The annual BHSA event report.

Having managed to set up the BHSA with David Horne towards the end of 2007 one of our aims was to establish more events and gatherings. As well as a greater standardisation of lifts and equipments literally having something happening almost every month was important to us.

One of the ideas was similar to how the Peter Horne memorial day was previously run. You'd turn up, having told the guys what events you wanted to in advance, then do as few or as many of the other lifts as you wanted. With the Peter Horne day now an actual competition the Annual get-together became a 'bring what you got' day. And again as per previous gatherings here, in the US and in other parts of the world one of the best parts of the gatherings has been the meal and BS'ing which took place after.

With all that in mind we set the 8th of November as our lift and eat day. The venue was my Whey Consortium gym here in Gloucester and we put out the message to our members to see what they wanted to do. I personally was keen on doing what I could on the pinch, seeing where I was on the one hand thumbless deadlift (as per Laine Snook's suggestion) and perhaps (if my back allowed it) some double overhand thick bar deadlift.

Come the day and yours truly was fretting, as per, as to whether or not anyone was actually coming. In spite of delays by the torrential rain we managed to get Stew Killick and Kath, Laine Snook and Donna, Paul Savage and Paul Wood from the BHSA membership. Also in attendance throughout the day was Laurence and Harry Shahlaei and other Whey Gym regulars.


Grippers
No BHSA records here. Paul Savage, myself and Paul Woods all had some fun. I may (subject to checking video) have right hand closed a 4.01 gripper but not CCS nor 20mm. Paul W got a PB on the Vulcan (Paul S's) at level 10 but again not CCS etc. Paul missed his attempts. I also was about 3mm off on closing a BBE left handed (no CCS/20mm just a personal thing). For whatever reason we all seemed off on this. Annoying. All lifts were done on a PB basis only hence no CCS/20mm

2HP
Myself, Loz and H all paid the price of 2HP x 20 x 1 on Tuesday. Every single one of us tore skin, nice blobs of blood etc etc. Best attempt was 106.7-kilos which I missed. Stew did some lifts to 90+ kilos Although I had the frame to lift to (bar blocks etc) the loading bar is bent and no one was close to any records.

Blobs
Laine did a nice 2 hand deadlift with Paul's 30-kilo blobs (with ease I might add), also a one hand clean (subject to checking video) with one of the same 30-kilo blobs (from 60-kilo York Legacy dumbbells). I think Paul did a clean and press with the 20-kilo (HGT replica blob) by the face.

One hand deadlift (Ivanko O' bar) thumbless.
Laine and I, after some token work from Loz, I pulled a 125-kilo right handed lift (BHSA record) and then Laine, using his left, pulled 135-kilos. All plates were Ivanko competition plates so calibrated etc.

Dumbbells
I did 1.05.31 hold on the baby Inch (about 20 seconds in I pulled it high, caught it and reapplied my grip before it hit the ground so as to hold it better). I did this (as did Stew) by half deadlifting it then holding it in the air so we did not rest it against our thighs) and Stew did about 30 or so. Mine was more or less double the old record - nice. I also did a Inch in each hand deadlift (standing up then throwing them down), Laine just missed (3 attempts) going all the way on a double Millennium (228 and 234lbs) deadlift. I picked up right handed each and every thick handled bell (from 126?? to 234lbs). I also tried to mimic Laine's Inch in the left and Millennium in the right (but no could do). Paul also did some work with the lighter bells but I think missed the full Inch. I also cleaned the baby with either hand (just touching it with the free hand both times to get it that last inch onto the shoulder). Bells were a combo of our HGT 'baby' Inch, HGT Inch and my Millennium and the rest from the Holle brothers (so nice 'n' sharp between handled and globes).

