Couch Potato Strong: Recent Episodes
Couch Potato Strong
Ryan is an all around athlete. A former competitive curler who recently began training in gripsport. Within just a couple of years Ryan has competed in several grip contests, and performed some impressive feats. He has deep set closed the COC3, and he has hit 365lbs on the Apollon's Axle. Ryan has his sights set on hitting 400+lbs on the axle while competing in the 90kg class. Ryan recently move from Saskatchewan to Cambodia, where he discovered exactly how much humidity affects grip. In this chat we talk about his training in Cambodia, his journey in strength sport, some tips for success, and some lessons he has learned along the way. Thanks for joining us Ryan. We hope you all enjoy the episode.
William has been setting some serious grip lifting marks in the 80kg class as of late. In just a few short years, William has charged up the grip ranks to become ranked at the very top of the 80kg class. In this episode we sit down with William to discuss his journey in grip sport. We were honored to have William share his grip training advice, some lessons learned, and his future goals in gripsport. Thanks for joining us William. We hope you all enjoy the show!
In this chat we are joined by Australian Strongman and Gripster Jermiah Merciconah. Jermiah has his sites set on Iromind Certification of the COC 3 and COC 3.5. In this chat we discuss what it is like training grip in Australia, Jermiah's strength background, some lessons he has learned on his journey, and some tips for success at grip and strength sport. Thanks for joining us Jermiah. We hope you all enjoy the episode.
What an amazing event! World Records smashed in both the Men's and Women's events! New Kings and Queens were crowned, over 30 competitors showed up for the open class! This was an awesome weekend for Armlifting, and; the President of Armlifting USA himself (Riccardo Magni) joined us to share some of his favorite moments from this very memorable competition.
Joel is a former elite level strongman and an absolute monster when it comes to power and strength. After retiring from Strongman, Joel found gripsport. He now competes in and hosts several grip comps each year. Joel has held the top spot on the Golden Potato Deadlift for over a year. Though many have tried, not a single person has come within 10% of his record. Here Joel shares a bit about himself, his goals, lessons learned, and, some tips for success. Thanks for chatting with us Joel. We hope you all enjoy the episode.
Here Frank sits down to chat with Grip Monster Jay Ripley. Jay has been involved with strength sports for over a decade, and has achieved some incredible grip feats. He is capable of doing 20+ potato pullups, and, a deadhang from two hubs! In this chat Jay tells his story, some great tips for success, and, even asks couchpotatostrong a few questions. Thanks for joining us Jay! We hope you all enjoy the episode.
We were honored to sit down and chat with Chad Clark. Chad is the Vice President of Armlifting USA. Chad has been involved with strength sports for 3 decades. He has competed for nearly 2 decades in strongman, powerlifting, highland games, and, gripsport. He has coached strength athletes at the top level of international competition. In this chat Chad shares his story, strength goals, and, tips for newcomers. We hope you all enjoy the episode. Thanks for chatting with us Chad!
Armlifting USA President Riccardo Magni joins us to share a sneak peak at the upcoming 2023 Armlifting USA Season. The comps, the specific lifts, and the schedule is all detailed in this preview. Get a head start on your training with this awesome news brief. Thanks for sharing all the details Riccardo. We hope all of you fellow gripsters enjoy this preview of the 2023 season.
Jason Dingey and Mike Saffell -In this episode we chat with two awesome gripsters from the Ohio grip crew. Mike Saffell who runs all of the grip comps in the Ohio area. Mike is grip monster. He competes both in gripsport and armlifting, and he has completed the crushed to dust challenge! We also chat with Jason Dingey who is the current overall National Gripsport Champion! Jason's grip is truly top level! Thanks for joining us Mike and Jason.
We hope all of you fellow gripsters enjoy the episode.
In this chat we sit down with Derek Palmeri. Derek is a powerlifter turned gripster who is smashing some big grippers. Derek discovered the world of grip training about a year ago, and, in one year's time he has certified on the GHP 7 and MM0. More recently Derek began closing the COC 3.5 and GG6. Here he shares his journey, and, some tips for success. We hope you all enjoy the episode.
Will is an International level Armlifting USA athlete. He is known for his explosive lifts, and explosive energy. Will recently competed at the Arnold Classic alongside many other elite armlifters from across the globe. Here Will shares some lessons he has learned, training tips, challenges faced, and, some sound advice for those looking to enter gripsport. Thanks for chatting with us Will. We hope you all enjoy the episode.
