Steve Jeck's From the Quarry

The Crushed-to-Dust!® Cube

The Crushed-to-Dust!® Cube for Building Superior Grip Strength

The Grip World Then and Now

 

In 1995, IronMind presented a chart that defined grip strength as having three components—crushing, pinching and supporting—and this concept has become so widely accepted and repeated that it’s taken as gospel throughout the grip world. It’s now time to put those ideas aside.

In 2009, IronMind presented an enhanced theory and better analytical tool for grip strength that would lead to better results and the kind of PR performances you dream about: the Crushed-to-Dust! Cube.

With the Crushed-to-Dust! Cube, now you can easily:

  1. understand the different types of grip strength
  2. identify the most effective forms of training for your specialty/requirements
  3. select the equipment best fitting your requirements
 

The 2 main types of grip strength are:

Crushing - your 4 fingers provide the power, as when shaking hands

 
CRUSHING – your 4 fingers provide the
power, as when shaking hands

Pinching - the thumb provides the power, as when pinch gripping plates

 
PINCHING – the thumb provides the power,
as when pinch gripping plates

For each of those 2 types of grip strength, you can have your hand in either a closed or an open position:

CRUSHING

  • closed hand: when you are finishing off a gripper
  • open hand: when you are lifting a thick bar

PINCHING

  • closed hand: when you are pinch gripping a thin object, like a barbell plate
  • open hand: when you are pinch gripping a thick object, like a Blob

For any of these 4 possibilities, the intensity of the effort can take two different forms:

 1-rep maximum effort, such as a PR lift on the Rolling Thunder or closing the toughest Captains of Crush Gripper you can


1-rep maximum effort, such as a PR lift on the
Rolling Thunder or closing the toughest Captains of Crush Gripper you can

 Endurance, whether for time, such as the Hercules Hold in the strongman world, or for reps, such as a rock climber working on a series of hard moves


Endurance, whether for time, such as the
Hercules Hold in the strongman world, or for
reps
, such as a rock climber working on a series of hard moves

It’s that simple:

2 prime movers x 2 hand positions x 2 intensities = 8 facets of grip strength

Supporting role

A supporting role is played by the wrist/forearm and the extensors. These help stabilize the hand, providing power and muscle balance.

Each of the grip tools in our Crushed-to-Dust! system is designed to train one or more of these 8 facets of grip strength. It’s foolproof—and it’s the fastest, surest route to the superior grip strength you’re seeking.

IronMind Grip-Tech

Since we opened our doors in 1988, IronMind has led the charge in the grip world: developing new products; recognizing superior performance; and elevating its importance.

IronMind has made parallel contributions in hand health, helping  people build strong and healthy hands and prevent, reduce, or eliminate hand pain.

As you explore the IronMind grip world—the land of Crushed-to-Dust!—remember that our products and training principles are dual purpose: they both lead to greater grip strength and to improved hand health, a double benefit.

Crushed-to-Dust! Grip Tools - the world's leading system for building strong and healthy handsCrushed-to-Dust!® Grip Tools
The world’s leading system for building strong and healthy hands

 Captains of Crush® Grippers
The gold standard of hand grippers

IMTUG™: The Two-Finger Utility Gripper
Friendly, fun, effective training for one or two fingers at a time

 IronMind Hand Health:  Strong, Pain-Free Hands  - build strong and healthy hands and prevent, reduce, or eliminate hand painIronMind Hand Health
Strong, Pain-Free Hands
Build strong and healthy hands and prevent, reduce,
or eliminate hand pain

 Captains of Crush Gripper Certification - since 1991.  The official mark of a world-class grip:  getting certified and setting recordsCaptains of Crush Gripper Certification – since 1991
The official mark of a world-class grip:
getting certified and setting records

 IronMind's Red Nail Roster - certified list of short steel bendersRed Nail™ Roster
Certified list of short steel benders

 Rolling Thunder® Deadlift Handle
Can you beat the current world record?

 John Brookfield's Grip Tips - over 60 exercises for building hand strength - have a look!John Brookfield’s Grip Tips
Over 60 exercises for building hand strength—have a look!