GNC Grip Gauntlet
Encyclopedia
The GNC Grip Gauntlet is a strength athletics
contest that tests the grip strength of competing individuals over three disciplines, each designed to test one of the three recognised facets of hand strength: crushing; pinching; and supporting. It was developed by Wade Gillingham and Randall J. Strossen
(of IronMind
) and now is an internationally recognised contest that features at some of the world's most prominent strength athletics events and expos, including the Arnold Strongman Classic
and the various WSM Super Series Grand Prixs.
, a company founded by former wristwrestler Randall J. Strossen
, presented in its catalogue the idea that grip strength involves three elements: crushing, pinching, and supporting. The company had existed since 1988 and had carved out a niche in the market as a source for tools to improve grip strength. It continued to develop and produce such tools, notably introducing "Rolling Thunder" in 1993 and "Apollon’s Axle" in 1994, as well as its famous Captains of Crush Grippers
. Having certification schemes for grip strength, and having also introduced a world championship for its Rolling Thunder product (such was its popularity amongst athletes of various strength related disciplines) the theme of encapsulating all three facets of grip strength resurfaced in a conversation between the founder of Ironmind, Randall Strossen and grip athlete Wade Gillingham. The Blob Challenge had been run by Wade Gillingham 2002 Mr. Olympia
and the 2003 Arnold Classic
. Gillingham and Strossen formulated a way of testing the three basic facets of grip strength using well-established, generally-available implements. Their ultimate aim being to generate a competition which would accrue a history and competitor base to produce meaningful results.
The GNC Pro Performance Grip Gauntlet debuted at the 2004 Arnold Expo Challenge
. The three implements used were the No. 3 Captains of Crush gripper, the Rolling Thunder, and an implement called the Blob. Cash prizes were available for succeeding with all three elements of the challenge.
As to the stature of the Gauntlet, Gillingham is quoted as saying in 2008: "If you think this challenge isn't world class, think again. Over the past four years, an estimated 10,000 attempts have been made to complete the three challenges on the GNC Grip Gauntlet stage and only two individuals have ever completed all three in the ‘heavy’ format."
The Gauntlet is now in three formats, Light, Medium and Heavy. In early 2009, the weight of the Rolling Thunder was dropped from 212 lbs to 207 lbs, to correspond with Ironmind's new version of the Rolling Thunder.
There have now been seven athletes completing the heavy format of the Grip Gauntlet, including professional strongmen Karl Gillingham, Brian Shaw, and John Connor. Tex Henderson and Rich Williams have the added distinction of completing the gauntlet with grippers of a stronger standard than that normally used in the heavy format, using #3.5 grippers as opposed to #3 grippers. Monte Brown and Andrew Durniat round out the list.
performed the feat at the Mohegan Sun Grand Prix 2008, in the process becoming Rolling Thunder World Champion. In May 2009 Felix defended his Mohegan Sun title, although this was not considered the world championships. He defended the world title in June 2009 in Quebec as a lead-in event to the Fortissimus
championships.
Strength athletics
Strength athletics, more generally known as strongman competitions, is a sport which tests competitors' strength in a variety of different ways. Some of the disciplines are similar to those in powerlifting and some powerlifters have also successfully competed in strongman competitions...
contest that tests the grip strength of competing individuals over three disciplines, each designed to test one of the three recognised facets of hand strength: crushing; pinching; and supporting. It was developed by Wade Gillingham and Randall J. Strossen
Randall J. Strossen
Dr. Randall J. Strossen is the founder and president of IronMind Enterprises, Inc. and the editor-in-chief and publisher of MILO journal. He wrote a monthly column called "IronMind" in IRONMAN magazine for over 12 years, starting in 1988 and has authored several books on strength training...
(of IronMind
IronMind
IronMind Enterprises, Inc. is a niche market business based in Nevada City, California, that specializes in “tools of the trade for serious strength athletes.” Though many of its products include strength-training equipment and accessories, IronMind also publishes books, DVDs and the quarterly...
) and now is an internationally recognised contest that features at some of the world's most prominent strength athletics events and expos, including the Arnold Strongman Classic
Arnold Strongman Classic
The Arnold Strongman Classic is one of the highest profile events featuring strength athletes in the world. Created by Dr. Terry Todd, it is an offshoot of the Arnold Sports Festival which takes place annually in Columbus, Ohio, USA.-History:...
and the various WSM Super Series Grand Prixs.
