What I did this weekend

Freeweights area

HARTS STRENGTH AND FITNESS GYM OPENING

Yesterday, 2^nd October 2010, my services were required by Chris and Gemma Hart to act as the star turn (as it were) on the day of the official opening of their new gym. I’d worked with Iharts (the supplement side of the business) back at Bodypower earlier this year. I must have made a good enough impression because they asked me to do my ‘thang’ again.

So I made my way up Friday evening and apart from the ‘no-show’ pickup at Chesterfield station (Mobster no like, Mobster mutter much) it was golden. On arrival at the gym it was easy to see that 95% of what was needed to be done had been done but in spite of a too many late, late nights (1 and 2am finishes) it was, for them, going to be another long one. Shelves would be stacked, surfaces polished and much sweeping up of the work dust from drilling was needed. I crashed at their place around midnight but Chris, Gemma and much of the crew were not done until 2am. However, I did get the tour and could see a huge effort had been made.

The building had been a former Victorian age school block and the base refurbishment work had been done before the Hart’s decided it would make an awesome gym space. Not only do they have a proper slick looking reception area but also there’s a juice bar cum supplements shop, a separate women’s training and weights area, aerobics studio, cardio suite and a great deal more. Once working I spent most of my time in the gym machines and free-weights space front (the focus as it is in most clubs) which had dumbbells to about 140lbs, enough plates inc some 25-kilos ones and an assortment of goodies sufficient to give most a great workout. If you get a chance pop in do the door and give it a go.

Saturday found us back in doing some last minute bits and bobs with the 10am ‘big show’ looming. One idea of Chris’s, which saw me with a very small pen-knife furiously cutting a scissor shape void out of an Argos brochure was that he’d do the ‘thanks for coming’ speech to the assembled throng, ask for the scissors to cut the ribbon and turn to me and say ‘Mobby’ and I’d go ‘raarrggghhh’ rip the book in half and out they popped. Good grief it worked!! So they 30-50 or so waiting gave us a round of applause and open she was!

Obviously the crew set to work welcoming everyone, giving tours and so on. With cake, snacks and drinks on hand for the day they were kept fed and watered. For my part I set up some toys to play with. I’d brought down my old and stiff Rolling Thunder handle, clip and pin. Added was a pair of Fat Gripz, a talking grip tester and I’d planned on doing some heavy ass one hand deadlifts. Around 11-1130 or so I did my first show working up to a 180-kilo one-hand Deadlift hook grip style. Not too sniffy considering I’d done nothing for it in months. I made sure, when not on show, to say hi and chat with people. Throughout the day I’d dig out the grip testers and get all and sundry to compete against each other to see who could do what. It was and is an easy way, without chalk or other specialized equipment to have friendly goes with no real risk of harm etc. Plus they could see how close to me they got.

Snacking on cake and much caffeine to keep me going all day long the grip tester was handed around. I’d affixed one of the fat grips to a 140+ pounds dumbbell and while many of the lads could pick up the bell sans handle with it… that was not happening. I, of course, did it with thumb over and thumbless and with either hand. I took as many opportunities as possible to show how squeezing or gripping the handles hard on exercises helps with a greater contraction. Thus, in ‘selling grip’ I’d demonstrate the usefulness of a little hand strength training.

But, as you’d imagine, me showing off was the entertainment. At the mid way through session the Rolling Thunder handle (my old stiffer one) was dug out and a challenge match of sorts was on. With, as is the norm, a few guys hanging in at around 60-75-kilos or so we ended up with one of the taller lads pulling a hard earned 95-kilos load. I then come back in and, again with either hand, pull it – but for 3 reps! I then, after a very quick breather, got one of the guys to bang another 20kg disc for a 115-kilo plus set up total and pulled that. I decided that a 170-kilo lift on the one hand Deadlift – hook grip as before – would suffice this time around but intended saving the biggest pull for the last run around. With the crowds starting to thin towards the end of the day I set a 4pm or so dealine for the last big effort.

