/compare each other. Because after a certain point, it no longer is fun. 

thats how i gathered it. Andrew correct me if im wrong.

I also agree with that. I’ve never seen so many arguments or discussions in my life over some of these things. Sometimes it gets so complicated and ridiculous. But some find that fun I suppose 

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If there is one safe place on the internet to get nerdy about this hobby... isn't that here? 

I love grippers and I think they are very interesting.  I think training with them is interesting.  I think almost everything about grippers is interesting.  Searching the forum will return some previous discussions, but I also believe it's natural to rehash the topics.  Nerds don't talk about something once and leave it alone.  They analyze it ad nauseum.  :tongue

:online

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At some point the test becomes the exercise and the exercise becomes the test. People have been using grippers to strengthen their hands for a long time and at some point, like all human endeavors, we decided to see who could close the biggest, baddest ones. Contests, certifications, rules, rule variants, rule updates...  People have been using barbells to get stronger as long as they've existed. At some point we decided to see who could lift the most iron in these specific ways. Powerlifting and weightlifting are born: contests, federations, weight classes, rules, rule variants, rule updates... I always describe strongman as competitive farm work. Moving heavy stuff from A to B. Now there are contests for anyone, standardized (somewhat) equipment, weight classes, rules, rule variants... you get the idea. The point is to be successful in a competition you need to be both strong and highly skilled at the movements, in the specific way they are tested. 

Grip strength does not exist as a separate entity from the rest of your body. Your hands (hopefully) are attached to your body. I've seen arguments against certain lifts (particularly the four letter variety) that they are not true grip lifts. What would be? Squeezing a bunch of immobile objects? Not only would this be boring to watch and do, it would be in direct opposition the utility of hand strength in the first place: to transmit power from the rest of the body.

I don't think it's any surprise that the top grip guys are all well rounded athletes. With lots of experience with the events and a keen mind for picking their attempts/ overall strategy. 

As a caveat I've done the dyno in a contest and thought it was a great event. Very user friendly, low chance of ties, don't need a huge gripper collection, easy to judge and fun. Training for a dyno event however would probably involve training grippers, and I suspect most would rather demonstrate their strength and skill with the grippers (since they've invested time that their competitors may have not).

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21 minutes ago, Andrew Dube said:

At some point the test becomes the exercise and the exercise becomes the test. People have been using grippers to strengthen their hands for a long time and at some point, like all human endeavors, we decided to see who could close the biggest, baddest ones. Contests, certifications, rules, rule variants, rule updates...  People have been using barbells to get stronger as long as they've existed. At some point we decided to see who could lift the most iron in these specific ways. Powerlifting and weightlifting are born: contests, federations, weight classes, rules, rule variants, rule updates... I always describe strongman as competitive farm work. Moving heavy stuff from A to B. Now there are contests for anyone, standardized (somewhat) equipment, weight classes, rules, rule variants... you get the idea. The point is to be successful in a competition you need to be both strong and highly skilled at the movements, in the specific way they are tested. 

Grip strength does not exist as a separate entity from the rest of your body. Your hands (hopefully) are attached to your body. I've seen arguments against certain lifts (particularly the four letter variety) that they are not true grip lifts. What would be? Squeezing a bunch of immobile objects? Not only would this be boring to watch and do, it would be in direct opposition the utility of hand strength in the first place: to transmit power from the rest of the body.

I don't think it's any surprise that the top grip guys are all well rounded athletes. With lots of experience with the events and a keen mind for picking their attempts/ overall strategy. 

As a caveat I've done the dyno in a contest and thought it was a great event. Very user friendly, low chance of ties, don't need a huge gripper collection, easy to judge and fun. Training for a dyno event however would probably involve training grippers, and I suspect most would rather demonstrate their strength and skill with the grippers (since they've invested time that their competitors may have not).

Well written andrew and I agree with it all. 

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15 minutes ago, Chez said:

Well written andrew and I agree with it all. 

Thanks Chez, I may have had too much coffee today...

