New Updates & More

Things have been hoppin round the FHS clubhouse lately. We always have somethin new and interesting going on and I thought I would keep you updated on recent happenings.

1. First order of business – we thank everyone for the slight delay we have had on some recent orders. The rush of interest combined with the holiday being in the middle of the week last week made for a bit of an unusual situation.

The good news is that the kids in the office have been working overtime.

Yep, Ive been really cracking that whip and just about everything, including recent super gripper orders, will be shipped before the end of the week, with many arriving before then.

2. And speaking of the Ivanko Super Grippers, we are the only company in the country right now with them currently in stock, so if you want one, heres the only place to get it:

Ivanko Super Gripper

3. The Super Gripper Training Guide is shaping up to be something very cool. I just finished the section on how to combine hand gripper training with super gripper training which includes three different schemes.

I am currently working on the sample workout section which has, to date, 7 different "types" of workouts, 8 different "holds" and a section on how to build thumbstrength using the super gripper. We don't have a firm eta yet but the wheels are definitely turning. Stay tuned for more updates as we get them.

4. Were getting announcement postcards in a few days and will likely begin mailing sometime early next week. If you still havent signed up for our mailing list and dont want to miss out on the special surprise we have in store, you can do so at the following page:

FHS Mailing List

5. We've got a great new product coming out probably next week over
at the bodyweight training site. This is something very, very cool. Be on the lookout for that.

6. The Blog over at the oldtime strongman site is quickly turning into one of our most popular pages. I can see why, if youre into training, theres some very interesting stuff to see. Check it out for yourself right here:

Oldtime Strongman Blog

7. And lastly, a bit of administrative info. When you place an order for any item that we have shipped from the manufacturer, ie climbing ropes, sand bags, thick bars etc, we place your order immediately with them to get the ball rolling. This is a courtesy from us as we waste no time in getting the order underway.

Our manufacturers then ship out as soon as they can. Please be aware of the posted turn around times on the website site.

8. With the mercury rising, be sure to stay hydrated

If you need anything else, just give us a shout.

Train hard,
John Wood

Ivanko Super Gripper Special

Needless to say, our latest product - The Ivanko Super Gripper - is HOT! If you haven't had a chance to order one for yourself, sprint on over here and grab one asap:

Or, you can give the lovely Shelby a call right here if you wanted to order over the phone: 1-800-978-0206.

Now, one kind of response we have been getting is from folks telling us they had already got one a while ago.

No surprises there, the Super Gripper is a top notch product that has been available since the mid 1940s and thousands upon thousands of athletes have been using them for years to build stronger hands.

But ever if you already have an Ivanko Super gripper, we still want to hear from you. Click on the link below and fill out your info because we would still like to keep you updated on the training guide we have in the works:

It's going to be a good one and you don't want to miss out on this.

Train hard,
John Wood

Ivanko Super Gripper vs Hand Gripper - After 15 Rounds

As I discussed this morning, the Ivanko Super Gripper certainly has many advantages (among them portability and the ability to progress.)

But what about hand gippers?

Both pieces of equipment train the target musculature through a full range of motion, both can be used progressively and both are top quality so you know you can count on ‘em pretty much forever.

You see, as far as training the major function of the hand muscles (i.e. finger flexion i.e “crushing” strength (both hand grippers and the super gripper will work just fine but hand grippers also have their own unique advantages that no other piece of equipment can match.

Let me tell you what I mean.

Hand grippers, by virtue of rotational spring resistance, match the perfect strength curve
of the gripping muscles of the human hand. I think it was purely by accident but basic physics, human physiology and industrial ingenuity all happened to come together at a perfect moment to create a perfect (or nearly perfect) strength tool.

While hand grippers may lack the overall consistency of the Super Gripper or plate loaded grip machines, they more than make up for it in physiological effectiveness. No other piece of training equipment can reproduce this effect.

What’s more, there is nothing more satisfying than finally hearing the "click" of the handles of that gripper that you have been working on for a long time.

And don’t forget, if you want to develop a specific kind of strength you have to train in a specific manner so if you want to get stronger at hand grippers, you gotta train with 'em.

Now, what about the combination of the two types of training equipment – the Ivanko Super Gripper and heavy duty hand grippers? Remember, they both train roughly the same structures, although from a slightly different standpoint (based on the nature of their respective types of resistance types.)

To benefit from both (or either), simply train, systematically, in a progressive manner, while alternating workouts types. Stick with it and keep improving for long enough and an Iron Grip will be yours.

Train hard,
John Wood

P.S. To order your own Ivanko Super Gripper, Click Here.

The Showdown: Super Gripper vs. Hand Grippers

You know, everyone likes to play "Celebrity Deathmatch" when it comes to some of the different exercises:

Squats vs. Deadlifts
Kettlebells vs. Dumbbells
Barbells vs. Machines

I'm sure you get the picture. What is going to ultimately determine whether one exercise is "better" than another is how many requirements it fills with what you are trying to accomplish combined with how much you enjoy that exercise in and of itself.

So, for example, if you wanted to build overhead pressing strength, you could do your presses with a barbell, a dumbbell, a kettlebell, a sack of potatoes or even Eclipse the cat - it really doesnt matter, resistance can come in any form you want it to and as long as its performed progressively, you will get stronger.

However, if your goal is to get stronger at something specific say a barbell overhead press, the best way to do that is to train the barbell overhead press.

Simple huh? Evidently not so much as there are a lot of "confuz-ed" people on this point.

Thing is, what you can also do is supplement an exercise for varietie's sake and compliment it with a similar exercise.

So for example, if you wanted to increase your overhead press, you could alternate workouts with barbell pressing with dumbbell pressing and the two exercises (or other similar modalities) would compliment each other very well.

There are some other things to keep in mind for this type of scheme that I will go into on a later date.

Anyhow, this brings us to todays matchup:

The Ivanko Super Gripper vs. Hand Grippers

So whats better? (If you are thinking "better for what?" you are on the right track.) They both provide a very effective workout, and they are both useful but keep in mind they are also both different.

Lets take a look at some of their unique qualities.

As far as progression is concerned, the Ivanko Super Gripper is obviously the favorite. Instead of needing multiple grippers, all you have to do is adjust the spring farther from the pivot point to increase the resistance.

And yes, the Ivanko Super Gripper can be adjusted from a levels easier than your grandmother could use all the way up to levels that would challenge the Worlds Strongest Man

Theres over 50 levels of adjustment so the Super Gripper is going to give you an effective workout no matter who you are.

This also makes the Super Gripper pretty useful if you are on the go, just pack it in your suitcase and youre off (never mind the funny stares from the x-ray checkers at the airport)

But does this make hand grippers "obsolete?"

No, not by a longshot. Tune back in later today to find out why.

Train hard,
John Wood

P.S. In the meantime, youll definitely want to zip on over to this page and pick up an Ivanko Super Gripper for yourself if you haven't done so already. Up, up and away!

Ivanko Super Gripper



The Ivanko Super Gripper