Gripmas

[climber511]

Gripmas 2010

Here’s my normal crazy long Gripmas write up.

Grippers in Chokers set exactly at parallel – We had a range of grippers from 51# to 217+#. There were several people that got PRs and Andrew set a new Record for choked grippers.

Euro Pinch – the humidity was around 90% and my pinch setup didn’t “feel” quite as good as Jedd’s did a few weeks ago at Leg 4 of WSHs when the humidity was 17%. But some good lifts and PRs were still set. We used 48 – 50 - 54 and 58mm widths. Andrew, Brent and I all tried for the 105 kilo list but we all failed – who will be first?

IM Axle Dead Lift – we used my Werksan competition bumper set so weights were in kilos then converted to pounds later on as most people don’t think in kilos here. The pound results were rounded off to the nearest pound on the conversion so numbers may be off 1 pound from what I announced at the contest – the kilo results are exact. As expected this was the Andrew show, no surprise there, he missed an unofficial attempt at 501# afterwards.

Medley – 34 possible items to do in 6 minutes was quite a challenge. The medley seemed to be my best one so far. Yeah I know it just keeps getting bigger every year but hey – the Medley is my favorite event at Gripmas. The items were announced ahead of time this year. Medleys at contests now include things that used to be stand alone world class feats of strength – things they are a changing.

Double Sledge Lever – most reps in 60 seconds. It was two sledges bolted together with a platform to support your arms and a “rack” to hold the sledges in track and so you couldn’t hit yourself in the head when you failed – they were 10# sledges with 2 ½# attached to each one with bolts and washers, I weighed the whole thing at 28.7# including all the bolts, washers, the handles etc. Impressions - Holy Moley – this hurt – it was a very long minute!!! At the end my hands were a mess, kind of like two claws or something – the main thumb joint is “bruised” for lack of a better description. It was a real finisher to a great day.

Open Class

Andrew Duriant – I corrected your Gripper results. It’s pretty hard for this guy to surprise me anymore with anything he does – now that he is bringing his pinch up – he has no weak links. He’s no doubt one of the best 4 or 5 guys in grip today – I wish Jedder and Chad would have been here to give him some competition. Oh he did a 405# Reeves lift pretty casually in the after show.

Brent Barbe – I’ve been competing with Brent for several years now and he and I have been neck and neck until this last year when he decided to get real and has just blown me away with his progress in every single event. A little more work on grippers and Axle and I think Brent will be the next one to total Elite in Grip.

John Eaton – still the strongest guy to train laying on his couch – if he trained even a little bit – he’d be one of the Elite. He’s still crazy strong!

Todd Coenen – now this guy is the real deal – I had been reading his training log so wasn’t all that surprised but look at his results for the first contest he ever entered. At the end of his Medley run he pulled the Inch DB handle I had set up at 178# right up and loaded it to a box – I think he can pull a real Inch replica when he gets a chance. He missed my slick Blob 50 in the Medley run but pulled it in the after show easily. Here is my vote for best new comer to the sport for 2010. Todd has a lovely wife as well – Teresa really likes her.

Nick Rosendaul – Nick has “gone Strongman” this past year – lost 20+ pounds in bodyweight and I couldn’t be happier for the direction he is going. I know his grip training has been way down with all the Team Boss and Strongman work. He still bent a pile of tough horseshoes in the after show.

Light Weights

Chris Rice – that’s me

My personal day

Choked Grippers – PR at 191.8#. I had only closed this gripper one time before in training and that was a year or so ago. I tried the 196 but no luck – it did actually move enough I think I may have a chance at it next year. That would make for a #4 close which would be nice.

Pinch – 226.4# – I took a shot at 105K which is my current goal but no luck – yet – got a few inches was all. Thanks to Bob Sundin for figuring out I had miscounted the weight loaded for my attempts – math is not my thing!

Axle – 353# - a weakness I need to bring up for next year – if I get my back strength up so it comes up quicker I think I can add some weight. My new goal is a 375# comp lift.

Medley – 30 items out of the 34 possible – I missed my Blob50 (I can never do it in a medley setting) – I missed my 2-45s which I should have done – then never even tried the deep dish 45s as I’ve never even come close on them. Last was the “Inch DB handle with 178# - I never even tried it which was a big mistake as I set it up again and got it Sunday while putting things away – I guess it just psyched me out was all as I was running out of time. I did get the anvil by the tail, I think I was the only one to do so. So a tie with Brent and only two behind Andrew – I was happy with that.

Double Sledge – 31 reps but I think Doc was pretty kind to me on the last couple – the bounce was maybe too much – by that point I was in another realm and fading fast.

Josh Dale – here was the surprise of the day to me. Josh missed his first three gripper attempts – and he was even more surprised than we all were. I know he has been doing WR level closes in training on choked grippers – no idea what happened here. I think his focus or arm wrestling and losing weight to make it into the 90K class has cost him some overall grip strength also?

