Jaland Worley - Level 7

[Bill Piche]

The GripBoard Proudly Certifies:

Jaland Worley

*************

GripBoard Mash Monster Level 7

This certification is granted by The GripBoard as an independent third party with no ethical or commercial conflict of interest.

The Mash Monster Gripper is one of a limited number supplied and controlled by The GripBoard.

The gripper is closed with one hand under strict and uniformly ethical and authenticated conditions.

This momentous feat was demonstrated on video to assure it will be valid for posterity.

 

 

Name: Jaland Worley
Age: 37
Height: 6ft
Weight: 265lbs
Date of Feat: 9/5/2023
How Long Grip Training: Just under a year
Current Grip Training Program: Heavy, low-volume workouts every five days or so.
Other Training Info:  I've been training with weights for nearly 20 years, mostly in an aesthetic/bodybuilding form.
Other Info: I've worked a lot of hard, manual labor jobs in the past: farm & ranching, drilling, machine shops, etc.,
Acknowledgments: The entire grip sport community.  I've found a place I finally fit in, without any effort.

 

Could you tell us a little about your background in lifting?  I got into bodybuilding after high school.  I flunked out of my first semester of college because all I wanted to do was play Halo 2 and chase skirts.  I moved back in with my parents, grossly out of shape and with no prospects.  I would stay up until three or four in the morning every night, and I luckily got hooked on The World's strong man which would air on ESPN2 during those hours.  I was fascinated by Magnus and Pudzianowski.  Watching them motivated me to try and run two miles in the middle of the night to prove to myself I wasn't doomed and useless.  That next day, I went and bought a weight set. 

 

How did you get into grip training?  I admired all the strongmen I saw on TV.  I wanted to know everything about their training.  I learned about Magnus having closed something called a #4 gripper.  I did some research and ordered my first set of grippers. I had no idea how to train with them, but I was able to close the #2 out of the package.  I have freaky large hands, and I'm naturally a big, strong dude...so I knew I would be good at it.  I wonder if I'd had more exposure to the kinds of resources that exist on grip board and YouTube back then, because no telling what I'd be doing with grip if I had figured out how to train properly 10-15 years ago.  All I would do back then is squeeze them to show off.  I don't regret anything though.  Everything has worked out the way it needed to.  I decided last September (2022) that I was going to finally figure out how to close the #3, and it only took me two months to get there.  I'm quickly approaching the #3.5.  I will CCS the #4 under Ironmind's conditions.  I have supreme confidence in my ability and willpower. 

 

You are now a GripBoard Mash Monster, what would you recommend to those aspiring to close this gripper? Be consistent in your training.  Don't let the erratic nature of gripper training discourage you when you have an off day or even an off week.  All you need to do when that happens is take an extra couple of days to recover, then you can come back with vengeance and brutality to set new PRs.

 

What does your current grip routine look like?  It has evolved quite a bit over the year I've been training.  What has worked the best for me is heavy, low-volume workouts.  I typically don't do more than six reps in a workout after warmup.  The set I use is the one I'm training to cert on, but I'll still train 20mm choker closes to keep my closing power as ferocious as ever.  I can train at full intensity every five days.

 

How has your grip routine changed since you first started training your grip?  I came from a bodybuilding background, and I never really trained for power since I've had good natural strength.  I tried to approach grippers with my hypertrophy programming, and it just didn't work for strength.  I consulted with some gripsters I admire, who were kind enough to give me some insights, and I read some books on strength training.  Combining this knowledge has led me to where I'm at now, and I feel pretty good about it.

 

There seems to be a significant variation in the frequency of grip workouts among trainees. Have you experimented with workout frequency and it's effect on your training?  My mentality in life is to always, 'fail fast.'  This means that once it is clear that the program you're using is not providing the desired outcome, you quickly pivot to something else instead of wasting time analyzing or forcing a failed program to work.  That's why my training seems to be different every time I talk about it...  This is just the way it is.

 

What are your favorite grip exercises?  Grippers, blobs, and wide thickbars.

 

What kind of starting routine would you recommend for a trainee new to grip training?  A well-balanced program that hits every variation of grip: closed crush, open crush, wide pinch, narrow pinch, and the extensors.  If you can build a balanced foundation of strength before specialization, you'll avoid a lot of aches, pains, and frustration.

 

Who do you most admire in gripdom? Carl Myerscough, Nathan Holle, and Odd Haugen.

 

If you were to start over again with your grip training, what would you do differently?  I'd build a balanced foundation of strength before specialization, to avoid a lot of aches, pains, and frustration. 

 

What do you believe is the most difficult grip exercise? I'd say either heavy DOH thick bar deadlifts or super wide pinching.

 

What are some of your personal bests in grip exercises? 405lb DOH Axle, Legacy 120 Blob, 80lb Hub, 90lb Inch Pinch Record

 

What do you believe is the most common mistake made by new grip trainees?  Not training heavy enough, performing too many reps per set, and training too frequently.

 

What do you consider to be the greatest grip feats of all time?  Any of Carl's PRs.

 

Do you have any parting advice for readers?  Train harder.

 

 

 

Jaland Worley, the 9th man in the world to close the Mash Monster Gripper - Level 7

 

 

[Alex K]

Incredible performance, MM speedrun basically! Congratulations man!