John Wood Posted April 21, 2003 Share Posted April 21, 2003 I remember Blackman very well. He was a wild man. He clicked a #3 the first time he tried it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom of Iowa2 Posted April 21, 2003 Share Posted April 21, 2003 I thought he possessed a monsterous grip.Another 'farm boy'shuts the #3--- first try well Ken isn't just any farm boy? I guess your a pretty good witness. Any other football types click the #3 first try? He told one of the other guys here that he had never lost in armwrestling to anyone in the NFL(for all you arm wrestlers out there he just said NFL ) Yes he had a wild way to him?? -had a custom Harley shop?and raises wolves?and was at the time married to 'Medusa'a WWE wrestler...she came to the gym once or twice too. Him and Sean the cyborg'were working out.Sean was trying to show ken some bodybuilding crap..and because Seans arms DWARFED kens(longer and bigger)???ken was actually interested.They had 325 on the bar doing 45 degree inclines for reps.Ken USUALLY did them narrow..football style..for useable strength? Sean told him to widen his grip a little.Ken did 4 or 5 reps out wide grip..didn't like it.Let the bar set on his chest for a moment and then switched his grip back to narrow-without any strain finished the set. Another time they were hanging out and ken was trying to rip a phone book.Cold no tricks.Despite his monsterous grip and huge forearms he was having a time of it.Sean grabbed it out of his hands and ripped it like a bag of chips.Ken was astonsihed.Sean does NOT train grip or perform ripping or bending feats...If you see Ken again i'm sure he will use colorful metaphors to describe Seans McCabes strength!!! ......it wasn't Kens gym strength that impressed us either...it was just his presence(he was weighing 345 at the time)and attitude. Forgive my long winded stories...for us local yokels it was quite a sight.I'm sure you've seen it all and could tell more Blackman stories Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mac Posted April 22, 2003 Share Posted April 22, 2003 Robert Wadlow's hands were 12.75 inches in length, if memory serves (source. Guiness Book of Records). To me, your "strength" is what you can lift on the bar, any given bar on any given lifts. If a man with 12" hands lifts more than me on a thick-bar lift (say, 3") then yes, he is stronger - he is able to express his strength better than I can on the 3" bar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAMMERHEAD Posted April 22, 2003 Share Posted April 22, 2003 Mabey some need to read Brookfield's view on the subject. Just because a man has a bigger hand, and may be able to lift a bigger wieght due to his hand size does not mean he has a stronger hand. To test this you hand him a gripper, or something narrow to pinch, etc. because this is fair because you can make it fit a smaller persons hand and test "hand strength." Roark's fairbar idea is to have a true test of any persons hand. He is not replacing any feats of strength. The fairbar idea is an addition to the grip world and has nothing to do with anything else. -HH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Browne Posted April 22, 2003 Share Posted April 22, 2003 Mac, You are correct with Wadlow's hand size. He also wore a size 37 shoe. Weighed 490 lbs. when he died at age 22. Took 12 pallbearers to handle the casket. There is a life size statue that is supposed to be anatomically correct placed in Alton, Illinois Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza Posted April 23, 2003 Share Posted April 23, 2003 Just looked in this years Guiness book of records. Wadlow wore a size 25 ring. the Biggest hand recorded of a living person belongs to Samalian born Hussain Bisad,his hands measure 10.59" or 26.9 cms. Interesting note Big Tony Scrivens was able to lift the Inch replica again,but could not get a 40lb blob. Proves that you cannot alter what you are born with,except for surgery or cheating.I am shore that Big Tony could train to lift the 50lbs blob,i also think that sometimes to much enfacis is put onto the size of the hand,look at DAVID HORNE,he may well be the person with the smallest hand to lift the blob,shure he has awesome hand wrist and finger strength,but his hand is only 7 3/4" not big by any means and if David can train to lift the blob i am shure a lot more people can also. I think sometimes people put a mental block on things by looking at things in a negative way,just do the best with what you have ,if it happens it happens,if it doesnt,you have done the best you can.do you think that Jim Wylie has put in less effort to get were he is,just cause he has bigger than average hands,he still has to work