The Thomas Inch Dumbbell is a thick handled 172 pound dumbbell that the old time strongmen would challenge people to try to pick up with one hand.  When men would attempt it; it would just roll out of their hand.  Their grip was not strong enough to hold something that thick or heavy.

This homemade rotating fat handle dumbbell will allow me to progressively add weight and mimic that famous dumbbell.

As seen in the video, this dumbbell was made with a piece of 2″ pipe, another shorter piece of pipe that fits around the 2″ pipe (handle), some plates and two bar collars.  I was given the chunks of pipe from a good friend of mine Mike Lacondro (thanks Mike!) and I had the bar collars and plates so the whole thing cost me nothing to make.  Hey guys, pipe is cheap and easy to pick up if you are looking for it.  Just start asking around to people who work with pipes.  Chances are they cut off pieces this size all the time doing a job and then just throw out the left over chunks.  Remember, it does not cost anything and never hurts to ask.

You can also make a thick barbell this way with longer pieces of pipe.  Also, there will be no gnarling so you may want to use a little chalk.

If you have never worked with fat handled equipment give it a try.  It will give your normal exercise a whole new feel and work your grip like never before.  If you do not feel like building a pipe dumbbell then just try this; take a towel with you to the gym and wrap it a couple of times around a dumbbell or barbell.  This will make your bar thicker to mimic a fatter bar.  You will notice a significant difference right away.

Hope this helps!

To your health,

Jerry

PS:  If I ever pick up the “Inch” I will let you know and hopefully I catch it on film!!

I had never really tried to bend steel before that and I have to admit, I think I’m hooked.  It was awesome to feel it start to go but it was by far not an easy thing to do.  The amount of tension and strength that is used throughout the entire body just to get it to bend was amazing.   It is in itself a workout.  I felt my muscles pumping full of blood.  Just like that “pumped up” feeling you get if you rep out bicep curls or dips.

I wanted to learn more so I got Jedd’s Nail Bending ebook and quickly realized that I did not know that much about it at all.  What I did quickly learn that you will make great strength gains from this type of training and it will carry right over into other training programs.  Think about the amount of tension that goes through your body on that last few reps of dead lifting, squatting, bench pressing, or any lift for that matter.  See how this can easily apply.

If you ever even thought about trying something like this then I would HIGHLY recommend his ebook.  It is over 200 pages of pure content and training exercises for the forearm, wrist, and grip.  The techniques described are very important to learn so not to injure yourself and really benefit from it.  Oh, did I mention how much fun it is, especially going down to the hardware store to get nails and bolts only to tell them that you are going to bend them in half!  That look alone is priceless.  If you want to get more information about Jedd’s Guide to Bending Nails just click the link posted here: Click Here!

Keep an open mind about these different applications that can be applied to your training.  You might be surprised by your results and increased gains.

To your health,

Jerry

The first event was to power clean 5 kegs in a row as fast as you can.  You had to show lockout above your head for it to count.  The kegs started from lightest to heaviest.  This was my best event and I think I could have done it much faster if given a second try.

The second event was a farmer’s hold for time using two 75 lb sandbags.  I did not think this event was hard but as I was not trying to concentrate on holding the bags; the left bag slipped a little in the left hand and then I was in trouble trying to just keep a grip on it.  Funny thing was my hands were not even fatigued.  I was a little bummed because I know I could have held them a lot longer.

The third event was to bear hug the heaviest keg there and walk for total distance in two minutes.  The distance was 50 feet and you had to circle the sandbag for a lap to count.  This was the hardest event for me.  I started off strong but oxygen debt crept in and found me.  My goal was cover as much ground as quickly as I could and not drop the keg.  Well, I did not drop the keg but it was challenging.

Setting up strongman events like this is a great way to add in a little variety to your existing training program.  These will not only challenge you physically but mentally as well.  Doing something like this with some friends will get those competitive juices following which will ultimately result in you pushing yourself and your limitations.