Bob Sundin – this guy has forearms that look like Tommy Heslep (or Popeye). His grippers and pinch looked real good but his axle numbers were down this year. A good Medley but then his arch nemesis the sledge hammers got him in the end. Bob has been fighting some elbow trouble lately I know also.

Stew Rosendaul – only one explanation here – too much working and not enough training. All his lifts were way down from previous years. I hope you can find a new job soon my friend!

Tom Guthrie is a fellow Geezer and a new guy to grip. I met Tom during WSHs and his numbers have gone up every meet. A Power lifter adding Grip to his training – he’s just going to get better and better. A great guy too – he trains with Andrew so I expect continued progress.

Ladies

Kelly Eaton – Mary Ann (Brent’s wife) was supposed to be the only original competitor in the Ladies class but then her work kept her at home. Kelly just rode over with her dad intending to watch but we talked her into competing. I had the Trophy already made up so someone should have it. Even with no competition and zero training she didn’t just go through the motions but gave a gutsy and all out performance – especially considering she’s 15 and maybe 100#.

I want to thank Sean Dockery for judging, and his friend Chris (can’t remember his last name) for doing all the scoring work – couldn’t have done it without you. I also want to thank everyone who sponsored Gripmas this year – the prize packages were great I thought. If you did win something – please take the time to email a Thank You to the sponsor – that’s how they know we really appreciate what they so generously give to us.

Duriant Strength Sports - Andrew Duriant

Diesel Crew – Jedd Johnson

IronMind – Randall Strossen

Power and Bulk – Bob Lipinski

Sean Dockery

Todd Coenen

[barbe705]

I wanted to ask the others who were there.

did this feel like a heavy contest to you? I don't mean that the weights were huge, I mean that the events were able to have larger weights involved. I guess I want to know if you felt like you were lifting a lot vs just taxing your grip hard. I felt a bit beat up on sunday. I was wondering if anyone else felt the same.

[climber511]

I wanted to ask the others who were there.

did this feel like a heavy contest to you? I don't mean that the weights were huge, I mean that the events were able to have larger weights involved. I guess I want to know if you felt like you were lifting a lot vs just taxing your grip hard. I felt a bit beat up on sunday. I was wondering if anyone else felt the same.

Well the Medley was about 3200# if you did it all. I know after putting it all away Sunday I was feeling a little beat up myself!

[barbe705]

I know that the reeves deadlift was unpleasant. I pulled 355 after but didn't try the 405. I should have.

[andurniat]

I always feel wasted the day after a comp. I'll train again tomorrow. By the looks of the medley numbers, I would say it was 'light' - i say this with lots of reservation because I can't imagine it much heavier. However, grip is advancing very quickly these days and we must rise to occasion. I also witnessed many lifts this past weekend where one's grip was not necessarily the limiting factor.

[jad]

I wanted to ask the others who were there.

did this feel like a heavy contest to you? I don't mean that the weights were huge, I mean that the events were able to have larger weights involved. I guess I want to know if you felt like you were lifting a lot vs just taxing your grip hard. I felt a bit beat up on sunday. I was wondering if anyone else felt the same.

I didn't think it felt heavy and I haven't done a drop of leg work in over a year and the only low back stuff I do is hypers about 1-2 times/month. I tweaked my back a bit on the thinnest of the thick handled dbs in the medley but that was more of a case of me being in a hurry and not using proper form. It's already fine today. I thought the Reeves was suprisingly easy. I didn't know what would happen with it when I tried it. I didn't try anything higher than what was in the medley though so??

I think the medley was about right given the number of items. To clarify: I think a 5 item medley would have to look a lot different (i.e: #3 strap hold load, 2 45s, 10# sledge with coin, at least 50-75# more on the Reeves, humbler with extra weight)

[bencrush]

How heavy was the Reeves Deadlift in the medley? Depends on the plates used on that one. I have seen some 45s that are not easy to pull 315lbs on. And others that I could no doubt pull over 400lbs on.

[climber511]

How heavy was the Reeves Deadlift in the medley? Depends on the plates used on that one. I have seen some 45s that are not easy to pull 315lbs on. And others that I could no doubt pull over 400lbs on.

Ben - the Reeves lift in the Medley was only 305# and done with deep dish Billard plates - grip was not an issue I didn't think. A few of us did 355 or so afterwards and Andrew did 405 without any trouble. By then I was so trashed I didn't even want to try but it would have been my back, not my grip that was the problem.

[climber511]

I always feel wasted the day after a comp. I'll train again tomorrow. By the looks of the medley numbers, I would say it was 'light' - i say this with lots of reservation because I can't imagine it much heavier. However, grip is advancing very quickly these days and we must rise to occasion. I also witnessed many lifts this past weekend where one's grip was not necessarily the limiting factor.

