The GripCentral wiki
Everything grip, in one place.
Training, technique, equipment, competition, and the people who built the sport — pulled together from forums, rulebooks, and lifters.
Grip tools A–ZEvery gripper, pinch block, rolling handle and contest implement, sorted by crush, pinch, support and wrist.Browse all tools
Start here
5- Beginner Grip Program: Your First 8 to 12 WeeksAn 8- to 12-week first program of two to three short sessions a week covering crush, pinch and support, with sets, progression, deloads and timelines.
- Grip Training 101: Crush, Pinch and Support ExplainedThe three main grip types plus wrist and thumb work, what each tool trains, a first-week routine, what to buy first, and where to go next.
- Grip Training SafetyHow to train grip without injury: tendon versus muscle recovery, a hand and elbow warm-up, volume limits, golfer's and tennis elbow, skin care and when to stop.
- Hand Grippers: Types, Brands and What to BuyHow torsion-spring hand grippers work, how they are rated, the main brands and their level names (Captains of Crush, GHP, Baraban, Grip Genie, Cannon Standard and more), and how…
- Which Grip Program Is Right for You?A short guide to choosing between the beginner, intermediate and advanced programs, a specialization block or endurance work, and knowing when to move up.
Training
7- Advanced Grip Program: Peaking for a ContestFor experienced grip athletes: block periodization, connective-tissue load management, implement-specific work and a peak and taper for a contest date.
- Crushing Grip: How to Train ItClosed-hand gripper training and open-hand crushing: the muscles involved, the Captains of Crush ladder, setting technique, methods and sets, reps and progression.
- Fixing a Weak Grip: Specialization BlocksHow to bring up a lagging grip type or implement with a 4- to 8-week block of two to three focused sessions a week, then return to maintenance.
- Grip Endurance: Dead Hangs, Timed Holds and High-Rep WorkHow grip endurance differs from maximal grip strength, and how to train it with dead hangs, timed holds and high-rep sets, with beginner and intermediate doses.
- Intermediate Grip Program: Higher Frequency and Specialization BlocksFor lifters past the beginner phase: three to four sessions a week, 4- to 8-week specialization blocks, contest implements and RPE-based autoregulation.
- Pinch Grip: How to Train ItHow to build thumb-versus-fingers pinch strength with plate pinches, pinch blocks, blobs and hubs: technique, training methods, sets and rest, and progression.
- Support Grip: How to Train ItHolding on to heavy loads: standard bar holds, thick bars and axles, rolling handles such as Rolling Thunder, with exercises, loading and set ranges for each.
Technique
1Equipment
7- Axle and Thick BarsWhat axles and thick bars are, the common diameters, IronMind's Apollon's Axle and other makers' bars, and thick-grip attachments such as Fat Gripz.
- Captains of Crush GrippersIronMind's Captains of Crush gripper line: every level and its nominal rating, how certification works, and who has certified on the No. 3, 3.5 and 4.
- Evaluating Grip EquipmentA buyer's framework for judging grippers, pinch blocks, rolling handles, and thick bars on durability, calibration, and competition legality.
- Gripper RatingsHow torsion-spring gripper strength ratings work, why nominal numbers vary unit to unit, and the difference between nominal and calibrated ratings.
- IronMind Rolling ThunderIronMind's revolving one-hand deadlift handle: dimensions, the official lift rules, world records, and how it is trained.
- Pinch Implements: Blobs, Blocks and Pinch BlocksWhat blobs, block weights and loadable pinch blocks are, where the York blob came from, and how the modern replicas compare.
- Rolling Handles: Types and BrandsWhat rolling handles are, why they are harder than fixed handles, and the main models by maker, with diameters and construction.
Competition
7- Armlifting USAThe US armlifting federation that runs the season-long World Super Series and sanctions armlifting meets at major strength expos.
- Competition PreparationComplete guide to preparing for grip sport competitions and events
- Equipment StandardsHow grip sport standardizes and calibrates competition implements, and why it matters for fair results.
- Grip CertificationsHow grip strength feats are formally certified, from the Captains of Crush gripper to the Inch dumbbell, and how certification differs from competition.
- Grip Competition RulesOfficial rules and regulations for grip sport competitions, based on the most common competition formats.
- Grip Sport International (GSI)The volunteer-run federation that sanctions most North American grip contests, formerly known as NAGS.
- Sanctioning BodiesOfficial organizations that govern grip sport competitions and maintain records
People & history
4- David HorneBritish grip strength pioneer, founder of the British Grip Championships and David Horne's World of Grip.
- History of Grip SportHow competitive grip strength grew from old-time strongman feats into an organized modern sport with equipment standards, online communities, and sanctioning bodies.
- John BrookfieldAmerican strongman, grip training pioneer, and author known for nail bending, card tearing, and foundational grip literature.
- Steve GardenerBritish grip athlete certified on the Captains of Crush No. 3 gripper and known for thick bar and Inch dumbbell feats.
Community
3- Grip CommunitiesThe online forums, social groups, and offline gatherings that connect grip strength athletes and knit the sport together.
- Grip Gyms and Training SpacesWhat makes a gym good for grip work, how to build a home grip station, the essential apparatus, and how to find grip clubs.
- GripboardThe long-running online forum that served for decades as the central meeting place of the grip strength community.
Vendors
12- Arm Assassin Strength ShopArm Assassin Strength Shop is a US maker of rolling handles, Inch and axle wrenches, vertical bars, pinch blocks and hinge curl bars.
- Barrel Strength SystemsBarrel Strength Systems of Nashville, Tennessee makes grip and hand tools including The Flask, the Trilobite Handle System, The DubHub and loading pins.
- Cannon PowerWorksCannon PowerWorks of Minnesota: independent gripper ratings from more than 22,500 grippers, its own Standard gripper line (Tin to Chromium), pre-rated grippers, and the BLOB50 a…
- Fat Bastard Barbell Co.Fat Bastard Barbell Co. (FBBC) makes thick-handle grip tools: Andrew's Axle, Crusher rotating handles, Inch-style dumbbells, Saxon bars and pinch tools.
- Fat GripzFat Gripz makes clamp-on rubber thick-grip sleeves in three sizes, One, Pro and Extreme, that turn an ordinary bar or dumbbell handle into a thick handle.
- Gillingham High PerformanceGillingham High Performance (GHP) hand grippers, designed by Wade Gillingham: the Levels 1 to 10 line, its design features, and its status.
- Gods of GripGods of Grip is a UK maker of pinch blocks, hub tools, blobs, rolling handles and axles; its main products with their sizes.
- Golden GripGolden Grip is a Dutch grip-tool brand founded in 2020, making six-level hand grippers, a pinch block, plate pinch, loadable blob and wrist tools.
- Grip Equipment MakersDirectory of grip equipment makers covered on this wiki: who they are, where they are based, and what each one makes, with links to their pages.
- Grip GenieGrip Genie makes the seven-level Genie Gripper line and the RGT rolling handle; levels, stated ratings and how they compare with Captains of Crush.
- IronMindIronMind Enterprises of Nevada City, California: maker of Captains of Crush grippers, the Rolling Thunder and Apollon's Axle, and keeper of their certifications.
- The Grip AuthorityThe Grip Authority is Jedd Johnson's membership site for grip training: workout programs, articles, audio and video, coaching calls and nail-bending instruction.
This wiki consolidates knowledge from GripBoard, grip sport communities, and expert contributors.