Trust me, you will have a blast and get a great workout in the process.  Give some of these a try or get creative and make up your own little strongman competition.

To your health,

Jerry

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Hey everyone, you heard about it and it is finally here and completed-Jedd Johnson’s Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball guide.   I am aware that some of you may not be familiar with who Mr. Johnson is so I caught up with him and did a little interview.  I think it is important to have some information about a coach who shares his or her most vital training information to help athletes and coaches get all they can out of their training to reach their goals.  Enjoy reading the brief interview and then I will share with you some bonuses that I put together for you.

Jedd, Can you give my readers some quick back ground information about yourself leading up to why you created the Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball program?

Sure thing Jerry – anything for you buddy.  By the way guys, Jerry is a great coach and very innovative thinker.  He has shown me a lot of impressive things over the years.

Here’s a little bit about me.  The first part of my life, I loved playing baseball.  It was pretty much all I really cared about spending my time doing all the way to college.  I ended up playing two years at Division II Mansfield University of PA.  Unfortunately, a couple of injuries left my arm in some pretty bad shape, so I decided I would no longer play.

By leaving baseball, this led me to the second love of my life, strength training.  I started serious work with weights in 1999 and have never stopped.  Unfortunately, after a few years away from baseball, my competitive fire started burning again and I looked for something to compete in.  I found Strongman and Grip Strength competitions.

I did my first Grip comp in 2003 and loved it right away.  I began traveling all over the nation to compete and along the way I won the US National Championship in 2005 and set a World Record in one of the main lifts in 2009.

However, after all these years I have always loved baseball.  Each year I attend pro games, high school games, Little League games.  I work with some baseball youngsters on strength training – I just love being around the game and I always wanted to put together something for baseball.  Finally in early 2010, I decided I was going to put something together that combined the two sports I have been the most successful in over the years – baseball and grip strength, and just recently finished Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball, an ebook on training for forearm and grip strength, endurance, and safety.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE PROGRAM

How can the program elevate a proven baseball players game or skills?

Baseball players have known for years that leg strength, core strength, arm and shoulder strength and hand strength are important for high performance and longevity in the game.  If any of those elements are weak, your performance will go down.  If an injury takes place in any of those parts of the body, your performance will go down.  So, it is important to make these parts of the body as strong, flexible and healthy as possible for top performance.

Over the years, there has been a tremendous amount of information developed around building strength in the legs, core, and arm for baseball.  Players understand they have to do work on the legs and run to stay fast and in shape.  They know they have to do ab work and rotational activities in order to be able to throw and hit the ball hard, and they know they have to keep their rotator cuff and the rest of the shoulder strong and healthy in order to have optimal arm speed, strength, and velocity.

Unfortunately, there is very little information out there about how to train the hands and forearms the right way to perform at a high level in baseball.  Most of the information that players get is hand-me-down information with very little carryover to baseball performance.

My manual is the definitive resource for building hand strength and forearm strength for baseball players.  The information inside will help batters, fielders, pitchers and catchers to be better players, while also keeping them healthy and in the game longer.  I include in it multiple ways to keep the lower arms healthy through stretching and other therapeutic means that most players, coaches, and trainers are not aware of.

Can your system be easily added into an athlete’s existing training program?

No doubt about it.  Including Grip training in the routine can be done several different ways and I go over this in the manual.  To make things easier, I include 20 full-scale Grip workouts that can be done either in their entirety or can be broken up into segments.  If time is limited, like I know it is for many teams, all the player or strength coach has to do is break my workout templates up into sections.  Each workout can be broken up into three separate smaller workouts.

Approximately how long will each workout take and how many days a week is recommended?

If doing a full-scale grip training workout, the workout can be done in 20 minutes, twice a week.  If broken up into segments, then the workouts can take as short as 5 minutes and can be done throughout the week.  This is all covered in the manual and you can pretty much sculpt the workouts however you would like to.  Plus, my exercise index in the manual includes over 200 movements, so if the template indicates a movement or lift for which you do not have the implement, you can go to that section of the manual and look for other similar movements that you can do that work the same movement patterns so you can get the most out of the time you put into your grip training.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE PROGRAM

What types of strength equipment or training tools will be needed to utilize the program?

