The New Im Pinch Block

[Tom Black]

I’ve been training lately on the old Ironmind Pinch block and I am very curious about the newer thicker one, especially after seeing the Josh Bigger photos with the small one. Does anyone here have both the old and new blocks? How do they compare? What I’m most curious about is if one can lift X on the small, what can they do on the large “X-?” or can they do more (I doubt if they could do more). I know that the old one has a slick surface and the new one has the same and that people have a hard time lifting the new one. I’d also like to know what kind of numbers you guys are putting up, but be careful on anything over 65-pounds (Wade Gillinghams recent lift in the Steel fingers challenge) I’d like to see a picture of that

[Bob Lipinski]

Never did the old one, but I did 50 pounds and whatever the loading pin and block weigh on the new one. That is about what I am able to pinch on a 4.5 inch wood block. It was much slicker than the wood.

Edited December 18, 2002 by Bob Lipinski

[Guest Mikael Siversson]

I’d also like to know what kind of numbers you guys are putting up, but be careful on anything over 65-pounds (Wade Gillinghams recent lift in the Steel fingers challenge) I’d like to see a picture of that

Is that with or without chalk?

[Tom of Iowa2]

The owner of our gym-Holly -out of the goodness of her heart.Ordered us a new big block from MILO this morning!Before you posted this.ESP :ninja

We will let you know what the comparison is-we will-of course have both.

I will say Josh adapts to thicker handles very quickly and prefers them.Keep in mind-i think this is ok to say now? that he walked into the gym-hadn't lifted in 7 years and pulled over 225 on the Rolling Thunder first try and a week or two later pulled 245.he asked us what the big deal was?

Also regarding his preference(genetic aptitude?)of thicker implements-With our new 2 3/8 wrist roller-(yea i know its not really a grip exercise or is it? as you hold back 300 lbs with one hand as you crank on the other? got the photos )sorry-got side tracked but I can do MORE on the 2 inch and LESS on the 2 3/8?and he can do more on the big diameter 2 3/8??

My point?Just a guess.But I think he'll do better on the wide pinch..we will be useing the 'big block'pinch at our contest so-although he's disinterested in the lift and never practices -he will begin to use it when it arrives.....

A better comparison...for most people..will be to see what I do on the wide vs. the narrow.I just do not like to talk about my own lifts..which aren't half bad

I will report the difference in a percentage.

[Tom Black]

Bob,

That’s interesting, because I have found that the weight I can do on the old one is very close to what I can do on my 3.5” wood block. After awhile I’m growing fonder of the slick surface. What I like is that chalk doesn’t help. I think this would make for consistent comparison to what those guys in the competition did. This really shows the difference a surface can make- 3” wide slick painted metal block=4.5” wood. Usually the 4.5” wide object would be a lot harder.

Mikael, the chalk doesn't seem to help. I think if someone roughed up the surface, left it outside for a few months and used chalk for lifting it the characteristics would change because the chalk helps for non-slick surfaces.

TOI2 (Tom of Iowa2),

I'll wait for your comparison, but I'd be really surprised that he will find the 3" slick block easier!

[Tom of Iowa2]

Everytime I turn around this guy suprises me. You might be right though.

I think the main thing is that he will have an interest in the new block.The old one sat around unused until the day of the photo because he new from the beginning it ISN'T being used in competitions anymore.......i think...him training the pinch grip will help his other lifts?

[Tom of Iowa2]

Tom,

The Big Block came in today.

I did about 67% of what I could do with the old IM block.

Josh did about 90% of what he did on the old IM block.Neither of us have ever trained Pinch grip....we WILL now though..this thing is a challenge..frustrating.

I'll get some pics...it IS a tough appartus...slick...and it has a bit of weight ot it..very deceptive,,it just 'seems' so Easy in the warm ups and ya think I'm going to crush this thing...but it didn't work out....Josh loaded it right up to 80 lbs(nope) he was so confident and then had to work his way backwards..... sort of glad he had to unload it a couple of times before he got it.......human after all.

[gazza]

Mikael

I no that you favour the 2x15 kilos Eleoko plates as your pinching width,and that it is what yourself Arne,Kalle etc use for every grip competition,i am just curious as to wether Arne or Kalle have pinched more on a wider or narrower pinching surfuse seeing as they have ,i

presume larger hands than yours

[Tom Black]

Thanks Tom. Interesting that Josh would try starting with a higher weight. He is definitely new to pinching, because it would be very surprising to most of us here that he could have done more on the thicker block, even if it feels more comfortable to him to do thick implements.

[gazza]

TOM

As in mr.Black reading your last reply on this post,would you say the same could be said of Richard Sorin,as i have never seen in print

Richards thin pinches,all his pinches seem to be 3" or over,please

correct me if i am wrong

[Guest Mikael Siversson]

Mikael

I no that you favour the 2x15 kilos Eleoko plates as your pinching width,and that it is what yourself Arne,Kalle etc use for every grip competition,i am just curious as to wether Arne or Kalle have pinched more on a wider or narrower pinching surfuse seeing as they have ,i

presume larger hands than yours

Gazza,

We use the old Eleiko plates for two main reasons; 1) they have rounded edges which means that one is less likely to cut open the skin, which in turn means that one can pinch more frequently; 2) rounded edges also decreases the likelihood of sharing blood will all the other competitors.

I do well up to about 80 mm width after which there is a fairly sharp decline in strength. I have not tried narrow widths. Arne and Kalle do have larger hands than me but I don't know how well they would do on other widths. They did lift about 10-15 per cent more on David's set up but this was, according to themselves, mostly a result of a less slippery surface.

[Tom of Iowa2]

Tom,

I warmed up a bit 25lbs,30,35,and so on... ...i did go a little higher than that though.

He watched me and knows I'm way behind him in all grip related stuff and laughed said "get those little plates off"and threw on a 47#plate- that went right up- EZ- and he then threw a 25 and a 10 on there.......and then had to come back down.....

Well with that failure he is finally interested in pinch grip....

[gazza]

Thanks Mikael

Are the Eleokos you use chrome plated and do you use chalk.

I also found the setup that David uses easier to grip than mine.

Does anybody no what sort of metal paint ironmind use on there pinch blocks,is it Hammerite.

[Guest Mikael Siversson]

No they are not and yes we use chalk.