The 2" V-bar- A Better Event?

[Matt Brouse]

If they told me at the next comp that there would be a 1" Vbar farmers carry event...I would train my ass off for it and try to win.

You also might want to look into reinforcing your steel toes boots...haha!

As to hand size thing. Bigger hands are a bit of a disadvatage in the Vbar and an advantage in the 2" Vbar. Once you get that blister under your middle finger nail, you'll know what I mean by "disadvantage."

My hands are just shy of 8 3/4, best Vbar is 375, best 2"Vbar is 290.

[CoC#3]

If they told me at the next comp that there would be a 1" Vbar farmers carry event...I would train my ass off for it and try to win.

You also might want to look into reinforcing your steel toes boots...haha!

As to hand size thing. Bigger hands are a bit of a disadvatage in the Vbar and an advantage in the 2" Vbar. Once you get that blister under your middle finger nail, you'll know what I mean by "disadvantage."

My hands are just shy of 8 3/4, best Vbar is 375, best 2"Vbar is 290.

my hands are far from huge they measure 8'' but yeah that tear affects me aswell. I prefer 2'' v bar, and have lifted 230lbs on it. My 1'' v bar isn't much higher.

[Scott Styles]

7" Hands:

Max 1" V-bar: 183lbs

Max 2" V-bar: 123lbs

Max Dead: 275lbs

Never had any back pain, but the 1" v-bar bugs my shoulder. A lot of the injuries on 1" v-bar seem like they could be from guys only doing the lift when they max at a contest.

[lifesnotfair]

Brouse: what's your RT max?

[Matt Brouse]

Brouse: what's your RT max?

Not worth mentioning. But I plan on returning to training it next week.

[nickr104]

2" 245

1" 295

7.5 hands

[twig]

Brouse: what's your RT max?

Not worth mentioning.

I doubt that.

[madss]

2" 245

1" 295

7.5 hands

nice Nick you so far have the closes % of 1" to 2" at 83% most everybody else is between 60 and 77%.

I am at 69% with a mid 300's on 1" and a 240 on 2" @ 7.5" hands

Edited August 24, 2007 by madss

[jad]

Never tried 2" but I doubt it could be any worse of an event than the 1".

[Jedd Johnson]

Let's make the 2 inch vbar an option. Why not. We can maintain records for both. Leave it up to the promotor, as David said, I believe. There's certainly nothing wrong with variety.

As for the axle. Is it fair for a person with 9 inch hands to compete against someone with 7.5inch hands on the same 2 inch axle in one hand size class?

[nickr104]

Let's make the 2 inch vbar an option. Why not. We can maintain records for both. Leave it up to the promotor, as David said, I believe. There's certainly nothing wrong with variety.

As for the axle. Is it fair for a person with 9 inch hands to compete against someone with 7.5inch hands on the same 2 inch axle in one hand size class?

Probably not ,but you got to work with what God gave ya. You can overcome some hand size advantage , but it gets to a point where it is just easier to do some things with bigger hands. Just got to keep working at it and do your best.

[Wes]

2" 245

1" 295

7.5 hands

nice Nick you so far have the closes % of 1" to 2" at 83% most everybody else is between 60 and 77%.

I am at 69% with a mid 300's on 1" and a 240 on 2" @ 7.5" hands

Scott, mine is 86%. Looks like Nick and I are weird

[hab34buy]

5. If there is an issue of safety, to me, the biggest issue is the Chris James incident. Freak accident? Or, an indicator of more to come? He tended to pull it higher than others, and you sometimes get that twisting or spinning effect when that happens. I don't buy the other safety arguments, but a bicep tearing off a bone on a very strong man is one good reason to seriously examine the lift. Different subject, how is Chris doing?

I only have a homemade v-bar that I've never actually load to my max (which probably wouldn't be very high ), and on top of that it has a chromed grip so I can't really imagine the skin tearing that must happen (from the sound of it though... ouch ). Also as a newbie I have not heard about biceps tearing on this device, yet I can't help but wonder would having a spinning chamber to the v-bar help prevent this kind of occurence? Or would this make it worse or harder to use. Just wondering...

[Matt Brouse]

Let's make the 2 inch vbar an option. Why not. We can maintain records for both. Leave it up to the promotor, as David said, I believe. There's certainly nothing wrong with variety.

As for the axle. Is it fair for a person with 9 inch hands to compete against someone with 7.5inch hands on the same 2 inch axle in one hand size class?

Naw, but once you get north of 2.5 inches...then its just unfair. Which reminds me, I'd like to submit the 3"bar DL for competition!

[stew2]

1"305

2"245

7.5" hands

One of the few things I can sometimes get my little bro at( or at least last tryed I could probaly lost that by now to).Jedd I don't want to separate everything by hand size that way when guys like me beat those big mitts it makes it sweeter.

[John Beatty]

Let's make the 2 inch vbar an option. Why not. We can maintain records for both. Leave it up to the promotor, as David said, I believe. There's certainly nothing wrong with variety.

