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Does this seem possible??


Kevin Fulton

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Yes,  Here we go again, another bold claim that seems a bit far fetched.   In the recent USAWA Strength Journal someone is claiming they can do a 550 lb. deadlift on a 2" bar with an overhand grip and 650 with an alternate grip.  While I believe the 650 alternate grip lift is certainly possible, I find that 550 lbs. in an overhand grip to be either an exaggeration or an INCREDIBLE feat of grip strength!!  The only thing that makes it somewhat credible is that these claims were reported by this lifters training partner who I know personally and have competed with many years ago and he is not one to make up stories.  He is an incredible strongman himself (264 one hand C&J in competition)  and I doubt he would report something he hadn't witnessed first hand but I could be wrong.  Both are planning on attending my Super Grip Challenge in September so I guess time will tell if he can walk the walk.  And I certainly hope they do come and I hope that I can witness this lift in person!!  

I was just wondering what others think of these poundages????  What are the best lifts any of you have done or witnessed in this manner??

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I too thought that was a lot of weight for an over hand lift on that size of a bar.

Since you know the source I have no reason to doubt it,  and I don't think Ole Clark would put something in the newsletter that he would have doubts about, but then again he is getting old  :)

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I do not doubt that Richard Sorin or Wade Gillingham could deadlift 550 pounds on a two-inch thick bar with a double overhand grip. I think it was on the old GripBoard that someone mentioned Richard Sorin doing a deadlift lockout with over one-thousand pounds and that was on a two-inch thick bar.

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Guest JB Wright

Kevin,

Seems like I have a Milo with a pic of you pulling something around 500 pounds.  Can't rememer if it was reverse grip or not though.

JB

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    I think it’s possible.  Kevin, looks like you might have some work to do to beat this guy!  I have a 2-inch bar and it’s quite a bit easier to lift than a 2.5 or a 3-inch (like in your picture on the USAWA homepage).  I seem to remember when I first bought it that I was not a grip fanatic yet and that my deadlift poundage’s were only about 10% less than with a normal bar.  This surprised me (and still does) because I have small hands.  If the guy who did this has big hands he might be able to completely wrap his hand around the 2-inch bar, getting his 2-inch deadlift closer to his normal deadlift.

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Hi Kevin,

There's no doubt in my mind that it can be done and by someone with very large hands. Big, long hands are without a doubt an advantage on thick bars, wide pinches and wide handled grippers.

I don't do so well on this stuff because I have medium size hands but I don't worry as all round grip strength requires gripping prowess in all areas.

I reckon Goerner could have done 600lbs overhand with a 2" bar and who's to say there isn't another Goerner out there?

Nick

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Guest larrygr

Goerner, speaking of him,,what does everyone thing of the validity of the claim that he did a full deadlift with a standard sized bar, the bar in front of his body, and a one handed deadlift with 740 pounds? Seems out of this world, even compared to modern day gripmasters.

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Kevin,

Looks like you got a hot contest ahead of you. Please send me the  results. The 550lb overhand deadlift is definately possible, and as Nick said, especially if the man is large. Richard Sorin asked me on the old gripboard for some figures. The best I could find was:

Edward Aston's 496lb on a 2 1/4" bar in 1913, at a bodyweight of 168lb. Strongmen like Louis Uni and Hermann Goerner would surpass this. For the record my best I've pulled overhand is 200kg using a smooth 2" bar.

David

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Kevin,

I think it's possible - not by me though!  At the Beauty and the Beast this year one of the events will be max Appollon Axle clean and press.  It will be interesting to see what people can do with that.  Last year about half the field couldn't clean the axle without first resting it on their belts and cheating it up - that was 265.  I don't think that technique is going to work with the heavier poundages.

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I agree that most people with good grip strength can deadlift almost as much with a 2" bar as with the standard olympic bar when using and alternate grip.  In my own situation, my grip strength exceeds my deadlifting ability with the alternate grip.  However for me there is quite a bit of drop off between the alternate grip and the double overhand style.  But I just have average sized hands.  

There may even be some people who have fingers so long that they can actually use a hook grip with a 2" bar I suppose.  Has anybody seen this??

As for the competition, I hope lots of people of this caliber will enter.  My main goal has never been to win but promote a contest that will bring together strength athletes with extrodinary grip strength.  I want this to become an event where people can showcase their talent and authenticate their claims.  As we have seen on this board, there are people out there who with "undiscovered" grip strength with potential to do feats that would equal some of the greats like Sorin, the Gillinghams, Kinney, Brookfield, Horne, McKinnless and others.  AND yes maybe even Goerner!!  although that would be a rare find!!   I want my contest to help make some of these discoveries!  THe way I see it, when the time comes that I start getting beat soundly by others, that means my competition is progressing forward toward my goal of making it the most recognized all-round grip contest in the country....  My personal lifting goals are just simply to continue to improve and set personal bests, win or lose.

I am trying to finalize the details but the Super Grip Challenge is most likely going to be held in September this year.  Of course everyone here is invited and the details will be posted right here on the grip page once the plans are completed.  

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Kevin,

I have seen someone hook grip a 2" bar. The length of his hands were a good 1"-1.5" longer than mine. He was a doctor! He could deadlift the same weight (I think 165kg) overhand grip on the 2" bar that he could on an olympic bar. That was as much back and leg strength that he had.

Keep promoting your grip contest, it will surely become a classic.

David

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I can barely hook grip a 2" bar.  I can get enough of my middle finger to use it for deadlifts but when I clean I don't hook.  My hand is just under 9" from base to middle finger.

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Wade,

His hands were freaky. The longest fingers I've seen outside of  the giant Robert Wadlow, who's waxwork is at Ripleys Believe it or not auditorium. Amazingly he stood only about 6 feet tall. Freak of nature.

David

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On a reqest from Randy Strossen I tried some

lockouts on a 2 inch bar....The first day

netted a 1012lb alternate grip. and a bit

over 500 with the overhand grip.At a later

date I did deadlifts with 2 fingers(alternate

grip) each hand on such a bar and made 530

standing on a 5 3/4 high block (a bet with a

friend) which was an all out effort.My best

lockout with no straps is 1331 with an

olympic bar. RS

(Edited by 1stCoC at 7:12 am on Mar. 7, 2001)

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