Dalton is a well experienced strength athlete. He has competed in strongman, powerlifting, bodybuilding, and, now gripsport. He coaches fellow athletes, and, he runs a highschool powerlifting team! How awesome is that?!! Dalton is also an ANBF Judge. In this chat Dalton shares his story, lessons learned, challenges faced, and, some excellent tips for success in health and fitness. Thanks for chatting with us Dalton. We hope you all enjoy the episode.
Delan is an Armlifting USA athlete, and an overall strength badass. Delan is a low vision athlete who hasn't allowed that to stop him from competing against all comers. Here Delan shares his story, lessons learned, and, tips for success in gripsport. Thanks for chatting with us Delan, it was an honor. We hope you all enjoy the episode.
Michael Rogowski is a King Kong of Grip at 83kg. He is one of the very best in the world, if not, the best at 80-83kg in gripsport. In this chat Michael shares a great deal of excellent advice on grip training, strength, and, competition in gripsport. This is a chat you surely don't want to miss. Thanks for joining us Michael! We hope you all enjoy the episode.
Ali is an excellent all around strength athlete. He has been training for over 15 years, and, is a national coach of Zurkhaneh. Ali has swung some of the heaviest meels outside of Iran, his wrists no doubt have some monstrous tendons. With only a few weeks of training he has already closed the COC2 gripper, and, is very close to shutting the 2.5. At 140lbs, Ali could be quite a competitor in lightweight gripsport. Thanks for chatting with us Ali, we hope you all enjoy the episode.
Rusty is an up and coming gripster who is training with some of the best. He has smashed a COC2 and hoisted 150lb on the Saxon bar with just a few months of training. Keep an eye on Rusty, it won't be long before he is making waves in the 90kg class. In this chat Rusty shares what his experience has been like getting into grip, some tips for newcomers, and, his current grip goals. Thanks for joining us Rusty! We hope you all enjoy the chat!
Odd Haugen is a living legend in the world of strength and athletics. From bodybuilding champion to professional football player, strongman, and, gripsport champion, Odd has done it all. His accomplishments are far too long to list. At 72 years young, Odd recently set an all time personal record on the Saxon bar. This lift took place only two weeks ago at the Arnold Classic. In this chat Odd shares his secret to longevity and strength, his favorite moments from his 50+ year career, his current goals, and, where he sees the future of Armlifting. It was an honor to chat with Odd, and, we hope you all enjoy this episode with The Viking.
Armlifting USA is going to have it's own stage at the Arnold Classic! Super Series 2022 - Details on Stages, Events, Prizes, and the finals at Mr. Olympia!!!! Tips straight from Riccardo on training for the MM0! This is a jam packed episode!
Thanks for sharing this news with us first Riccardo! Stay tuned to Couch Potato Strong for everything Gripsport!
Lukas is an avid gripster. He began his journey into grip in 2019, and, he has already deadlifted 160kg DO. Lukas has set a goal of closing the COC 3.5 someday. Like many of us gripsters, he is learning by watching content from the top guys in the sport. Here we chat about grip, strength, Lithuania, Big Z, and, Lukas' journey.
Jeff Bach has been involved with weight lifting and strength sports for 40 years. We were honored to sit down and chat with Jeff. In this chat he shares his journey, some awesome achievements, like being the 82nd person to officially lift the world famous Dinnie Stones, and some tips for those new to strength training. Thanks for joining us Jeff. We hope you all enjoy the chat.
Dali Zheng has been in athletics and human performance for his entire life. He was born into the lifestyle. Today he is a grip athlete who competes in Armlifting USA. Dali has been training in grip for 8 years. In addition to grip training, Dali runs a fitness program for elderly! We are proud to have Dali join us. Here he shares his journey, some tips for success, and, a few lessons learned. Thanks for the Chat Dali. We hope you all enjoy the episode.
Devin Hoover is a badass gripster and steelbender. He does silver bullet holds with 3.5's and melts bastards! He has bent a ton of steel during the pandemic, and, started a website for steel supplies to help the sport grow. Devin is a great source of info for new steel benders, and, he is on track to melt some serious bars! Here Devin shares his story, some tips for success, and lessons learned. Thanks for joining us Devin!