his arse off,same as Wade,Steve G. Another example,take Brian Carlton,Matt Makousky,and Rick Walker,over the last 12months there grip lifts have rocketed, HARD-WORK and a never say die attitude,plain and simple. Is it unfair that certain individuals have bigger hands than you or i, in my eyes no cause they haven,t cheated. Wouln,t life be boring if we all looked the same,had the same hand length,all had the same strength grippers etc. I,m shure that Arthur Saxon didn,t say to people ,but your 100lbs heavier than me,or Hermann Goerner said lets have a look at the size of your hands before we deadlift(regardless of hand size he still would have out deadlifted them anyways). Just my 2 cents worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ostlund Posted April 23, 2003 Share Posted April 23, 2003 (edited) I laughed when I read the statement by the 6'7" guy. If his hand isn't larger than most, who would have a larger hand? The 7 footers!? Wannagrip, My hands are 8.25 inches from the first line in the wrist to the tip of the middle finger. While my hands may be bigger than average I would definitely not consider them to be abnormally large. Moreover, I don't believe they are so big that they give me any kind of freak advantage on blobs. For example, hand size obviously helps in rolling thunder and I have trained that for awhile yet I still suck at it. From some of the previous posts it seems to me that some people don't think I really train. I have been lifting on a regular basis for nearly eight years, have competed in strongman for two years, and have done grip work throughout. Where I am right now with my strength is far more a result of my hard work rather than god given advantages. Dave Ostlund Edited April 23, 2003 by David Ostlund Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobsterone Posted April 23, 2003 Share Posted April 23, 2003 I thought he possessed a monsterous grip.Another 'farm boy'shuts the #3--- first try well Ken isn't just any farm boy? I guess your a pretty good witness. Any other football types click the #3 first try? He told one of the other guys here that he had never lost in armwrestling to anyone in the NFL(for all you arm wrestlers out there he just said NFL ) Yes he had a wild way to him?? -had a custom Harley shop?and raises wolves?and was at the time married to 'Medusa'a WWE wrestler...she came to the gym once or twice too. Him and Sean the cyborg'were working out.Sean was trying to show ken some bodybuilding crap..and because Seans arms DWARFED kens(longer and bigger)???ken was actually interested.They had 325 on the bar doing 45 degree inclines for reps.Ken USUALLY did them narrow..football style..for useable strength? Sean told him to widen his grip a little.Ken did 4 or 5 reps out wide grip..didn't like it.Let the bar set on his chest for a moment and then switched his grip back to narrow-without any strain finished the set. Another time they were hanging out and ken was trying to rip a phone book.Cold no tricks.Despite his monsterous grip and huge forearms he was having a time of it.Sean grabbed it out of his hands and ripped it like a bag of chips.Ken was astonsihed.Sean does NOT train grip or perform ripping or bending feats...If you see Ken again i'm sure he will use colorful metaphors to describe Seans McCabes strength!!! ......it wasn't Kens gym strength that impressed us either...it was just his presence(he was weighing 345 at the time)and attitude. Forgive my long winded stories...for us local yokels it was quite a sight.I'm sure you've seen it all and could tell more Blackman stories I love your stories - still waiting on the sent package to arrive though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roark Posted April 23, 2003 Author Share Posted April 23, 2003 To some of these posts I say, huh? Of course hard work from a small handed person can enable him to outlift an UNtrained larger handed person. Who here wants a smaller hand? No one? If hand size is not relevant to potential in grip, then a smaller hand would not matter. In thick bar, to say larger hands do not matter is to say that in a reaching contest longer arms don't matter. You cannot lift what you cannot grasp or you can't reach. And yes, someone who can deadlift more on a 3" diameter bar because of hand length is of course stronger than someone who because of shorter hands cannot lift the same bar. It is hardly a meaningful test. Hand length is an advantage- which will not by itself- make you a grip master, but it most certainly is more helpful than hurtful toward that goal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGuy Posted April 23, 2003 Share Posted April 23, 2003 In weightlifting, bodyweight is always