D/O A/A deadlift
Loz, Stew, Laine and myself all had some fun here. Everyone did at least 140 I think (not sure on Stew) Loz dropped out at 180 after getting that successfully (with his thumb as chewed up from mine from the pinch and having done a PB of 155kg on our medium 'log'). Laine, baring in mind he does not fully stand erect due to his back injury and myself both did 190-kilos/418lbs which I am told is a British record. For some 30 or so seconds I had the record with him then he pulled 200-kilos to go to the top of the list. Of all the stuff I'd hoped to be crazy on the Pinch but did my best work here instead. C'est la vie. All plates were Ivanko competition plates so calibrated etc. Bar was an 15-kilo IM A/A

Bar bending
I did not see all bar bending but did a very easy (10-secs) D/O to 40-degrees 7 x 1/4-inch CRS. Ditto a G5 (silver?? and possibly outside of 30 secs) but some 7-inch x 1/4inch square CRS was monstrous and all I could do was kink it.

Post, post lifting
I'm sure I missed a bunch so see what the others say later.Paul W, Laine and Donna, Stew and Cath and myself all enjoyed some nice food and a drink or 2 at the Angel Chef (all u can eat for £5.50!!) with yours truly talking/eating 2 main courses and some pud. Laine very kindly paid for us all!! Cheers again Laine. I'm sure Laine, Donna and Paul 'enjoyed' my sense of 'where's the place again' although we still arrived dead on time ha ha having done a mini-tour of the area on the other side of Gloucester Docks. I know it's around there somewhere he he. I know we're all gonna ache in the morning because carrying a plate of food back made my hands cramp up. I think everyone enjoyed themselves in spite of my mother hen clucking around to keep things moving along.

Jedd Johnson interview

Photo: Jedd (L) and Smitty (R)

Q: Hi Jedd, Can I start by asking you to introduce yourself, where you’re from, how old, etc?

Steve, thanks for the chance to be interviewed on your site. My name is Jedd Johnson. I started the website, DieselCrew.com, with my training partner, Jim Smith several years ago. We started out mainly hosting videos of strength feats, but we have grown the site to include many other sections and points of emphasis in an effort to cover as many areas of strength and conditioning as possible.


Q: You’re well known in the grip world. Have you competed in other strength sports and to what level?

I started in Grip and Strongman in 2003. I competed in Strongman until August 2006. I won many of the Strongman events I competed in. I was twice Maryland’s Strongest Man and once Massachusetts Strongest Man. I love the competition, and would still be at it to this day but a few lower back injuries have somewhat handcuffed me, so I decided after my last comp in 2006 to focus mainly on Grip competitions. Now, I am dedicated much more time to my website and in organizing the United States Grip Championships structure.


Q: As Grip World Magazine is aimed at all things grip - what does grip mean to you? What’s its place in training and so on?

Grip is very important. I do quite a bit of speaking at strength and conditioning seminars, and often the topic of conversation is incorporating grip strength protocols in the athletic routine. In my experience, at the university level, grip strength training is often limited to wrist rollers and wrist curls. This just doesn’t cut it, as I am sure you know. So I focus on increasing awareness about what types of grip strength exist and how to work them into the routine. No doubt about it, I think athletes who are putting an emphasis on training their grip are going to have an advantage on the court, field and mat.




Q:What would you like to see happen, via associations and so on with events etc?

I would like to see the awareness of the sport of grip and hand strength increase. I think grip strength is an excellent way to get youth interested in fitness again. The great thing about grip is that you can be great at it, even if you are not extremely huge! I’ve met many slim athletes at Grip contests that you wouldn’t think were so strong upon seeing them, but really impress you in the competition.


Photo: Jedd pinching.


Q: tell us a little about what you, Smitty and the gang at the Diesel Crew - how you got started, what you're doing, plans for the future etc.

