Me Doing A 180lbs One Finger Lift

[wscorpion]

Got some material to start training for the one finger lifts.

I expected to lift like 90lbs max or something like that, but actually It was easier then I thought

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcfaFCMjfJk

[vikingsrule92]

That looked easy for you. You should definitely try putting on more weight next time.

[David Horne]

Mark,

Be real careful with this lift.

I still have the scar from the 4 stitches I required on my little finger from about 15 years ago.

David

[The Mac]

I would second David's concern - it was doing one-finger lifts (with straps, ring and barbells) that nearly cost me full use of my left hand. Rather than one individual "incident" it was a gradual build up of damage to the tendons (from doing too much too soon - I was a nipper at the time) mainly to the middle two fingers, and it was about two months before I could properly open my hand. My right was also affected, but to far less of a degree. This was about ten years ago, and I still suffer from problems with my left hand most notably with grippers - it aches and I know when not to bother with it.

Even sitting here typing this, my hands are aching at the thought of it.

[wscorpion]

hmmm.... Ok, thanks for the warning guys...

I must admit I've already had the feeling that it couldn't be too healthy for the fingers and joints, but I wanted to give it a try since I saw a picture of Dennis Rogers lifting a refrigerator with 1 finger and I just had to give it a try as well.

I guessed a standard refrigerator would be approx. 80kg's in weight, so I've set my goal to 80kg's.

I'm pretty sure I can lift 100kg's with one finger as well, but since I already lost some skin with the 80kg lift, and because of your replies, I'm not sure whether I will give it a try or leave it like this.

Personally I feel this lift doesn't really have much to do with strength, but mostly with pain resistance. Why else would I be able to lift almost as much with one finger as I can do with 1 hand?

[CoC#3]

I also have injured my self doing a similar lift - i went through the finger lift phase last year and stopped when i sprained my flexor tendon. Fortunately it healed really quick, but i could still feel it for a while on no sets.

[crobb1320]

that lift looked easy for you,but after some of the replies i would have to say its easy to get hurt on,nice job just the same though.

[wscorpion]

So far as lifting weights with the fingers goes, I believe that Warren

Lincoln Travis is the best man in the world. He certainly is the best that I

ever met, in raising weights off the floor with the aid of his fingers. I

have seen him make several big lifts with two fingers, but the best he ever

did was the time he celebrated his fiftieth birthday, when he raised the

terrific weight of eight hundred and eighty-one and one-half pounds, using

just one finger of each hand. I was the referee on that occasion, and was

proud to see Travis raise the world's record so high. On the one finger lift

he has done around five hundred and sixty pounds, while John Pagano has also

raised over five hundred pounds with one finger. The lift is not made with

the bare finger, as you are no doubt aware. The finger could not grasp the

object to lift it. The middle finger is used, and on it the lifter fits an

iron eye that has a hook attached, which grabs the object to be lifted. It

is necessary that the eye should fit tightly upon the finger up at the first

joint, as close to the knuckle of the hand as possible, as the finger is

crooked, the eye locks thereon. Just the same it has to be raised off the

floor, and that takes power. The ligament of that finger becomes very thick.

In some cases, I have seen it become so thick that it made the finger

crooked. A few years ago I met an old Swedish lifter who had quit the

profession, but in his day was claimed to be a great finger lifter. I

remember quite well that the middle finger of his right hand was almost twice

as large as any of his other fingers, just from practicing that lift.

Source

Apparently lifting 180lbs isn't really too impressive if there are guys out there lifting 3 times that weight!!!

I still feel its a pain resistant lift rather then a strength lift. I didn't had any problems holding on to the weight. The only problems I had was holding on to my skin since it was already leaving my finger due to the pressure on my finger....