Having chatted with some regulars as well as would be new members (lots of fun) and watching the fit girls in the cardio room I told Chris etc that I’d do the big pull. I knew he’d been busy with clients etc early on. I also knew that he’d not seen what I could do with the heavy free weights as we’d been limited to what we could use at the NEC/Bodypower gig. As I’d mentioned to one group during the day, big crowd displays suit lifting of objects over a bar and weights. While most gym users will appreciate what a bar and discs weighs not all of the public or uneducated will. Anyway, I ran through a quick blaster session of yet another Argos catalog (the last one left), the thick handled dumbbell pull and then banged my way through warm-up sets on the barbell. So no bar for reps, 60-kilos, 100-kilos, 140-kilos all fell quite quickly. I took another breather and asked for 200kg. On walking back I noticed that it was 5 wheels a side, which is 220!! Ahem gents can you make those outer discs 10kg plates and thus 200 rather than try and kill me.

Now it’s been some time, using a proper straight bar (it could have spun a little more freely), having pulled 2 biggish weights and lifted, squeezed and gripped through the day I now had the pressure of needing to pull and put on a show. As one lad said after ‘I thought it was only going to come up and inch or two’. But chalk, belt and pride play their place and so with a real gut busting effort I managed 200-kilos above the knees to a nice round of applause and me feeling a little giddy. I’m fairly certain that I had nothing left to give so thank goodness we were done.

The day ended with a very welcome beer or two and some nice thanks. I may have got back to Gloucester at 10pm on a Saturday night when my usual preference would have been feet up and face buried in an ice-cream tub but it was, as it always is, a hell of an enjoyable experience. I’m hoping to do some grip/sports performance seminars back in the gym towards the end of January. Watch this space!

One to wet the tastebuds

While I wait for my man G to work out how I can add lots of grip and 'me' related articles to www.stevegardener.com here's one to show you what I intend adding to the site.

WHY TRAIN GRIP?

Ok, some advice from a grip guy – one who specializes in grip. Are you ready? Perhaps you’ll be persuaded to add 20 or so minutes grip work into your current training program. Andy Bolton, the greatest deadlifter of all time (current WR 1008lbs) did as does Laurence Shahlaei, WSM finalist.

Lets start with whom I am and some brief info on what I’ve thus far managed to achieve: My name is Steve Gardener and I am the 4x British Grip Champion (06,08 09 and the current champ in 2010). I am also a 2x European Grip champion and the only one to have successfully defended his title with a 2008 and 2010 win. I have, thus far, closed the toughest gripper in competition (rated using what is called a ‘red neck gripper calibrator’) being a Ironmind CoC 4 rated at 207lbs. I’ve the British record for 2 hand pinching (placing me No 3 in the world rankings) with a 115.5-kilo effort. I could carry on – sufficient to say I ‘know grip’.

Now onwards – I often train not only at my own very basic no frills hardcore old school (all spit and no sawdust) facility but also at a local gym. I’m often asked by newbies there and occasionally online why they should train grip. So here are a few reasons to illustrate why you should be gripping your way around the gym.

Lose the straps – too, too many people that use the gym use wrist straps to support their grip. They argue that their grip gives out on many, many pulling movements. Be that a Deadlift (very common), most forms of rowing and lat pull-downs/chins.

Monstrous forearms - Unless where you live is sunny all year round the reality will be that for SOME of the year you’ll be seen in t-shirts and only will that become a vest or better, no vest, in the hottest times of year. During the times when you can wear a t-shirt the forearms will be the only actual muscle on display. Sure you may fill out the shirt well but no on can actually see a thing other than the shape. Me? I look like Popeye and 90% of people can see that I work out. It’s not just the swagger and being well in excess of 280lbs most of the time it’s the meat between my elbow and wrist.

Greater reps / Better muscle contraction – see also greater strength. This works both ways so I’ll merely copy and paste this passage for both. It’s based on actual science. Now bear with me: it goes thus. In tests done some time ago lifters were asked to squeeze as they lifted (I’m sure someone like me was cajoling them through a set or maximum effort). When I’ve illustrated this I get the lifter to do an open handed set (thumbless is ideal) say on a bench press type machine. Then one set with a light ‘just there’ grip. Finally a set where they squeeze like they intend leaving grooves in the handles where their fingers sat. I get them to squeeze with the fingertips, thumb, palm, the full monty and HARD ALL the way through. Is it easy? Is it hell! The forearm burns. But here’s the thing and this, as before, proved in scientific tests, MORE MUSCLE FIBRES ARE ACTIVATED. Now in a 1RM (1 rep max) that means typically 5% MORE WEIGHT can be pushed. And in a multi-rep set it means MORE REPS, which you know means more muscle fibres will be broken down and providing you rest enough you’ve stimulated more muscle growth.