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6 hours ago, climber511 said:

Being "the anti gripper guy" I guess I should chime in.  If it takes two hands and the strength of your entire upper body to close the gripper (set it) so that you could open your hand and close it again from he closed position - did you really close the gripper with one hand?  I propose the design of the gripper is faulty and the best test of one hand strength is a gripper choked to parallel.  It's the same thing but without the complicated process off using your off hand to do the initial close.  Choked is a true test of strength - not fancy shenanigans.  

Flame away!  :)

 

Naah. I don't agree. But there is the problem of Tommy Heslep. His crushing power probably supports your theory, as his wheelhouse was a very deep set. Pretty bad at CCS, incredibly awesome on a deep set. And he could crush a whole bag of potatoes to pulp in just a few minutes. Seen it with my own eyes. :fear

And I wouldn't call full range gripper closes  "fancy shenanigans". :cool

Edited by Hubgeezer
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50 minutes ago, Hubgeezer said:

Naah. I don't agree. But there is the problem of Tommy Heslep. His crushing power probably supports your theory, as his wheelhouse was a very deep set. Pretty bad at CCS, incredibly awesome on a deep set. And he could crush a whole bag of potatoes to pulp in just a few minutes. Seen it with my own eyes. :fear

And I wouldn't call full range gripper closes  "fancy shenanigans". :cool

Fancy shenanigans is what I call closing the gripper "completely" with two hands and a chest crush - then opening enough to insert a block or CC.

Edited by climber511
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2 hours ago, climber511 said:

Fancy shenanigans is what I call closing the gripper "completely" with two hands and a chest crush - then opening enough to insert a block or CC.

Well that’s a little different than what I thought, isn’t it?

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4 hours ago, climber511 said:

Fancy shenanigans is what I call closing the gripper "completely" with two hands and a chest crush - then opening enough to insert a block or CC.

I dont know.. compare it to adding a hose clamp to assist the close and it dont look all that bad..

if your suggesting that a choked close better represents a mans true crush power, then you should also out perform or match #4 closers on a baseline consistently. Since you have closed a choked #4 and all.

 

daaaamn... whyz it look so salty when i call out equipment, but not when Chris does? 😎

Edit: Still love Chris tho. If i had to pick just a couple grip guys to meet that i have not yet met, Chris would be one of them.

Edited by Guest
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1 hour ago, Tommy J. said:

I dont know.. compare it to adding a hose clamp to assist the close and it dont look all that bad..

if your suggesting that a choked close better represents a mans true crush power, then you should also out perform or match #4 closers on a baseline consistently. Since you have closed a choked #4 and all.

 

daaaamn... whyz it look so salty when i call out equipment, but not when Chris does? 😎

Edit: Still love Chris tho. If i had to pick just a couple grip guys to meet that i have not yet met, Chris would be one of them.

I've been saying the same things about nutcracker type grippers for a long time now.  I simply don't like the things.  And if you ever get up Ohio way please stop in - there's always a beer or three in the fridge.  And thanks.

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Are you all measuring hand size with your fingers stretched out (tip of pinky to tip of thumb) or from bottom of the palm to the top of the longest finger, or other way?

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6 minutes ago, 2sweetdadstrength said:

Are you all measuring hand size with your fingers stretched out (tip of pinky to tip of thumb) or from bottom of the palm to the top of the longest finger, or other way?

Wrist line to tip of middle finger 

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11 minutes ago, 2sweetdadstrength said:

Are you all measuring hand size with your fingers stretched out (tip of pinky to tip of thumb) or from bottom of the palm to the top of the longest finger, or other way?

Hand length is wrist to longest finger, hand span is pinky to thumb while stretched. If not explicitly stated people are typically talking about hand length. 

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Of course if the hand size gets bigger it will be easy to set a gripper but when it comes to crushing, it’s not always bigger the better. I have a big hand and whenever I am trying to close a gripper, I always feel like I have more strength but I cannot close the gripper because it feels like I am overcrushing it or should I say my crushing range of motion is too short compare to thickness of the handle? I am sure there is a sweet spot hand size for closing COC grippers.

Edited by Morgan
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My whole life I thought I had 9 1/2” hands, but it was all a lie.  It’s my span, but they are merely 8 inches.  Hope I haven’t been measuring anything else wrong 🤣

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I just measured my hand and its 8.66 inches if i measured correctly (so around 8.5)

I still suck at CCS, i can close the #3 on a good day but can hardly do the #2 CCS.....

