Dmitry Volegov Certifies on the Captains of Crush No. 4 Gripper

[Austin Seitter]

39 minutes ago, AbsoRuud said:

1. Why care there Russian cards and stuff in box that the American company IronMind has shipped?

2. Why is there no credit card in the IronMind box? The card is already out on the side. IronMind inclused it in their certification box.

3. Credit card swipes are not done correctly.

4. We never clearly see the spring.

5. Gripper leaves the frame after first close.

6. Barcode looks worn down, not new.

7. Why hide part of the back?

8. Second credit card swipe also wrong.

I had the same issues with it when I saw it. Not only did he not clearly show the spring he went out of his way to hide it the entire time. Way too many inconsistencies and red flags. 

[AbsoRuud]

41 minutes ago, Cannon said:

You're misunderstanding that requirement. The spring cannot be facing down in your hand. The closure has to be at your pinkie, which it was. 

Thanks. That just leaves the other 8 points that make me think this 'attempt' is fake.

[AbsoRuud]

41 minutes ago, Cannon said:

You're misunderstanding that requirement. The spring cannot be facing down in your hand. The closure has to be at your pinkie, which it was. 

Thanks. That just leaves the other 8 points that make me think this 'attempt' is fake.

[Zeferin]

1 час назад, AbsoRuud сказал:

1. Какое им дело до российских карт и всего того, что было в коробке, которую отправила американская компания IronMind?

2. Почему в коробке IronMind нет кредитной карты? Карта уже готовится. IronMind включил ее в свою коробку сертификации.

3. Проведение кредитных карт осуществляется некорректно.

4. Мы никогда не видим ясного источника.

5. Захват покидает раму после первого закрытия.

6. Штрих-код выглядит изношенным, а не новым.

7. Зачем скрывать часть спины?

8. Второе считывание кредитной карты также неверно.

Iron mind does not send parcels to Russia!!!

[weightlifter]

Congratulations for Dmitriy! Heavy training sessions and strong strength basics are bearing fruit, no doubt.

That is what happens when someone strives to a goal. Definitely, New Yuriy Vlasov in the Grippers' World!

I wish you even more great achievements.

[Jared P]

There are a number of factors which have made me highly suspicious since the beginning.

- The extreme rapid progression, week after week, ascending to world record level after only 9 months of using grippers total
- 3 x 211 CCS of a GHP 9 while talking casually
- 227 rgc CCS this week of a SGR Naval Ranks Admiral, smashing Carl's best CCS by 7 rgc, who trained grippers for 7 years to reach that level
- Shaking his hand in pain during his 2 reps on his CoC 3.5 cert - which doesn't make any sense if he can easily CCS 211 x 3. The 3.5 should be an absolute joke of a warmup gripper to him. Watch how Ivan and Carl manhandle 3.5s for instance, but a CoC 4 CCS is still extremely difficult for them.
- Loose handles on his grippers with excess glue seeping out in videos where they are being rated
- Beyond-rare 67mm spread on his CoC 4, almost unheard of
- The constant hiding or obstructing of the spring in his videos, seemingly intentional
- The rumor mill talk of him possibly making, altering, and selling counterfeit grippers as authentic
- Having no credible live witnesses

If he is legit, which he theoretically could be and in which case I'd be happy to apologize to him, he's by far the strongest gripper athlete we've ever seen. More dominant than Carl, Ivan, Nikita, Nathan, David, or Joe Kinney. And he's only 9 months into training. The world is his oyster. He should be able to CCS the GHP 10 next year, and break Nikita's GM150 record as a side hobby.

Also if he is legit, I'm Elvis Presley playing blackjack with Bigfoot and Santa Claus in the Bermuda Triangle.

[DoctorOfCrush]

7 minutes ago, Jared P said:

break Nikita's GM150 record as a side hobby.

This is the point I was trying to make. It seems like a very simple way to quiet doubters, and with his supposed strength levels he would surely obliterate the record. Maybe while having another casual conversation. 

