IronMind® Enterprises Highlights Timeline

1988

launch monthly IronMind sports psychology column in IRONMAN magazine, will run continuously for over 12 years

1989

publish SUPER SQUATS ®: How to Gain 30 Pounds of Muscle in 6 Weeks

1990

introduce SUPER SQUATS Hip Belt™, a gym in a belt: squat, dip, chin, pull, drag and more

1991

first IronMind catalog, featuring cambered squat bars and a multitude of grip equipment, including our world-famous Captains of Crush® grippers, Headstrap Fit for Hercules, Short and Sweet Lifting Straps, IronMind Hub, 12” Exercise Loading Pin, Titan’s Telegraph Key, and Big Boy Dumbbell Bars
certify Richard Sorin as the first Captain of Crush for closing the No. 3, launching the first and foremost gripper certification program
the Standard Grip Machine is an early plate-loading model

1992

introduce Pillars of Power™, Heavy Hammer II Leverage Bar, Pinch Grip Block, Stacker, R-Ring, and Olympic Husky Handle Dumbbell Bars™, among other new products
introduce the concept that grip strength comprises three major elements: crushing, pinching, and supporting
John Brookfield becomes the second person certified on the Captains of Crush No. 3 gripper
introduce Captains of Crush Trainer gripper at 100 lb., where strong guys start

1993

launch MILO®: A Journal For Serious Strength Athletes
make first-ever weightlifting training hall video and introduce the concept of the “no-no-no” squat
develop Just Protein®, a classic, all natural milk and egg protein
introduce the Vulcan Racks, proven system for squats
introduce the Rolling Thunder Revolving Deadlift Handle, One Wicked Wrist Roller, and Bag of Nails
the Eagle Loops and Fabled Cables make their debut
design the Five Star Flat Bench, for confident, no-collapse workouts
introduce the Tough-As-Nails Large Gym Bag and Mini-Duffle
present the Buffalo Bar, a longer, stronger, beefier squat bar

1994

MILO covers World MusclePower Championships in Scotland, sparking U.S. interest in strongman competitions
publish IronMind: Stronger Minds, Stronger Bodies, by Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D.
introduce the Apollon’s Axle™, the champion of thick bars
add the You Decide Dippings Bars to the Vulcan Racks system, and offer the De Rigueur Dipping Belt
offer the Kettlebell Handle, a plate-loading version
publish The Complete Keys to Progress by John McCallum
offer Wish You Were There Videos, iconic weightlifting training hall and competition footage
add the Captains of Crush No. 4 gripper at 365 lb., the toughest to close

1995

the Elephant Steps™ and Bulldog II™ collars are launched
Steve Jeck and the Inver Stone make a major splash via MILO
John Brookfield is certified for bending the IronMind Red Nail, launching the Red Nail Roster
offer the IronMind gym towel
publish Mastery of Hand Strength by John Brookfield, THE book on grip training
introduce the IronMind Training Tablet No. 1
design the Bulldog II Collars

1996

MILO is the only American Iron Game publication credentialed to photograph weightlifting at the Atlanta Olympics
offer the Snowball™, an early edition of the IronMind EGG
publish Paul Kelso’s Powerlifting Basics, Texas- Style: The Adventures of Lope Delk

1997

publish Steve Justa’s cult classic, "The Barrel Lift"
introduce the Hardy Handshake™, a table-model grip machine
publish Of Stones and Strength by Steve Jeck and Peter Martin
offer the IronMind Training Tablet No. 2

1998

launch www.ironmind.com
publish David Webster’s Sons of Samson, Vol. 2
publish Rock, Iron, Steel: The Book of Strength by Steve Justa
Joe Kinney becomes the first to close the Captains of Crush® No. 4 gripper
the Buffalo Bar™ bulks up to 1-3/8” in diameter

1999

publish Paul Anderson: The Mightiest Minister by Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D.
introduce the Draft Horse Pulling Harness™

2000

MILO gets a face-lift in the March 2000 issue
Randall Strossen covers weightlifting at the Sydney Olympics as the IWF photographer
the premier Rolling Thunder™ World Championships is held at the Beauty and the Beast contest
publish Louis Cyr: Amazing Canadian by Ben Weider
introduce Strong-Enough Lifting Straps, the top choice for strongmen worldwide
Go Throw 56-lb. Weight for Height is offered

2001

IronMind's on-line store opens for business
publish Training with Cables for Strength by John Brookfield
introduce the Outer Limits Loops™
first world record is set on the Rolling Thunder Deadlift at the 2001 Beauty and the Beast contest

