Captains Of Crush - Hand strength grips.
by Simon Paton
Sep 5, 2008
Captains Of Crush! Sounds like some Marvel Comic, well not quite true, though this does relate to super human strength.
Read on Hercules.
Read on Hercules.
Did anyone see the F1 in Spain the other week? ITV Sport went to interview one of the drivers on the starting grid and he was using a set of these hand grippers moments before the start of the race!
These Captains Of Crush hand grippers have been sat in somewhat less of a fancy rig than a F1 car. My Merc Sprinter (5 speed hotel) dashboard to be precise. All summer long they have been passed around the passengers in transit to the race, like Cori's mom, everyone's had a squeeze.
These beasts have long been regarded as the ultimate way to develop crushing hand strength. As MTB riders we hold onto our bars till our knuckles turn white. That's where these come into their own.
Now I've only little hands so I went for the girly entry level one and they are challenging enough. Word down Muscle Beach is only a handful of people have managed to close the #3 and even fewer have closed the #4.
They are dead easy and convenient to use and you can flip them upside down to give your braking fingers even more of a work out.
Priced at £19.99 will this be in your Christmas stocking?
www.londonkettlebells.com
London Kettlebells,
100 Pall Mall
St James
London
SW1Y 5NQ
UNITED KINGDOM
Telephone 020 7321 5648
steve@londonkettlebells.com
Never, ever clip in.
Si Paton..
www.Descent-Gear.com
661 Evo Knee Pads £62.99
These Captains Of Crush hand grippers have been sat in somewhat less of a fancy rig than a F1 car. My Merc Sprinter (5 speed hotel) dashboard to be precise. All summer long they have been passed around the passengers in transit to the race, like Cori's mom, everyone's had a squeeze.
These beasts have long been regarded as the ultimate way to develop crushing hand strength. As MTB riders we hold onto our bars till our knuckles turn white. That's where these come into their own.
Now I've only little hands so I went for the girly entry level one and they are challenging enough. Word down Muscle Beach is only a handful of people have managed to close the #3 and even fewer have closed the #4.
They are dead easy and convenient to use and you can flip them upside down to give your braking fingers even more of a work out.
Priced at £19.99 will this be in your Christmas stocking?
www.londonkettlebells.com
London Kettlebells,
100 Pall Mall
St James
London
SW1Y 5NQ
UNITED KINGDOM
Telephone 020 7321 5648
steve@londonkettlebells.com
Never, ever clip in.
Si Paton..
www.Descent-Gear.com
661 Evo Knee Pads £62.99
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56 Comments
I have the level 1 and 2, and they're pretty hardcore. Make sure you get a legitimate one, as there are plenty of copies out there that arent as good.
The cheap one's are just that... cheap. The handgrips fall apart, the springs lose their power fairly quickly, and arent ever a set weight, so they vary from time to time, whereas the captains of crush are made with a bit of effort and decent materials... It's like comparing a walmart bike to the top of the line Giant/Trek/Kona whatever, not as much of a gap between them with grippers, but it's still there.
I can't remember which level it is, but if you send them a pic/video of you closing a certain level of gripper from them, they send you a certificate, as so few people can do it, check out there website (sorry, not got a link right now)
The cheap one's are just that... cheap. The handgrips fall apart, the springs lose their power fairly quickly, and arent ever a set weight, so they vary from time to time, whereas the captains of crush are made with a bit of effort and decent materials... It's like comparing a walmart bike to the top of the line Giant/Trek/Kona whatever, not as much of a gap between them with grippers, but it's still there.
I can't remember which level it is, but if you send them a pic/video of you closing a certain level of gripper from them, they send you a certificate, as so few people can do it, check out there website (sorry, not got a link right now)
I've got a no 1. it takes 140 pounds of pressure to close which is probably more than the bodyweight of a lot of pinkbike users. It is tough - most people I know cannot close it completely (metal to metal) - one is a powerlifter who can bench 180 kilos! Grip strength is a very particular type of strength. I gave it to a bodybuilder with pretty big forearms and he couldnt do it. I managed to shut it with each hand (after a few weeks of trying) but since I've stopped using it I can no longer do it, it just makes my knuckles crack! The 4 is something like 365 pounds of pressure. Very few people in the world can shut it, and you would not want to let any of them get hold of your throat! You tube has impressive vids.
