Napalm Jedd Johnson of the Diesel Crew

Grip Training Report - Columbus Clutch Convention

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:58:00 +0000

We met tonight at Nick Rosendaul's for about 2 hours of gripping. It was awesome. It was Nick, Climber, Brad Audrey (strongman) and Rick Freitag (not sure of his board name), and me.

We started out with some choked grippers. Brad and I got the 191. Chris was a pube away on the 182. I didn't see anyone else's attempts.

Next we went to two hands pinch on climber's cromed set-up. We hit it at 48 mm. We worked up to 240. I got it off the ground but couldn't lock it out. I hit everything up to like 225 for a triple, so I was a little worn out when i got to 240. It felt pretty comfortable in my hands considering I usually train on 54 by myself and only do 48 a few times a year when I train pinch with Brad Martin.

We tried some one hand pinch with the euro. the +/- 100 lbs was a bit too much for me at 48 mm. Rick didn't do too bad - got it about 3 inches or so. i could only break it off a li'l bit and then it would pop out of my hand.

Rick and Brad pinched pretty well considering they never pinch. Nick said he felt off. Chris was looking pretty solid. Keep hitting it hard Chris. I want to see 240 out of you at Gripmas. It is right there - keep your volume up brother.

We then went to 1.9 inch axle. We worked up to 205. Brad was the only one that pulled a legal lift.

We messed with hammers. This is a rough one for me. S-T-U-G-G-L-E.....

We moved through all of this very quickly and got a lot of good solid work in. My hands got a good workout.

During the last 20 minutes or so, we did some feats. Nick tried a smaller shoe. It was thick!

I pulled the blobs out. Nick has a fatman and a York Blob Replica that is of the narrower sort. I kept trying until I was able to lift the fatman with the first two fingers and a thumb. I think I did it forward and reverse. Not sure about the reverse. Maybe some of the other guys remember. My memory is shot from interviewing OSU students all week.

I then hit an easy snatch with Nick's York Blob and a tougher snatch with the Fatboy Blob he has that weighed in at 51 lbs. That was the only thing that we got on film, but it was a great workout altogether.

Thanks Nick, for having us over. You and Andrea always take care of us and welcome us and I appreciate it every time I am in town. Thanks again buddy.

-Jedd-

Four Hour Tour Training Report

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:35:00 +0000

Today's workout was awesome. If you didn't make it up, you missed a killer time. We streamed everything live on UStream and I know several board members were watching.

This is what we hit:

Grippers
Two Hands Pinch
Double Over Axle
One Hand Axle
Gripmas Hammer Levering
Hammer Deadlifting
BTR Block Weight Loading

This went great. It was very structured - without a doubt the most structured grip get together I have every held or attended and it enabled us to get a ton of stuff done.

We started everything with an intense warm-up, hitting full body general followed by specific warm-ups, stretching, leg swings, etc. I felt great.

We ran the grippers at contest intensity. What I mean by that is we took one round of warm-ups then 4 rounds of max attempts just like a contest. We also took two rounds of triples after that. We finished this all in about 20 minutes.

We moved on to pinch and did the same thing, cycling through to work towards a max attempt. We tried to do a couple other things up around our max, but there were cut thumbs and humidity issues, so we moved on to the axle.

In the middle of the pinch, Mike and Brent each lifted the Blob - Mike for the first time. Frank also lifted the Blob - did we ever figure out if it was the fatman guys?

The axle lifts went well and then we finished with loading block weights for as many reps as possible in a minute's time. This was just downright awesome hard work. The platform we were lifting to was 44 inches high, so it was pretty much a high pull to load it. Lifting to this height is important and so is training for the heightened work capacity.

Then we ate around 3.

Mike headed out around 4. Brent, Frank and I walked down stairs, got talking and started training again on my fitness gear 45 hub and the fatboy replica. Frank and Brent both got the fitness gear 45 by the hub, Brent multiple times. I never got it but hovered it a few times.

Today was awesome. I had a great workout. My hands are throttled. My thumbs are on fire, but never tore.

Frank tore his thumb so bad it looked like when a callus rips off in the farmers walk. Sick stuff. It looked like he could have hidden a dime in there.

Thanks for coming up guys. Thanks for pushing me.

-Jedd-

P.S. The best part was we knew there were time constraints and we shoved a ton of solid work into the time frame without any waste or rush.