But I don’t know of a way to fake or tamper with a GM150. Can you change it from kilos to pounds… ?

[Cannon]

IronMind decides the certifications and they passed Dmitry’s effort. At the risk of sounding like a repeat of the Tiziano threads, there needs to be better receipts brought for allegations of wrongdoing. If you think you have actual evidence, take it to IronMind and see if they find it compelling. Or, at least state complete thoughts. “The sticker looks worn and that matters because ____________.”

I want to hold the critique to a higher standard than basically a drive-by shooting. 

[Ivan Cuk]

6 minutes ago, Cannon said:

IronMind decides the certifications and they passed Dmitry’s effort. At the risk of sounding like a repeat of the Tiziano threads, there needs to be better receipts brought for allegations of wrongdoing. If you think you have actual evidence, take it to IronMind and see if they find it compelling. Or, at least state complete thoughts. “The sticker looks worn and that matters because ____________.”

I want to hold the critique to a higher standard than basically a drive-by shooting. 

I look forward to the new mash monster certification because of this very issue. We can make a much more improved certification standard for ourselves as a community. I agree we should hold the critiques to a higher standard but part of doing that is putting it out there and seeing what sticks and what doesn't. There's only so much we can find out on our own without discourse among fellow gripsters. 

[Jared P]

This may be nothing at all, in which case dismiss it entirely, but since the gripper package itself gave us the clues with Tiziano, perhaps that is the place to look here as well.

Red arrow/circles - dirt, fingerprints, smudges
Green arrows/lines - dots, holes or perforations

Each of the corners of the package appear to be extra dirty and smudged, almost with fingerprints. This could simply be the result of the warehousing of where the package came from, and nothing to point to any wrongdoing. Also worth noting that the gripper package is dirty, worn, old looking in general - using Nikita's many sealed CoC 4 package videos as a comparison, where the package is always clean, white, and untouched looking.

The green lines/arrows point out the strange looking offset grid pattern of dots/holes/perforations that goes across the entirety of the back side of the package. This may also be nothing, and totally normal. I don't have any packages to compare it to.

All of these things could simply be the result of how the package was handled in warehousing and storage, on dirty shelves, etc.

Otherwise, I've got nothing. We'll just have to wait for him to prove himself one way or the other in front of a credible witness.

[Edrik]

36 minutes ago, Jared P said:

This may be nothing at all, in which case dismiss it entirely, but since the gripper package itself gave us the clues with Tiziano, perhaps that is the place to look here as well.

Red arrow/circles - dirt, fingerprints, smudges
Green arrows/lines - dots, holes or perforations

Each of the corners of the package appear to be extra dirty and smudged, almost with fingerprints. This could simply be the result of the warehousing of where the package came from, and nothing to point to any wrongdoing. Also worth noting that the gripper package is dirty, worn, old looking in general - using Nikita's many sealed CoC 4 package videos as a comparison, where the package is always clean, white, and untouched looking.

The green lines/arrows point out the strange looking offset grid pattern of dots/holes/perforations that goes across the entirety of the back side of the package. This may also be nothing, and totally normal. I don't have any packages to compare it to.

All of these things could simply be the result of how the package was handled in warehousing and storage, on dirty shelves, etc.

Otherwise, I've got nothing. We'll just have to wait for him to prove himself one way or the other in front of a credible witness.

I have bought coc grippers from ebay stores and they have had the same holes in the packaging.

does this mean anything?

[Jared P]

2 minutes ago, Edrik said:

I have bought coc grippers from ebay stores and they have had the same holes in the packaging.

does this mean anything?

Thanks.

Perhaps @Cannon can tell us if these are normal.

[Cannon]

50 minutes ago, Jared P said:

The green lines/arrows point out the strange looking offset grid pattern of dots/holes/perforations that goes across the entirety of the back side of the package. This may also be nothing, and totally normal.