"meh-"
at my school we have a fancy hand grip test where it has a dial on it the measures the maximum amount of force you use on it (how hard you can squeeze) i am in grade 11 and most people i see can get it up to around 140-155 lbs... and thats just squeezing for a second trying to get your max, on that note, working out with one that takes 140lbs to close would be perfect for alot of people around my age (15,16,17)
at my school we have a fancy hand grip test where it has a dial on it the measures the maximum amount of force you use on it (how hard you can squeeze) i am in grade 11 and most people i see can get it up to around 140-155 lbs... and thats just squeezing for a second trying to get your max, on that note, working out with one that takes 140lbs to close would be perfect for alot of people around my age (15,16,17)
bikeperson -
Like I said - I gave my no.1 CoC gripper to various people. A powerlifter who benches 180 and deadlifts 220kg - a bodybouilder with big arms - various friends who are plumbers, electricians, mechanics (people who use their hands daily) and none could completely close it. With that in mind, I would be very, very, very surprised if I handed it to a bunch of 15, 16, 17 y/os and watched them all close it. Captains of Crush make very robust equipment. They are the standard. Also, it is very difficult for the meters to read the amount of pressure being exerted. They are notoriously inaccurate due to a range of factors. I wouldnt take your equipment at school as a perfect measurement by any means.
Like I said - I gave my no.1 CoC gripper to various people. A powerlifter who benches 180 and deadlifts 220kg - a bodybouilder with big arms - various friends who are plumbers, electricians, mechanics (people who use their hands daily) and none could completely close it. With that in mind, I would be very, very, very surprised if I handed it to a bunch of 15, 16, 17 y/os and watched them all close it. Captains of Crush make very robust equipment. They are the standard. Also, it is very difficult for the meters to read the amount of pressure being exerted. They are notoriously inaccurate due to a range of factors. I wouldnt take your equipment at school as a perfect measurement by any means.
sorry mister "meh-" i wasnt aware that you were a profesinall hand gripper. i didnt know that you were aware of the people at my school and the equipment we use AND how strong they all are. again i appolagize for giving my opinion.
oh shut up you arsy little shit. I was explaining how tough the no.1 is to close and gave damn good evidence too. If a bunch of "adults" (some weightlifters, some manual labors) cannot close it then why would I assume a bunch of kids can? Buy a COC gripper, post a vid of all your school buddies closing it to prove me wrong. I wont hold my breath.
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Psh...my XCM stuff I can guaranty does better stuff for my hands, since it strengthens them and makes them more flexible and nimble. Plus doing XCM in front of people looks a shit load better than squeezing your hand together.
what a coincidence, i was just thinking i should get some hand strength grips to help for riding the other day.
good article
good article
What about the Powerball. The hand gyroscope. i've used one of these for a while, initially to get strength back from a shoulder injury but now to improve grip, and also help to strengthen the forearm and helps with the dreaded arm pump. They aint massivly expensive and really funny to watch un-coordinated types try to get the hang of them.
Check them out at:
http://www.powerballs.com/
STU
Check them out at:
http://www.powerballs.com/
STU
Awesome for a few weeks before going to the Alps etc to get you over the fact that the tracks are longer...
Those things are insane! They will make your forearms into freakish vainey Terminater forearms arms. #1 superbike racer i knew used one & the grip he had was unbelieveable!
I've used those for years now, using them really helps cut down on how bad your hand hurt after a day of full on DH riding. Also helps stop you from getting arm pump 
I've used this kind of grip trainers for 2 years now (during the off seasons) because before i started exercising with them my fingers hurt very bad after a day of riding because the finger mucles were not used to it.
But for those 2 years I have not had any problem with my fingers hurting.
Well worth to buy, maybe not this brand but some simular. I do static grip training with them, like holdig them for 2 minutes *2 times for each hand.
But for those 2 years I have not had any problem with my fingers hurting.
Well worth to buy, maybe not this brand but some simular. I do static grip training with them, like holdig them for 2 minutes *2 times for each hand.
^^^
same here! my fingers kill after a ride (and a few days after in the mornings). maybe i have arthritis or something or just pussy fingers lol i think i might have to pick something like this up cuz my hands can't handle some of the punishment
same here! my fingers kill after a ride (and a few days after in the mornings). maybe i have arthritis or something or just pussy fingers lol i think i might have to pick something like this up cuz my hands can't handle some of the punishment
Definitely not arthritis, that would be constant pain with any movement on your joints. As for the Grippers, I will be ordering them soon, since my little hands aren't the best at coping with long descents, especially when there is a lot of braking. I also use a Powerball, for my wrists and forearm.
Powerball all the way! Hand grippers are less effective and offer no exercise variation for fore arms muscles. Training with powerball for 3 months before my last trip to whistler helped me a lot with arm pump...
This is really not the way to condition your hands or fingers for riding/ shifting/ braking. They cause you to over-work your arm muscles... especially forearms prematurally when you ride, which will lead to arm fatigue and hand numbness for sure. If you are using them for the purpose of riding, I would suggest you not and concentrate on your technique and make sure you have and are using good grips and gloves/// this is what is going to win races- not to mention make riding more pleasurable. I hope this helps.
You are totally right. I race motocross, and all I heard is bad things about these. The best thing to do is ride more.
Dont expect impartial advice here! Pinkadvert sells all. I agree though. These things are for strongmen, powerlifters and people who just want stupidly strong hands. You don't need stupidly strong hands unless you plan to pick up very heavy things.