Read that last part again – squeezing the bar hard makes you stronger and build more muscle. But it is hard work. So working the grip means you can squeeze hard without getting too tired too quickly.

Greater strength / Better muscle contraction – see also more reps. This works both ways so I’ll merely copy and paste this passage for both. It’s based on actual science. Now bear with me: it goes thus. In tests done some time ago lifters were asked to squeeze as they lifted (I’m sure someone like me was cajoling them through a set or maximum effort). When I’ve illustrated this I get the lifter to do an open handed set (thumbless is ideal) say on a bench press type machine. Then one set with a light ‘just there’ grip. Finally a set where they squeeze like they intend leaving grooves in the handles where their fingers sat. I get them to squeeze with the fingertips, thumb, palm, the full monty and HARD ALL the way through. Is it easy? Is it hell! The forearm burns. But here’s the thing and this, as before, proved in scientific tests, MORE MUSCLE FIBRES ARE ACTIVATED. Now in a 1RM (1 rep max) that means 5% MORE WEIGHT can be pushed. And in a multi-rep set it means MORE REPS, which you know means more muscle fibres will be broken down and providing you rest enough you’ve stimulated more muscle growth.

Read that last part again – squeezing the bar hard makes you stronger and build more muscle. But it is hard work. So working the grip means you can squeeze hard without getting too tired too quickly.

Day to day - Yep we’re on to that old jam jar lid. Whether it’s that or a screwdriver, holding onto your handlebars when out biking or any activity in normal outside the gym use working grip will mean you have the strength to do these activities without being too tired or weak. The clincher has been for many a ‘manly’ grip. I’ve written elsewhere about handshakes, be they the traditional version or soul brother/bro style the clench/shake still shows you to be strong and, as many a salesman and politician will tell you, trustworthy. Those who hassle you can know in a moment you might be more work than you look just based on that moment they shook your hand and looked you in the eye. A salesman in a car showroom might take you a little more seriously than he was going to you before. Me? I have to hold back from hurting people – yes really.

Now in future articles I’ll deal with specific ideas and suggestions for training. I tend towards looking at athletes to see where the weakness lies rather than something generic. I’ll also suggest how you can work out what sets and reps to use when making up your own routine.

In the meantime buy by Gripper e-book at www.gripperbook.com or contact me for some one to one online (and occasionally by appointment only personal training. Rates are reasonable.

Two Inch dumbbells pressed

Impressive: VIDEO

Bodypower 22nd and 23rd May at the NEC

Right ho. First I'll be working with Chris Hart (son of Mick) on the iharts stand. Part of the weekend will include me doing some of the strength display stuff I've done a few times. So expect to see nails bent, books torn and dumbbells lifted. I also had a look at the bodypower expo site this morning and noted, with some interest, that ultimategrip.co.uk will be there and have the HG500 challenge on. Close it and win $500.00. Nice. I'm sure they will have some other grip stuff to try out as will Pullum Sports who are also there. I emailed them both today to see what's what.

In addition, for strength fans, you've got powerlifting and strongman events running over the weekend which include Loz, sometime grip guy, on the Sunday. Go and say hi and get a photo taken with him.

Back on the iharts stand it's Chris's intention to hold 2-3 times a day promo's. You have a chance to win a t-shirt in our 'biggest bender' competition. I'll show how to bend a nail or two and then we see how can do what. Be that a time or a number on a set time and so on. The iharts mob will be promo'ing the strength themed US clothing company Ironville so I'm sure there will be some bargains available.

Whatever you do if you come drop by and say hi.

The last thick handled dumbbell you'll ever need.

These puppies, made by Watson's Gym Equipment, can be shot loaded to 180kg. That is all (click on image to see whole pic).

Stuff you miss out on if you're not on facebook

For those of you who aren't fans there are some gems; Kimmo Kokko double over hands a Apollons replica set up with, what he says, is 140-150-kilos.

