Amazing Grip Strength
by David Gentle
Published in "Strength Athlete"
Bill Pearl tearing number plates!
The passing of time is such that all men's early achievements eventually become surpassed. The field of strength is no different to any other sphere as witnessed by some amazing power feats including that of the recent powerlifting prowess of Texas lifter, Joe Hood deadlifting at a bodyweight of 220 pounds the weight of 793 pounds (360kg) equaling the long standing record of the amazing strength athlete Herman Goerner, who did this feat back in 1920 at the same bodyweight.
The deadlift is truly the greatest test of power devised, merited according to bodyweight, with the diminutive yet tough eleven times World Champion powerlifter Hideaki Inabi deadlifting in excess of 500 pounds (226.7kg) at just 114 pounds (51.7kg) bodyweight. Top deadlifter in the American Drug free Powerlifters Association according to statistician Jim Gallagher is John Kuc with 854 pounds (387kg).
If you wish to go higher consider Scott Warman of Houston, USA, with a 859 pounds dead lift or Doyle Kenady's 903 pounds (409.5kg) at the '86 Hawaii P.L. contest courtesy Budweiser (now there's a good supplement!!!), then its obvious the fabulous 1,000 pounds is not far away (I know people have lifted that amount with straps) a poundage already exceeded in the squat by Dr Fred Hatfield at the same meet with 1008 pounds (at 250 pounds bodyweight with an unsurpassed lift of 1052 pounds ..... but as always we digress, as it is Grip Strength we are supposed to be discussing, introduced by the 'killer' lift then aptly named 'deadlift'. The subject of which before we leave, I must mention the previous named Goerner for example who did a one handed deadlift of 734.5 pounds (333kg) on 20th July 1920 in Dresdon and in modern times lifter Peter B.Cortese from the USA who achieved a one arm dead lift of over triple his bodyweight, lifting 370 pounds (167kgl, which was just 22 pounds (9.9kg) over triple bodyweight.
Without tough fingers and a strong grip, your poundages would obviously be limited and the best exercise for the third powerlift is deadlifting itself, in high sets of low reps, adding poundage as you drop reps with occasional doubles and singles working up to limit lifts and personal bests. Many stalwarts in an attempt to toughen fingers and hands try varieties on the theme, lifting with several or single digits or via 'pinch lifts'. To excel in any type of lift, be it 'standard' or so called 'odd' lift requires time and effort and some understanding of previous standards and records to assess your own performances and set targets. With almost over emphasis placed today on basic favourites even say curls, rowing, press behind neck, etc, in most instances you have to delve the past for an era when greater all round ability was expected and encouraged in physical endeavours.
So to give you some ideas and while you are getting your batteries re-charged after that last set of squats, let us roam around a little in the archives for example of finger, hand and forearm power, hopefully to both interest and perhaps inspire you into giving just a little extra time training for GRIP STRENGTH .....
The early Roman Emperor Cains Maximus (a large man), reputedly 8 foot tall, was said to be able to squeeze stones into powder with his figures. Salvins, a strong man from Ancient Rome could climb a sturdy ladder with 200 pounds 190.7kg) tied to both hands and another 200 pounds attached to his feet ..... not so unbelievable, with similar climbing stunts with weights (usually a horse or pony) being exhibited in more recent times by Kate Sandwina's father Phillip Brumback and king of the wrist wrestlers Mac Batchelor.
In the Middle Ages Richard Joy from Kent could break a rope which had a breaking strain of over 35 hundredweights with his bare hands. One of the most famous early English strongmen was Thomas Topham (1710 to 17497, a publican, living in London. Not a "huge man compared to some, being about 5 foot 10 inches and around 14 stone, he possessed enormous strength. Topham, although of all round strength, excelled in gripping feats, most of which are faithfully documented in a contemporary authors witness of his strength, namely Dr John Theo Desagulaiers work called A course of experimental philosophy (London 1763).
Topham (sometimes spelt Thopham could snap pipe stems in his outstretched fingers, could crush pipe bowls by squashing them with his first and second fingers with just lateral pressure, bend thick pokers by sticking them in a blow across his forearm and would bend thick iron bars around his neck. He is also credited with being able to lift 224 pounds, for example, two old English 'hundredweights' (101.6kg) overhead 'easily' with just his little finger.
A
superb exercise to develop grip and flexor strength of the hands and forearms,
is the practise of 'pinch gripping' weight lifting discs as per the photographs,
for example, lifting the weights by pinching the edge of the discs with the
fingers. Recognized lifts are only those which use smooth ended
-side plates, not the type with a sunken ridge which would naturally make the
feat easier. Whilst lifting chalk is accepted to counteract against wet or
slippery fingers or discs, no other help is allowed. the weights are to be
lifted purely by finger and thumb power.
Seen right: Keith Brown lifting discs by pinch lift
The system used to increase power in pinch gripping is as in all other strength methods, for example, via steady progression against increasing resistance. Start with small, light discs and work your way up to larger ones, using low reps and single attempts for strength increase. Although the discs can be lifted as just single large plates or several gripped together, the most usual practise is to load two or more onto a central bar or swingbell rod. Using the method of loading the weights onto a central bar for convenience, but still using grip strength alone, on a smooth sided selection of discs Hermann Goerner (1891 to 1956) lifted 111 pounds (50.3kg) on 10th July 1934. I hasten to add Goerner did the above lift without any previous practise (I think the centre 'bar' was in fact a chair leg!!!) and was no doubt capable of lifting far more with practise. Another stunt of Hermann's was to write his name on a blackboard in chalk with a 110 pounds (50kg weight dangling from his thumb, (I don't think it was 'joined-up writing!!!).
