The Crushed-to-Dust!® Cube

For Building Superior Grip Strength

Download CTD Cube booklet here.

In the early 1990s, IronMind presented the concept that grip strength was composed of 3 main movements: crushing, pinching, and supporting. While this framework was easy to grasp, as it were, it had its drawbacks, with overlaps and gaps in the 3 categories. It clearly needed an overhaul.

It was a lightbulb moment in 2009 when the Crushed-to-Dust!® (CTD) Cube was born. This system solved all the problems that the earlier crushing–pinching–supporting typology presented, with better direction and more accurate information about how IronMind’s grip tools and grip training aligned with its customers’ goals and applications.

The world of grip training had evolved hugely over the past 20 years and the time was ripe for a big leap forward in how we approached grip strength . . . the CTD Cube has taken grip strength into the 21st century.

Here it is, the CTD Cube for building superior grip strength and hand health. No matter what your grip application, the CTD Cube will help you target your training for top performance.

Grip Strength has 3 Dimensions

1. Prime mover: where is the force coming from?

shaking-hands

 
crushing: your 4 fingers provide the power, as when shaking hands

Pinching - the thumb provides the power, as when pinch gripping plates

 


pinching: the thumb provides the power, as when lifting a Blob

2. For each of these prime movers, let's anchor 2 hand positions, closed or open:

MagnusHand-LighterSMALL

 

 

Crushing:

closed hand: e.g., when you are finishing off a gripper

Pinching - the thumb provides the power, as when pinch gripping plates

open hand: e.g., when you are lifting a thick bar, such as the Apollon's Axle™ or Rolling Thunder®

 

Crushing - your 4 fingers provide the power, as when shaking hands

 

Pinching:

closed hand: e.g., when you are pinch gripping a thin object, like a narrow barbell plate

Pinching - the thumb provides the power, as when pinch gripping plates

open hand: e.g.when you are pinch gripping a thick object, like a Blob

 

3. For any of these 4 possibilities, the intensity of the effort can take two different forms:

 Not just for one-arm deadlifts, the Rolling Thunder is also a tool of first choice for pull-ups, and very soon, IronMind will be recognizing the world’s best performances for Rolling Thunder Pull-ups, so train up and get your name on the board. IronMind® | Image ©IronMind

 

 

1-rep maximum effort, like doing a PR lift on the IronMind Hub, or closing the toughest Captains of Crush® gripper you can

 Endurance, whether for time, such as the Hercules Hold in the strongman world, or for reps, such as a rock climber working on a series of hard moves

Endurance, whether for time, such as the CoC Silver Bullet Hold in the grip world, or for reps, such as lifting the Inch dumbbell, or doing an obstacle course race or a long traverse in rock climbing

 

It’s that simple:

2 prime movers x 2 hand positions x 2 intensities = 8 facets of grip strength

Supporting role

The lower arm stabilizes the hand, allowing you to deliver maximum grip strength. The extensors also help stabilize the hand, providing power and muscle balance.

Using the CTD Cube puts you on the fastest, surest route to the superior grip strength and hand health you’re seeking. Each of IronMind’s Crushed-to-Dust! grip tools is designed to help you train and achieve success in each of the 8 different types of grip strength.

You’ll find the complete line of Crushed-to-Dust! grip tools in the IronMind e-store.

 

CTD LogoThe world’s leading system for building strong and healthy hands

Since we opened our doors in 1988, IronMind has led the charge in the grip world: developing new products; recognizing superior performance; and elevating its importance.

IronMind has made parallel contributions in hand health, helping  people build strong and healthy hands and prevent, reduce, or eliminate hand pain.

As you explore the IronMind grip world—the land of Crushed-to-Dust!—remember that our products and training principles are dual purpose: they both lead to greater grip strength and to improved hand health, a double benefit.

Crushed-to-Dust!® Grip Tools

IronMind Hand Health Tools

  Captains of Crush grippers: the gold standard of grippers

Captains of Crush® Grippers

The gold standard of hand grippers

 

IMTUG™: The Two-Finger Utility Gripper

Friendly, fun, effective training for one or two fingers at a time

 

The bold, new way to train, Zenith is designed for strong and healthy hands in the 21st century. Its super smooth ride makes it hard to put down--you'll love it at first squeeze: warm-ups, cool-downs, prehab, rehab, conditioning and strength; silky-smooth handles and a no-bump ride; proprietary GR8-R springs, designed for low-gear, moderate-to-high rep training; precision manufacturing for superb build quality, and world-class performance, feel, and appearance; made in the USA; no-surprise geometry on all dimensions.

Zenith Grippers

Strength and conditioning in the 21st century

 

Left_Turn Gripper_homepage1

Left-Turn Grippers™

Tailor-made for lefties

 

 Strong and Healthy Hands

IronMind Hand Health
Build strong and healthy hands and prevent, reduce,
or eliminate hand pain

 

 captainsofcrushlogo

Captains of Crush Gripper Certification – since 1991
The official mark of a world-class grip:
getting certified and setting records

 

 11 12_red nail pages-p1-4

Red Nail™ Roster
Certified list of short steel benders

 

 IronMind Rolling Thunder

Rolling Thunder® Deadlift Handle
Can you beat the current world record?