Rolling Thunder is a one-hand deadlift first developed in 1993 by IronMind Enterprises, Inc.. It primarily tests grip strength via a rotating, thick handle of 2 3⁄8" (6.03 cm) in diameter and 7 1⁄2" (19.05 cm) in length (rotating portion is 6" (15.24 cm)) attached to a weight loadable Olympic loading pin via a carabiner. [1] The thickness of the handle is derived from the Thomas Inch dumbbell.
Throughout the years, it became an internationally recognized method to measure 'support grip' [2] which is one of the three facets of hand strength along-with crush grip and pinch grip. [3]
The first version (V1), had a black coloured handle and was used from 1993 to 2008. However, as the records with this handle kept on increasing during the 2000s, it was observed that the handle drop test (which was used to verify the rotating nature of the handle) didn't work anymore. Despite rotating without added weight or upto moderate amounts of weight, it would not rotate at the verge of the world record weights at the time. To mitigate this, Randall J. Strossen developed the second version (V2) which featured a dark blue coloured handle. It was better than its predecessor however, uniformity of the device was not even. When some of the devices rotated well, some exhibited the same issue V1 had which was not rotating at world record weights in 2012/13. Further developments were made and the third version (V3) was introduced with a dark blue handle which featured distinctive closed end caps contrary to the hollow cylinder of V1 and V2. [4]
Holder | Weight | Event name and Location | Date |
---|---|---|---|
Jan Bartl | 265.4 pounds (120.4 kg) [6] | 1 May 2000 | |
(Rule change: Previously, they allowed a competitor to use a thumbless (false) grip. Because it was later felt that this was not in the spirit of the lift, since it allowed strong-wristed competitors to remove the grip element of the event by cocking their wrists, thumbless grips are now no longer allowed. [7] ) | |||
Jan Bartl | 258.5 pounds (117.3 kg) [6] | 31 May 2001 | |
Magnus Samuelsson | 262.0 pounds (118.8 kg) [7] | 3 Jun 2003 | |
Andrus Murumets | 267.0 pounds (121.1 kg) [8] | 16 Jun 2003 | |
Laine Snook | 274.2 pounds (124.4 kg) [9] | Pullum Sports Exhibition Luton, United Kingdom | 1 Aug 2006 |
Mark Felix | 301.0 pounds (136.5 kg) [10] | 18 Jan 2008 | |
(Version change: By now, the rotating nature of the handle was not happening anymore hence V2 was introduced. All records above, were with V1). | |||
Mark Felix | 323.5 pounds (146.7 kg) [nb 1] [11] | 2012 Bodypower Expo Birmingham, United Kingdom | 22 May 2012 |
Alexey Tyukalov | 331.8 pounds (150.5 kg) [12] | 2013 A1 Armwrestling Tournament Moscow, Russia | 30 Jul 2013 |
(Version change: It was noticed that both above performances including Snook's unofficial record [nb 2] were done with official but flawed V2 handles which resembled the same error V1 had, hence V3 was introduced and all the previous records were nullified). | |||
Mike Burke | 282.2 pounds (128.0 kg) [5] | 2013 Visegrip Viking San Jose Men San Jose, California, USA | 10 Oct 2013 |
Alexey Tyukalov | 287.7 pounds (130.5 kg) [5] | 2013 Visegrip Viking San Jose Men San Jose, California, USA | 10 Oct 2013 |
Holder | Weight | Date |
---|---|---|
Becca Swanson | 135.0 pounds (61.2 kg) | 01 Jul 2002 |
Elizabeth Horne | 144.4 pounds (65.5 kg) | 07 Apr 2007 |
Jaana Tanner | 147.2 pounds (66.8 kg) | 28 Jan 2012 |
Jaana Tanner | 152.7 pounds (69.3 kg) | 26 May 2012 |
Ludmilla Gaiduchenko | 170.2 pounds (77.2 kg) | 22 Sep 2012 |
Hafsa Mason | 176.3 pounds (80.0 kg) | 21 Aug 2024 |
Since IronMind, numerous other competitors have produced similar products specially following its flawed design with V1 and V2.
'Grip Genie RGT' [14] is known for being more difficult than IronMind V3 because it rotates more freely and rapidly due to less friction. The world record with this is held by Carl Myerscough at 226.0 pounds (102.5 kg).
'Gods of grip' Godlike rolling handle [15] and 'Titan' rotating deadlift handle [16] offer three handle diameter options at 2", 2.5" and 3".
The deadlift is a weight training and strength training exercise in which a loaded barbell or bar is lifted off the ground to the level of the hips, torso perpendicular to the floor, before being placed back on the ground. It is one of the three powerlifting exercises, along with the squat and bench press, as well as a frequent lift in strongman. It is also occasionally used in armlifting.
