Grippers in USAWA Contest – something to consider

[Ben Edwards]

I know that grippers in USAWA contests have been discussed before. Kevin Fulton’s Super Grip Challenges featured grippers and seemed pretty easy to judge. All of Al’s glorious board of grippers are measured on whatever device he made and listed in pounds necessary to touch the handles.

For whatever reason, there are a lot of guys interested in grippers specifically. I used to be one of those, but nowadays they irritate my forearms. That being said, I still like grippers a lot. I just don’t train them any more frequently than once every 3 weeks this year. Which really isn’t “training” in my opinion, more like keeping familiar with the gripper closing groove.

I’ve had four coworkers (young guys around 20 years old mostly) this year ask me about contests with grippers in them. They are interested and train with grippers currently. They would obviously do the other grip contest events, but having a USAWA grip contest that featured grippers – EVEN A DEMO EVENT – would likely lead to getting more grip contest entrants.

I still think the rating system Al uses on the grippers would be relatively easy to score in an official contest. You might not necessarily be able to compare a gripper event at the Dino Gym with one held across the country in another USAWA contest…but the poundage could still be used to score the event and if you do both hands it would be an even better test of who has the best grip.

In terms of set, or how close the handles can be before the attempt officially starts – I think it would only be fitting if the USAWA used only no set. Just pick the gripper up with one hand and then “juggle” it into position, as long as you don’t use the other hand at all to help set the gripper in a leverage-advantaged position in your gripping hand. Then squeeze it shut while the referee judges whether the handles fully touch or not. Maybe even do strongman contest style 60 second time limits per attempt.

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

[Al Myers]

I’ve always loved training with grippers. Anyone who has been to the Dino Gym probably has seen my obsession with them as demonstrated by my “gripper board”! I’ve always felt gripper training is real practical grip strength as it applies to the everyday use of the hands.

The problem with grippers being a USAWA official lift is that it doesn’t conform to our general rules required of the official lifts. Each gripper is different in closing strength and the standardization of the size of the different brands of grippers are much different. You can’t progressive “load” grippers like all other official lifts. Also, pretty much impossible to create a record list for grippers. I’ve thought alot about this as Ben has made this suggestion before, and I know how grip lifters are always looking for events that contest grippers.

Maybe a demo event at a competition? That could work – but making it an official lift would create alot of issues.

[KCSTRONGMAN]

i could see doing a it as an exhibition tied along to a USAWA meet. Maybe have a regular meet or a record day with a gripper meet tied in. I remember in my 2nd strongman meet, which was the JWC meet put on by Thom VanVleck, after the meet, he had a gripper event that was outside the strongman meet, and was for an award of it’s own (seemed like it was a plaque with a mini vise on it. I could see something like that working out. Would a guy intermingle grippers for something like that? I have Ironmind, Heavy Grip, and a few Baraban. I am not sure exactly how to compare from one to another between brands.

I'm the lyrical Jesse James

[Ben Edwards]

Al Myers wrote:

I’ve always loved training with grippers. Anyone who has been to the Dino Gym probably has seen my obsession with them as demonstrated by my “gripper board”! I’ve always felt gripper training is real practical grip strength as it applies to the everyday use of the hands.

Your gripper board is one of my favorite collections of grippers, actually. Not because there are an insane amount of them. But because you have some old IronMind grippers in with the new grippers of multiple brands. And having a rated number attached to them always makes them more interesting in my opinion than wondering if it’s an “easy” gripper or a harder one of whatever brand. The biggest difference I can think of was between some of the old Heavy Grips 300s from over 10 years ago. I had one in particular that the more I closed it, the narrower it got – all the way down to 1 and 7/8″ spread between the handles. Which is super narrow. That gripper was never tampered with (no heating of the springs or anything like that) but it got so easy that it was easier to close than any #2 I’ve ever closed. And I’ve closed a LOT of them. My friend Travis had an HG300 that was harder than all of the 100+ #3s I’ve ever closed. It was almost 3″ spread and didn’t even feel like the same gripper as most other HG300s from that time period.

I agree about the gripper training being real practical grip strength, despite what some people think about closing grippers being only good for closing grippers.

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

[Ben Edwards]

Al Myers wrote:

The problem with grippers being a USAWA official lift is that it doesn’t conform to our general rules required of the official lifts. Each gripper is different in closing strength and the standardization of the size of the different brands of grippers are much different. You can’t progressive “load” grippers like all other official lifts. Also, pretty much impossible to create a record list for grippers. I’ve thought alot about this as Ben has made this suggestion before, and I know how grip lifters are always looking for events that contest grippers

When I was hosting grip contests I’d “try” to have grippers of the same brand if possible. Because you’re right that it’s not an apples to apples comparison when you’ve got a super narrow spread (handles very close together) gripper from one manufacturer and the same poundage rating with an IronMind gripper that is over an inch wider. I’d choose the narrower gripper with the same rating every time. Because it would feel easier to close. But basically, the IronMind grippers (just using them for an example) are easy to use in contests because they are about as reliable as you can get for that price point. They’re usually 2.75″ or wider between the handles.

I do see how the individual variances in grippers and rating devices would make it pretty much impossible to have grippers be an official part of USAWA comps though.

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

[Ben Edwards]

Al Myers wrote:

Maybe a demo event at a competition? That could work – but making it an official lift would create alot of issues.

I think a demo event at a comp would be fun! Seems like everybody likes squeezing grippers for fun.

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

[Ben Edwards]

KCSTRONGMAN wrote:

i could see doing a it as an exhibition tied along to a USAWA meet. Maybe have a regular meet or a record day with a gripper meet tied in. I remember in my 2nd strongman meet, which was the JWC meet put on by Thom VanVleck, after the meet, he had a gripper event that was outside the strongman meet, and was for an award of it’s own (seemed like it was a plaque with a mini vise on it. I could see something like that working out. Would a guy intermingle grippers for something like that? I have Ironmind, Heavy Grip, and a few Baraban. I am not sure exactly how to compare from one to another between brands.

I like the idea of a separate contest with a little award! I have the same brand lineup as you – with a few Grip Genie (Jujimufu or John Call) grippers. I prefer heavy knurling to help me grip the handles, even with the ton of chalk I like to use on my hands. If I had an Ironmind, Heavy Grip, and Baraban gripper rated exactly the same poundage, here’s the order in real life of easiest to hardest to close.
Easiest would be the Heavy Grip. They are narrower spread than the other grippers. And they always feel a bit “spongey” to me on the sweep, which is not a dig on them.
Next would be the IronMind gripper.
Then the Baraban gripper (unless it’s one of the special narrow “N” grippers) would be the hardest of these three because the handles are 1mm diameter larger than the IronMind handles. And to ME this makes it feel just awkward enough to make a noticeable difference in the close.

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

[KCSTRONGMAN]

hey, Ben. Have you considered coming to the OTSM championships this year? We would love to have you.
ET

I'm the lyrical Jesse James

[Ben Edwards]

KCSTRONGMAN wrote:

hey, Ben. Have you considered coming to the OTSM championships this year? We would love to have you.
ET

Hey, Eric! I’ve been trying to get the day off since I saw the posting for it. Things are not good at work staffing-wise and it is not looking good for my chances to make it out there for your contest. I enjoyed the heck out of the other ones though, so I’m going to keep working on it.

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

[KCSTRONGMAN]

I get it Ben. Hope you can make it.

ET

I'm the lyrical Jesse James

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