Michigan Grip Champs 3

[Bob Lipinski]

The 3rd Michigan Grip Championships were held again at 3 Rivers Michigan, at Don Larkin's gym. Don has been doing grip training before many of us were born, doing feats that many of the best today find nearly impossible. Thanks to Don for hosting the venue, and of course thanks to our generous sponsors Heavy Grips Handgrippers and Fat Bastard Barbell.

First event- Grippers

1. Bob Lipinski, PDA 190

3. Dave Thorton, Hard #3

3. Jeff Flynn, Hard #3

8. Mark Riddle, Heavy grips 300

8. Jesse Reimann, Heavy grips 300

8. Ryan Klein, Heavy grips 300

8. Nick Rosendaul, Heavy grips 300

8. Sean Dockery, Heavy grips 300

10. Stew Rosendaul, Heavy grips 300

10. John McGuire, Heavy grips 300

11. Brian Amundsen, SM

13. Steve Shafley, #2

13. Cash Scott, #2

14. Bill Mosher, HG200

For the third year in a row I took the gripper event, followed very closely by Jeff and Dave. Dave is making big strides in the gripper event, and may soon rise up to the top stop if I don't bust a little ass. Many of the competitors were stalled at the Heavy Grips 300, which is a pretty damn tough gripper in its own right.

Plate Pinch:

2. Dave, 210

2. Cash, 210

3. Stew, 170

4. Brian, 167.5

7. Mark

7. Jesse

7. Jeff, 165

9. Ryan

9. Bob, 155

12. John

12. Nick

12. Sean, 150

14. Steve

14. Bill, 140

And here begins the dominance of Thorton. Dave and Cash both got 200, so with the urging of the crowd, they agreed to hit a 210 tiebreaker. They both got it! Cash hung with the champ here, but the amazing thing about him is that he is only 18 years old. He is a local kid trained by Don who happens to have amazing potenial and a fierce competitive spirit. Brian threw on some baby plates to come in next. Brian never really trains grip, he just has all the steel, bolt cutters, and loaded thick bars for show.

V-bar

1. Dave, 360

2. Ryan, 325

3. Jesse, 300

4. Stew, 275

9. John

9. Cash

9. Steve

9. Sean

9. Brian, 250

13. Mark

13. Bob

13. Nick

13. Jeff, 225

14. Bill, 200

The Thorton show continued, with another Larkin trained lifter, Ryan Klein, taking in second. Like Cash, Ryan gets pretty damn ferocious when the steel gets loaded. Dave's lift was simply amazing, done very easily. Dave just could be the strongest man in the world on this lift. The lift was done in a rising bar format with 25 pound jumps, so many of the other competitors clumped together.

[dadams]

sounds like you had fun Bob. some big numbers there!

[stew2]

It was a great time I'd like to give props to Bob, Don and all those involved they put on a great gettogether.Don's gym was preety cool an old school gym with lots of neat toys and memoriblia.It would be a great place to just go hang out and look at everything and talk.Don is a great guy really enjoyed meeting him and everyone else.Hope to make it up some time to just check the place out and see all the stuff I missed. Thanks guys it was fun.

[Sean Dockery]

Man, Looks like Stew was right in the hunt til the Travy factor caught up with him......

[stew2]

Man, Looks like Stew was right in the hunt til the Travy factor caught up with him......

←

I don't know about that that 175 hurt 210 I'd be lucky if I didn't have to skin graff some skin back on my hands.

[dthor]

Good Contest, everyone got along very well. I know we have said it before, but just going to Don Larkin's Gym is worth the drive. If Don starts talking about Grip/Strength training, you are very fortunate.

I'm not sure about the 210 plate pinch. Bob's going to double check. The v-bar lift doesn't include the implement, which is a bit over 6 lbs. I'll weigh it on a better scale and make sure.

I was lucky and had a good day. 4 pr's out of 5 events. Before I left there were four 120 penny nails on the Gym wall that the guys bent.

