Common Events

[wolfguard]

I am looking at doing one of these next year (2011) season. What are some of the most common events seen in the contests? I am a long time gripper pretty decently well rounded, but I need to figure what areas to really focus on.

[Hubgeezer]

1. Most difficult gripper closed for one repetition, normally parallel set

2. Two hand pinch, typically using the European Adjustable Pinch device for width, ranging from about 44 mm to 64 mm. Athlete chooses his own width at the beginning of the contest.

3. Two hand double overhand Axle deadlift.

Most commonly there are 5 events. The above 3 are "almost" standard, but there are no standards. The other two events can be practically anything, but in America, there is usually a "medley", consisting of 15-25 different feats, with 3-5 minutes to do them. Person with the most completed wins the event.

[wolfguard]

1. Most difficult gripper closed for one repetition, normally parallel set

2. Two hand pinch, typically using the European Adjustable Pinch device for width, ranging from about 44 mm to 64 mm. Athlete chooses his own width at the beginning of the contest.

3. Two hand double overhand Axle deadlift.

Most commonly there are 5 events. The above 3 are "almost" standard, but there are no standards. The other two events can be practically anything, but in America, there is usually a "medley", consisting of 15-25 different feats, with 3-5 minutes to do them. Person with the most completed wins the event.

awesome, thanks

[Eric Roussin]

What are some examples of medley feats?

[climber511]

This is pretty close to what I will be having as the Medley at The Gripmas Carol.

VVH 2 Hand Pinch - 2 100# Plates

VVH Inch Replica Dumbbell –

VVH Pinch Deep Dish 45s

VH Blob 50 or 50# York Blob

VH Anvil by tail - Nicks

VH Pinch narrow 45s

PH The Gracie Dumbbell - weight is 146#

PH Pinch Two Deep Dish 35# plates

PH Two hand pinch block at 2”

PH Wrist Roller dead lift

PH 3/8” Two Hand Thin Pinch

PH Reeves Lift – deep dish plates

Hard 3 – 25# Standard Plates on a bar with added plates

Hard 1.9” Handle Dumbbell

Hard Inside rotational lever

Hard Outside rotational lever

Hard Braced Bend 3/8" Square or 1/4" x 3/4"

Hard 45# York Blob

Hard Plywood Lift -

Hard 2 3/8” Long Bar lift -

Hard 3” Handle Dumbbell -

M ¼” Key Pinch on 1/4" plate –

M 12" Spike V-Bar lift -

M 5 - 10s on pipe

M Coin on Sledge - 8#

M Grade 5 Reverse Bend

M Scale Weights the hard way

M 12# Slim Lever on mat

EZ Rolling thunder - stone for weight? 150#

EZ Broom Walk - 7.2#

EZ 40# York Blob

EZ 1 Finger KB - 32K

EZ Strap Hold Lift with Super Master

EZ Anvil by horn - Eatons

VVH = Very very hard

VH = Very hard

PH = Pretty Hard

Hard = well Hard I guess

Moderate = not quite Hard

EZ = kind of doable

Obviously this rating system is based on my strengths and weaknesses - I'll post the actual weights as soon as I get them figured out.

[acorn]

What are some examples of medley feats?

Its pretty variable based on whats available. The last medley I ran at one of my contests had these feats

5 10's pinch DL

4 10's pinch DL

3 10's pinch DL

2 45's pinch DL

2 25's pinch DL

6# sledge front lift to table with quarter on head

Inch Dumbell DL

2 cinder block pinch lift with a 10 on either end.

12# sledge lever to head

key pinch DL using quarter

palm pinch and press 3/4" board with 75# attached

60d bend

6x1/4" G5 bend

phone book rip (Las Vegas Yellow pages)

2 45's hub lift

2" rope vbar DL 130#

truck pull up hill using pinch blocks

narrow 25# plate with wide shallow hub lift

52# natural stone pinch lift

50# york blob lift

2" diameter revolving handle Farmers walk with 160# per hand

- Aaron

[andurniat]

This is pretty close to what I will be having as the Medley at The Gripmas Carol.

VVH 2 Hand Pinch - 2 100# Plates

VVH Inch Replica Dumbbell –

VVH Pinch Deep Dish 45s

VH Blob 50 or 50# York Blob

VH Anvil by tail - Nicks

VH Pinch narrow 45s

PH The Gracie Dumbbell - weight is 146#

PH Pinch Two Deep Dish 35# plates

PH Two hand pinch block at 2”

PH Wrist Roller dead lift

PH 3/8” Two Hand Thin Pinch

PH Reeves Lift – deep dish plates

Hard 3 – 25# Standard Plates on a bar with added plates

Hard 1.9” Handle Dumbbell

Hard Inside rotational lever

Hard Outside rotational lever

Hard Braced Bend 3/8" Square or 1/4" x 3/4"

Hard 45# York Blob

Hard Plywood Lift -

Hard 2 3/8” Long Bar lift -

Hard 3” Handle Dumbbell -

M ¼” Key Pinch on 1/4" plate –

M 12" Spike V-Bar lift -

M 5 - 10s on pipe

M Coin on Sledge - 8#

M Grade 5 Reverse Bend

M Scale Weights the hard way

M 12# Slim Lever on mat

EZ Rolling thunder - stone for weight? 150#

EZ Broom Walk - 7.2#

EZ 40# York Blob

EZ 1 Finger KB - 32K

EZ Strap Hold Lift with Super Master

EZ Anvil by horn - Eatons

VVH = Very very hard

VH = Very hard

PH = Pretty Hard

Hard = well Hard I guess

Moderate = not quite Hard

EZ = kind of doable

Obviously this rating system is based on my strengths and weaknesses - I'll post the actual weights as soon as I get them figured out.