Totally normal. 

[Charlie Hayes1]

I don't know anything about previous attempts by this guy, nor am I a qualified judge, but I am just putting in my own views. 

  1) Plenty of legit closes I have seen show the bottom of the handles and don't show the spring. Admittedly, these aren't all certification attempts, but people showing what they can do. I have also seen genuine cert attempts which we all appear to accept which don't focus on the springs enough for it to matter. His hand position seems basically similar to everyone else.

  2) From my viewpoint, the card pass did not seem particularly suspect. 

  3) While there have been some CoC fakes out there, with very deviant RGC, the state of the packet doesn't say much. I have had grippers in sets from the same supplier and most have been in very good condition, but one or two have been bashed about.

4) As to his ability to do multiple closes, yep, that is probably suspicious, but strength sports in general show that someone will sometimes come along who takes the sport to another level: Pudzianowski, comes to mind. He was both leaner, more powerful and more enduring than many of his competitors. That doesn't mean that these closes are legit, but simply that surprises are possible. 

Another example, from a different angle is Alekseyev, the Olympic weightlifter. He had read, somewhere, that 500 lbs overhead was not possible for a human and as he knew he was only a normal man, all his lifts were just under 500 lbs. His coaches prepared a special set of weights and loaded the bar to something like 498 or 499 (I forget the precise load). After he completed the lift, relatively comfortably, they told him there had been "a mistake" with the plates and that he had gone over 500. This convinced him that a human being, such as himself, could do this and the rest, as they say, is history.

[Allen Heineck]

49 minutes ago, Charlie Hayes1 said:

I don't know anything about previous attempts by this guy, nor am I a qualified judge, but I am just putting in my own views. 

  1) Plenty of legit closes I have seen show the bottom of the handles and don't show the spring. Admittedly, these aren't all certification attempts, but people showing what they can do. I have also seen genuine cert attempts which we all appear to accept which don't focus on the springs enough for it to matter. His hand position seems basically similar to everyone else.

  2) From my viewpoint, the card pass did not seem particularly suspect. 

  3) While there have been some CoC fakes out there, with very deviant RGC, the state of the packet doesn't say much. I have had grippers in sets from the same supplier and most have been in very good condition, but one or two have been bashed about.

4) As to his ability to do multiple closes, yep, that is probably suspicious, but strength sports in general show that someone will sometimes come along who takes the sport to another level: Pudzianowski, comes to mind. He was both leaner, more powerful and more enduring than many of his competitors. That doesn't mean that these closes are legit, but simply that surprises are possible. 

Another example, from a different angle is Alekseyev, the Olympic weightlifter. He had read, somewhere, that 500 lbs overhead was not possible for a human and as he knew he was only a normal man, all his lifts were just under 500 lbs. His coaches prepared a special set of weights and loaded the bar to something like 498 or 499 (I forget the precise load). After he completed the lift, relatively comfortably, they told him there had been "a mistake" with the plates and that he had gone over 500. This convinced him that a human being, such as himself, could do this and the rest, as they say, is history.

Point number two was literally suspect to many, if not all  people with a more clear view point.

 

Said a different way;  I saw the card swiped in a fashion contradictory to what was required.   But,  Ironmind said it was fine, so it is. 

[slazbob]

I have a brand new package from IronMind but I haven’t got to check anything.

[Florian Kellersmann]

As a strength fan, I would love it, if it's real. But...

I am no IT expert, but I guess with AI you could fake such a video. The close looks too effortless. The guy just started his specific grip training last year or so. Now he is stronger than anybody else? I also can't notice an impressive hand or forearm that could explain his abnormal strength. 

The certification process should require a credible witness. If we do the mashmonster certs again, we should also consider this in times of AI. 