[jad]

Bob what is a PDA 190?? Is it harder than a "hard" #3? Thanks

Josh

[Bob Lipinski]

Part 2-

Bending

1. Jeff, kinked FBBC 5/16, completed grade 8 6"

2. Bob, grade 8 6"

3. Dave, grade 5 6"

4. Mark, 60d 6"

5. Jesse 60d 6"

6. John FBBC 1/4, 6"

7. Cash FBBC 1/4, 6"

10. Steve FBBC 1/4, 6"

10. Ryan FBBC 1/4, 6"

10. Brian FBBC 1/4, 6"

14. Stew

14. Sean

14. Nick

Again, Jeff and I placed 1-2 on bending for the third contest in a row, with Dave coming up behind us. Jeff has unsuccessfully lobbied for quite a while to have bending count double. He put a big kink in the FBBC bar but could not finish it. I tried a cut grade 8 for the win, but at that point I was just plain out of gas. In this event, if two people tied and had an unsuccessul bend at a more difficult piece of steel, whoever kinked it the most got a higher placing. The Ohio guys, citing "short steel bending is the devil", held out on this event.

Double overhand 2" bar deadlift

2. Dave

2. Ryan, 360

5. Brian

5. Sean

5. Mark, 345

6. John, 340

8. Cash

8. Jesse, 330

10. Bob

10. Nick, 315

12. Steve

12. Jeff 275

13. Bill, 250

14 Stew- Dropped

The Thorton Show continued, with Dave and Ryan tieing at 360. They both tried a tiebreaker, at 370 I believe, but they could not get it. Ryan, another Larkin trained lifter, went after his attempts with serious intensity. Brian and Mark, regular thickbar asskickers, along with Sean, brought in the next few places.

Unfortunately, Stew had to drop out at this point.

The final tally:

1. Dave- 11 points

2. Ryan- 31

3. Jesse- 31 (Ryan had a higher event placing)

4. Bob- 35

5. Jeff- 36

6. Mark- 37

7. Cash- 39

8. Brian- 39

9. Sean- 40

10. John- 43

11. Stew- 55

12. Nick- 57

13. Steve- 58

14. Bill- 66

As you can see, Dave clearly destroyed everyone, with much of the other placings being relatively close. Last time around it looked like everyone might catch Dave, but he really improved on his weak points this year. Mark "The Grip Mongloid" Riddle dropped from 2nd to 6th, as he was infected by the general laziness of the Midland detraining crew. And a big congratulations to Steve Shafley, who once again realized his goal of not placing last.

Again, thanks to everyone- Don Larkin, Fat Bastard Barbell, Heavy Grips Handgrippers, the judge Ralph Soffredine, my wife, and all the people who care either enough about grip strength or not hurting my feelings to show up.

[Bob Lipinski]

Josh- The PDA 190 is probably between what I would consider a hard 3 and a typical BB Elite. Probably more precisely, in between the MM 1 and 2, a little closer to 2.

[Jedd Johnson]

Bob what is a PDA 190?? Is it harder than a "hard" #3?  Thanks

Josh

←

I was wondering the same thing!?!

-Jedd-

[Bob Lipinski]

Jedd, my response is above.

I don't really have any better name for it. The gripper was a prototype sent from John at PDA with a newer measuring system they had for determining gripper strength. "190" was the strength, with my 3 being around "160" and my 4 around 250-260, if I remember right. Those numbers could be way off, just from memory here.

[Clay Edgin]

The Ohio guys, citing "short steel bending is the devil", held out on this event.

Moral objections to nail bending?

Bob, the 160, 190, and 250 numbers are similar to the numbers that I got using comparable grippers on a bathroom scale. My #3 came in around 165, a hard Elite was 190-something, and #4's ranged from 230-250. Maybe PDA uses the ol' bathroom scale method?

Sorry again that I could not make it. I'm still working through what caused me to stay home that weekend.

Edited August 15, 2005 by ClayEdgin

[stew2]

I can't speak for Nick and Doc because they really do think its evil.But since I layed off bending for several months I've made more progress in other areas and now that I'd like to start up some agian I can't get past the pain guess I'm just a wimp.I really did plan on finishing the bending though the 6"1/4 was supposed to be a warm up but someone was just not oing to let me finish oh well next time. Although braced bending those 3/8 spikes didn't cause any hand pain they sure did leave some hellish bruises on my thighs definitely need to start using a pad.

[Tom of Iowa2]

Thanks for a detailed report.

Great stuff.

A 400# V bar someday??WOW....seems possible.

[Jedd Johnson]

Sounds very impressive guys. Great numbers. I just keep reading the numbers over and over and it is really motivating.

-Jedd-

[MisterRiddle]

I got the bender's bags from FBBC. Can't wait until the next contest.