Harold is an avid steel bender, who, after having back surgery invented apparatuses to aid in his recovery. Today you'll see Harold melting steel in loose non-banded wraps, in the old school chest height manner. Harold is primarily self-taught in strength, he is well researched, but does not train with a coach. That, in addition to working through back adversity has helped Harold become somewhat of an awareness expert. Here Harold shares his journey, lessons learned, and tips for success. Thanks for chatting with us Harold. We hope you all enjoy this episode!
Tom is a certified FBBC Big Bastard bender! He is enthusiastically connected to a vast majority of the grip community. Tom has met and worked with many of the best benders in the world. He recently took 3rd place at the famous Don Cummings steel bending challenge! Here he shares his journey, lessons learned, and some great tips for success. Thanks for chatting with us Tom!
Ivan is a young prodigy in the world of grip. At age 18 he certified on the Captains of Crush 3.5, and, he has since closed a 189lb RGC gripper in a credit card set. He just turned 19, and, he has his sights set on certifying on the Captains of Crush 4 under the new rules! Ivan shares some excellent training advice on this must see interview!
London is an occupational powerhouse. He works roughly 70hours per week as a commercial mover. In this field of work he must maintain a high level of functional strength and strength endurance. In this interview London shares his journey, and some sound advice on getting fit at home. Thanks for joining us London! We hope you all enjoy the episode!
Cortez Wallace is one of the most prolific fitness influencers out there. He is pumping out some amazing content on several health topics including nutrition and cooking, physical and mental fitness, spirituality, and, facing the stresses of day to day life. In addition to producing a ton of excellent content, Cortez also has an interest in gripsport. Here in this chat we discuss his journey, some tips for getting and staying fit at home, and, our shared interest in gripsport and combatives.
Thanks for joining us Cortez.
We hope you all enjoy the chat.
Matt is a former WPO Powerlifter who at his best hit an amazing 10x total. With lifts of 804 squat, 666 deadlift, and 530 bench at 198lbs. Matt is now training to enter arm wrestling. In this chat Matt shares his valuable lessons he learned about nutrition, and, how poor diet habits can lead to serious health problems. Thanks for joining us Matt! We hope you all enjoy the episode.
Ben is a world class climber. He has been involved in the sport of climbing for 20 years. Ben recently discovered gripsport, and, intends to compete in his first gripsport comp at this year's King Kong of Grip. Ben has dominated the Golden Potato lightweight division, and, we bet he'll do quite well in the lightweight class at any grip competition. When Ben is not climbing or working on his grip to better his climbing, he is training others. Here Ben shares his story, some lessons learned, and, advice for getting fit at home. Thanks for chatting with us Ben. We hope all of you enjoy the episode.
Andrew has been involved with grip training for 20 years. He is not only a top-level competitor in gripsport, but, he is also training elite level gripsters. In addition gripsport he has also competed in semi-pro football, and collegiate wrestling. Here Andrew shares his journey, tips for success, a dozy of a grip secret, and, much more. Thanks for chatting with us Andrew! We hope you all enjoy the interview!
Tim is a very accomplished grip athlete. It is common to find him curling a blob while simultaneously lifting the Thomas Inch dumbbell in the other hand. Tim hasn't let anything stop him from becoming a beast. Just a few years ago Tim was overweight and suffering serious health problems. A life change and commitment has led him to a life as a shredded beast. Here Tim shares his journey, lessons learned, and tips for success. He also gives some great card tearing advice. Thanks for joining us Tim. We hope you all enjoy the interview!
Joe has a background in climbing, and, recently began competing in Grip Sport. Joe took to the sport like a fish to water. He quickly became one of the top players in the game. Joe now holds several grip world records, including the Golden Potato Deadlift Record and the BSS Stirrup (an implement invented by the Legend Gil Goodman). In this chat Joe shares some tips for his success, lessons learned, a knarly story with an axe, and tips for those trying to get fit at home.
Trey is a novice competition strongman and powerlifter. Trey is also an avid steel bender. He is an ambassador for shortsteelbending.com Trey has had the opportunity to meet some incredible athletes, such as strength legend Odd Haugen, and, World Strongest Many Phil Pfister. Here Trey shares his journey, tips for success, lessons learned, and, some great stories! Enjoy and Thanks for watching!
SHOW LESSJon is a Master of card tearing. He has quartered a deck and a half, and regularly tears full decks in just a couple of seconds. Jon is also an avid steel bender and scroller. He won the shortest bar contest by Beyond the Bend with an amazing sub 3.5" bend. Here Jon shares his story, future goals, tips for success, and, provides an awesome tutorial on card tearing.