[Dimitar Nenkov]

On 7/13/2024 at 6:03 AM, MrSadFace said:

Has anyone watched his other recent closes? I saw his coc4 close last month. And a few weeks ago he has a video closing a coc4, a silarukov 150, ghp9 and a Standard Tungsten all in a row quite easily. Crushing those 4 grippers so casually in a minute seems odd to say the least..  I can't imagine going through the hassle of faking each of them though, maybe i shouldnt be surprised. I don't want to call him a fraud, but after the most recent event I think it's only natural to be a bit skeptical.

For those who haven't seen the video I'm referring to.

https://youtu.be/VeQlqPxY8KY?si=B-fBxiFGKm6aPm9h

This video is like an action movie from the 80's - both fake and  

[Florian Kellersmann]

 In this video he "closes" a #4 and some other grippers, no chalk of course. They are just too easy. The way he "opens" the grippers is also suspicious, just letting them go. 

[Cannon]

4 hours ago, Florian Kellersmann said:

If we do the mashmonster certs again, we should also consider this in times of AI. 

I'm not trying to be naive to this concern, but possibly in another thread I would like to see someone's best attempt at this. Use AI to convincingly fake a close on video. Not just any video, but one you have filmed as well.

[Cannon]

28 minutes ago, Florian Kellersmann said:

 In this video he "closes" a #4 and some other grippers, no chalk of course. They are just too easy. The way he "opens" the grippers is also suspicious, just letting them go. 

Is Eva Green the thumbnail for everyone else?

[Kluv#0]

IMO, the majority (some exceptions) of GREAT crushers of Grippers also have very strong pinch. I would like to know what his other grip lifts are especially pinch. 

[Alawadhi]

Many have stated that he is not genuine (until proven otherwise). I have personal experience with exceptional individuals. Hussain Ali, for instance, easily closed a #3.5 gripper with his beginner set and nearly closed a CoC #4 (rated at 214) on his first attempt doing anything grip besides his strongman training. His hands and wrists were shaking. Similarly, Khaled, after only 2.5 months of training, managed to close a #3.5 from a wide set, also with shaking. Fip closed a #3 on his first try and came close to closing the #3.5, which also caused him to shake. I've witnessed many others strong people achieving similar feats. This individual's closing ability is matched only by Joe Kinney, though I believe Joe surpasses him...

[MrSadFace]

1 hour ago, Florian Kellersmann said:

 In this video he "closes" a #4 and some other grippers, no chalk of course. They are just too easy. The way he "opens" the grippers is also suspicious, just letting them go. 

This is the same video I linked earlier in the thread as well. After watching it a few times, as well as his other videos, he seems to always let the grippers open fast. Even to the extent that they pop out of his hand sometimes. I was curious as to what the reasoning for this is as well. I can't work with grippers that (allegedly) heavy, but even with one's that are heavy to me, I always let them open slowly. Letting it fly open seems like a good way to increase the probability of getting hurt, or something going wrong. Especially in the hatch/trunk of your vehicle, good way to break a window. 

Anyways, the whole video just seems odd. He also tosses grippers around more than anyone I've watched. Wouldn't want one of those swapped springs popping back out lol. 

If he is a legit, I have zero problem admitting i am wrong. For now, I will remain skeptic because theirs nothing I can do about. The easiest way for him to prove legitimacy would be on a GM150, I'm assuming with his closes, that his numbers should be pretty insane... If there is a video out there, i havent seen it. And im not knowledgeable enough to know if those readings can also be tampered with. Being digital, i imagine they could. Takes the fun out of the sport when you have to start to question the legitimacy of every new feat. Couple bad apples i suppose. The truth will come out eventually, as it tends to do. It's not gunna affect my personal goals or training. 

Edited July 15 by MrSadFace

[DoctorOfCrush]

1 minute ago, MrSadFace said:

Takes the fun out of the sport when you have to start to question the legitimacy of every new feat. Couple bad apples i suppose. The truth will come out eventually, as it tends to do. It's not gunna affect my personal goals or training.