Grip Champs Are 4 Weeks Away

[Ben Edwards]

Hey, hey, hey, the Grip Champs are 4 weeks away! Looking forward to seeing a lot of the old guard and some new ones as well. I’m still trying to talk my daughter Josie into competing. She would do pretty well on a few of the events. I’ve been getting in some training too and feeling decent.

The more years that go by without me getting my shoulders fixed, the lower my grip strength drops. My doctor told me the other day that he was frankly astonished that my left hand has even an average amount of grip strength with how destroyed the shoulder is (he asked me if he could show off my x-rays to interns and those in training) and apparently some of the nerves that radiate down the arm. He considers the shoulders to be the transmission for grip strength. I never thought of it that way, but of course have charted the declining grip strength since the injuries, no matter how much I train. I was telling my wife the other day that I have lost about 20% of my top grip strength since 2011, which is when my shoulders were already 3 years into their decline from various injuries and fights over the years. But instead of being sad about what I’ve lost, I have recently been more grateful for what I’ve kept. I believe that having a strong grip has probably allowed me to keep doing things for longer than I would’ve been able to otherwise. I’m only 44, so the doctors are very hesitant to do shoulder replacement at my age. Although, my left shoulder is 100% not fixable, according to the specialist I saw three years ago. He told me that shoulder is the worst he’s ever seen on a man under 80 years old. Then he at least cheered me up by saying the bone is very thick throughout, indicating strength training (probably from heavy duty steel bending). But even he was fascinated that I was able to produce much force in the left hand, or the right. He tested me then with a grip dyno and said if he hadn’t taken the images (CT or whatever it was) himself, he would never have believed my shoulder was allowing me to transmit all that force. The right shoulder used to be the “good” shoulder. I put the final nail in its coffin a few months ago at the Ren Fest hitting the “test your strength” bell ringer, haha. I couldn’t believe it the next day when I could barely move it. A few months later and I’m back to at least not being in constant pain from the right arm. It’s been an every day nagging toothache-type pain since 2008 with the left though. So in a way it was not a bad change since with the right one hurting the left didn’t hurt as much.

So it’s use it or lose it, and I don’t want to lose (anymore of) it.

Al, since LaVerne is the meet promotor, I hope this means you are going to compete this year!

"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." -Mike Tyson

[Ben Edwards]

I would love to see Mary McConnaughey and Kevin Fulton compete again. There are others that would be fun to see again from years past. Matt Graham is one of the strongest grip guys I’ve ever seen in person. He would be a blast to have at the Grip Champs.

"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." -Mike Tyson

[Al Myers]

I’m very excited about this years Grip Champs!!! I’m predicting it will be well attended again! Al

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