New in the GripGallery

[Bill Piche]

I added a new sub-album entitled "Grip Training British Style!" in the gallery.

Grip Training British Style!

Thanks to Scott Essery for the photos!

You can also reach this via the main Cyberpump.com News & Updates.  You may have noticed  how I have been trying to bring grip training to the "mainstream".

[Guest baldy]

Good pictures guys. Looks like fun. Where is that stone you were lifting? I was hoping to see a picture of someone shouldering it.

David, in the first picture of the contintental sequence (profile shot, db @ waist level) it looks like your thumb is on the same side as your fingers. Am I seeing this wrong, or was that one of the ways you tried to get the bell to shoulder?

Bill - "Britain's most wanted"... hehehe. Looking like "The Usual Suspects" in there.

[David Horne]

Good eyesight baldy. I thought I'd save my thumb for later, so on that pull I hoisted it up to waist height thumbless, lowered it onto my upper thigh and changed my grip. I actually got it higher than the last photo. It's a great workout for the whole body though. It doesn't look as if anyone got any photos of the big stone being shouldered.

Bill,

On the farmers walk with 2 x 2 1/2" dumbells, Jim is walking with 78kg and 71kg, not 68kg. It's a nice section, cheers.

I love the film 'The Usual Suspects'.

David

[Guest woody36]

The "Unusual Suspects" would be more apt!

Great pics Scott,and doesn't Ben Read look fit for his age.

[Roark]

David,

Thumbless on part of the lift! Sure take the easy way!

Incredible, David- if you had a replica, and could therefore

keep the bell closer to your body, you would be perhaps

showing us photos of a success.

Nonetheless, it will happen soon, and you will have made

history as the first to continental it, and unquestionably the

LIGHTEST man to achieve it:

172 lbs is 80% of your 215 lbs bodyweight! For a 300 lb man

to compare would require a bell of 240 lbs.

It's good to see photos of your mates plus Elizabeth (not

sure if you call a female a mate in England?).

[Bill Piche]

Thanks David. I updated the caption.

[David Horne]

Yes, the're a good bunch of mates.

David

[Guest baldy]

David, excellent strategy for someone who has the strength to do it thumbless. I would imagine it would be a great workout for the entire body too. Too bad no pics of the stone lift, maybe next time.

Huge farmer's walk from Jim. I didn't realize the handle diameter of the dbs, but I should have known.

Ray, I thought the same thing about Mr Read. Very inspirational to see guys still going strong in their latter years. Many guys half his age have resigned to golf and such. Looking at him (and knowing his rep from what David posted), I would hide any IM red nails in the area before they got "damaged".

[Guest RobbyTooSlobby]

I envy you guys, and not only because of your strength.  I envy the crew of grip lifters you have...as of now it's just me and my bro.   I keep trying to recruit the guys around here but they aren't into it...maybe I'll show my girlfriend the pictures of Liz and get my lady gripping.

[elizabeth talbot]

Robby,

Small acorns grow into big trees. Keep at it.

[Guest RobbyTooSlobby]

Thanks Elizabeth

Those are some impressive lifts btw

[paul valpreda]

Those are some great photos, very inspirational. Thanks for sharing!

[Nathan Say]

Yeah that Elizabeth chick looks like she's doing ok.    

[Guest 115-1005574997]

just wanted to show you guys that we dont just talk the talk but also walk the walk here in the uk

Its good to share special days with all grip fans.

Ive got to pull my finger out though and and catch everyone else up!!!

Glad you guys like the pics.

scott

P.S just out of interest, any of you guys think you can replicate these lifts?

[Nathan Say]

I think I could match Jim Wylie's vert bar lift, except with 2 fingers. Unfortunately I don't have a vertical bar, so I'll never know for sure.  :hehe  :p

[Guest Harlan Jacobs]

What diameter bar do you guys use for your vertical bar lifts?

[Bill Piche]

Good time for a plug. I have a vertical bar for sale.

Weighs 16lbs I believe. Note you can use Olympic plates.

[Nathan Say]

Is there some way to turn off the pictures? I can't see anything underneath them.

[Guest baldy]

Scott, I know that some here could replicate some of the things that weren't pictured (the stone lifts). However, the main event was David almost getting an Inch plate loader to his shoulder. If anyone else was doing that you would probably already know about it.