Well - I'm already thinking next years Medley is going to have to be heavier/harder by maybe 10% or so.

And the 5th event probably won't be double sledge lever like this year - I'm hoping my thumbs are healed by then actually .

[odin]

I'll try to get up a full write-up soon, but my hands and forearms are just starting to function a little again. Gripmas is always an amazing contest and this year was no exception.

I thought the double sledge was cool, maybe it would be good for max weight?

[IROC-Z]

And the 5th event probably won't be double sledge lever like this year - I'm hoping my thumbs are healed by then actually .

The sledge hammers were brutal, evil, and downright painful - but they were also a heck of a lot of fun. I'm kind of hoping that you'll keep them around for another year.

[andurniat]

And the 5th event probably won't be double sledge lever like this year - I'm hoping my thumbs are healed by then actually .

The sledge hammers were brutal, evil, and downright painful - but they were also a heck of a lot of fun. I'm kind of hoping that you'll keep them around for another year.

I hate to agree, but yes, keep the hammers. Probably need to increase the weight of the hammers. It was very much a speed event with many going the full time and topping out at 25-26 reps. 5-10# more and it spreads the field better.

[barbe705]

IF the hammers stay they should be heavier. On the the other hand, MGC favors hammers. why not have some kind of flexion event for the wrist test? wrist roller for max weight? jedd's wrist roller for distance wouldn't really work indoors. I did not like the table top wrist curl the one year we tried it out. too complicated.

[Bob Lipinski]

I think Chris likes the hammers because they are the only true test of real wrist strength

[barbe705]

I think Chris likes the hammers because they are the only true test of real wrist strength

there was still an issue with rebound. I think they're a good test but, I think a wrist flexion test would be valid as well. if we could get one that was easy to judge and run.

[climber511]

What about a "dead start" max weight lift in the same set up? You lower it down - let it lie there several seconds - then bring it up. No bounce, no stretch reflex, just strength - thoughts???

[barbe705]

What about a "dead start" max weight lift in the same set up? You lower it down - let it lie there several seconds - then bring it up. No bounce, no stretch reflex, just strength - thoughts???

I was thinking start at the bottom. but, if we had to get a press command that would do it.

[jad]

What about a "dead start" max weight lift in the same set up? You lower it down - let it lie there several seconds - then bring it up. No bounce, no stretch reflex, just strength - thoughts???

Is the rubberband bar still in place? In otherwords, what is the incentive for wasting energy on lowering it under control if you have to start from a dead start?

[climber511]

No Josh - this would be a completely different event. A rising bar, for max weight, starting the lift from the bottom. A pure strength movement.

Grab the handles while in the normal upright position.

Lower to the bottom and rest the handles on the stop - keep your grip on the handles.

Wait for the judges "start" signal (after several seconds resting on the bottom)

Then lever them back to the top (or not)

I'll have to play with it of course. Then again - it may be something else completely by next year.

[odin]

Two-inch or smaller diameter wrist roller or thumbless rolling thunder (often a wrist event in other countries) would be fun.

I'd like plate wrist curl as well, but it would be more difficult to judge.

[jad]

No Josh - this would be a completely different event. A rising bar, for max weight, starting the lift from the bottom. A pure strength movement.

Grab the handles while in the normal upright position.

Lower to the bottom and rest the handles on the stop - keep your grip on the handles.

Wait for the judges "start" signal (after several seconds resting on the bottom)

Then lever them back to the top (or not)

I'll have to play with it of course. Then again - it may be something else completely by next year.

Got it. So the lowering it is only important because you won't be allowed to reset your grip. To clarify the stop is supporting all the weight in the bottom position, not the lifter.

[climber511]

No Josh - this would be a completely different event. A rising bar, for max weight, starting the lift from the bottom. A pure strength movement.

Grab the handles while in the normal upright position.

Lower to the bottom and rest the handles on the stop - keep your grip on the handles.

Wait for the judges "start" signal (after several seconds resting on the bottom)

Then lever them back to the top (or not)

I'll have to play with it of course. Then again - it may be something else completely by next year.

Got it. So the lowering it is only important because you won't be allowed to reset your grip. To clarify the stop is supporting all the weight in the bottom position, not the lifter.

Yep - no idea how it would work out but something to try some day in training - it would solve any bounce issues for sure.

[jad]

Sounds painful but I like it!

[barbe705]

Sounds painful but I like it!

I think it might hurt more for the rep but, it'll feel better than 60 secs of that.

[jad]

I really didn't think the sledge event was painful. I have a big callous in my webbing which bears most of the load and it didn't feel much different than my training at home. I guess I should've went faster LOL