Mindset of a champion

I've written loads on this but one aspect is we don't see limits the way some do. I've a few buddies in this grip stuff we do that are, at least by what they say, limited to 90-kilos/200lbs or under and, in their words 'not able to get past it'.

There in lies the rub. I can and do write out plans for increases in my 1 rep max (1RM) usually looking to hit an on-platform PB of 105% (5% more than my old PB). While right now I am using a longer type of program due to the frequency of competitions of about 1 per month I'd usually aim for a big number once a year (around the British).

Whether I'm doing 4, 6 or 8 singles and the more I do the higher the 1RM there's a small but obvious rise in what is added to the bar so that close to the competition, say a few weeks out, I'm doing multiple singles with what last years 1RM/PB.

You can see from that I am not limiting myself to some predetermined number, as in the above example 200lbs, but am constantly looking forward. If there is an upper limit among the elite grip guys at the moment it's 120-kilos or 264lbs. Like 500lbs overhead back in the 70's it MAY be our imagined limit... although I'm hearing hints of in gym numbers a little above. I also know, like the 500, that once it's done our aim will become higher. Equally those struggling with 200 should set out a plan for 205/210 and then I'd hazard a guess once it's done they'll add even more because 200 will soon become but a memory.

There are other aspects to the elite athletes make up which makes them so and I'll touch on one more today. Hunger.

Not the 'feed me now' kind but that which makes them want more, more, more when it comes to weights. At a certain level ALL sportsmen and women push their bodies to places they aren't normally seen to go. So the prevalence and likelihood of injuries rises. Be it a wrenched back or, for grip guys, hand strain, tendons aching or, more usually, torn skin. The elite knows this will happen and is, if not exactly happy when it does, willing to accept the toll. Others are not. They stay at under 200lbs.

Read into this what you will.

Mighty Mitts... some big names with us.

I'm not much of a fan boy. I rarely if ever ask for autographs, get photos taken with people and so on.... but there are going to be some GREAT names on stage with us. I've just had another update (via Jan Todd this time) and we've also got Dennis Rogers reffing and doing a bit of what he does on stage too.

Given that we've Kaz, Sven, Vasily Alexeev and more... all on stage while we do our thing. Words fail me.

I'm about to do some Anvil stuff and the only black cloud today is it's now to the side and not straddle.

Chris James - 500lb doubleover hand axle

Chris, as is his way, does an out of competition but still world class 500lbs double over hand thick bar deadlift: YouTube Video

Pity it is, as I say, out of competition... or not at the Mighty Mitts... etc LOL

Still it proves it can and will be done more. Yesterday I was about 99% back to my best session and I've a few more to go with 3 x 1 with 180-kilos (396lbs). Come to papa!!

New website

One of the nice kind people here in Gloucester sent me a mail to tell me (and I quote) 'I'm in a good mood so I'm making you a website'. Stuff is still being loaded and I've literally only just sent over the admin info for the domain name so give it a day or two to look ship shape etc.

But here's the domain to bookmark ready: www.stevegardener.com

Baring in mind I've not actually seen it, but provided some of the content, and know the guy that's doing it... it'll be full on LOL

The idea is to big up the grip freak side of me, while touching on other stuff I do, so while there's a focus on me as an athlete there'll be other stuff on it too.

Bodypower 2010 @ NEC

2010 is turning into something else. I recently had a chat with a son of a mate who's looking to become the UK distributor for a US clothing line (Chris Hart, son of guru Mick and th company is Ironville). Anyway there's a big fitness expo here called 'Bodypower 2010' at the NEC Birmingham, England (google it). Could I do my nail bending etc on their stand? Sure, says I, I'll need transport, a bed and board etc (not always about money and I know I'll have fun so...).

He talks to the expo organziers, they like the sound of it, now it seems as though I may be on the main stage in front of 1000's! Better yet I know the main man, gives him a call... you know how this works by now don't ya. That I'd said no before when they were keen means they liked me before so this time, having changed the date of the British Grip to earlier in the month I'm up for it.

Another chance to promote grip (with the added bonus of the boss man suggesting space for my company banner). It's gotta be good.

