by shane on January 6, 2010
Last year at work, a sharp pain shot through my chest and back. It put me on the ground inside my cubicle. My boss and two others looked on.
I didn’t know what hit me, but I waited several seconds to see if it would pass. It didn’t. It hit me again. I could barely get the breath to tell my boss to drive me to the hospital several miles away.
After 8 hours of all types of tests (one being an MRI With Contrast where the technicians failed to mention that in a male body, the contrast makes a pair of testicles feel like a pair of testicles on fire), they could find nothing wrong with me.
Fastforward to Christmas eve 2009 and the same thing happened again. This time my back and neck siezed up to heighten the fun of my situation.
Long story short, it’s been several weeks and I’m still feeling a weird discomfort and pain in my chest/back area. I’m too scared to do any workouts or cardio, much less grip strength training.
I have two kids to worry about so that last thing I want to do is do a lot of straining and have “it” happen again, and potentially put me into the ground permanently.
So, my question is, “What would make you quit grip training?”
For me, this incident just might be it. It’s sad really. The only reason I’m posting this is because I’ve been away from this site and tweeting for a while and I’m curious as to what the grip strength community thinks about this.
Let me know in the comments.
by shane on December 16, 2009
Mike Rinderle
http://twitter.com/mrinderle
Q1: It’s cool to know what type of people get into grip strength. Could you tell us about yourself, where you live, what you do etc?
I’m 42 years old and live in Crofton, MD. I have a beautiful wife Melissa (who has also recently caught the grip bug) and 4 great kids. I am the director of sales for a shipping software company. I workout at home.
Q2: Tell us, what’s the story around how you got into grip strength?
A coworker brought in some Heavy Grips grippers into the office. He and some of the younger guys were always trying to see who could close the biggest one or get the most reps. I gave it a try one day and actually did better than most of them. I was hooked. From there, I found the Gripboard and since March I have thrown myself into this sport with everything I have.
Q3: How did/does your friends and family feel about your hobby?
Most of my friends have no idea what I’m talking about when I try to explain it. My wife has been very supportive from the start and has actually started training with me. She and my 17 year old daughter competed with me at Gripmas this year, which was a real treat for me. My 13 year old son is repping the HG100 and will be getting a CoC Trainer for Christmas.
Q4: What is your favorite grip strength exercise and why?
I would probably have to say a tie between grippers and 1” vbar. I love them both. Grippers because they were my first love and 1” vbar because I have really made some great progress on the lift. Since August, I have raised my PR on vbar from 252 lbs to 334 lbs, which I think puts me about 7th on the FBBC 1” vbar list all-time.
Q5: What is your hardest grip strength exercise and why?
For me it has been DO axle deadlifts. I had back surgery a few years ago and just got back into strength training a little over a year ago. I have really had to work on the amount I can deadlift as well as the supporting grip aspect of the lift. My numbers are finally starting to creep up though. My best on that lift is a 345# pull on my homemade pipe axle.
Q6: Who’s the one person you look up to the most for guidance and motivation in the grip strength community?
There are so many people that have helped me improve: Kris Hamilton, Bobby Goodfellow, Frank Snyder, John Eaton, Brent Barbe, Sam Solomi, Ben Edwards to name just a few. But if I had to pick one person, it is without a doubt Jedd Johnson. Jedd has helped me immensely. He had me to his house for training sessions, competitions, lent me equipment to train on, motivated me, and really epitomizes an all around grip athlete. He is strong in every event and it has all come from hard work. He puts more hours, sweat, tears, blood, and skin into this sport than anyone else I know. It all paid off for him recently when he set the new world record in the 2HP at Gripmas.
Q7: Anything else you want to say about grip?
Grip athletes are the greatest group of people I have ever met. Every person I have met on-line or in person, including the superstars of the sport, have always been willing to help with advice, motivation, and even equipment if you need something to train on. This sport has made such a huge difference in my life and I hope to continue participating for a very long time. My youtube site: http://www.youtube.com/user/mrinderle
by shane on November 3, 2009
I’m so stupid. Well, not really, but for the longest time I’ve thought that the “heavy” dumbbells were just too damn’d heavy for me.
Anything over 40 pounds I just considered too much to try, so I’d use machines with cables instead.
After 19 years of lifting, and some grip strength training, I’ve realized that heavy dumbbells aren’t too heavy; my grip was just too weak.
Seriously, I never tried anything over 40 pounds before. After a couple years of grip strength training, I decided I’d give those heavies another attempt. To my amazement, these weights were well within my range. They probably were for a good majority of those 19 years; I just didn’t realize it until grip strength training revealed it.
This is quite a revelation for me. I’ve even noticed that I can do a lot more on the machines, too.
If you’re reading this and you look at those dumbbells like a dummy as I did, get yourself into some grip strength training, revisit those dumbbells you’ve avoided for years, and see how strong you really can be.
by shane on October 23, 2009
Trinidad of Iron Bell Gym
http://twitter.com/ironbellgym
Q1: It’s cool to know what type of people get into grip strength. Could you tell us about yourself, where you live, what you do etc?
I am in Sales and Marketing. I found kettlebells 3 yrs ago and started a Personal Training business 1 year or so ago. I am in Southern California, Inland Empire area east of LA. Chess, boxing, basketball and kettlebells keep me sane.
Q2: Tell us, what’s the story around how you got into grip strength.
A workout partner of mine was always into strength training. He hated bodybuilding. So he introduced me to life outside of a gym. Swinging sledge hammers, sandbags workouts, The kettlebell, etc. Have not been in a “GYM” since.
Q3: How did/does your friends and family feel about your hobby?
Still trying to convince them I am not crazy but I have got many of my friends into strength training.
Q4: What is your favorite grip strength exercise and why?
KETTLEBELL snatch! Best workout I have ever done. Who knew 53 lbs could humble me so!
Q5: What is your hardest grip strength exercise and why?
Sandbags. Working with the uneven weight distribution is always a challenge.
Q6: Who’s the one person you look up to the most for guidance and motivation in the grip strength community?
@sandysommer. Met him at the AOS certification then ran into him on twitter.
Q7: Anything else you want to say about grip (mention your website if you have one)?
Great community of folks. http://www.ironbellgym.com is my site and http://www.kettlebellandstrength.com/ is @sandysommer’s strength site. Thanks for the invite to share a little bit about me.
Trinidad
Iron Bell Gym