Gil Goodman is a gripsport Legend. He is ranked among the very best in the world in gripsport. He is also the founder and operator of Barrel Strength Systems https://www.barrelstrengthsystems.com/As such Gil is an inventor of grip and strength equipment. Gil has created equipment that is used at the biggest competitions of grip sport. We were honored to speak with Gil. In this episode he shares his journey from a climber to elite gripster, lessons learned, tips for staying fit, and, secret information on some protoype fitness inventions from Barrel Strength Systems. Thanks for joining us Gil!
Great interview with Daniel Strauss. Dan is a Roger Gracie Black Belt and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Instructor. Dan is also a certified Red Nail bender, and, an enthusiast of all things grip. Additionally Dan engages in mental toughness and spirit training. Dan is well respected among the grip community, and, is very powerful on pullup variations. We are excited to see what he can do with the Golden Potato.
Riccardo is a grip legend, world record holder in the Shallow Hub and 5" Bull Ring, he is a bronze medalist at the elite Arnold Classic, and, is the Secretary General of Armlifting USA. Riccardo is also a stroke and heart attack survivor, and, though Riccardo lost some strength on his primary side, he continues to compete in Armlifting with his backup hand, amazing. In this interview he shares his athletic journey, the need to overcome adversity, and, lessons learned. There is a lot to be learned from this interview, we hope all of you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed conducting it.
Had a great interview with William Maddox. William is a lifelong martial artist. He trains in BJJ, and, real world self-defense. He is into creative fitness, and, found ways of staying fit during the pandemic without equipment. Here William shares his journey, enthusiasm for grip, and, tips for getting and staying fit at home. Thanks for joining us William! Hope you all enjoy the interview!
We were honored to be welcomed onto the Beyond the Bend Podcast. Cody is making a point to get the top steel benders in the world talking about their sport. It has been an amazing year for bending, and, Beyond the Bend is a large part of that. Thanks Cody we are stoked to be a part of this steel bending movement.
Clay is a legend in the grip and bending world. His accomplishments are countless, and, include the Thomas Inch lift, and a Captain's of Crush #4 close. Clay is one of the very few men to have a piece of bending stock named in his honor. It was a privilege to chat with Clay. Enjoy this interview as he shares his story, lessons learned, and, tips for staying strong at age 40+.
Travis is a business owner and operator, father of a toddler, husband, grip enthusiast, and quite a good card tearer (watch him rip through a full deck in a few seconds!!!). In this interview Travis shares his journey, secrets to time management, how to get fit at home, and, suggested tasty brews. We had a great interview with Travis, and, learned some key techniques to improve our card tearing. We hope all of you enjoy the interview. Thanks for watching!
Albie is a professional strongman, a powerlifter, and a monster of the gym. Albie came to the garage meaning business. He claimed the heaviest stone at the garage, did some axle pressing, and, tried some heavy weight grip feats. In this interview Albie shares his story, tips for success, and, how to get and stay fit at home. Thanks for joining us Big Bad Santa!
(Brooks Kubik gave us the idea for the bottom up bench; however, many guys have provided us great advice on our lifting and program, including as mentioned, Rob Frampton, Josh Golthrop, Derek Graybill, Imam Elahi, Michael Wilfong, Taylor Overmiller, Ryan Polin, Jeremy Kaufmann, Tod Becraft, Jason Gillen, Rik Brown, and, Adam T. Glass [I am sure there are others I forgot to mention])
Had an awesome interview with World Record Holding Strongwoman Jenn Tibbenham. Jenn has competed on some of the biggest stages in the world, she is a specialist in strength and grip. She once set an amazing 7 World Records in a single weekend. Jenn is NW local athlete. She attended Portland State University where she held the disc throwing state record. In this interview Jenn shares her story, tips for success, and, methods for getting fit at home.
Dave Nisbet is a competition strongman, steel bender, and, master of barehanded strength feats. He has snapped a horseshoe into 3-pieces barehanded, this is a feat yet to be duplicated. In this interview Dave shares his journey, and, secrets to success, including how he quickly added 50lbs to his squat. We also go into the mind of Dave, and, what it takes to barehand snap a horseshow in this special part 3 of 10 into the psychology of steel bending. Enjoy!