Smitty and I met at a chiropractic rehab facility in 1997, when I was in high school and he just got out of college. I went to college in ’98 and was looking to start hitting the weights seriously after my first semester so I could get a starting spot in the pitching rotation at Mansfield University of PA. We trained in the winter and I went back to school. By the summer of 1999, we were full time training partners and began studying a lot of the strength and conditioning techniques that we were seeing at clinics we were attending. We started Powerlifting, then found out about Olympic lift, then got into Strongman, and finally found our way to Grip Strength, Feats of Strength, and Kettlebells. It’s been great learning all of these disciplines and meeting all of the people we have met in the last 10 years or so. We have seen a lot of training partners come and go over the years. Some moved away, some lost interest, others we’re not quite sure – they just disappeared, but two have stuck with it for years with us – Eli Thomas and Brad Martin. Eli’s 24 or so now and has surpassed me in many of the full body lifts. Also, he out-crushes me, but rarely trains grip. Brad is about 20 now and probably has the smallest hands to ever lift the blob. He has gotten back into Grip and will be competing with me in December at Chris Rice’s Gripmas Carol.


Q: you're seen by many as an intense competitor (I've seen this for myself) - what gets you going, how do you get in the zone?

It’s certainly much easier to get into the zone when you are not actually organizing the contest! Focus is important for sure. I like competing against people who take it serious, like I do. I get annoyed when people are cracking jokes or gabbing during a competition.

In order to get into the zone, I like to imagine myself mutilating the implement. In the pinch, I try and stare a hole through it. I sometimes envision myself tearing the plates apart. Sometimes I shut my eyes and imagine someone breaking into my house and attacking my family. Other times, I bark and growl. At Nationals, I focused so hard on the lift that I salivatedand drooled all over the platform.


Photo: Jedd card tearing
Q: Of all of the feats, guys and gals doing them and so on what stands out in your mind? Feel free to name names or lifts and records - be they grip or from other Iron Game arenas?

There’s a ton of stuff out there, but the only thing I think about anymore is Chad Woodall. He is the only guy who has consistently finished ahead of me over the last few years. I have split decisions with many guys, but Woodall has consistently gotten the best of me. He’s the only guy I think about any more. He is the best in the US. I think he could have beat Rob Vigeant and Clay Edgin at their pinnacles.Q: what aspirations in grip do you have for the future? You can talk about them from a purely personal point of view or from the sport as a whole.

In 2009, my sole aim is winning Nationals, as far as accomplishments are concerned. That is the only thing I care about.

As far as the sport, I want to continue to progress the organization of grip in the U.S.

Q: Before we sign off have your say – if there’s anything you’d like to add be it a message to the guys or what-have-you here’s your chance!

I’d like to take a moment and ask everyone to check out our site at http://www.dieselcrew.com/. We work hard to provide the best information we can on all things related to strength and conditioning. I also write for http://www.straighttothebar.com/ and usually provide one or two original grip strength article a month there. For info on the United States Hand Strength league, please check out http://usgrip.blogspot.com/. And as always, I am always open to discussing training via email. You can reach me at jedd.diesel@gmail.com.

BHSA annual get-to-gether

Next weekend, Saturday November 8th, we will be holding our first annual gathering. The athletes let me know ahead of time what lifts they will be doing, we lift, then it's off for some food.

:Photo of a 111.7-kilo loaded pinch (almost lifted yesterday)

This year we have some of the better known British 'bods' including Laine Snook et al hoping to do something real special (probably involving a Millennium dumbbell), myself hoping to two hand pinch at LEAST 107.5-kilos and more, much more.

I should also have the first batch of our official sleeveless BHSA 'T's'. We're doing a deluxe membership renewal package of £17.50 which will include the shirt (XL and XXL). I've already got some virtual hands in the air for those.

Then afterwards we will all drive over to the Angel Chef for an all you can eat buffet meal. I'm sure there will be the usual BS'ing, strength feats (much to the other customers amusement no doubt) and more.

Should be fun. Watch the blog for photos.

The ages of man

Inspired by a short chat with Paul Savage over what we'd seen Laine Snook do this afternoon and the question 'why doesn't he do this and that...??'. In my reply as to the whys and wherefores I pointed out to Paul how the mindset of a lifter changes as they mature.

One could argue, and it has been done, that as we approach our peak strength potential we also need to take greater care with recovery, injuries and so on. This is true. I have used an analogy which goes thus: as we tread ever further into the new territory of world record lifts we take our bodies to places others have yet to do so. If others got torn skin, injuries and so on then we are merely fortunate that we have not. But we risk it each and every time.