Check out Jedd's Products

Nail Bending eBook - The Most Complete Reference on Nail, Bolt, and Steel Bending in the World

Card Tearing eBook - Learn How to Tear Cards with Your Bare Hands

Stone Lifting Fundamentals DVD - The Premier DVD on Stone Lifting, Hands Down

Home Made Strength On-line DVD - Build Strength Without Breaking the Bank

The Sh*t You've Never Seen DVD - Hardcore Strength Training Footage from the Diesel Crew

The Ultimate Sled Dragging Manual - Innovative Ways to Train with Out of One of the Most basic Implements

How to Bend Nails | How to Tear Cards | Strongman feats of Strength | How to Build Your Own Equipment | How to Lift Atlas Stones | The Sh*t You've Never Seen | How to Implement Sled Dragging for Athletes

Grip Exercise for Building Muscle

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:41:00 +0000

This is a twist to conventional plate pinches. If you've been on Diesel for a while you know that grip strength is a HUGE part of athletic development. Unfortunately, it is often overlooked.

Read more here ==> Grip Exercise for Building Muscle.

All the best in your training.

-Jedd-

Strength and Power Workouts with Strongman Implements

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:30:00 +0000

Here is a recent workout we did focusing on utilizing the strongman Axle. The axle is a great tool and should be incorporated into your workouts frequently because there are many benefits.

Benefits of Utilizing a Strongman Axle:

serious grip strength

eases pain in hands, wrists and elbows while benching

non-revolving aspect and thickness of the bar forces concentration, more tension and more immediate importance of rate of force development (RFD)

can be defined an odd object as the distance from the athlete's center of gravity (COG) to the center of mass (COM) of the implement is increased

can be substituted for all barbell movements

Click here to read the rest of this post ==> Strongman Axle Training.

-Jedd-

How to Build Your Own Strength Training Equipment

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:43:00 +0000

For the last few weeks, I have been posting about a new project Joe Hashey and I have been working on called Home Made Strength.

If you've read Joe Hashey's site, you know that he has been building his own equipment for years and has been using it in his training and when working with his athletes in his garage gym.

Above, Joe's home made loading pin he has used for years

If you've read my articles on training for lifting the Inch Dumbbell, you know that one of the most important training implements I used was a piece of home made strength equipment - a thick handled dumbbell made from a PVC pipe and Duct Tape.

Some of the most effective equipment can be made from very simple materials.

After more than 5 years, this thing is still holding up and even made an appearance in this year's Grip Strength National Championship.

Just because it's home made doesn't mean it's going to break or fall apart. This stuff is for real.

Above, the home made Inch Trainer design I have used for years.

In fact, some of the grip equipment I have been using the most lately has been stuff I made on my own or someone else helped me with - rotating thick bar stuff, portable steel pinching devices, home made modified hand grippers, and MORE!

For years, Joe and I have been designing and making our own equipment so that we could save money.

Now, we want to pass the knowledge on to you with the Home Made Strength Online DVD.

Start Building Strength Without Breaking the Bank.
Click here ==> Home Made Strength

All the best in your training,

-Jedd-

What Do You Want?

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:50:00 +0000

I had a pretty un-creative weekend.

I wanted to put together a few short blog posts both for here, the Diesel site, and for guest posts on other pages.

So I brainstormed during the Yankee's game, but I had like creative thinking block, I guess.

So, I am wondering what you all are looking for.

What are you guys unsure about?

What can I put together that you all might enjoy reading about here?

Is there a feat you're trying to perform?

Are you bored and want something new in your training but don't know how to get started?

Help me out. Post a comment below on something you would like covered or explained here that will help you out.

Thanks guys. All the best in your training.

-Jedd-

Rinderle - One Hand Axle Deadlift

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:02:00 +0000

Mike's back again. In the clip below, he hits 180 on the axle.

The Gripmas Carol is the next contest I am headed to on December 12th. The One Hand Axle Deadlift is one of the events. Looks like Mike is planning on going and he's planning on doing well in that event.

The Gripmas Carol will be held in Crooksville Ohio, about an hour drive from Columbus. I'm looking to help get as many people there as possible. If you are interested or have any questions on how to prepare, please leave a comment here.

-Jedd-

Mike Rinderle - Working Hard on the Axle

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:58:00 +0000

Mike Rinderle is not screwing around. After a few months of training and a couple of grip contests he knows what he needs to work on and he is setting out on a journey to bring his numbers up.