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9 minutes ago, Lennix said:

I just measured my hand and its 8.66 inches if i measured correctly (so around 8.5)

I still suck at CCS, i can close the #3 on a good day but can hardly do the #2 CCS.....

You probably just need to gtg the movement for awhile and it'll come easy.

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5 hours ago, Hopefully said:

You probably just need to gtg the movement for awhile and it'll come easy.

Most likely! 

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5 hours ago, Hopefully said:

You probably just need to gtg the movement for awhile and it'll come easy.

You have huge hands. Mine are 8 . Anything Grip should come very easy for you 

Edited by Guest
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13 minutes ago, Joseph Sullivan said:

You have huge hands. Mine are 8 . Anything Grip should come very easy for you 

I guess it does :) managed coc3 first time i tried it after 5 months of coc2, then lost alot of weight (14kg and still going down) but closing it now again. Coc3 sb 27 sec is average i guess. Overhand deadlift 222.5kg (2hour old pb!) 

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4 minutes ago, Lennix said:

I guess it does :) managed coc3 first time i tried it after 5 months of coc2, then lost alot of weight (14kg and still going down) but closing it now again. Coc3 sb 27 sec is average i guess. Overhand deadlift 222.5kg (2hour old pb!) 

You should post some videos of it.

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2 minutes ago, Joseph Sullivan said:

You should post some videos of it.

I posted the coc3 first time in a tread. I Think you follow me on instagram, might be wrong tho!

 

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27 minutes ago, Lennix said:

I posted the coc3 first time in a tread. I Think you follow me on instagram, might be wrong tho!

 

Haha I suppose I have subscribed to you. Didn’t put 2 and 2 together 

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Yes, in theory if you can close any gripper without a set, you could, in fact, close a #3 or larger with no set.

The difference being this: those with "smaller" hands will need much more strength in the pinky finger and ring finger to "walk" the gripper into position for a good close. We all know you simply cannot have a gripper sitting in your hand, low on your thumb pad, and close it. The handles almost twist in your hand. I can place a light gripper in my hand incorrectly and miss it by 1/2" no matter how hard I squeeze. The same gripper, placed in my hand correctly, can be crushed for high reps.

So the smaller handed individual must have more crushing strength in their hands to close a #3 under the new rules.

For the record, I did not pull my name of the #3 list because of the rule change. I pulled my name because a good friend, at the time, was extremely close to certifying and under the new rule change, he went from mere centimeters from certifying to being miles away again. I know what it feels like to train your ass off for month after month only to find out everything has changed on you. In 2008 I was squatting 800 with ease, bench pressing 545 with a pause, and deadlifting in the mid 700s. I was ready to go to an IPA meet and finally get my geared 242 Elite total and accomplish a long term goal. A week before the meet I got sick from an antibiotic I took to kill an infection in a bad tooth. The antibiotic made me so sick I was crapping out everything I ate and lost close to 20 lbs. of body weight in a week. My gear no longer fit right and I was weak as hell. I had no choice but to pull out of the meet. After that, a lot of things in my life got flipped up-side-down and I never got a chance to go for my Elite total in the IPA. I will carry that with me forever. Just like this guy will carry with him forever that he never made the #3 list despite training for it so hard for so long.

I thought it was wrong. I thought about all the guys who were training hard for the original rules and were knocking on the door of certifying. I thought about how close Heath Sexton was to certifying on the #4, and I made the decision to pull my name from the list. It was not fair to everyone else who came along under the new rules and certified. The difference between a parallel set and a credit card set are night and day. IMO, the lists should have been started over. The original list should have been closed off and a new #3, #3.5, and #4 list should have been started. It wasn't my call. All I could do was the right thing and walk away.

The GHP grippers have caught my eye lately and I may attempt to move up that list. I owned a GHP 7 in the past and I was able to close it before I sold it. Plus. GHP grippers are just all around awesome in look, design, and feel. I think a 1.5" block set is fair for all.

-Rick

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