I have covered an immense amount of equipment that can be used for training grip, but the great thing about it is about half of what I cover requires no special equipment.  You either already have it at your normal strength training facility, or it might be in your garage, or even your baseball equipment bag.  Specialized grip training equipment is available on the market and it is very good for developing hand and forearm strength, but with this manual I will show you ways how to build your own equipment or how to use hardware that is already at your home to build lower arm strength that will get you bigger numbers on the field.

I know this system was specifically created for baseball; but could other athletes and coaches use the training principles for their sports?

No question.  Hand strength is important for many sports, especially football, rugby, MMA, wrestling, and many others, and the movements in this manual can be used to assist those athletes as well.  The therapy section still applies to all those sports because injuries take place in them as well, and if you currently have a lower arm injury, I will show you in the manual some of the ways that I have overcome injuries in the past as well.

Jedd, I would like to thank you for your time and answering these questions.  Is there anything else you would like to add about the Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball program?

Yes, Jerry … Thousands of athletes are going to be picking this up and the ones that get this and start implementing the program are going to have a decided advantage over other players who do not.  So, strike while the iron is hot and get Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball now.

Awesome Jedd, I can’t wait to share this with my readers of variety trainer.  Thank you!

CLICK HERE TO GET THE PROGRAM

I really want everyone to know that Jedd is a first class coach and this 400+ page manual is NO JOKE.  Pure content and tons of extra bonuses.  Now let’s talk MORE bonuses!  When you get the manual here at VarietyTrainer.com, I’ll send you my Nutritional Guide For Serious Athletes.  This is full of valuable nutritional information that any serious athlete needs to understand how to maximize their training results.  THERE’S MORE: I am also giving away a 15 Week Baseball Strength Training Program to be used directly with Jedd’s Ultimate Forearm Training System.  I hope you truly take advantage of what is being offered to you.  To pick up these additional bonuses email me your receipt showing that you picked up the manual and I will forward you the link to the bonuses.  Click over now and you won’t believe what all is included!

To your health,

Jerry

DON’T WASTE ANYMORE TIME:  GET THE PROGRAM

I have had Pipe hung from chains across power racks for years.  They just do not get old, they do not cost much to set up, and hell they are just fun to hang from.  In the video I go over a few techniques that I use.  I really like to stick athletes on the pipe pull-up that have the habit of kicking there feet around to get another pull-up.  If they kick the feet the pipe will rotate and they will lose their grip.  This really helps in teaching strict form.

In the video I show a thick pipe but you can use varying thicknesses.  I have other pipes that hang in other parts of the gym that are only one inch in diameter and up to four inches in diameter.  When you add this instability factor; your grip will become a major part of all hanging pipe exercises.

If you have the opportunity to hang a pipe like this, you might just be surprised at how challenging it will be.

Yours in strength,

Jerry

On the eleventh day of Gripmas my true love gave to me… a Farmer’s Walk.  I explain in detail what the farmer’s walk exercise is and how to do it.  This has been done for years in individuals training.  This is frequently seen at strongman competitions.  There are clips of this in my York Barbell Trip video.  Adding this type of exercise into your program will give added strength gains almost instantly.

On the twelfth day of Gripmas my true love gave to me…. a Towel!  A heavy towel is a great way to add in some variety to your existing program and there are countless ways to use them.  For the basis of this topic I’ll use the towel to enhance grip strength.  Turning the towel hang exercise into a competition is a great way to get increase it’s effectiveness.  When working in the weight room adding some type of competition really boosts the productivity of your training.  Hey, you know you can have fun while you train hard!!

