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Closing a #4


Stephen Anderson

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How many guys that have closed the #4 also have accomplished other world class feats?? Trying to figure out if guys that can close heavy grippers are also very strong in other feats!! 

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9 minutes ago, Stephen Anderson said:

How many guys that have closed the #4 also have accomplished other world class feats?? Trying to figure out if guys that can close heavy grippers are also very strong in other feats!! 

Yes, Magnus Samuelsson. 1998 World’s Strongest Man, could barbell curl 315, and benched 595 x 2. One of my favorite strongmen of all time.

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10 minutes ago, ChimpGrip said:

Yes, Magnus Samuelsson. 1998 World’s Strongest Man, could barbell curl 315, and benched 595 x 2. One of my favorite strongmen of all time.

I would say besides him. And more grip feats not overall strength. Sorry guess i should of worded it better...

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In our community, Andrew Durniat. In his prime, he was unstoppable at our comps and closed a 206 #4 with a 20mm block in completion (still the nags record) and he was very strong in everything (both grip and regular lifting) while being pretty lean. He’s cut back on strength training now and focuses on endurance stuff like ironmans etc now. Just ask Adam how strong prime Durniat was 

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10 minutes ago, Chez said:

In our community, Andrew Durniat. In his prime, he was unstoppable at our comps and closed a 206 #4 with a 20mm block in completion (still the nags record) and he was very strong in everything (both grip and regular lifting) while being pretty lean. He’s cut back on strength training now and focuses on endurance stuff like ironmans etc now. Just ask Adam how strong prime Durniat was 

Thats a great example. It almost seemS like they’re a dime a dozen! I guess not very many guys from the US have ever closed a 4. Especially a new COC 4. 

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7 minutes ago, Stephen Anderson said:

Thats a great example. It almost seemS like they’re a dime a dozen! I guess not very many guys from the US have ever closed a 4. Especially a new COC 4. 

I have closed 3 different 4s but they were older lighter ones (194-200). I destroyed the MM7 and feel I really peaked that day think my max that day may have been around 205. I’m feeling great coming back from injury though so I may close a new one this year. I have come back stronger fro every injury and don’t plan this time to be different. Grippers aren’t big amongst American Grip Guys these days and in fact many speak negatively about them which you will notice the longer you are on this board.

Edited by Chez
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Others that come to mind but weren’t born in the USA:

Juha 

Morgan - he lives in the USA now but I’m not sure he was born there 

Igor 

From the USA:

Paul Knight - hasn’t competed regularly in years 

Aaron Corcoran - Aaron still competes

guys from the past:

Dave Morton

Heath sexton

tommy heslep

Tim struse

 

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7 minutes ago, Chez said:

Others that come to mind but weren’t born in the USA:

Juha 

Morgan - he lives in the USA now but I’m not sure he was born there 

Igor 

From the USA:

Paul Knight - hasn’t compete regularly in years 

Aaron Corcoran - Aaron still competes 

Thanks for the input!! I hope to make the list in the near future 

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2 minutes ago, Stephen Anderson said:

Thanks for the input!! I hope to make the list in the near future 

And our race is still on. Going for 190 Sunday as my 14th session back from hand surgery 😜

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To piggy back if Chez’s post

Steve Mcgranahan (Spl?)

David Morton

Clay (I think?)

Heath Sexton

all from the USA

There are others as well. Just can’t remember them without engaging Google fu.

i actually made a post some years back about all who had closed a #4 in response to a thread I think that was titled “do you think you’ll ever close a #4?”

in that post, I listed over 20 verified #4 closers who had done so with at least a MMS. And that was 6-7 years ago..

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To be honest. People knock grippers a lot but if you look at the list of 4 closers in our community, they are pretty strong guys (most big). There is a lot of technique and specific training required to close a 4 but it also takes strength and you usually need a strong body to do it 

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4 hours ago, Chez said:

And our race is still on. Going for 190 Sunday as my 14th session back from hand surgery 😜

Goodluck!

