What RGC levels are there?

[AdriaanRobert96]

This thought just struck me and I’ve wondered what levels of RGC is considered to be what?

Not that it matter too much but it would be nice to have a scale.. so to speak.

For example:

80lbs: Beginner

120lbs: Intermediate

160lbs: Advanced

190lbs: Elite 

etc, etc.. I think you get the point

[Cannon]

My experience is that using your four categories, the levels are lower. 

65: Beginner 

100: Intermediate

145: Advanced

175: Elite

This opinion was formed from seeing people try grippers in person at powerlifting events, giving people recommendations on what to buy based on their strength history and getting feedback about how that went, and witnessing here over the years how rarely someone interested in grip gets to roughly #3.5 level. There are a lot of grip contests where 175 could win the event. 

[Cannon]

And obviously there is no “right” answer and these designations don’t matter but I like talking about grip 

[Fist of Fury]

I will say 200 lbs+ to be elite. The other categories I don't really care about and what does even "Advanced" mean, everyone has different starting point. You can't say it's "Advanced" if you just started.

Nobody can start at 200 lbs so I know that holds up at least.

Edited May 18, 2023 by Fist of Fury

[AdriaanRobert96]

8 hours ago, Cannon said:

My experience is that using your four categories, the levels are lower. 

65: Beginner 

100: Intermediate

145: Advanced

175: Elite

This opinion was formed from seeing people try grippers in person at powerlifting events, giving people recommendations on what to buy based on their strength history and getting feedback about how that went, and witnessing here over the years how rarely someone interested in grip gets to roughly #3.5 level. There are a lot of grip contests where 175 could win the event. 

Hmm alright, interesting  Thanks for the feedback, so 175 rgc would be elite..

Now is that with CCS or any give close?

[AdriaanRobert96]

3 hours ago, Fist of Fury said:

I will say 200 lbs+ to be elite. The other categories I don't really care about and what does even "Advanced" mean, everyone has different starting point. You can't say it's "Advanced" if you just started.

Nobody can start at 200 lbs so I know that holds up at least.

Oh ok, so 200 goes for you

Can’t wait to get that #3.5 CCS out the way and finally lay my hands on the #4, hopefully it’s atleast a 200 rgc  

 

[Fist of Fury]

It's highly unlikely you will ever encounter a #4 gripper under 200 lbs RGC.

[AdriaanRobert96]

1 hour ago, Fist of Fury said:

It's highly unlikely you will ever encounter a #4 gripper under 200 lbs RGC.

Relieved to hear that, because atleast 200rgc wide set is my long term goal.. and when I CCS it I can rest easy

[Scottex92]

7 hours ago, Fist of Fury said:

I will say 200 lbs+ to be elite. The other categories I don't really care about and what does even "Advanced" mean, everyone has different starting point. You can't say it's "Advanced" if you just started.

Nobody can start at 200 lbs so I know that holds up at least.

I don't agree with you that you cannot consider someone advanced because they just started.

In all lifts, the levels are used to compare yourself to others based on population percentiles and usual progression metrics.

In this regard I think that CoC levels are a pretty good indicative of someones status in the overall gripper scoreboard, for me these are:

• Closing a 1 is entry level
• Closing a 2 is beginner
• Closing a 2.5 is intermediate
• Closing a 3 is advanced
• Closing a 3.5 is elite
• Closing a 4 is world class

[AdriaanRobert96]

1 minute ago, Scottex92 said:

I don't agree with you that you cannot consider someone advanced because they just started.

In all lifts, the levels are used to compare yourself to others based on population percentiles and usual progression metrics.

In this regard I think that CoC levels are a pretty good indicative of someones status in the overall gripper scoreboard, for me these are:

• Closing a 1 is entry level
• Closing a 2 is beginner
• Closing a 2.5 is intermediate
• Closing a 3 is advanced
• Closing a 3.5 is elite
• Closing a 4 is world class

Captains of Crush #4 200+ rgc here I come

[Fist of Fury]

20 minutes ago, Scottex92 said:

I don't agree with you that you cannot consider someone advanced because they just started.

In all lifts, the levels are used to compare yourself to others based on population percentiles and usual progression metrics.

In this regard I think that CoC levels are a pretty good indicative of someones status in the overall gripper scoreboard, for me these are:

• Closing a 1 is entry level
• Closing a 2 is beginner
• Closing a 2.5 is intermediate
• Closing a 3 is advanced
• Closing a 3.5 is elite
• Closing a 4 is world class

If you're a beginner you are not by any means "advanced". You might be strong but that doesn't mean you're advanced or that you even know anything about what you're doing.

Those labels are just BS in my opinion.

[Scottex92]

50 minutes ago, Fist of Fury said:

If you're a beginner you are not by any means "advanced". You might be strong but that doesn't mean you're advanced or that you even know anything about what you're doing.

Those labels are just BS in my opinion.

learning to set and close a gripper is not rocket science, it can be done in a day. you can be a newbie at programming for gripper workouts, but if you close a number 3 CoC gripper you are at an advanced level in regards to all the population (then you can take 10 years to get to elite/3.5)

Edited May 18, 2023 by Scottex92

[AdriaanRobert96]

3 minutes ago, Scottex92 said:

learning to set and close a gripper is not rocket science, it can be done in a day. you can be a newbie at programming for gripper workouts, but if you close a number 3 CoC
 gripper you are at an advanced level in regards to all the population (then you can take 10 years to get to elite/3.5)

I personally struggled with setting grippers until pretty much recently, I’ve been at it seriously with grippers for almost a year.. so there I’ll have to say that I think otherwise..