Below, he works on the Axle, hitting 270 for a set of 3.

Keep training hard Mike.

-Jedd-

Dave Whitley Scares the Sh*t out of Jim Labadie

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 19:14:00 +0000

Watch as The Iron Tamer, Dave Whitley, scares the sh*t out of Jim Labadie.

Gotta love it when they squirm!

I loved how he teased the busting the hot water bottle feat and then transitioned to the balloon. Never saw anyone do that before. Good stuff.

Anybody else reading this blog performing this feat in their shows?

What are you doing to set yourself apart from the rest of the people performing this feats? Post a comment.

-Jedd-

Grip Newcomer - Craig Call - Blob Lifter - Craig Call

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:34:00 +0000

Craig Call first called me on the cell phone earlier this year and wanted to know about stategies for certifying on the IM #3.

He met up with Andrew Durniat this past weekend and started dropping bombs on grip feats left and right, even lifting the 50-lb blob!

Awesome stuff, guys! Love to see this stuff!

-Jedd-

Two Inch Vertical Bar Technique

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 03:42:00 +0000

Here is a great clip from Ben Edwards I just found. Ben is great with technique whether it's nail bending, grippers, or in this case, 2-inch Vertical Bar.

You gotta check this out.

Like I said, Ben knows his stuff. I really suggest you subscribe to his channel because he has lots of videos like this on it, and he does them all the time.

All the best in your training.

-Jedd-

P.S. I would be glad to do some technique videos for you. Please leave a comment here if there is something you'd like to see a video of!

Adam Glass - Pinch Array

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:30:00 +0000

Adam was working pinch last night. What kind of pinch?

Pretty much every type known to man.

Nice work bro!

-Jedd-

New Grip Article - Feats of Strength and Power

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 00:17:00 +0000

There is another blog I wrote for along with Adam Glass called Feats of Strength and Power.

I just posed a brand new article there called, Graded Bolts - Perfect Stepping Stones to the Red Nail.

Click the link to check it out ===> Steel Bending Article.

All the best in your training,

-Jedd-

Arm Wrestling Tips

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:38:00 +0000

Check out these excellent arm wrestling tips from Joe Musselwhite.

Leave a comment if you think anything was missed. Joe's a pro, but sometimes it's hard to think of everything on the fly.

Thanks,

-Jedd-

Nail Bending is Fun

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 03:30:00 +0000

Image from WorldsStrongestLibrarian.com

Josh Hanagarne, the World's Strongest Librarian, recently posted a review of my Nail Bending eBook.

Nail Bending eBook Review

Bending nails really is fun, but even more than that it is exciting. It is hard to describe what it feels like to hit a new Personal Record when bending.

I liken it to hitting a home run off a really good pitcher.

For instance, when I was in high school, I could hit pretty well, but had a hard time against lefties, especially this one kid from Wyalusing named Matt Haverly.

I knew I could hit this kid's fastball, but this one game he was feeding me curveballs all night and before I knew it, I had already struck out twice against him.

In my last at bat against Haverly in this one particular game (it might have actually been the very last time I ever faced him) for some reason he started me off with a fastball and I crushed it over the fence for the homer.

The conditions changed and my confidence combined with him trying to slip a fastball past me resulted in a home run and a Personal Record for me against him.

Very similar, I tried multiple times to bend my first red nail in August 2004 only to fail the first two times I tried that summer.

I guess when I finally bent the red nail, it was all just perfect. Like batting against Haverly, I knew I could bend the red nail, I just hadn't done it yet. Then finally everything fell in place, the red nail "gave me a fastball" and I hit it over the fence for a homerun and new bending PR!

The same thing will happen to all of you. If you try hard enough and often enough, you will break through your bending plateaus and get new personal records.

All the best in your training,

-Jedd-

P.S. You can pick up your copy of the Nail Bending eBook here ===>Nail Bending Info

Den Cenidoza - Red Nail Progress

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:39:00 +0000

Dan Cenidoza recently bent his first red nail.

I said within a couple weeks he'd be bending them in IronMind pads, and sure enough, he just did one in IMP's recently.

That's what I call nail bending progress.

What's your bending progress like? What is your most recent PR? Let us all know in the comments section below.

-Jedd-

30 Ways to Up Your Bench

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:50:00 +0000

It's time to Up Your Bench.

AJ Roberts has put together an unbelievable system to increase your bench press. I just got an insider look at it and it looks awesome.