Goerner is recognized by most strength historians as probably being the greatest exponent of gripping power in history exceeding even that of the French athlete Louis Uni or Apollon who's forearms were some of the largest muscular developed ever recorded. In modern times however, powerlifter and competitor in the Worlds Strongest Man contest, the huge Cleve Dean of Atlanta, Georgia, at a height of 6 foot 7 inches, bodyweight an incredible 450 pounds, chest (normal) 62 inches, biceps 23 inches, had a forearm size measured by the late David Willoughby of 18 inches and a wrist of 10 inches.
Without the use of a bar onto which assemble the discs, but using instead larger discs or harder still several discs pinched tight together, many fine records have been achieved. The late David Willoughby lists many such records in his tome The Super Athletes (Barnes 1970) as we do also in Developing Grip Strength (Springfield Books 1986), including the feat of the pre-mentioned Apollon who using his four fingers and the palm of his hand in a bent position lifted a 90 pound barbell, plate which he then 'muscled out', for example, held with straight arm at shoulder height in front of him circa 1892.
Looking at an early edition of the now defunct Strength and Health (June 1941), writer Robert L. Jones describes the amazing feats of one AI Berger from Philadelphia, USA. AI specialized on being able to 'chin' himself by pinch gripping onto 3 inch thick rafters a stunt at which he excelled. He also practised lots of lifting barbell plates by pinch lifting. In the article, AI is mentioned as being able to pinch grip the flat sides of two by thirty five pound York barbell plates (total being 34kgl lifting the discs to shoulders via the weight lifting move known as 'the clean'. The same article also mentions AI's ability to pinch grip a York 75 pound plate with an extra 33 pounds attached. Bergers bodyweight was at that time about 193 pounds, height just under 6 foot. Berger could reverse curl, for example, with palms facing downwards a barbell weighing 150 pounds (68kg). Best pinch lift to my knowledge was by Jack Fritsch of Austin, Texas, circa 1965, lifting two times 45 pound smooth sided York plates.
Few men can emulate former Mr America, Mike Dayton, a sensational pro strongman in his specialized feats of strength, including his unique stunt of breaking regulation handcuffs. Mike also belongs to an elite group of men who have been capable bending, and in some cases breaking coins.
Throughout the history of strength, less than a handful of men have been capable of such a demonstration of strength, for example, bending or breaking coins by the pure power of their fingers alone. Peter the Great, first Tsar of Russia was said to be able to break silver coins with the strength of his tough hands and fingers, John Marx (Grunn) the Luxembourg strongman (1868 to 1912) better known for his ability to break horseshoes was also reported to have bent and broken American coins (an American dime or 10 cents coin) in front of reputable witnesses. Polish strongman Franz Bienkowski, who's stage name was Cyclops was known as The Coin Breaker, breaking coins, again in front of expert witnesses, for example, lifters and other strong men, using just thumbs and fingers.
Charles Vansittart billed as The Man with the Iron Grip could bend an old English penny by holding it in one hand with finger and thumb and pressing it against the ball of his other thumb, continually bending it until it broke. Remember however, the old English penny was quite large, a modern penny is both smaller and thereof, harder to grip, being almost impossible to bend other than in a vice.
Other British strongmen credited with coin bending was William P. Caswell, who also broke pennies ..... Joe, the Mighty Atom, the late Joe Greenstein who attended the late Bob Hoffman's York Fair for over 55 consecutive years demonstrating his power, specializing in biting through chains and nails (yes, it is true, he could actually bite through metal) and would bend coins by holding them between his front teeth then pushing upwards on the coin with his thumbs, bend the coin. Please do not try any of these dangerous stunts, they are written in for interest, not for you to emulate!
Just to end up on a few more stunts, talking of tough little pinkies, how about Arthur Saxon's (1878 to 1912) lifting of 297.6 pounds (135kg) overhead with his little finger (weight was attached to a hook, but it still must have hurt!). In 1933 Goerner deadlifted a barbell using just two fingers of both hands which weighed 595.75 pounds (270kg) ..... using just one finger of each hand (the second finger, usually the toughest) a relatively obscure lifter weighing 198 pounds namely John McLoughlin lifted a massive 411 pou nds (186kg) via the deadlift, circa 1959. And for the finale, Warren Lincoln Travis (see The Fairground Strongmen who challenged the World by David Gentle) using a special padded ring, lifted with one finger on 5th November in New York, the enormous weight of 667 pounds (302.5kg), which to bring into context is just about equivalent to lifting four grown men!
Well that's enough inspiration!!! If you like these sort of stunts and information, plus plenty of more strength data and in depth training for grip and forearm strength, then we recommend you obtain the book Developing Grip Strength by co-authors David Gentle and David Webster obtainable
Amazing Grip Strength © Copyright by David Gentle All Rights Reserved