 

Edited May 18, 2023 by AdriaanRobert96

[Cannon]

5 hours ago, AdriaanRobert96 said:

Thanks for the feedback, so 175 rgc would be elite..

Now is that with CCS or any give close?

Any given close. It's uncommon around here and we are all trying to get there. When you think about the general population, I really think 175 is Elite. 

[Scottex92]

2 minutes ago, AdriaanRobert96 said:

I personally struggled with setting grippers until pretty much recently, I’ve been at it seriously with grippers for almost a year.. so there I’ll have to say that I think otherwise..

 

out of curiosity, with which aspect of the set did you struggle? were you self-learning or via youtube vids?

[AdriaanRobert96]

3 minutes ago, Cannon said:

Any given close. It's uncommon around here and we are all trying to get there. When you think about the general population, I really think 175 is Elite. 

Yeah I have to agree, I thought there might be a CCS rule for it to apply.. got it tho

[AdriaanRobert96]

1 minute ago, Scottex92 said:

out of curiosity, with which aspect of the set did you struggle? were you self-learning or via youtube vids?

I just never really felt like I knew where and how to set my gripper to get that consistency in closes, also I never really felt it was too important until I past closed the #3.5..

Thereafter I pretty much lookes at strong closers that had similar hand size as me or a slight difference and adjuster from there.

My gripper set now is similar to Ivan (very similar tbh) but maybe just half as slanted as he puts in in this hand since I have longer fingers but not as thick hand as he has (or thumb pad).

[Scottex92]

23 minutes ago, AdriaanRobert96 said:

I just never really felt like I knew where and how to set my gripper to get that consistency in closes, also I never really felt it was too important until I past closed the #3.5..

Thereafter I pretty much lookes at strong closers that had similar hand size as me or a slight difference and adjuster from there.

My gripper set now is similar to Ivan (very similar tbh) but maybe just half as slanted as he puts in in this hand since I have longer fingers but not as thick hand as he has (or thumb pad).

well those small tweaks in technique to adapt to your particular anatomy are present on all lifts

the point that I am trying to get to is that a dude that squats 4 plates in a month of training by no means is at a novice level of strenght as the guy doing 1 plate 

Edited May 18, 2023 by Scottex92

[AdriaanRobert96]

7 minutes ago, Scottex92 said:

well those small tweaks in technique to adapt to your particular anatomy are present on all lifts

the point that I am trying to get to is that a dude that squats 4 plates in a month of training by no means is at a novice level of strenght as the guy doing 1 plate 

On that I agree without a doubt

[dubyagrip]

I think labels and categories do nothing but limit potential by creating unnecessary mental barriers.  I'll look at where I fit in the sport once I've realized my full potential and apex of my performance.  Until then, I just keep training, looking no further ahead than the next gripper in line.

[AdriaanRobert96]

48 minutes ago, dubyagrip said:

I think labels and categories do nothing but limit potential by creating unnecessary mental barriers.  I'll look at where I fit in the sport once I've realized my full potential and apex of my performance.  Until then, I just keep training, looking no further ahead than the next gripper in line.

Oh man not only did you break every mental barrier with that text but it was so well put

No better way to put it!

[Hubgeezer]

On 5/18/2023 at 2:29 AM, Fist of Fury said:

It's highly unlikely you will ever encounter a #4 gripper under 200 lbs RGC.

Shortly before the RGC was “invented”, and when IronMind still let one use their own gripper, I know a Certified Captain of Crush Certifier who sold an “Easy4” to another Certified CoC (This predated the 3.5 product) for $200. The rules changed before the #4 was successfully closed as a CoC #4 cert. I think some of the moves IronMind made back in the day were good ones. 
And, I believe that the $200 gripper was probably under 200 RGC. I think your comment of “highly unlikely” is spot on, despite this near miss of the Certification that never was.

[dubyagrip]

28 minutes ago, Hubgeezer said:

Shortly before the RGC was “invented”, and when IronMind still let one use their own gripper, I know a Certified Captain of Crush Certifier who sold an “Easy4” to another Certified CoC (This predated the 3.5 product) for $200. The rules changed before the #4 was successfully closed as a CoC #4 cert. I think some of the moves IronMind made back in the day were good ones. 
And, I believe that the $200 gripper was probably under 200 RGC. I think your comment of “highly unlikely” is spot on, despite this near miss of the Certification that never was.

Wow, interesting tale!  

[AdriaanRobert96]

5 hours ago, Hubgeezer said:

Shortly before the RGC was “invented”, and when IronMind still let one use their own gripper, I know a Certified Captain of Crush Certifier who sold an “Easy4” to another Certified CoC (This predated the 3.5 product) for $200. The rules changed before the #4 was successfully closed as a CoC #4 cert. I think some of the moves IronMind made back in the day were good ones. 
And, I believe that the $200 gripper was probably under 200 RGC. I think your comment of “highly unlikely” is spot on, despite this near miss of the Certification that never was.

Oh wow, never knew this but then again I am a toddler when it comes to grip

[Fist of Fury]

6 hours ago, Hubgeezer said:

Shortly before the RGC was “invented”, and when IronMind still let one use their own gripper, I know a Certified Captain of Crush Certifier who sold an “Easy4” to another Certified CoC (This predated the 3.5 product) for $200. The rules changed before the #4 was successfully closed as a CoC #4 cert. I think some of the moves IronMind made back in the day were good ones. 
And, I believe that the $200 gripper was probably under 200 RGC. I think your comment of “highly unlikely” is spot on, despite this near miss of the Certification that never was.

Yes they are very rare. I think the lowest I've heard of was 191 or 192. The lowest CPW has rated is 198. I remember Matt actually had a constest a few years ago where you could win the chance of buying a very rare #4 gripper rated at 199 I believe it was.