Look, AJ is a professional powerlifter who trains right at West Side Barbell.

AJ is an awesome guy. I recently hung out with him in New Jersey one night after a day-long seminar and not only is he cool to hang out and joke with, but the information he gave me in that one conversation helped me add 40-lbs onto my bench press.

He's already put up a free 29-minute video on the 30 biggest mistakes people make on the bench press. You can check it out now by clicking here ===> 30 ways to Up Your Bench.

This week, he is releasing his brand new product and I actually put together bonus for it about Grip Considerations for the Bench Press. It is over 50 minutes in length itself.

For now, go check out AJ's fr.ee video and sign up for his newsletter.

If you want to put some weight on your bench press, then AJ is your man. He'll show you how to make it happen.

AJ's Link: Up Your Bench

All the best in your training.

-Jedd-

Adding Nail Bending into Your Current Program

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 14:49:00 +0000

A common question I get from athletes who are looking to start performing feats of strength, like nail and bolt bending, has to do with the work load and stresses of bending on their hands and forearms. Specifically, is it safe to add nail bending into their current program?

Many of those who write are already very active in strength training, bodybuilding, powerlifting, strongman training, and kettlebell lifting, such as the writer below. Check it out here.

This a good question and I don’t blame you if you are unsure if bending will overwhelm your grip, and your body for that matter. When starting out, the volume and stress of bending nails and bolts under such high intensity can be enough to cause injury, especially if you go about it too much too fast.

I took this into consideration when I wrote the Nail Bending eBook. I knew that many people starting out were not already participating in a consistent grip training program, but I knew that far more would in fact already be devoting a great amount of time and effort into other full-body training protocols.

I knew that these new benders would want to maintain their high levels in their already developed training programs. So, to allow them to keep up with their current training programs, I included a ramp-up program that would allow them to start out slowly and gradually work up in stresses and volume by slowly introducing volume of grip and wrist training into the program.

This conditioning cycle lasts several weeks before any bending is even introduced.

I also included some other pointers for beginning benders:

Increase water intake

Increase your calories

Increase your preventive measures

As you can see, I have covered a lot of preventive stuff in the Nail Bending eBook, aside from just multiple techniques to bend nails, bolts, and stock, how to wrap, and all that other bending-specific information. I included this because I have felt the pain of overuse from nail bending and I did not want that to happen to you all who are looking to get started in the sport of nail bending and grip strength.

Hopefully this has answered your questions, but if not, please leave me a comment below and I will get back to you.

If you have ideas for new benders to keep them injury free when starting out, don't hold back - please post below!

Thanks, and all the best in your training.

-Jedd-

P.S. You can pick up the Nail Bending eBook here: How to Bend Nails

Barry Gibson Bends the 60D Nail

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 11:02:00 +0000

Ever see anybody bend a 60D nail before? Here is Barry Gibson bending one over his thigh.

All the best in your training,

-Jedd-

P.S. To learn how to bend nails yourself, check out the Nail Bending eBook. Click here ===> Bend Nails with Your Bare Hands.

Two Plates - Three Fingers

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:53:00 +0000

Aaron Corcorran messing around with two 20-kilo plates while listening to Sublime. He gets good air with three fingers and lifts it lefty.

All the best in your training,

-Jedd-

Teemu Watch -- Working on the #4

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 02:13:00 +0000

Here, Teemu works on a #4 rated at 213 lbs. Sick.

This guy is freaky.

-Jedd-

Teemu Watch - 12 Reps with a 3.5

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:23:00 +0000

Here, Teemu reps out on a 3.5 - 12 repetitions.

To give you an idea of how strong this guy is, I struggle to close 3.5's one single time and he just rattled off a dozen. Phenomenal!

All the best,

-Jedd-

Blob lifting at Sorinex

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:46:00 +0000

From Bill Long, here is a spot of Blob Lifting during the Summer Strong showcase at the Sorinex facility late last month.

-Jedd-

Mace Tutorial

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:44:00 +0000

This is a StrongerGrip.com mace I got from Ryan Pitts, the gent in the interview clip below. This equipment is top of the line!

All the best in your training,

-Jedd-

Interview with Ryan Pitts - StrongerGrip.com

jedd.diesel@gmail.com (Jedd Johnson, CSCS) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:39:00 +0000

Here's an interview with Ryan Pitts at StrongerGrip.com

-Jedd-