History
In 1992 IronmindIronMind
IronMind Enterprises, Inc. is a niche market business based in Nevada City, California, that specializes in “tools of the trade for serious strength athletes.” Though many of its products include strength-training equipment and accessories, IronMind also publishes books, DVDs and the quarterly...
, a company founded by former wristwrestler Randall J. Strossen
Randall J. Strossen
Dr. Randall J. Strossen is the founder and president of IronMind Enterprises, Inc. and the editor-in-chief and publisher of MILO journal. He wrote a monthly column called "IronMind" in IRONMAN magazine for over 12 years, starting in 1988 and has authored several books on strength training...
, presented in its catalogue the idea that grip strength involves three elements: crushing, pinching, and supporting. The company had existed since 1988 and had carved out a niche in the market as a source for tools to improve grip strength. It continued to develop and produce such tools, notably introducing "Rolling Thunder" in 1993 and "Apollon’s Axle" in 1994, as well as its famous Captains of Crush Grippers
Captains of Crush Grippers
Captains of Crush Grippers are a brand of torsion-spring grippers designed, manufactured and sold by IronMind Enterprises, Inc., based in Nevada City, California...
. Having certification schemes for grip strength, and having also introduced a world championship for its Rolling Thunder product (such was its popularity amongst athletes of various strength related disciplines) the theme of encapsulating all three facets of grip strength resurfaced in a conversation between the founder of Ironmind, Randall Strossen and grip athlete Wade Gillingham. The Blob Challenge had been run by Wade Gillingham 2002 Mr. Olympia
Mr. Olympia
Mr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest at Joe Weider's Olympia Weekend - an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually by the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness . Joe Weider created the contest to enable the...
and the 2003 Arnold Classic
Arnold Classic
The Arnold Classic, renamed Arnold Fitness Weekend, is an annual bodybuilding competition, named after Arnold Schwarzenegger. It takes place in late February or early March in Columbus, Ohio, United States.-History:...
. Gillingham and Strossen formulated a way of testing the three basic facets of grip strength using well-established, generally-available implements. Their ultimate aim being to generate a competition which would accrue a history and competitor base to produce meaningful results.
The GNC Pro Performance Grip Gauntlet debuted at the 2004 Arnold Expo Challenge
Arnold Strongman Classic
The Arnold Strongman Classic is one of the highest profile events featuring strength athletes in the world. Created by Dr. Terry Todd, it is an offshoot of the Arnold Sports Festival which takes place annually in Columbus, Ohio, USA.-History:...
. The three implements used were the No. 3 Captains of Crush gripper, the Rolling Thunder, and an implement called the Blob. Cash prizes were available for succeeding with all three elements of the challenge.
As to the stature of the Gauntlet, Gillingham is quoted as saying in 2008: "If you think this challenge isn't world class, think again. Over the past four years, an estimated 10,000 attempts have been made to complete the three challenges on the GNC Grip Gauntlet stage and only two individuals have ever completed all three in the ‘heavy’ format."
The Gauntlet is now in three formats, Light, Medium and Heavy. In early 2009, the weight of the Rolling Thunder was dropped from 212 lbs to 207 lbs, to correspond with Ironmind's new version of the Rolling Thunder.
There have now been seven athletes completing the heavy format of the Grip Gauntlet, including professional strongmen Karl Gillingham, Brian Shaw, and John Connor. Tex Henderson and Rich Williams have the added distinction of completing the gauntlet with grippers of a stronger standard than that normally used in the heavy format, using #3.5 grippers as opposed to #3 grippers. Monte Brown and Andrew Durniat round out the list.
Disciplines
The disciplines of crushing, pinching and supporting are tested. Crushing, uses the IronMind Captains of Crush grippers. Supporting is tested using IronMind Rolling Thunder. Pinching (or pinch gripping) uses the Blob.| Implement | Light Format | Medium Format | Heavy Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rolling Thunder | 187 lbs | 197 lbs | 207 lbs |
| Blob | 50 lbs | 50 lbs | 50 lbs |
| Crush Grippers | #2 | #2.5 | #3 |
Rolling Thunder
Although often referred as a part of the GNC Grip Gauntlet, the Rolling Thunder's history goes back more than a decade before the Gauntlet first existed. IronMind developed the Rolling Thunder in 1993 and it is now known by strong men worldwide. One-hand deadlifts had long been a preferred means of testing and building grip strength and Rolling Thunder itself is a Revolving Deadlift Handle to which can be attached weights. Such is the rise of its popularity that Rolling Thunder competitions are often held in conjunction with major strongman events including the Mohegun Sun Grand Prix 2008 and the Hawaii based Beauty and the Beast Strongman Contests. As part of the GNC Grip Gauntlet it is also seen around the world at expos. Early on in its history, in 1993, Ironmind issued a challenge to the world of strongmen to lift 300 lbs with Rolling Thunder, and it took 15 years for this challenge to be met when Mark FelixMark Felix
Mark Felix is a strongman competitor and regular entrant to the World's Strongest Man competition...
