Photos Of W/e Work Out..

[Tom of Iowa2]

Haven't go the Photos back but did take some Photos of Josh Biggers Work out this W/E.

I have a new found respect for those that have sent in Photos.Inside a building with average lighting it is very difficult.

We had two cameras going but I have not seen the results.We also had the owner of the gym(Holly Banks) present and a 52year old martial arts instructor as well as me and a couple of family members..these aren't official lifts or records or anything but we had some witnesses....It is harder to catch the correct angle and get enough lighting than anticipated.Next time we'll move the photos out side.Again haven't seen the photos yet but i have some concerns...Maybe they'll be fine?

Josh's forearms were sore before starting the work out so it wasn't a great one.He was very disappointed but I said we'd send em in.....so we will.His 5 day a week,heavy,high volume **'power'bodybuilding style work out (with heavy arms on friday)is NOT helping his grip at all......I ALSO HAVE newfound respect for active strongmen who are good add grip stuff...obviously you must have a great! grip to be a pro strongman but THEIR work outs are so demanding and multi faceted that it probably doesn't help on things like pinch and rolling thunder- as I had previously thought.In fact the high volume and intensity of their full body workouts(usually weights 3 or 4 days a week and 1 or even 2 full days on EVENTS)probably is a detriment to specialized things like the pinch and rolling thunder....yep there are a few of them that are pretty good at the lifts but if they were't tearing their bodies to pieces

We took pictures of a nice leverage,straight out in front, with a longhandled 20lb.hammer.

Also a one arm leverage with the arm held straight out in front(shoulder height)with 37.25lbs(total wt.includes the 'handle')with the thick handled 'HEAVY HAMMER II"from Milos.This was the first time he'd ever tried the Milos device he feels he could go up to 50 lbs with it(straight out in front with a tilt)...I have no idea if thats good or not?I just know I can't even hold it straight out in front of me-much less tilt itleverage it back slowly.

1 arm Finger curls with a 175 lb dumbell.

Rolling Thunder 236.6 and 261.6(all weighed plates).

Joshs first attempt EVER(the lift just doesn't interest him)with the old Milo Pinch grip block.(very smooth,but NOT the new one).64.75lbs and 69.75.

He feels the wider block will be EZ ier for him-he did not like the narrow block.

Holding,with finger tips our bastardized HAMMER STRENGTH gripper.

Took pictures with 13 plates 605lbs and 12 560 .It took a very strong 300lb.man to lift it to him........

I took some shots of his unusual forearm development also.I'd never looked at it closely but when you consider he has an 18 3/4 inch flexed bicep.....(IF the pics turn out) you will be startled at the shape.(took no measurements but he has measured his biceps).

Josh is 5'11" and weighed 268 that day.His reach was past 76 inches???? but I'll get the actual number...just can't remember..and DON'T want to get it wrong.It was 'off the sheet'for his height though.Very long arms though.....

When Iget the Photos i am going to snail mail them to Roark with enough postage in the envelope so he can then Snail Mail them to Wannagrip.These guys are the sceptics so i'd like them to see the ACTUAL photos...because I'm afraid that when reproduced on the NET we'll lose too much resolution.....Again that sceptic comment is meant as a compliment and my snail mailing em to Roark is NEWs to him..

Other notes:

ALL LIFTS DONE WITHOUT CHALK("i don't have time to chalk up when I'm at work do i?")

Josh is a Grip NEWBIE...he has been lifting weights and training grip for 4 1/2 months.(although obviously he is blessed...and has done manual labor ALL his life)

[Tom of Iowa2]

I forgot to finish a sentence-when I was discussing newfound respect for pro strongmen and gripping.

How it should have read:

'In fact the high voulume and intensity of their full body workouts(usually weights 3 or 4 days a week and 1 or even 2 full days on events)probably is a detriment to specialized things like the pinch and the rolling thunder...yep there are a few of them that are pretty good at the lifts but if they weren't tearing their bodies to pieces in their INTENSE full body training I think their SPECIALIZED 'lifts'(pinch and Thunder)would be better.

Josh's gym work outs are intense and demanding but NOTHING like what the Pros put themselves through and I think his grip has stalled...for now at least.'

[mobsterone]

Hurry up and put them up. I need a kick i the pants to get me over three hundred and some big guys breathing down my neck will do it!

[Tom of Iowa2]

Haven't seem the actual photos- yet -but unless Josh backs off on the duration and intensity of his full body workouts there is NO chance of him getting to 300 before you do(I am not saying he would beat you to that number if he backed of either)The 261.6 was not his max -it was a scheduled lift -as he started a percentage program a while back.

But it was far harder than it should have been...and it was far harder than the last time he tried it(a while back he held it for time)and also-in a competition it Would not have counted.As he looked up to smile for the camera he dropped it...

He may have done too many grip activities before hand also..and some of the things were done more than once as we kept having flashes not go off ..etc..but all in all it was a disappointing day(for him...I would have phoned the president and awakened the pope if i could have done any of this stuff)

It's unlikely that he will back off his full body work outs as his real desire(shot term)is to be huge!- and then later-perhaps- strongman.