And there was me talking about making 2010 my last competitive year

Dates: 22nd and 23rd May.

Who's the calibrated gripper daddy?

Me!! I had a PM via the Gripboard yesterday asking what the rating was on the 'hard 4', as it was described, at the Chad Woodall event. It was, I was told, 205lbs and the hardest closed in competition. I'd been added to the list with my 1st post event gripper rated at 194lbs and another at 199lbs. But the 205lbs clinches it for now.

2HP World Record

So I mention yesterday my intention to, if need be, crawl over the road to do my best to break the world record (David's 115-kilos effort) with a target of 117-kilos. Now David and I, both in posting and via a chat on MSN had talked about my idea of retiring from competition following the Euro's in August.

David said, quite truthfully, that I might find it difficult to give up the competition scene come the time. So it was a little amusing (deffo eyebrow raising) to see a declaration of his intent to, and I quote, ''If you break my record, I will take it back, and very quickly. My training lifts right now are very strong''. Now if David is, as he says, capable that's all well and good. But I've also been thinking of the idea that at some point one has to give up the idea of a record never being broken by anyone else.

With the rare exception most records end up being broken. It is the lot of a former record breaker to see someone come along and take your record from you. It is what it is. If David has it in him to do more, then great, the bar gets raised and those that follow have some more kilos they need to add to their bars in order to beat him. But at some point David, myself and any other wanna-be record holder will have to take it on the chin. Our records will fall.

What Steve did last night

Saturday

PM... as in 9.32pm or so. Just back from the 'Kingfishers Got Talent show' were I was a guest 'artiste' (on just before last years winner). Well what a shocker! It was amazingly professional. All 200 seats sold out, people standing down the sides, a full PA and professional lighting system... you get the picture. Combined with 3 local faces acting as Ozzy, Simon Cowell and Amanda Holden, 2 very good MC's and a little stage crew I was worried my 'put it together as you go along' plan was going to look absolutely rank. I need not have worried.

The 'talent' was very, very enjoyable. A great little rock band, a dance group, a Kate Bush impersonator, more dancers, more singers... all much better than whatever I'd imagined. I was due to go on before the youngster winner from last year (there was a youngsters winner and an adult winner) while the crowd voted for their favourite.

A quick word with the MC's about rolling the bell out and milking it as though it weighs a ton (was in fact a Baby Inch, a thick handled 53-kilo / 118lbs dumbbell), some background rock music and there help working the crowd... BOOM!! I rocked!!

I made sure to the get the crowd behind me with a 'wow, how good has it been thus far and you've all been great... don't let down cos I'll need your strength to get me through the act... he he' Baring in mind my back was aching even with painkillers right up to the walk on stage and then... nothing cos I was in the zone! I had the kids come to the front with a 'who wants a souvenir??!!' and bent a few nails to get them and the crowd going (usual ahhs for the kids he he), then broke (so much easier when the buzz and adrenalin is pumping) and tore 3 Argos Catalogs in twain. I then milked a one hand lift, either hand, of the dumbbell, then a clean pull to my chest and finally 'but only if you cheer loud enough' (much waving at crowd and me shouting like a stabbed bull 'C'MON!!!!!!!!!) I then pick it up, drop it and catch it in the same hand before it hits the ground, then switch hands (by throwing it across) and do the same with the left (also lets one side and the other of the audience see what you're doing). Huge cheer and me buzzing all night ha ha.

After wards I signed an autograph (on a portion of the catalog), bent loads more nails (inc one which made my palm bleed but that only made it seem harder - it also meant if I clapped the winners my hand got all bloody ha ha) and even posed for a photo or two with a special needs girl.

Gavin, one of the lads I coach, did me a huge favour of dropping off and picking up and taking back of the dumbbell etc. Cheers Gavin. All in all a good night and I think they liked it. As IFBB pro Lee Powell won it last year they must like zee muscle ha ha. Icing on the cake was a little gift back which include a bottle of Newcastle Brown which you know will not be touching the sides (as indeed the first Bitter already done did not ha ha). Pizza and Ben & Jerries will end the night nicely.

One of my grip buddies holds back planes

Tommy Heslep in the news: http://www.wusa9.com/rss/local_article.aspx?storyid=91265