performed the feat at the Mohegan Sun Grand Prix 2008, in the process becoming Rolling Thunder World Champion. In May 2009 Felix defended his Mohegan Sun title, although this was not considered the world championships. He defended the world title in June 2009 in Quebec as a lead-in event to the Fortissimus
Fortissimus
The Fortissimus is a well recognised event in strength athletics. The name means "the mightiest" and is a multi-event challenge at the end of which the winner is crowned as the "Strongest Man on Earth"...
championships.
Men's World Record
| Date | Champion | Weight | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 (January 18) |  Mark FelixMark Felix Mark Felix is a strongman competitor and regular entrant to the World's Strongest Man competition... |
301 lb |  Mohegan Sun Grand Prix 2008Note 1 WCh |
| 2006 (August 1) | Laine Snook Laine Snook Laine Snook is a former athlete, and current strongman and professional Highland Games competitor. As an athlete he competed internationally but his career was cut short by injury. He went on to specialise in strength based sport and represented both England and Great Britain in various Highland... |
274.2 lb |  Pullum Sports, LutonLuton Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000.... |
| 2003 (June 16) |  Andrus MurumetsAndrus Murumets Andrus Murumets is an Estonian strongman and entrant to the World's Strongest Man contest. He reached 5th in the World Rankings according to the IFSA rankings in 2008. Andrus competed in the IFSA World Championships in 2005 finishing 4th, 5th in 2006 and 5th in 2007... |
267 lb |  IFSA All Strength Challenge, WinnipegWinnipeg Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name... , Manitoba Manitoba Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other... |
| 2003 (June) |  Magnus SamuelssonMagnus Samuelsson Magnus Samuelsson , is a Swedish strongman and winner of the 1998 World's Strongest Man contest in Morocco... |
262 lb | IFSA/GNC Pro Performance Strongman Challenge, Palms Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous... |
| 2001 (May 31) |  Jan Bartl |
258.5 lbNote 2 | 2001 Beauty and the Beast Strongman Contest Honolulu, Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of... Note 1 WCh |
| 2000 (May) | Jan Bartl |
265.4 lb | 2000 Beauty and the Beast Strongman Contest Honolulu, Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of... Note 1 WCh |
Men's World Championships
| Date | Champion | Weight | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 (June 26) | Mark Felix Mark Felix Mark Felix is a strongman competitor and regular entrant to the World's Strongest Man competition... |
123 kg (271.2 lb) | Fortissimus Fortissimus The Fortissimus is a well recognised event in strength athletics. The name means "the mightiest" and is a multi-event challenge at the end of which the winner is crowned as the "Strongest Man on Earth"... Montmagny Montmagny Montmagny may refer to:* Montmagny, Quebec, Canada* Montmagny Regional County Municipality, Quebec* Montmagny now part of Montmagny-L'Islet* Montmagny, Val-d'Oise, a commune in France* Montmagny, Switzerland, a commune... , Quebec Quebec Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level.... Note 1 WCh |
| 2008 (January 18) | Mark Felix Mark Felix Mark Felix is a strongman competitor and regular entrant to the World's Strongest Man competition... |
301 lb | Mohegan Sun Grand Prix 2008Note 1 WCh |
| 2001 (May 31) | Jan Bartl |
258.5 lbNote 2 | 2001 Beauty and the Beast Strongman Contest Honolulu, Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of... Note 1 WCh |
| 2000 (May) | Jan Bartl |
265.4 lb | 2000 Beauty and the Beast Strongman Contest Honolulu, Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of... Note 1 WCh |
Women's World Record
| Date | Champion | Weight | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 (April 7) | Elizabeth Horne | 144.4 lb/65.5 kg | TBC |
| 2002 (July) | Becca Swanson Becca Swanson Becca Swanson is an American bodybuilder, powerlifter, pro wrestler and strongwoman who is often referred to as "The World's Strongest Woman" or "The Strongest Woman on the Planet"... |
135 lb | TBC |