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Who's New Captains of Crush® Grippers



Our History

In 1991—to recognize his exceptional accomplishment in closing our No. 3 Captains of Crush Gripper—we decided to “certify” Richard Sorin, establishing his feat as a high mark for others to shoot for and try to match. We included Richard’s photo and feat of strength in our 1992 IronMind catalog, and when John Brookfield duplicated Richard’s feat in 1992, our gripper certification was off and running . . . although it would be another two years before Tyce Saylor joined the illustrious Richard and John on the world’s most prestigious hand strength list.




Richard Sorin: first-ever certified for closing a No. 3 Captains of Crush Gripper.







Since that time our list has grown to over 150 stout-hearted grip masters on the No. 3 (still a very exclusive club) and 5 dragon slayers on the No. 4. Our Rules for Closing and certification procedures have been honed along the way to reflect the spirit of legitimately closing a Captains of Crush Gripper. These grippers have a unique history and rich tradition—they didn’t just jump on the bandwagon—and our rules guard this flame.

New for 2008 is IronMind's addition of a certification for those who have the strength and determination to master the No. 3.5 Captains of Crush® Gripper. Have you conquered the No. 3 and are you currently working toward the No. 4? Mark your achievement and get certified! All who accomplish this will be honored forever, but only one will be first.

Get Certified!

Want to get on the list? First be prepared to train really hard and really smart, working your way up through the ranks of our benchmark grippers until you close the No. 3, No. 3.5, or No. 4 according to our Rules for Closing. You’ll then need to follow the procedure for certification.

What will it do for you? As with any goal worth achieving, the reward is in the journey and the knowledge that you did it right. Sure, you’ll have the glory of seeing your name on the list of those having closed a Captains of Crush Gripper under certified conditions, but more importantly, you’ll know that you can dig deep inside and with a big dose of dedication and persistence, and a measure of faith, you can climb the mountain.


Our latest certified grip masters:

No. 3 Captains of Crush Gripper

Brian Shaw – 2008
George Meere – 2008
Jouni Pakarinen – 2008
Brad Ardrey – 2009
Rich Williams 2009
Sam Salomi 2009
Steve Schmidt 2009

No. 3.5 Captains of Crush Gripper

"Tex" Henderson – 2008 
Gabriel Sum – 2009
Rich Williams 2009 

No. 4 Captains of Crush Gripper

Tommy Heslep – 2004
Magnus Samuelsson - 2004

For a complete list of those certified, see Who Who No. 3, No. 3.5 and No. 4 Captains of Crush Grippers.

Meet our Captains of Crush Gripper and Coc 2 Grip Tools. Find out more about hand strength and training with our Captains of Crush Grippers; and take a look at John Brookfield’s Grip Tips, for over 40 grip training exercises.

Return to IronMind’s Grip-Tech hub.



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