As for the axle. Is it fair for a person with 9 inch hands to compete against someone with 7.5inch hands on the same 2 inch axle in one hand size class?

1st part - agreed completely

2nd part - I'll let others decide, I like competing against the monsters & have in Strongman for 10 years. Being shorter by 3-8 inches & 10-25 (very few, only 10-25lb'ers Coy, Keshishian), more like 50-190lbs lighter. There's plenty of lighter, smaller guys that whip me on grippers & Vbar. I've got 8" hands, so I'm in the middle anyway.

[lifesnotfair]

I've got 8" hands, so I'm in the middle anyway.

This forum makes me feel like a little girl... 8" is THE MIDDLE in here?? Darn!

I totally agree that lifts like the 2" Axle DL are of huge advantage to larger hands. I mean, there was a pic in Matt Brouse's gallery where he showed he could HOOK GRIP a 2" bar!! That's ridiculous. I think my fingers don't even touch on a 2" bar.... I haven't tried really, but in the RT there is a HUGE gap between my thumb and middle finger, at least 3/4" of an inch (would have to recheck).

[Matt Brouse]

I've got 8" hands, so I'm in the middle anyway.

This forum makes me feel like a little girl... 8" is THE MIDDLE in here?? Darn!

I totally agree that lifts like the 2" Axle DL are of huge advantage to larger hands. I mean, there was a pic in Matt Brouse's gallery where he showed he could HOOK GRIP a 2" bar!! That's ridiculous. I think my fingers don't even touch on a 2" bar.... I haven't tried really, but in the RT there is a HUGE gap between my thumb and middle finger, at least 3/4" of an inch (would have to recheck).

It's not a real functional hook grip...if that helps.

[Wes]

I've got 8" hands, so I'm in the middle anyway.

This forum makes me feel like a little girl... 8" is THE MIDDLE in here?? Darn!

I totally agree that lifts like the 2" Axle DL are of huge advantage to larger hands. I mean, there was a pic in Matt Brouse's gallery where he showed he could HOOK GRIP a 2" bar!! That's ridiculous. I think my fingers don't even touch on a 2" bar.... I haven't tried really, but in the RT there is a HUGE gap between my thumb and middle finger, at least 3/4" of an inch (would have to recheck).

Dude, there is a little bit less than a 1'' gap between my fingers on a RT. Hand size and thick bar are over rated. Watch Ron Mazza make the Inch his bitch and get the MDB off the ground (even tired having done event training the day before) all with his sub 8'' hands. Chris James doesn't have huge hands and he is probably the all time thickbar pimp. Clay Edgin was damn good at thickbar too and he has sub 8''. Look at the old timers like Aston and his bunch who weren't enormous guys and were very good at thickbar lifts. Hell my friend Kelly Crews (Gatorgrip) pulled around 240 (possibly more?) on the 2'' vbar the first time he ever touched it in his life with what I think are 7'' hands. Sorin anybody? There are enough exceptions to the rule to throw doubt on the supposed huge connection between thickbar and handsize

Note- I'm not saying that it isn't easier for a large handed guy to be better at thickbar but rather it is possible for a smaller handed guy to be just as good

Edited August 24, 2007 by Wes

[EricMilfeld]

In addition to the benefits already mentioned, I've noticed that my results are vastly more consistent with the 2" variety. I like it and think it's a fun lift. I'll be contesting the FBBC version in this year's Show of Hands Grip Cup.

[bencrush]

1" vbar=387

2" vbar=291

7 and 7/8" hand.

I've never torn skin on the 2" vbar so that's a good point for the contest application.

[Mikael Siversson]

I like the pain factor of the lift. It makes it more of a challenge but I understand that some don't. In the end it is up to the organiser of a competition to decide on the events so the whole discussion is somewhat meaningless.

[RKlein]

glad to see you back Mikael. are you going to update the v-bar list?

i wouldn't say the discussion is meaningless. i enjoy reading people's thoughts and it has actually changed my mind about the event slightly.

[Mikael Siversson]

Yes I will, I just got back from four weeks in the bush.

[Mikael Siversson]

I will have a word with Arne Person and see if we can make some LGC spec. 50mm vbars. Sensible thoughts there by Jedd as usual.

For the record lists I will add information regarding the specific rules in place as, in spite of my efforts, organisers have not come up with a standardised way of running the competitions. Some have a rising bar whereas others allow competitors to go down in weight if they fail. In some of the GGC I believe competitors were allowed multiple attempts within a certain time frame. The strictest approach has been that of the Europeans where you have one go and one go only within each of the four rounds or attempts coupled with a rising bar approach.

Regarding injuries and vbar lifting everyone needs to be aware of the fact that competitions are situations where you can get injured as you go all out in a lift. I personally accept this risk but others might not and they should perhaps consider if grip competitions are something they should really spend time doing. I suppose they could get together with like-minded individuals and promote "safe" grip competitions.