The Iron Grip Volume 1 – Pinch Lifting

The Iron Grip DVD is an excellent video for any of the grip nuts out there, or just about anyone looking to gain a bit of lower arm strength. It features one of the better respected giants in the grip community, David Horne, along with Nick McKinless and the equally impressive Elizabeth Horne. Though shot on a budget, with your standard hand-held camera, the production value and editing makes this feature look like something you would see at a local film festival. I quite enjoyed watching it. The main 54 minute portion of the DVD is broken down into sections covering all aspects of pinch training. Topics covered include the following: 2 Hand Pinch Hub Lifting Loose Pinching 1 Hand Pinching Blobs & Blockweights Thumb Training History Outdoor Training Throughout video, David gives great tips on the specifics of each device, hand positioning, chalking, and how to utilize the ideal palm and finger pressure. In each of the sections, David also demos the lifts, many of which are considered at the top of the grip game: lifting the Blob, 45 plate hub w/ added weight, 2 45s, world record 2 HP, and so on. Nick also demonstrates several lifts as does David’s wife Elizabeth. The main section of the DVD also gives us a glimpse of David’s quaint dungeon gym. Watching someone of Horne’s expertise performing impressive feats of strength in such an atmosphere is very inspiring. You also discover that one does not require the latest and greatest pieces of equipment, or to spend a lot of money on new gadgets to possess a world class grip. Many of the training ideas and tools used in the Iron Grip are rather modest, and could probably be built with things lying around the house. As a DIY type of guy, this is one thing that I really like about this DVD. There are a lot of creative ideas that could be put to good use like: wooden deadlift handles, a very simple Blob deloader, the Plank of Woe, pinch planks, and a rafter simulator. My favorite idea stemming from this DVD is the use of a plain old tire. It’s so simple yet so innovative – absolutely beautiful. In addition to the main portion of the DVD, there is also about 16 to 17 minutes of bonus material. Therein contains your standard blooper reel with the missed line or two, followed by the complementary and necessary explicative or three. David squirting one out the backdoor after lifting the Blob is a must see – it happens to the best of us. The interesting addition here I found in the missed lifts. We get to see the human side of the elite. Although they make what they do seem easy and normal, they had to bust their ass to get where they are and still have to work hard to stay on top. I’d say for any grip enthusiast, the Iron Grip DVD should be near the top of your “gotta have” list. It would be a great addition to the grip library. For the average individual looking to add a little grip work, it would be hard to go wrong with this video, however you would probably be just as well off diving into the archives of Gripboard posts or checking the Grip FAQ and Diesel Crew articles. For the stateside folks, the DVD is approaching the expensive side. The American dollar ain’t shit against the pound so you’re looking to spend about $45 shipped, which really isn’t all that bad. http://www.davidhorne-gripmaster.com/

Steve Maxwell’s Encyclopedia of Joint Mobility

Steve Maxwell. Really, that should sum it up. The man has enough knowledge of physical culture to overflow the Mariana Trench. He’s the type of person that when speaking, one would be wise to close their mouth and take notes. One of the only good things remaining on the Dragon Door forums is a backlog of 2000 odd something posts by user “Steve Maxwell”, which should be required reading for anyone interested in a deeper understanding of strength and conditioning. That being said, there has yet to be a product produced that carried Maxwell’s name that I have not found useful. Truth be told, I had reservations with his more recent materials, or the “Spartan Series,” which appeared to be piggy backing on the marketing of the 300 movie. Had Steve turned capitalist running dog, succumbing to the mighty dollar with DVDs full of more fluff than stuff? After having the privilege to view some of the titles in the series, my faith was restored and then some. Seriously, it’s Steve “Mother-F******” Maxwell. The Encyclopedia of Joint Mobility, a bit over 3 hours of non-stop info – no fluff. The 3-disc set is broken down as follows: Disc 1: Intro to Joint Mobility Neck Series Shoulder Series Elbow, Wrists, Hands & Fingers Series 78 minutes Disc 2: Spine & Lower Back Series Hip Mobility 62 minutes Disc 3: Toe, Foot, Ankle & Knee Series Spinal Rocking Series 52 minutes Within each series, Steve demonstrates and explains a wide variety of movements to target the mobility, strength and conditioning of all the joints in the body. The exercises presented are influenced from a range of traditions and filtered through Steve’s numerous years of experience as a trainer, athlete and movement specialist. If you have any familiarity with the other joint mobility programs out there, such as Z-health, Warrior Wellness or the more recent IntuFlow, then many of the joint specific movements will be very familiar. Steve simply adds his experience to the presentation and explanation on how to perform the exercises. Then there are other movements presented that are more uncommon, such as the Dance of the Shiva (Lappa on Youtube). I personally found more interest, and for me some new stuff, in the ground engagement and floor exercises. Again, if you are familiar with the work of Scott Sonnon, like Body Flow and the newly evolved Prasara, portions of the material presented will be nothing new. Yet, Steve further rounds out the encyclopedic nature of the product by introducing additional floor movements influenced from his grappling and yoga experience. A lot of these ground series exercises are used to strengthen and condition the joints in order for them to perform without injury under stress. The Spinal rocking series contains a ton of useful information and kinetic chains specifically useful to grapplers, but also anyone interested in possessing the athleticism to move around effortlessly, controlling their own bodyweight under gravity. If you are purchasing this product with the intention of having a routine all laid out for you, then you will be disappointed. There is no such routine or follow-along like in the Z-health and Intuflow programs. This is as the title suggests an encyclopedia that catalogs all of the joint specific movements that Steve has experienced and found useful in overall performance, health and longevity. It remains up to the user to intuitively string together a routine that fits their specific needs. Although, if you have a nagging body part that needs some extra TLC, you could plug in the appropriate series and run through the exercises, performing enough reps to alleviate any pains. Steve also hints at a future “advanced” mobility product in the works, though some will find the exercises in this set plenty challenging. Overall, I’d rate Steve Maxwell’s Encyclopedia of Joint Mobility a 9.5 out of 10. The only thing missing is some discussion on program design. I for one, have no problem with it, however there are more than enough individuals out there that need to have a laid out, fully developed “routine” to follow along with. If this is the case, then I would suggest exploring IntuFlow or R-phase of Z-health. If however, you want a large collection of movements to target every joint in the body and provide a lifetime of variety, then this product is for you. This is an excellent value for 50 bucks. Hell, I just checked Ebay and this is going for about $40 shipped to your door. Given the depth of information, you are really getting the best of a handful of other DVDs for less than the cost of one of the other popular programs.