My Dad's Grip Strength :-!?

[VariantInterval]

is crazy strong. I don't do heavy grip training but I do have a pretty good grip. I'm pretty sure my strong grip development has been combination of me being really overweight and liking to climb on and hang off of things. Anyway, my dad who's only done occasional hardwork throughout his life, like building a table or drywalling a house, has a crushing grip and I don't know how he got it. I remember being a "strong" kid when I was in elementary school, and of course my dad's grip was probably greater than all my strength combined at that time. Now i'm 21 and have been training off and on since high school with steady gains. When I shook his hand last night when we went out to get dinner, my hand felt like a marshmallow for him to crush when I should his hand!? I don't get it, The only exercise his does involves pushups, lots of curls and press variations with 25 lb dumbbell. I'm not really asking a question here. I know he probably has built up his strength over a lifetime of just doing things, but it still amazes me.

[BustaReims]

Give him a CoC #2 and let us know how he handles it.

No empirical quantification = total fluff story

[breathingmurder]

A lot of old guys that do physical labor have insane grip strength. I've seen a lot of guys around 50 that can get the #2 really close first time without even trying that hard. I've heard tell of guys closing the #3 the first time.
Grip strength is something you can get really strong at from doing everyday stuff. While it's hard to compare grip strength and powerlifting strength, I'd say a 405 raw bench might be comparable to closing the #3. But you won't find anyone who can bench 405 raw the first time, probably not anyone who can bench 300.

[VariantInterval]

Give him a CoC #2 and let us know how he handles it.

No empirical quantification = total fluff story

Wanna loan me one? If you do, I'll post a vid of my father attempting to close it.

[John Hicks]

Wanna loan me one? If you do, I'll post a vid of my father attempting to close it.

Just go over to IronMind and buy it dude! They're not THAT expensive!!

[btsadley]

Give him a CoC #2 and let us know how he handles it.

No empirical quantification = total fluff story

Not entirely. Closing a CoC only measures total hand strength at a specific angle, meaning a guy may not be able to close it yet has a very versatile crushing grip.

[weaksauceidge]

your dads stereo blows

[meathead198]

A lot of old guys that do physical labor have insane grip strength. I've seen a lot of guys around 50 that can get the #2 really close first time without even trying that hard. I've heard tell of guys closing the #3 the first time.
Grip strength is something you can get really strong at from doing everyday stuff. While it's hard to compare grip strength and powerlifting strength, I'd say a 405 raw bench might be comparable to closing the #3. But you won't find anyone who can bench 405 raw the first time, probably not anyone who can bench 300.

I SERIOUSLY doubt anyone could close the #3 1st time. Ronnie coleman couldnt...

[Big_G1986]

Older guys (men in there 40s) all have insane grip strength, Forearms are something the inevietablely get used everyday so there really the only thing that gets developed.


Combine that with a guy who does labour and you have CRUSHING strength (go shake a plumbers hand, he will crush you too pieces)

[OBeast]

I agree that their are a lot of laborers that have developed crushing grips just through their jobs. I just got a CoC # 2 and could close it for a few reps right out of the package and I have worked with some old brickmasons in their 40s and 50s that could put me to shame.

[Wes Peart]

I SERIOUSLY doubt anyone could close the #3 1st time. Ronnie coleman couldnt...

Actually there have been several people that have closed a #3 the first time they laid eyes on one. I can think of at least 4 off the top of my head that have done so in the presence of witnesses. I don't know where Ronnie Coleman came from. The dude is strong, but his grip is by far not the most impressive thing about him.

A lot of old guys that do physical labor have insane grip strength. I've seen a lot of guys around 50 that can get the #2 really close first time without even trying that hard. I've heard tell of guys closing the #3 the first time.
Grip strength is something you can get really strong at from doing everyday stuff. While it's hard to compare grip strength and powerlifting strength, I'd say a 405 raw bench might be comparable to closing the #3. But you won't find anyone who can bench 405 raw the first time, probably not anyone who can bench 300.

Really, a #3 rates up there with something like a 275 raw bench IMO. If people trained their grip as hard as they did their bench presses, the IM list would be REALLY long.