Focus For Results,

Jerry

Hand Grippers have been around for a long time and there are a few brands to choose from.  I would say that the Captains of Crush grippers are probably the most popular.  They are also the gripper used for most contests or record boards.  These grippers can go upwards of a few hundred pounds of pressure.  You can get lighter resistance grippers at a store like Wal-mart for as little as $10.00.  A cheaper version can be found at your local hardware store: a pony wood clamp for about $3.00.  These are spring clamps with less resistance than the Captains of Crush grippers and usually compare to the generic versions found in Wal-mart or other sporting good stores.  These are great for most females or males with weak hand strength.  If you have decent hand strength, try fatiguing your hands first and then finish with these grippers.  (Look at any of the other grip training posts for training ideas).

Happy Gripping,

Jerry

On the ninth day of Gripmas my true love gave to me…. a Softball and Counter Weight!!  Seeing what I did with the softball in the video may or may not be new for you.  Many grip experts and coaches have been doing similar things to softballs and creating ways to train with them for years.  Coaches will also attach tubing and/or bands to the balls to do various shoulder exercises and many times they are used in a rehabilitative setting.

The counter weight I found is extremely challenging to train with.  I thought many of you might find that to be an interesting training tool.  The point here is; you never know what you might come across that you can use for your own personal training.  The beauty of this is that it is not traditional types of training and the body gets stimulated just a little differently.  Little variations like this can really help improve your strength and fitness gains quickly.

I post a lot of non-traditional lifts and exercises; but I need to emphasize not to neglect your traditional lifts like squats, dead lifts, bench press, cleans, and rows.  I am showing you some options to add variety into any training or fitness program so they do not become routine and boring.  Hey “old-school” lifts have always worked and they always will.  I am only assuming that if you are looking at my site; then you enjoy challenging your body to get the results you want.  This is the drive I have to share this information with you and knowing that I will help someone is very rewarding.

Thank you,

Jerry

On the seventh day of Gripmas my true love gave to me….BLOBS!!   Blobs are the ends of a dumbbell that have been cut off from the handle.  You then pinch grip these in various positions to strengthen your grip.  They can be held for time or used in curling motions (bicep curl) and pressing movements (military press).  Another use for them is to throw them like a shot put for explosion training.  I prefer the old style York dumbbells but I have known people that use other brands of dumbbells as well.  If you do not have access to any old dumbbells; they now sell commercial blobs.  These are a lot of fun to train with and very challenging as well.

On the eight day of Gripmas my true love gave to me…….Rope!  Rope is one of the best training tools you can get and you usually can get it very cheap or if you are in the right place at the right time; sometimes free.  You can buy rope on-line as well.  This video is only showing one way to use a rope.  The hand over hand climb will build incredible hand and upper body strength.  This wrestler is climbing a 2″ thick manilla rope.  Two inch diameter rope is usually more than adequate for most people.  If the hand over hand climb is two aggressive for you, then just grab the rope tightly and hang from the rope keeping a nice tight isometric contraction in the hands which you will feel right through the entire upper body.

As you have seen by the two videos, grip training will not only strengthen the hands, wrists, and forearms; but most of the upper body as well.  To prove my point, try this:  Put your arms straight down by your sides and clench your fists as hard as you can.  Do you feel how your whole upper body tenses up; tightening all the muscles?  When you squeeze your grip for any of the Gripmas exercises you will find that this happens every time.

Happy Gripping,

Jerry

On the sixth day of Gripmas my true love gave to me…Wrist Rollers!  If you never use wrist rollers; you are missing out on some awesome forearm training.  Making them is practically free.  I go over this extensively in the video.  I personally like to do wrist rollers once a week or once every other week at the end of my workout.  There are phases that I will train with them twice a week for three weeks and then not touch them and do some other grip training exercise for the next three weeks.

It’s all about variety for me and changing the stimulus that is applied to my body.  You need to understand that by not letting your body totally adapt to any one training stimulus, your body will continue to grow and get stronger.  This is exactly why I put together this website: I want to show people that there are many ways to accomplish your training goals.   Let me know what your goals are I can help you achieve them.

Jerry