He does not partake in the pleasures of the Internet ...but I will relay the fact that you are planning on being first to 300......maybe it will get him more interested.

I know I repeat myself a lot...but I've met some pretty good gripsters:pfister-big tony-neese-magnus ver-baskin-Maddy-brookfield...etc. etc..and I've never seen such a 'natural'for the sport/activity....despite him being only 5'11".

He'll eventually get some big numbers on the Rolling Thunder...just not as fast As i thought he would.Good luck and hope to get the photos back soon.

[The Mac]

It's unlikely that he will back off his full body work outs as his real desire(shot term)is to be huge!

268lbs at 5'11? I would say he was not far from being huge...

Edited December 3, 2002 by The Mac

[Tom of Iowa2]

A couple of months ago-while watching him play with the rolling thunder- i made a comment to Josh.It was meant as a compliment but it was not interpreted as such-it has back fired and has created a monster.

I told him-paraprased and to the best of my memory:"your hands/wrist/forearms were as strong as ANY pro strongman in the world"I went on to say this amazed me because "Your overall bodystrength was a fraction of what most of them had."I went on to add:"it's really weird that your hands are so strong".......Whoops...A thoughtless- but innocent comment from me...well that was like throwing gas on the fire...he has just been working his butt off in the gym.

His weight room work outs -rate of improvement- are off the scale.He has gone from a double at 295(first try in 7 years)on the bench to 415 for 2 tonight.He pulled 710 from 18 inches yesterday.He squatted rock bottom 545 for 6-squat bar-(i mean ass to the ground.. in his usual understatement.."might as well get em right" )on Friday this AFTER 645 for 3 on trap bar.....These increases after just 4 1/2 months of lifting....enough to make a grown man-with 7 1/2 years of lifting-cry.

Well he's apparently -silently- proving a point...he didn't like 'overall body strength being a fraction of what the Pros have comment.. definitely took my compliment the wrong way...

[Tom of Iowa2]

Ok..got pics from two of the cameras that were there.Another lady that happened to be there snapped some photos too..I have not seen them yet.(the Zagruder film)

Through a simple mistake in addition I gave incorrect poundages(just a lb.or two)The 45's at this gym are almost all heavy(they have 80 or 90!! ,45lb plates) .Most of the plates have been weighed on an accurate and calibrated scale. a while back.Why?because they hold 3 or 4 powerlifting meets here a year,yet they didn't want to spend the xtra money on those perfectly weighed/expensive 45's.They are all marked .Most plates in the gym are HEAVY.46.5 lbs would be the average of the 45's.Some weigh 49.5 and there is a monster '45' that weighs 51.also,in the previous post, i forgot some of his warm up lifts with the Rolling thunder.

I have clear photos of:192.75,238.25,258.25 Rolling Thunder.These were his warmups.We missed(didn't turn out) the 263.5lb final set(which I previously listed as 261.6).Perhaps the Zagruder film from the grassy knoll will have this lift on it... (perhaps the other lady caught it).Ours did not turn out.The 258.25 looks good though.....No big deal really...for what it is worth 263.5 is NOT his max.Not close.....

Got some good pics of the 20lb. sledge-right down to his nose(not touching) in one shot.These are EZ...next time we'll use a little duct tape and add a 2.5 or a 5 to it.It is a very long handle.

The leverage lift -tilted towards his nose- with the Milo Heavy HAMMER II with 37.5lbs is cool...it was at the end of the work out.first try ever.Next time?He thinks he can do 50#...??Have know idea if this is tough or not?Anybody try it?

His forearm shots turned out nice.They are very unusual....to say the least...they look bigger than his upper arm but that can't be so...When you see them.Keep in mind he is long armed 5'11", 268lbs man with a 19 inch flexed bicep measurement.

Also another correction i said his reach(arm span) was 76...it is NOT..it was 75 at a height of 5'11.(Mine is close to 76 though but i'm almost 3 inches taller and wide through the clavicles-his 'span' is all arm)Don't know what the heck i was thinkin.Sorry.

Again not a big deal but dislexic memory or something.

He is looking forward to trying some pinches with the NEW MILO thick pinch....which everybody else has seemed to have some probs with?? The thin Milo-he feels-has NO correlation to anything he has done in real world work situations."the thicker the better"We'll see.We will be useing a 'big block' at our contest for anyone interested....A photo with 70# lbs turned out.... which i know is nothing really..we'll see with the thick-''diffficult'- one.

The HAMMER STRENGTH finger holds truned out OK..These are tough and we will have them at our contest(probably with 10 plates for time)8 plates is hard,10 has ripped 'through' some large strong handed fingers like a knife through paper he did 13 plates.Photo of the finger curls with th 175 are OK.

Will snail mail to Roark tomorrow with 1$ for postage so he can snail mail em to Wanna.I have access to a crappy old computer and no scanner etc......The photos aren't excellent so maybe at least these guys will get a good look at them.

No chalk on any lifts.Ever.

Sorry it's so long a post.Wanted to clarify before mailing them off.