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Around 30-40 people have done it of what I know. Most of them are strong all around but maybe not all of them. Some are strong in all areas some are grip specialists.

Juha Harju, grip specialist but also very strong in big lifts as well.

Magnus Samuelsson was/is just plain strong, both grip and everything else. He benched 100 kg the first time he touched a barbell in his teens :laugh

 

 

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Gripper king Nathan Holle is super strong all around as well. Can't find it now but at least according to himself (I have pretty decent memory for this stuff but I might be a bit wrong), he's done 230 kg / 507 bench, 305 kg / 673 lbs deadlift, and 250 kg / 551 lbs squat.

Then, on the other hand, we have a anomaly in Qianchen Yang whom doesn't seem to be particularly strong all around, from what I can tell, but he still has one of the most insane vice gripping hands on the planet.

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I guess the biggest thing that jumped out at me. are the guys that have this crazy crush grip like out of this world elite. But are just sub par on other grip related things. Because there are alot of people who have monster bench, squat and dead but are sub par in grip... crazy how the body works...

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There is a high baseline amount of upper body strength required to set a #4 gripper, let alone close it, but nothing exceptional. If you look at the #4 closers, yes, some of them are monstrously strong overall, but it seems that most of them are about as strong (general strength) as a person their height, that engages in regular moderate-to-strenuous exercise.

I believe the same would be the case for elite-level benders as well. You have to be strong to bend, but benders aren't going to be switching sports with the expectation of remaining elite like, say, an elite powerlifter or strongman might.

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10 hours ago, Stephen Anderson said:

How many guys that have closed the #4 also have accomplished other world class feats?? Trying to figure out if guys that can close heavy grippers are also very strong in other feats!! 

Just check David shamey out, world class strongman and arm-wrestler.  it entirely depends what they set their focus too... same as anyone else.

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1 hour ago, Stephen Anderson said:

I guess the biggest thing that jumped out at me. are the guys that have this crazy crush grip like out of this world elite. But are just sub par on other grip related things. Because there are alot of people who have monster bench, squat and dead but are sub par in grip... crazy how the body works...

IMO grippers are like the bench press of grip sport. You're not going to see WR in deadlift from a guy who is at his peak (WR level) in bench.

Some people are very good at both grippers and thick bar at the same time, with emphasis on some. But they usually have at least one weak area in grip still. Weak meaning, not at the same level as their best events.

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Don't forget Kinney!!! Man handling and grinding those 4's like a boss!!!

 

Okay I'll let myself out lol

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10 minutes ago, king crusher said:

Don't forget Kinney!!! Man handling and grinding those 4's like a boss!!!

Also Superman and The Incredible Hulk. Although not quite as convincingly. 

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23 hours ago, EricMilfeld said:

Also Superman and The Incredible Hulk. Although not quite as convincingly. 

 

23 hours ago, king crusher said:

Don't forget Kinney!!! Man handling and grinding those 4's like a boss!!!

 

Okay I'll let myself out lol

 

On 2/12/2020 at 8:00 AM, Fist of Fury said:

IMO grippers are like the bench press of grip sport. You're not going to see WR in deadlift from a guy who is at his peak (WR level) in bench.

Some people are very good at both grippers and thick bar at the same time, with emphasis on some. But they usually have at least one weak area in grip still. Weak meaning, not at the same level as their best events.

 

On 2/12/2020 at 7:15 AM, Squeezus said:

There is a high baseline amount of upper body strength required to set a #4 gripper, let alone close it, but nothing exceptional. If you look at the #4 closers, yes, some of them are monstrously strong overall, but it seems that most of them are about as strong (general strength) as a person their height, that engages in regular moderate-to-strenuous exercise.

I believe the same would be the case for elite-level benders as well. You have to be strong to bend, but benders aren't going to be switching sports with the expectation of remaining elite like, say, an elite powerlifter or strongman might.

So what would be considered an “elite” RGC rating for MMS close?

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4 minutes ago, Stephen Anderson said:

 

 

 

So what would be considered an “elite” RGC rating for MMS close?

I would say 180#

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