I think that many of us would be happy to deadlift (on those thick handled dbs) the weights David and Jim are playing with. I know I would be happy to do so. Also, though I have never tried a 1" vertical bar, I am confident that I couldn't lift anywhere near the weight done in the last picture. Very impressive.

[Guest 115-1005574997]

Tim

I’ve been aware of the huge emphasis towards grippers and crushing strength training on the board with regards to what people are training and their training consits of.  Myself, Dave, Nick, Jim and many others do a variety of lower arm and grip stressing lifts and we have been promoting a more open mind towards training.

Now i appreciate many people do vbar lifts, plate curls, weaver stick, thick handle deadlifts, Bearhug lifts, rock and barrel lifts, 2HPG, 1HPG, reverse curls, rim lifts, finger lifts, climbing wall and cellar training.  But I thought it would be nice to show everyone just what we do.

That’s all.

Hope the pics have been inspiring and result in you guys who are just thinking of entering a contest to now make the move and compete!  Its also showing the competition and level of ability on show in August here in the UK.  Mobster, hope your training hard

[Guest baldy]

I’ve been aware of the huge emphasis towards grippers and crushing strength training on the board with regards to what people are training and their training consits of.  

yup.

Now i appreciate many people do vbar lifts, plate curls, weaver stick, thick handle deadlifts, Bearhug lifts, rock and barrel lifts, 2HPG, 1HPG, reverse curls, rim lifts, finger lifts, climbing wall and cellar training.  But I thought it would be nice to show everyone just what we do.

Not too many people seem to do this stuff, if the posts here are any indicator. Someone closes their #2 gripper and it becomes a 4 page "congrats", Jim pulls 513 lbs or so on a vertical bar and 2 or 3 people congratulate him. However, that is OK. I don't think Jim did it for anyone other than himself, therefore he hasn't been cheated of anything.

Honestly, I used to read all the messages about grippers and it bugged me a little the emphasis that is placed on them. Sort of like it bugs me the way many people think of bench press as the measuring stick of overall strength, instead of clean and jerk or something more applicable (but this is a discussion for another board). Anyway, I stopped doing any form of crush for about 2-3 months. After this time, I decided I wouldn't let anyone dictate what I did in my training and I added the grippers back in as a part of overall lower arm training. Now if someone just wants to train grippers I don't give a crap, that is their business. If someone never wants to see a gripper again that is cool too. Grippers (IMHO) are fun to train with. So is pinching, wrist rollers, thick handles, etc. I love plate curls, but I don't recover fast from them so I have to have many days between sesssions. I really like the new stuff (new to me) David and Nick brought up (bearhug deadlifts and rim lifts). I think that stone and barrel lifting is just awesome. Here is the catch, though. I would still like all these movements if no one else in the world did them, or if one out of 2 people I knew did them. Makes no difference to me. There are bigger things in life for me to worry about than what others are doing.

Anyway, I enjoyed the pictures you took Scott. Hope that there will be more like those. I would have liked to see a picture of you hitting that new PR on your 2 hand pinch. Try to get some of the stone lifts next time too!

[Guest 115-1005574997]

Just to prove i actualy practice what i preach ive emailed a few more pics of me to the boss.

I just dont like boasting about my achievements when they arent much in the big scheme of things.

Tim, i agree with what you say

[Nathan Say]

I think if we could get a certificate & get an article in Milo right away that we can show to our friends for doing a strict curl with a 45 or pinch gripping 45s, you'd see way more people training those lifts. I'm only going to close the #3 just to close it. My pet lift is a plate curl, & there's still more than that in the master plan!  

[Guest 115-1005574997]

I agree Nathan

But call me a traditionalist, but I think its a sad reflection on society and a sport when the motivating factor is a piece of paper, money or picture in a magazine.  what happened to the value of self sacrifice and pushing yourself to the limits when no one is watching.  

I know im going to get barracked for it but I personally think lifting is about pushing yourself to new levels for self satisfaction and the burning feeling of pride and achievement.  If you want to shut the 3 to get famous then I think that’s a really selfish and bad reason to lift.

[Nathan Say]

I want to shut the #3 because it would be hard to do. Some people stop there or go for the #4 almost like there's nothing more to grip training. I think it would be cool to do lots of other stuff though (I can't tell you what because nobody would ever take me seriously again).