I think you guys are way off. How can it not help? It's like saying running won't help your conditioning for riding. Using these things would help condition your forearm muscles - your muscles will not fatigue as fast. I do agree with you though about using proper technique and using the right equipment - it makes a huge difference.
gdawg - one reason for the ineffectiveness is that these things encourage "maximum effort" fast twitch muscle fibers. Maximum effort cannot be repeated many times (due to extreme muscle fatigue, lactic acid build up, etc) - unlike the type of effort associated with slow twitch muscle fibers (like when running for instance). You need to be strong to hold on when riding DH, but it doesnt require maximum effort (and the associated muscle fiber types) like lifting a 100kg rock would - it requires muscle endurance, the ability to exert a good amount of strength over an extended period of time. Based on what I have just written, your running analogy (in my opinion) is way off, because using heavy grippers and running are on completely different ends of the training spectrum. Just because running can be a good way to get fitter for riding, it doesnt follow that grippers must be too. Sure, using grippers is better than doing nothing, but there are more effective ways to train.
Gdawg,
Meh- is right, your analogy to running simply doesn't relate. Running will increase your stamina, and thus will help you to continue to endure increasingly longer DH rides.
The grippers, alternatively--when used as often described--will increase your max grip strength. If you have weak hands it may be preferable to do some heavy training intermittently; but ultimately, for these to really be effective and used as a relevant form of training for DH, try some of the lighter grippers and keep them closed for periods up to 5 minutes or longer. Slowly increase crushing time and, subsequently, weight to progressively build endurance strength.
Because of the reality of discernible progression, these can be a good adscititious way of training the arms in a way that you know you are getting results. Alas, riding frequently and riding tougher, and again tougher, terrain will inadvertently build strong arms.
And for the 90% of you that buy $20 grips regularly and are skeptical of the price, these are the same price and will last a lifetime. Although, they if you start using your left hand for masturbation you will equal out the imbalance and work on cognitive briskness which will in turn help your riding. Good luck
Meh- is right, your analogy to running simply doesn't relate. Running will increase your stamina, and thus will help you to continue to endure increasingly longer DH rides.
The grippers, alternatively--when used as often described--will increase your max grip strength. If you have weak hands it may be preferable to do some heavy training intermittently; but ultimately, for these to really be effective and used as a relevant form of training for DH, try some of the lighter grippers and keep them closed for periods up to 5 minutes or longer. Slowly increase crushing time and, subsequently, weight to progressively build endurance strength.
Because of the reality of discernible progression, these can be a good adscititious way of training the arms in a way that you know you are getting results. Alas, riding frequently and riding tougher, and again tougher, terrain will inadvertently build strong arms.
And for the 90% of you that buy $20 grips regularly and are skeptical of the price, these are the same price and will last a lifetime. Although, they if you start using your left hand for masturbation you will equal out the imbalance and work on cognitive briskness which will in turn help your riding. Good luck
I agree a powerball (gyro) is the way to go. $40+ for a grip is crazy. Thick bar training is better.
For the people ranting on about how powerballs strengthen the wrists:
There's an easier way, it's called masturbation...
There's an easier way, it's called masturbation...
yeah at the local dollar store they're only a buck ... for 2 .
don;t throw your cash away when someone re-invents the wheel and swears it's the best thing ever.
don;t throw your cash away when someone re-invents the wheel and swears it's the best thing ever.
these things are shit, get a dyna flex ball, all the pros use them for shoulder, elbow and wrist injuries and they work sooo much quicker..just google dyna flex to get info on them they are like 30 dollars but worth it
well,umm/ i d rather ave a W ""k,myself!lol-you all want R S I, ie repetative sprain injurys, i soon as just put them(hands)in ice after each ,long days ride-(etc) and the odd cod liver tab...and i know about fooked tendons-after having to once- cut through one-after impailing my wrist on a tree stump, but i managed to cut myself free-(not nice) its stilla bit of a mess,10years on-but it still works ok,if a little painful from time to time-but i m still gonna do the mega,next year,love mints,mate!!!!
when im in the gym and just resting for my next set I just grab the ones you put on barbells and do that for free lol
[Reply]
[Reply]
This is not an add, we don't get paid to run any articles. We just post up items that we think will be use to some of you, not all. After all you can't please everyone can you?
Yes the powerball is good, these are very useful when you only have one hand avaialable, i.e: Wanking with your right hand you can now train your left hand!
Yes the powerball is good, these are very useful when you only have one hand avaialable, i.e: Wanking with your right hand you can now train your left hand!
hahaah maybe they should make some sort of equiptment to make masturbating tougher ? like a heavey metal glove!
i scoff, but really.. i know it'd do me good. i haven't ridden anything gnarly in the last few weeks and i still wake up with hand cramps.
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good articale on working on fingers and hand muscles that for sure.