stated. Why not state both bodyweight and hand size when it comes to grip feats? Handsize is at least as relevant as bodyweight with grip. So I can say as an example, that at 275, hand length 8 7/8'' pinched 5 x 10 lb Olympic plates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom of Iowa2 Posted April 23, 2003 Share Posted April 23, 2003 Mobster. I'll check with the local post office and have it traced..by now it should have been there..???but i've never shipped international before. Hey what is really COOL about this story is that by chance... John Wood (a COC and well known trainer himself)knows Ken Blackman and saw Ken click a number #3 the FIRST time he used it.And Ken would likely tell people that Sean(who i've mentioned before) is stronger than Ken is... anyway...i had NO idea that Ken had closed a #3 as i wasn't really all that interested in grip when i met him.I did know that the minute i saw Ken that(throw the fact out the window that he was a top O-line man in the NFL and was 6'6 1/2 340plus lbs)that he had some beastly strong forearms and paws on him... THAT Ken IS on a SHORT list of people that have CLOSED the #3 is amazing (not suprising)to me.And that he did so in front of such a credible witness is something...I made some phone calls and found out that since he retired he is living/staying 20-25 miles AWAY.i don't have the nerve to call him though..i met him but didn't work out with him..that was 35 lbs ago..i don't think i made an impression He is a triple scarey dude.Was nice enough..but as John said a wild man....to me...beyond wild. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom of Iowa2 Posted April 23, 2003 Share Posted April 23, 2003 Mobster, No B.S...but for your enjoyment.Ken WAS married to former WWF female wrestler and now WWE 'trainer'.Someone told me they split up? i saw her on T.V. not to long ago...racing her OWN Monster Truck..and he really did raise wolves and when he was in Florida he had a custom Harley shop. i have seen some crazy stuff.as a fan of strength-power-and grip i feel fortunate. I just can't get over the fact that he actually 'clicked' a #3..wow..what are the odds????? how many more like these guys are out there??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom of Iowa2 Posted April 23, 2003 Share Posted April 23, 2003 Gazza, Talking about ring size..which is just trivia. I think Big Tony wears a size 21 and that Phil pfister wears a size 20 ring. Compared to Wadlow?Big Tony at 5'11"and Pfister at 6'6"are just 'little people'......but some 'Oscar Meyer'fingers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Wood Posted April 23, 2003 Share Posted April 23, 2003 Hey what is really COOL about this story is that by chance... John Wood (a COC and well known trainer himself)knows Ken Blackman and saw Ken click a number #3 the FIRST time he used itI didnt see it personally but my Dad did. Several Bengals closed the 3 the first time they tried it.how many more like these guys are out there??? Im guessing that if you were to take a #3 and an Inch replica around to all the NFL and NBA teams, the list of names on those respective feat lists would increase by at least three fold, (maybe more). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Piche Posted April 23, 2003 Share Posted April 23, 2003 Im guessing that if you were to take a #3 and an Inch replica around to all the NFL and NBA teams, the list of names on those respective feat lists would increase by at least three fold, (maybe more). No way John. They all don't have that big of hands. Maybe just a bit above average. Of course we don't know how much an advantage even 1/8" of an inch in hand size truly is. David O, can you close a #3 gripper. My guess is you should be pretty close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roark Posted April 24, 2003 Author Share Posted April 24, 2003 As I recall, Kim Wood told me that of the first dozen Bengals who tried to lift the Inch, half of them got it off the floor- not sure how far. These are giant men with great strength and Kim had thick bars on hand as part of their training. Regarding basketball players and the Inch, I imagine the Inch would be lifted by the long finger guys frequently. The 172 is not a problem for these pro athletes, and the grip is less of a problem for them because of their longer hands (which don't matter ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Walker Posted April 24, 2003 Share Posted April 24, 2003 I was interning at Pitt for a few months and got to spend some time around the players. I will tell you-the best squat on the team was 550. I thought that was pretty low considering they are a D1 team and some are future pros. Also-I can