EricMilfeld Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 I shared this almost bizarre story with Rex yesterday. It doesn't really sound too plausible but here it goes. So I was on The Gripboard last night when my daughter ran in from the garage to tell me her friend just picked up the Inch Dumbbell. So I walked outside and met my daughter's friend's boyfriend, who stands about 6' 3" and probably weighs 230. He told me he lifts weights, but other than being pretty big, he looks rather normal and doesn't have the look of a lifter. I measured his hands at 8.25". He tried about a dozen more times to duplicate the feat but could do no better than a couple of inches with the rear globe. Of course I have no reason to doubt my daughter or the three other witnesses who all told me he got it to about knee level. I then gave him a Blob 50 to try, but nothing. I then showed him how to set a #2 gripper, but he couldn't get the handles closer than 1/2" over the course of several tries. Anyways, the striking thing for me about all of this was the fact that a non-grip guy with hands that were not huge and rather average hand strength could do so well with the Inch. As to why he couldn't even get the thing off the floor on successive attempts, who knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jad Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 I freakin love the fact that you just immediately measured his hands Eric! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricMilfeld Posted October 13, 2009 Author Share Posted October 13, 2009 I freakin love the fact that you just immediately measured his hands Eric! Yes, I carry a tape in my pocket at all times for such occasions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MalachiMcMullen Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Test his wrist strength, specifically his ability to "gooseneck." The wrist is the first to go if you're not strong enough to lift the Inch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
climber511 Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Some strange things happen now and then with grip strength and new people. The common theme seems to be hands of 8" or better and slightly on the large size. It also seems that as soon as they find out that they just did something special - they have trouble duplicating it - I imagine that aspect is a mental thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedd Johnson Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Was the inch very moist when he tried it and his hand very clean? This is sometimes a great combination for lifting the inch, in fact it is damn near the only way i can lift my newer, harder, inch. 8.25 isn't big hands? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tusrb41 Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Was the inch very moist when he tried it and his hand very clean? This is sometimes a great combination for lifting the inch, in fact it is damn near the only way i can lift my newer, harder, inch. 8.25 isn't big hands? ok so when you measure hands.....where do you start and end for the hand size? Middle finger down to bottom of palm, middle of palm??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickr104 Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 8.25 is big to me closing on almost 1" longer than my hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naturalstrength Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Was the inch very moist when he tried it and his hand very clean? This is sometimes a great combination for lifting the inch, in fact it is damn near the only way i can lift my newer, harder, inch. 8.25 isn't big hands? ok so when you measure hands.....where do you start and end for the hand size? Middle finger down to bottom of palm, middle of palm??? Tip of middle finger to first crease in palm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricMilfeld Posted October 14, 2009 Author Share Posted October 14, 2009 Some strange things happen now and then with grip strength and new people. The common theme seems to be hands of 8" or better and slightly on the large size. It also seems that as soon as they find out that they just did something special - they have trouble duplicating it - I imagine that aspect is a mental thing. I thought about the possibility of him being psyched out by my presence and the realization he did something special. Good points, Chris. Was the inch very moist when he tried it and his hand very clean? This is sometimes a great combination for lifting the inch, in fact it is damn near the only way i can lift my newer, harder, inch. 8.25 isn't big hands? It was very moist. I even let him (made him) try with chalk. The handle has a little bit of texture in spots, so it's not quite like the IM pinch block. Yeah, 8"+ is certainly big. I was just making the point they are not HUGE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Gillingham Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 I've seen some real freaky things at the grip gauntlet almost always with the Rolling Thunder. I've had several 180-200 pound guys come in and do bodyweight or more on the RT like nothing and then not even be close on the #2 gripper or blob. I don't think it's wrist strength but some other type of favorable hand geometry that fits with thick bar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Do you guys believe in UFO's too? -Rex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 -Rex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewicked Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 that's the thing about grip feats....they're easy to do when you don't know how incredibly hard they are! knawmeeeen?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burkhardmacht Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 That's a great story, Eric! The InchDB is always good for a surprise - as I witnessed last weekend. Sometimes You can't believe it that somebody was able to do a lift and sometimes You say: "Hey, if not this guy - who else?" But often enough You are totally wrong - and that's the same with all the guys who want to lift the Inch badly but are simply unable! Bottom line: You don't need to look freaky to do freaky strong lifts - independently from a good hand geometry which would also help beside great strength. I believe one of the most overlooked factors in hand geometry is the distance between the base of the thumb and the index finger. The bigger the better - it makes the thumb work from a better angle and the hand can engulf bigger objects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedd Johnson Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 What's his thumb ROM look like? Maybe he can open his thumb way out and get a good wrap, but was just plain too tired to lift it again. Like I've said before, when my thumb gives out, I am unable to lift the inch. That is my limiting factor. I go thumbless and it doesn't leave the ground. So, maybe with the decent length hand and superior thumb ROM he was able to do it. Thumb ROM is more important than a lot of people realize. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twig Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 The number of people that have done stuff without knowing how hard it is that they cannot repeat when they do (that make's sense!) is longer than I am tall. Just goes to prove that the strongest muscle in the Human body is the Brain...even though it's not a muscle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
climber511 Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 The number of people that have done stuff without knowing how hard it is that they cannot repeat when they do (that make's sense!) is longer than I am tall. Just goes to prove that the strongest muscle in the Human body is the Brain...even though it's not a muscle. In many of us the brain is the smallest "muscle" as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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