IronMind Enterprises, Inc. is an American niche market business based in Nevada City, California, that specializes in "tools of the trade for serious strength athletes." Though many of its products include strength-training equipment and accessories, IronMind also publishes books, DVDs and the quarterly magazine MILO: A Journal For Serious Strength Athletes.
Paul Edward Anderson was an American weightlifter, powerlifter and strongman. He was an Olympic gold medalist, a world champion, and a two-time national champion in Olympic weightlifting. Anderson contributed significantly to the development of competitive powerlifting and is widely considered one of the strongest humans in history.
Dr. Randall J. Strossen is an American strength and physical culture advocate, kinesiologist, equipment manufacturer, historian, journalist, author, teacher and an expert in grip strength training.
Žydrūnas Savickas is a Lithuanian retired strongman and powerlifter. Due to his 84 international wins in strongman including four World's Strongest Man titles, eight Arnold Strongman Classic titles, two IFSA Strongman World Championships, and over 70 world records, he is widely regarded as the greatest strongman of all time.
Magnus Samuelsson, is a Swedish actor, former Strongman and the 1998 World's Strongest Man. Known as the 'king of the stones', he made it to the World's Strongest Man podium 5 times and the finals 10 times and is regarded as one of the best strongmen in history.
Grippers, sometimes called hand grippers, are primarily used for testing and increasing the strength of the hands; this specific form of grip strength has been called crushing grip, which has been defined as meaning the prime movers are the four fingers, rather than the thumb.
Vurtego Pogo Sticks are a variation of traditional pogo sticks that use air as the spring mechanism for jumping, instead of a traditional metal coil spring. These pogo sticks are designed to achieve extreme heights and allow riders to perform a wide variety of tricks.
Carl Myerscough is an English former track and field athlete specialised in shot put and discus throw and a world record holder grip strength specialist. His imposing height of 208 cm earned him the nickname 'The Blackpool Tower'.
Andrus Murumets is an Estonian strongman and entrant to the World's Strongest Man contest. He reached 5th in the World Rankings according to the IFSA rankings in 2008.
Mark Felix is a Grenadian-English strongman competitor and regular entrant to the World's Strongest Man competition. He has competed at a record 18 World's Strongest Man contests, reaching the finals three times. He is the winner of the 2015 Ultimate Strongman Masters World Championships, 2016 WSF World Cup India and has won numerous international grip contests, including the Rolling Thunder World Championships in 2008 and 2009, as well as the Vice Grip Viking Challenge in 2011 and 2012. Having competed in over 100 international competitions throughout 19 years, Felix is the 3rd most prolific strongman contestant in history.
The GNC Grip Gauntlet was a strength athletics contest that tested the grip strength of athletes over three disciplines, each designed to test one of the three recognized facets of hand strength: crushing; pinching and supporting.
Captains of Crush Grippers is a brand of torsion-spring grippers designed, manufactured and sold by IronMind Enterprises, Inc., based in Nevada City, California. Through IronMind's certification program for people who have officially closed any of the three toughest models, Captains of Crush Grippers have become an internationally recognized measure of world class grip strength.
Brian Shaw is an American retired professional strongman who is widely regarded as one of the greatest strength athletes of all-time. He won the 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2016 World's Strongest Man, making him one of only five men to win the World’s Strongest Man four times or more. In 2011, Shaw became the first man to win the Arnold Strongman Classic and the World's Strongest Man competitions in the same calendar year, a feat he replicated in 2015. With 27 international competition wins, he is the fourth most decorated strongman in history behind Lithuania's Žydrūnas Savickas, Poland's Mariusz Pudzianowski and Iceland's Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson. Shaw has also set more than 25 world records in deadlifting, stonelifting, keg-tossing, grip related movements and more.
Laine Snook is a former strongman and professional Highland Games competitor. As an athlete he competed internationally but his career was cut short by injury. He went on to specialise in strength based sport and represented both England and Great Britain in various Highland Games and strength athletic events. He also became the world benchpress champion. He has gained international renown in strength sport for being one of the world's foremost exponents of grip strength.
Mike Burke is an American strongman and a grip strength specialist from Aurora, Colorado. Before becoming a strength athlete, he worked as a construction worker.
Martins Licis is an American professional strongman, notable for winning 2019 World's Strongest Man, 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic, and 2021 Rogue Invitational strongman championships.
Richard 'Pops' Sorin was an American strongman and a grip strength specialist.
Odd Erling Haugen is a Norwegian-born American strongman and a grip strength specialist. He has also competed in bodybuilding, weightlifting and powerlifting.
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