[breathingmurder]

Actually there have been several people that have closed a #3 the first time they laid eyes on one. I can think of at least 4 off the top of my head that have done so in the presence of witnesses. I don't know where Ronnie Coleman came from. The dude is strong, but his grip is by far not the most impressive thing about him.



Really, a #3 rates up there with something like a 275 raw bench IMO. If people trained their grip as hard as they did their bench presses, the IM list would be REALLY long.

True, but 405 is about 55% of the world record bench. Only a few people have closed the #4, and the #3 is a lot closer to the #4 than a 405 bench is to 700. But you do have a point, the amount of people that train grip strength is a lot smaller than those who bench press.
I knew when I made that analogy I was comparing oranges to apples. :P

[John Hicks]

Actually there have been several people that have closed a #3 the first time they laid eyes on one. I can think of at least 4 off the top of my head that have done so in the presence of witnesses.

Name some names please. This would be news to me. We are, of course, talking about someone who has NEVER had any formal grip training whatsoever and had never touched a gripper before and someone gave them a #3 and they closed it completely?

[BustaReims]

Name some names please. This would be news to me. We are, of course, talking about someone who has NEVER had any formal grip training whatsoever and had never touched a gripper before and someone gave them a #3 and they closed it completely?

+1. I call BS on this one.

[John Hicks]

+1. I call BS on this one.

The new #3's are insanely hard; not impossible but hard. If it's a new #3... no way IMO. If he could name 4 people right off the top of his head, then why didn't he do it??

[The_Brawler]

are the new CoC's harder than the old ones?

[WowWeakForum]

Name some names please. This would be news to me. We are, of course, talking about someone who has NEVER had any formal grip training whatsoever and had never touched a gripper before and someone gave them a #3 and they closed it completely?

There are different caliber of peeps who "have had no formal grip training." There's no way this guy's daddy can close the #3 without training for it. However, there have been bodybuilders who have done the equivalent. Gunter Schlierkampf was approached at some bbing convention and given the chance to close a Heavy Grips #5 (which I think is even harder than the coc #4...if not harder, then at least as difficult), and he came within just a hair of closing it completely. At the time, Gunter claimed that he never trained his grip.

I'd like to see Magnus take a shot at closing Heavy Grips #5. I think he could do it. If not at first, then after he's trained for awhile. I don't think anyone has ever officially closed it yet

[Wes Peart]

Name some names please. This would be news to me. We are, of course, talking about someone who has NEVER had any formal grip training whatsoever and had never touched a gripper before and someone gave them a #3 and they closed it completely?

Notice, John, that he didn't say they had never trained their grip before He said close the #3 first time, which means they could of trained their grip other ways, but had never used a gripper. Tracy Craven was a firefighter that a guy (superqueeze?) from the GB knew and he closed a #3 the first time he laid hands on one, there were pictures and a thread about it a long time ago. He had never trained his grip, just had done a lot of labor- Josh Bigger closed a #3 the first time he laid hands on one as well, however he had trained thickbar and some other stuff, but not grippers. Another was Brian Schoonveld (another one with crazy thickbar skills). Chris James was the other I was thinking of. He TNS'ed a #3 in each hand at the same time and that was his first time trying grippers I believe. Now I respect you a lot John, but what's with all the hostility? The evidence is at the GB if want to look for it. There was another one that was a highland games competitor but I can't remember his name.

[TRA]

i was 5 mm from closing the #3 the frist time ever trying a gripper.

But i had done mototrials and biketrials for many years which is a heavy duty for forearm.

[John Hicks]

Now I respect you a lot John, but what's with all the hostility? The evidence is at the GB if want to look for it.

Wes, I'm not being hostile - I just want people to back up what they say, because it seems like there is a lot of bragging and exaggerations when it comes to certain feats of strength, especially when it comes to grip - I see it all the time so I'm glad you could tell me who has done what with a #3.

After all - there are about 25 people here (so far) on this forum alone who claim that they can close the #4... so now you understand my asking you to name names.

[Jorday]

Older guys (men in there 40s) all have insane grip strength, Forearms are something the inevietablely get used everyday so there really the only thing that gets developed.


Combine that with a guy who does labour and you have CRUSHING strength (go shake a plumbers hand, he will crush you too pieces)

Yep. old man strength right there.