Captains of Crush hand grippers rules for closing, certification for No. 3, No. 3.5, and No. 4

Getting certified on our Captains of Crush Grippers is the most widely recognized—and the most highly regarded—feat of grip strength in the world.

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.

Rules for Closing a No. 3, No. 3.5, or No. 4 Captains of Crush Gripper

The gripper must be an authentic IronMind Enterprises, Inc. Captains of Crush® Gripper.
The gripper cannot have been modified or tampered with in any way.
Chalk (magnesium oxide) may be used on the gripping hand, but rosin, tacky, etc. are specifically disallowed.
The free hand may be used to position the gripper in the gripping hand, but the starting position can be no narrower than the width of a credit/ATM card, and the gripster must show the official that he has an acceptable starting position by using his non-gripping hand to slide the end of a credit/ATM card in between the ends of the handles. Once this is done, the official will give the signal to remove the card and begin the attempt. Any contact between the non-gripping hand and the gripper as the card is being removed will invalidate the attempt, and the non-gripping hand must stay at least a foot from the gripping hand at all times during the squeeze. Similarly, nothing may be in contact with the gripping hand or the gripping arm from the elbow down (for example, the free hand is not allowed to steady the wrist of the gripping hand or hold the spring, etc.). The entire squeeze must be clearly visible to the official: the gripper cannot be closed while blocked from view and then turned and presented as already closed.
The gripper must be held with the spring facing up.
The handles must touch completely.

How to Get Certified for Closing a No. 3, No. 3.5, or No. 4 Captains of Crush Gripper

You’ve just closed a No. 3, No. 3.5, or No. 4 Captains of Crush Gripper according to our Rules for Closing and you want to be certified. What do you do?

First, review the Rules for Closing (box at left) just to make sure that you are closing the No. 3, No. 3.5, or No. 4 Captains of Crush Gripper under the proper conditions.

Second, please make sure that you can consistently close the gripper. If you have only closed it once, you may not be able to close it the next day, or more importantly, on the day you are to be verified by your witness. Wait until you have mastered the gripper, so that when you do close the gripper in front of your witness, all will go smoothly.

When you can close the No. 3, No. 3.5, or No. 4 Captains of Crush Gripper regularly according to the Rules for Closing and feel that you are ready to be certified, you will need to do the following:

1. Contact IronMind Enterprises, Inc. at sales@ironmind.com
    or at 530-272-3579 and let us know that you are ready to be
    certified. We will ask you if you can readily close the gripper
    and we’ll take your name and address. We will then find a
    judge/witness who is in your area to verify the closing, and
    notify you of that person’s name and contact information.
    This may take several days. You will contact the judge, who
    will be expecting to hear from you, and set up a mutually
    convenient time to get together. We will send the judge a brand
    new Captains of Crush Gripper for you to use for your closing.
    Your judge will open the gripper in your presence, and you are
    welcome to do a few warm-up reps on it before
    going for your close.

Note: Please contact us only when you are ready to be judged—that is, please hold off if you are a quarter-inch away, or you maybe closed your gripper once, as we cannot line up your judge/witness unless you are ready to be officially witnessed.

Also, please do not line up your own judge as we will not be able to use the information. One of the ways we maintain the integrity of the certification process is by using objective, credible contacts to be witnesses.

2. Print out a copy of the Rules and Verification form and take it,
    with a stamped envelope addressed to IronMind Enterprises,
    Inc., PO Box 1228, Nevada City, CA 95959, to your verification.
    The judge/witness will complete the form and return it to us.

3. You'll need to provide two photos; they can be color or black     and white:

    a. A photo (at least waist up) of yourself.

    b. A photo of you closing the No. 3, No. 3.5, or 4 Captains of
       Crush gripper according to the Rules for Closing; the photo
       must show your hand closing the gripper, with the of the
       ends handles in plain view, so we can clearly see the No.3,
       No. 3.5, or No. 4 stamped on the bottom; the handles must
       be touching.

4. Write a couple of paragraphs, telling us your age, weight, and
    height, where you’re from, what your work and interests are,
    and something about your training and goals, and any other
    related accomplishments you would like to mention.

Send us your photos and bio, either by e-mail (the photos should be in .jpg or .tif format) or by regular mail.

When we have received your signed verification form, the two photos, and the bio, and they are all complete and in order, we will process your certification and feature you in the "Captains of Crush® Grippers: Who's New" section of the next issue of MILO: A Journal for Serious Strength Athletes. You will also receive your certificate, and your name will be added to the Captains of Crush Grippers: Who's Who list on our website.

Please let us know if you have any questions about how to become certified for closing a No. 3, No. 3.5, or No. 4 Captains of Crush Gripper—and best of luck with your training!

Take a look at Who’s New on the list—maybe you'll be next! For a complete list of those certified, see Who's Who No. 3, No. 3.5, and No. 4 Captains of Crush Grippers.

Meet our Captains of Crush Grippers and our 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.

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