almost gurantee that 99% of them could not close the #3 without some training. Buddy Morris did have a number of IM grip tools there-and some thick bars which was pretty amazing-but for the most part the players were lightening quick-but not super strong. Rick Walker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom of Iowa2 Posted April 24, 2003 Share Posted April 24, 2003 Rick, Not being argumentative but if John said NFL and NBA pros?? then perhaps 1% or 2% of D1 players actually MAKE it in the Pros...more get drafted or are given a try out or are tested at the 'combines' but few really make it.... so he is really talking about the cream of the crop?The monsters of the midway...the freakazoids Perhaps i have that statistic # wrong?But not too many people actually ever make it into the NFL.i think Ken started for the Bengals for two years.....?right out of college....before ruining a knee....very freaky guy and one of many at that level? Also i believe?That Ken was an all around powerhouse includeing and especially the squat.Word is(unverified,I'll try to find out for my own curiosity)that in College he set some big records and numbers...although he indicated to the guys that AS a pro he did NOT lift as heavy anymore.Lifting to him seemed to be 'maintenance'-just part of his 'job'although he did say he wanted some big guns like Sean (and even said after football he's like to squat some Huge numbersi won't repeat the numbers...don't even want to risk upsetting him.. ) Any way....a logical hypothetical?? Even IF just 1 guy on EACH NFL team could close a #3 the first time they tried it?and even if just one guy per NFL team did a full deadlift of the INCH first try?that would put a LOT of people in what had previously been pretty 'small'club?(of first time/first touch #3 closers and of FULL INCH replica deadlifts)And i think Ken WASN"T even the only Bengal that closed a #3??? Granted Ken because of his hand size(proportionate to his size 17 1/2 shoes ) and farming/labor back ground and forearm strength(arm wrestling too) is an exceptional combination of experience and genetics?...but he's probably not the only guy in the NFL that did some hard work?or has this natural aptitude...so I'd have to guess there are quite a few more out there.Especially O-linemen...you don't think the officials call 'it' every time they see someone holding do you?and holding on to another fast,explosive 300plus pounder is quite a chore for the 'pinkies'(grip) I have an open mind and a I believe as this forum gets more popular?we will find more and more awesome grips and powerful hands.I think the surface of 'potential' is just getting scratched. Because of this forum we have learned about Ken(and Josh for that matter) closing the #3 first shot...we have a 16 year old about to deadlift the blob..a 19 year old getting a Blob with OUT Blob training!?Dave close on the #4....and pulling a 230 first time RT....your 17 year old step son closing in on a #3..after just a few weeks of training. 5 years ago..WHO would have believed any of this.. (not forgetting established and awesome grippers that have been at it for years I'm just bringing up 'new developments' ) ya gotta believe there are even more out there???especially among the pro athletes(i.e.Ken probably isn't the only former farm kid/laborer to play football WITh perfect hand genetics?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom of Iowa2 Posted April 24, 2003 Share Posted April 24, 2003 Heck? 2 years ago would we have heard about some of these great feats...or would we have believed them IF we heard about them.....or would these guys even be interested in trying these things?????????? The Grip Board is indirectly responsible for some fantastic athletes getting involved AND responsible for shareing this inspirational news Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Walker Posted April 24, 2003 Share Posted April 24, 2003 I agree 100% with what you are saying. However-I also believe that grip is specific-meaning you can't have a world class grip without training it. Yes-there is that 1% of freaks out there-but on a whole-the statement holds water. Though I was and am a good deadlifter-that in itself did not strengthen my grip past being able to close a #1. Everything else I had to bust my butt for. Seeing the amount of strong men I have try and fail at grip feats-and knowing what it has taken for myself to accomplish some things-I just find it really hard to believe that that many men out there can causually and without any training, close a #3, hoist the Inch, and lift the Blob. MHO- Rick Walker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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