Are You Up To The New Challenge?

Iron Mind Hand Grippers

I just got word of some exciting news from the folks over at Iron Mind -- you know about their certification for closing their #3 and #4 grippers right?

Well they just announced that they are going to open up a new list for their 3.5 level gripper which I think is a great idea.

I've closed it in the past, but not consistently, so now that's going to be my prioroty this summer -- Ill let you in on a few techniques that Ill be using at a later date. And you know when I do it, it will be done in a way where theres no
question at all as to who is the big dog...

For now though, the race is one to see whos going to have the "right stuff" to get the list. If you havent already done so, here's where to get your own 3.5 and any of the other IM tweener grippers youll need: Iron Mind "Tweener" Hand Gripppers

Train hard,
John Wood

P.S. "It is time for us all to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever - the one who recognizes the challenge and does something about it." ~ Vince Lombardi

Hand Grippers: Getting Started

Think of a solid dumbbell which is too heavy to lift – how would you train with it? There are a few ways... but...

You can make it a whole lot easier when you can lift it at least once. You begin with singles... then, as you grow stronger, you can progress to doubles etc etc until you master that weight...

So when someone asks: "Which Gripper should I start with?" (which is one of the most popular questions we receive) my answer is, at its most basic level, is "one you can close."

Think about it – theres no sense in trying to get started at a level far above what you are currently able to do .

And it doesnt matter whether you can close your gripper once, ten times, even fifty times it is the constant graduated improvement over time that will make you stronger, regardless of where you begin.

Think about what training "is" ... what it means... The main idea here is improvement... but you can only improve if you can first establish where you are... and then you can build from there.

This most often means somewhere in the Sport, Trainer, #1 range on the Captains of Crush scale.

Improvement, in the form of strength gains, will come from a balanced, systematic, workout scheme which incorporates the proper recovery.

It really couldnt be any simpler than that...

Train hard,
John Wood

P.S. We've got several hundred of each hand gripper strength in stock at all times and we ship 'em out quicker than anyone else. Here's where to get started: Captains of Crush Hand Grippers

About Ironmind Captains of Crush Hand Grippers

Ironmind Hand Grippers

We have had some requests for some more info on the Ironmind Captains of Crush Hand Grippers so that's what will be covered here.

Levels:

The Guide - 60 lbs. - Roughly twice as hard as the average sporting goods store gripper

The Sport - 80 lbs. - The perfect introduction to heavy duty hand gripper training

The Trainer - 100 lbs. - Our most popular gripper

#1 - 140 lbs. - Most Strongmen still have trouble with this one

#1.5 - 167.5 lbs. - A midpoint between levels

#2 - 195 lbs. - Close a #2 and you have a grip to be proud of

#2.5 - 237.5 lbs. - Now you're knocking on the door of world class

#3 - 280 lbs. - The Benchmark feat - time to get your name on the list

#3.5 - 322.5 lbs. - A level where few can tread

#4 - 365 lbs. - No man's land, only room for a couple at the top of this mountain

Training:
Ideally you should have a complete set of hand grippers becasue it makes progression that much easier. However, for the most effective training, you will need at least three of them and here's why:

A Gripper that you can close for a number of reps - For high-rep endurance work, hand toughening and "warm-ups"

A Gripper that you can close for a moderate number of reps (8-10) - The gripper you will be doing your "Working" sets with

A Gripper that you can just barely close or can't quite close yet - Your "Goal" gripper

For more information and gripper recommendations, please see our Hand Gripper Buying Guide

Where to Begin:

We generally recommend starting with the Trainer or Sport grippers. The reason is that these levels will allow you to gauge your strength most effectively as well as use for actual "training" grippers becasue you will be able to close them. As a rule of thumb is is better to start out at a level "too easy" rather than a level too hard.

Why It's Good to Be Uncomfortable

Yogi Berra, in his infinite wisdom, once said: 'You can observe a lot just by watching' and like most Yogi-isms, this one becomes even more profound the more you think about it.

The truth is, the 'Secret' to success for a lot of people is to simply pay more attention to things that most people dont. In doing so, youll be rewarded with a greater understanding of how things 'work' which is a tremendous advantage indeed.

As time goes by, I have learned to do just that, take a step back and pay more attention to things - especially the things that I though I already knew - and a whole new world has opened up for me.

Now, according to the Rational Choice Theory, one would instinctually make choices that lead to the greatest 'benefit' with the least amount of hassle. In short, the road if least resistance toward getting the things we want.