I can't wait :mosher

[Eric Roussin]

Thanks for the lists! I can't say that I'm familiar with all of these feats, but this gives me a pretty good idea of what type of mix to expect (lifts targeting different elements of grip strength, varying degrees of difficulty).

If there are 25 items, I assume the goal is to offer a few lifts that almost everyone can do, as well as a few that almost no one can do, with everything else somewhere in between. Is this correct? Is 5 minutes the typical time limit? Is the medley done one competitor at a time, of can two or three competitors compete at the same time (assuming there are enough judges)?

Also, how do most people tackle the medleys? Do they start with the toughest feats that they know they can do, or do they first warm up with the easier stuff?

[climber511]

Thanks for the lists! I can't say that I'm familiar with all of these feats, but this gives me a pretty good idea of what type of mix to expect (lifts targeting different elements of grip strength, varying degrees of difficulty).

If there are 25 items, I assume the goal is to offer a few lifts that almost everyone can do, as well as a few that almost no one can do, with everything else somewhere in between. Is this correct? Is 5 minutes the typical time limit? Is the medley done one competitor at a time, of can two or three competitors compete at the same time (assuming there are enough judges)?

Also, how do most people tackle the medleys? Do they start with the toughest feats that they know they can do, or do they first warm up with the easier stuff?

One at a time only in the medley.

Yes the idea is a range of difficulties. The idea is not to make it so easy, everyone gets them all while not making it so hard that a new guy can't lift anything (pretty discouraging). Knowing the competitors can make this a little easier sometimes.

The time limit varies - some medleys only have ten items - another my have 30 - so different time limits.

Strategy varies also. I often give a "bonus" item which makes you have a certain level of fatigue before being able to do certain items. So you do 5, get bonus #1 - do another 5, get the second bonus item. Then perhaps do everything including all the bonus items and get a "super bonus" to try. So the promoter works "strategies" from his end as well. Personally I go towards an easy/hard process - it doesn't always work but..............

Edited November 2, 2010 by climber511

[andurniat]

Personally, I start a medley with the questionable (but doable) lifts and save the easier lifts for the end. Any extra energy and/or time then goes to what I thought to be unliftable that day.

[barbe705]

usually I try to figure which items can be handled left handed or right. start with the ones that will be max effort type lifts and work down. so, start left with the most it can handle and work down until it fails. then go right. usually I will use the left again although I think I've had better luck with taking a second to regroup rather than flailing back and forth between hands. also, after watching my last comp medley, it seems like I like to re-chalk every couple of items. I think this is basically a mental tick rather than being strictly necessary.

it's also important at the beginning to understand what will and won't be allowed in a medley so you don't waste energy/time. if an item has to be done in a certain way make sure you do it right. if an item has several ways to be done, do the easiest, no showboating(Jedd, I'm looking at you for cleaning the blob instead of just loading it a couple of years ago). for instances:

if there is a phone book, pop it. save the grip and rip for gripcerts.

a thick handle DB, brace the heal of your hand.

blob, make sure you grab it the easy way, not the hard.

all the little things add up. in the end it might allow you to get one more item and put you ahead of someone else.

[climber511]

usually I try to figure which items can be handled left handed or right. start with the ones that will be max effort type lifts and work down. so, start left with the most it can handle and work down until it fails. then go right. usually I will use the left again although I think I've had better luck with taking a second to regroup rather than flailing back and forth between hands. also, after watching my last comp medley, it seems like I like to re-chalk every couple of items. I think this is basically a mental tick rather than being strictly necessary.

it's also important at the beginning to understand what will and won't be allowed in a medley so you don't waste energy/time. if an item has to be done in a certain way make sure you do it right. if an item has several ways to be done, do the easiest, no showboating(Jedd, I'm looking at you for cleaning the blob instead of just loading it a couple of years ago). for instances:

if there is a phone book, pop it. save the grip and rip for gripcerts.

a thick handle DB, brace the heal of your hand.

blob, make sure you grab it the easy way, not the hard.

all the little things add up. in the end it might allow you to get one more item and put you ahead of someone else.

Brent has been tearing up all the medleys lately - so we all might want to listen here.

[Jedd Johnson]

Brent has lots of good information.

Yeah, I like to clean blobs when I can. It is true.

Good questions and good information, guys.

Jedd