I also argued that the mind set of a strong testosterone filled teenager works on different levels to that of a 40+ but equally strong lifter. The teenager will lift for hours, then party, then do a days work. He cares not for the risk of injury. The older bull, as it were, has many concerns least among is which whatever he does will make the old injuries ache, take him longer to recover from and so on. Basically he can do the same lifts, or better, as the younger lifter but he knows there are consequences to the action.

As a 40+ lifter myself I can draw on what drives me and how I get myself to do the crazy stuff. For a start I know how to rev my engine as it were. I know what works. I have experienced many times the feeling of a lack of strength in lighter weight sets on some exercises only to power like a freak through the bigger stuff. It's as though I unconsciously hold back a little energy for what is coming. I get the best from equipment because I know how to wrap a wrist, tighten a belt just so and so on. I'll tend to be stricter with my nutrition and more aware of my aches, pains and issues with recovery (I listen rather than ignore... most of the time).

For me the key word, used above, is drive. I might have a bad back or, like another Brit, had heart problems, yet another has had muscle and tendon tears and so on. These problems aren't confined to these shores. Yet a sort of built in stupidity combined with aggression and more than a little desire helps, along with my 'look at what I can do' showing off (and perhaps liking a challenge) helps me to occasionally put it together well enough that I kick ass. Like above I know I'll ache, be tired, whathaveyou, but in the moment... I just don't care. Perhaps just like the teenager after all. Oh well. :D

Stuff in the pipeline

A few things of interest...

30-kilo / 66lb blob lift done. By one of the less brash but equally strong names here in the UK today (24/10/08).

A BIG supermatch - between the as yet unbeaten best the US has to offer and the current British Champ. As of now it's in discussion but a March date has been suggest.

More decent set CoC 4 closes here in the UK. I've hinted at this elsewhere and my feeling is that there are as many as six here who have already done it (not on video etc) or will do it (and yes on video).

Some more big name interviews. One is still a 'work in progress' (and has been for 3 weeks!!) and I'll be asking more names if they are willing to fess up.

I made some news of my own this week

Even though it's a teeny, weeny bit self serving a video of my closing a average feeling CoC 4 seems to have been a popular item on the Gripboard and you tube. Even my UK buds on www.muscletalk.co.uk seemed to have liked it. Here's the clip:

October editorial

Hi all, John Beatty's fabulous feast also known as the BBB contest has just ended this past weekend with the famous 'Big Tony' cheesecakes a hit. We need something like that here. I was more jealous of the slap up food than I was the numbers lifted and that's coming from a hard core grip nut. Lists of pounds of meat comsumed just added to my hunger pangs.

Sam Solomi has asked if he can do a series on some of the basics starting with a breakdown on the various techniques used when training grippers so I'll be prodding to get cracking with the first one... you listening Sam??!!

I've a couple of people in mind for our next interview of the grip personalities and I'm just about to send a PM to the first on my list to see if they'd be interested. We've enough warped lifting freaks for a few months yet (probably all the way to 2010). Don't forget to add your input. If you have a question that needs asking - send it in.

Coming up soon is the BHSA annual get-to-gether on November 8th. I know David Horne and I want to do some heavy two hand pinches and with Martin in Sweden pulling an out of competition 117.4-kilos recently we'll need to raise our game. Hopefully David's injurys wont hoild that war horse back. I want between 107.5 and 110-kilos this time around.

Check out Martin's efforts here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwl30H4-ZDU

Finally... a hot topic recently raised a couple of points. Firstly after much butt kissing of the author of, it must be said, a well written article, I pointed out that even the least capable athlete can still be the purveyor of the truth. Being a great lifter does not make you a great teacher. Secondly, as part of what was conveyed in the article and which, in a broader sense, I've stated sveral times recently... there are no 'better' routines, 'better ways of lifting' and so on. Even if we favour one over others (we all have our own way which we prefer) that you lift hard, recover and lift hard again is far more important than any magic way of doing a movement.