Makes sense when you think about it, I mean, we live in relative comfort, with food, heat and shelter readily available, something that our ancestors hundreds of years ago had to struggle mightily for.

Modern comfort is certainly nice but the thing of it is, there is such a thing
as becoming too comfortable.

You see, struggle is necessary to teaches us, make us stronger and causes us to grow physically, mentally, and morally.

Think of the processes by which your muscles grow - you subject them to exercise above and beyond what they are comfortable with and used to. Theyrespond by growing stronger. Getting in shape is the same way - physical exercise causes the heart and lungs to get out of their comfort zone and begin to use the available oxygen more efficiently.

But if you do nothing and simply exist as you are - in relative comfort - your body will fall to the level of comfort to which it exists in which ironically, isnt
what most people want.

The bottom line here is that its good to be uncomfortable, to be 'Hungry' for change because you wont be motivated to do the things which can actually bring about change otherwise.

As far as working out, Im not talking about having to wrap your barbell in barbed wire or doing squats barefoot on broken glass, that would understandably be taking things too far.

What I am talking about is pushing things just a little bit beyond what you feel is even possible.

If you know in your heart you can get 10 reps with a certain weight, go for atleast 11. If you dont feel like getting up early to go for a jog, that may be a sign that that is exactly what you should be doing.

Youll surprise yourself when you begin to look at things this way.

The key here is to challenge yourself - take that next step, even if and especially
if you are a little bit scared. Many people reach that threshold, only a few will
cross it.

Will you be one of them?

Train hard.
John Wood

P.S. If youve ever played ball at the park, you know that there are plenty of
fence sitters. Sure, its easy to sit and watch but the fact of the matter is you
cant win the game while standing on the sidelines.

Roughly 14 weeks from now, there will be a VERY good reason to be a Gripper Training Email Member - an announcement will happen in the very near future
as to what I am referring to but I highly suggest you take this opportunity to
order a set of grippers and join up if you have not done so already as you will
not want to miss out on this.

Your training will never be the same. Here is the link, you know what to do:
Captains of Crush

Or, you can order the New 'Tweeners' here:Iron Mind Tweeners

How The Focused Mind Can Pierce Stone

First of all, I want to extend a big welcome to Shelby and Bill, the two latest additions to the FHS family. At the moment they are hard at work learning the ropes and so far they are doing great.

Heres one from a little while ago, tis a good one:

Back In the days of high adventure, there lived a man who devoted himself wholeheartedly to Kyudo, the art of the bow.

He practiced for hours each day and never, ever missed a session. After several years of constant and gradual improvement, he had reached a level of skill with a bow and arrow that was far greater than any man who had ever walked the Earth, before or since.

One evening, as he was walking in the mountains where he lived, he saw a flicker of movement in the shadows. It was a tiger with its teeth bared, its back arched and ready to rip him to shreds.

Since this very well have been the last thing he ever did, he put every ounce of concentration he had into what happened in next

Without thought or hesitation, the archer grabbed an arrow from his quiver, notched it, and took aim.

He let the arrow fly…

It was a direct hit right to the head of the beast. The entire incident had only taken a few hundredths of a second. Without stopping to examine the dead animal, the archer continued on his way.

The next day, he became curious and returned to that spot. Upon his arrival, something seemed amiss as there was no dead tiger to be found. He was about to give up his search when he saw it...

There is was: The arrow he had shot the night before, embedded in a huge
boulder.

There had been no tiger after all, but the archer’s concentration had been so intense and so meaningful and his shot so powerful that his arrow had driven into solid rock.

From this incident came the famous Samurai maxim about concentration and power in any Way of Life: 'Ichinen iwa wo mo tosu' - The focused mind can pierce through stone.

Often people will ask me what one thing they can do right away to improve their training. I tell them to Concentrate harder and more intently on the things they already do.

Few people listen.

Just as the archer did, if you can put every ounce of concentration that you have toward only a few simple tasks, the results will defy belief.

Training itself is a simple thing to understand. The real secrets lie not necessarily in 'what' you do but how you do them. There are forces that can aid the mind that are hardly dreamt of by the average person.

If you’re going to be training tonight like I am, let the Tigers beware.

Train hard.

John Wood

P.S. Legendary feats happen with intense focus and the right tools. To build stronger, more powerful hands, you need a full set of Iron Mind Captains of Crush Hand Grippers.