In this special episode of Among the Stones we dive into the psychology of steel bending with Master Bender Don Cummings. Don is one of the most powerful steel benders competing today. He has a 3ft x 3/4" steel bar bend which is among the very best in the world. Don has bent 102 red nails in a single session (a feat matched by no other human), and, continues to pursue even greater feats. This is part 2 of a 10 part series into the minds of the worlds top steel benders. Thanks for watching.
In this interview record holding powerlifter and strongman Jason Gillen shows us his awesome home gym, teaches us about the history of strongman and grip in the Northwest, and, describes training methods that took him to the very top of strength. Jason is a close friend of Tod Becraft, and, is connected with many other top strength and grip athletes in the NW. We were honored to have Jason on as a special guest.
We dive deep into the psychology of elite-level steel bending in this interview with Master Steel Bender Derek Graybill. This interview is not part of a formal scientific study, this is instead, a scientific based conversation to aide in documenting the psychology of mental bending.
Adam is a Titan in the gripsport world. Not only has he set world records and accomplished feats no other human has; he is also training current world record holders. Adam is evolving grip training in ways few others have. We are honored to present this interview to our fans. Listen closely to this one, there is certainly a lot to be learned.
Tod Becraft is a former competition powerlifter, one of the founders of gripsport in the Pacific Northwest, and, he is a foremost authority on neck mobility and strength. (see www.trapauthority.com). In this interview Tod discusses the history of gripsport in the NW, the importance of neck health, and, how to continue staying fit and healthy after retirement from strength sport. This is a great interview, and, we all could learn a thing or two from Tod.
Ben is a competition powerlifter and strongman, strength coach, nutritional advisor, and, gym expert. Ben is also the coach of Golden Potato world record holder and special guest Kitty Bates. In this interview Ben shares his wisdom on training, lifestyle habits, motivation, and, lessons learned. There is some fantastic knowledge in this interview! Enjoy!
Kitty is a Strongwoman presently training for the Southerns Strongest Woman contest. In this awesome interview she discusses the importance of strength training for female health, strongwoman sport, lifting to overcome adversity, and, much more. Thanks for sharing Kitty!
Interview with Grip Master Ben Edwards. Ben certified on the COC 3 gripper in 2005. He has since closed over 100 different COC 3 grippers. He has competed at an elite level in gripsport, and, has over 10,000 posts on the Gripboard. Ben is a wealth of grip knowledge. We were honored to learn from him. In this interview Ben shares the training methods that gained him the power to not only close the COC 3, but to completely dominate it with no-set closes.
Mike Buck is a former competition powerlifter. He placed 5th in the National Bench Press championship, and, had competition lifts at over 3x bodyweight in both squat and deadlift. Mike has decades of experience in the gym, anyone looking to get strong can learn a thing or two from this interview. Enjoy!
Joy is full of energy and kicking butt at the ripe age of 73. She is personally experienced in getting fit, and, competing in strength sports at age 70+. We can all learn a thing or two from Joy, so, take a moment and enjoy this fantastic interview.
Had a great interview with our first internet guest Zarris. We spoke about mental fitness, aspects of chess, and, our shared interest in grip sport. In addition to a tournament chess player, Zarris has a solid grip foundation from his experience as a metal worker.
Guest athlete, USPA Powerlifter, Record Holder, and, Referee, Imam Elahi joins Couch Potato Strong to drops some beneficial health knowledge. This guy can move some serious weight, so, listen to what he has to say, you may just learn a thing or two.
Interview with special guest, strength athlete Mike Wilfong. Mike competes in strongman, powerlifting, and, grip. He shares some great advice on training and preparing for competition in this interview.
Interview with local Hero healthcare worker, Myra King. This interview focuses on staying safe during the pandemic.
Interview with a couple of great local athletes. Fontaine competes in obstacle course racing, Spartan, and ultra-distancing. Chrish is the world record holder in the beater bar, a grip monster, and, competes in Spartan and obstacle course racing.
Interview with international level obstacle course racer, and personal trainer. Jeremy Kaufmann (captainkaufmann.com). There is some great advice in this interview.
Interview with Ryan Polin. Ryan Polin is a professional obstacle course racer. Last year he qualified for the world championship in obstacle course racing. He is a personal trainer, and, owner of proprioception fitness.
Interview segment with local athlete Taylor Overmiller. Taylor is the owner of Portland Outdoor Athletic, a Certified Spartan Coach, and, a multiple time obstacle course racing champion.