2002

IronMind's Draft Horse Pulling Harness™ is used at the World’s Strongest Man contest, and MILO covers the event
MILO covers weightlifting at the Asian Games
introduce the Go-Really Grip™ Machine, the Close-the-Gap Straps™, and the Claw Curl™
publish The Grip Master’s Manual by John Brookfield
publish “Dexterity Ball Training for Hands” course by John Brookfield
the SUPER SQUATS Hip Belt and the De Rigueur Dipping Belt get a face-lift, for strength and comfort
develop the S-Cubed Bar: strong, straight, stiff
the Little Big Horn makes its debut

2003

introduce the Twist Yo’ Wrist™, the Holle-It-Up™ Dumbbell, and the Captains of Crush Grippers Shield of Arms
go over the one hundred mark on those certified as having closed the Captains of Crush No. 3 gripper
Nathan Holle is the second person to close the Captains of Crush No. 4, and soon others follow
publish Captains of Crush Grippers®: What They Are and How To Close Them by Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D., J. B. Kinney, and Nathan Holle
include new insert “Training with IronMind’s Crushed-to-Dust!™ Grip Tools” by John Brookfield in IronMind's 2004 catalog
MILO celebrates its tenth anniversary

2004

the IronMind website and on-line store get a complete make-over
MILO goes to Almaty, Kazakhstan and Kiev, Ukraine to cover the Asian and the European Weightlifting Championships respectively
MILO three-peats as the only Iron Game publication receiving accreditation to cover weightlifting at the 2004 Olympic Games, Athens, Greece
publish Winning Ways: How to Succeed In the Gym and Out by Randall J Strossen, Ph.D.
introduce the first of its kind, Expand-Your-Hand Bands™ for muscle balance and overall hand health
introduce the Hand Gripper Helper, a revolutionary “plate-loading” device for progressing on the Captains of Crush grippers
introduce the Captains of Crush ID Card
introduce the Tough-As-Nails Sandbag, for muscular endurance and cardiovasular fitness
publish The Complete Sandbag Training Course by Brian Jones
the IronMind News (www.IronMind.com) cements its position around the world as "fast, accurate, and objective" coverage of top strength stories
five people are now certified on the Captains of Crush No. 4 gripper

2005

IronMind hosts 2004 Olympic gold medal winners in weightlifting from China, Zhang Guozheng and Shi Zhiyong, at the 2005 Arnold Fitness Expo
MILO goes to Sofia, Bulgaria to cover the European Weightlifting Championships
introduce Tech Threads™, a line of performance wear for head-to-toe coverage
MILO travels to Dubai, UAE, and Doha, Qatar to cover the 2005 Asian Weightlifting Championships and 2005 World Weightlifting Championships
introduce the revolutionary IMTUG™: The Tune-up Gripper
publish Bodyweight Exercises for Extraordinary Strength by Brad Johnson
introduce the Z1500 Belt and the Quarter-Ton Trucker Tote
produce John Brookfield's Blueprint for Grip Strength DVD
continue to make corporate donations to the Paul Anderson Youth Home and Doctors Without Borders(Medecins Sans Frontieres)

2006

IronMind sponsors an international weightlifting exhibition at the 2006 Arnold Sports Festival, hosting Olympians from China, Bulgaria, and Georgia
MILO goes to Poland to cover the 2006 European Weightlifting Championships
MILO, September 2006, Vol. 14.2 predicts Phil Pfister to win World's Strongest Man 2006 — he does!
MILO attends the premiere of the Jon Pall documentary in Rjekyavik, Iceland
MILO goes to China for the 2006 World's Strongest Man contest
introduce Captains of Crush grippers No. 1.5, No. 2.5, and No. 3.5
publish The Conditioning Handbook: Getting in Top Shape by Brian Jones
MILO covers the 2006 World Weightlifting Championships in Santo Domingo and the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar

2007

MILO covers the 2007 Men’s Shot Put at both the Indoor and the Outdoor Track & Field Championships
introduce 4-color in MILO
The IronMind website gets a whole new look
MILO covers weightlifting at the 2007 Europeans in Strasbourg, France and the 2007 Worlds in Chiang Mai, Thailand
MILO returns to Scotland after 10 years to cover the 2007 World Highland Games Championships in Inverness
MILO goes to Austria to cover the IPF Worlds—a first
Richard Sorin, the first-ever Captains of Crush, recertifies on the No. 3 CoC gripper
The Headstrap Fit for Hercules gets a new 4-way frame
the Vulcan Racks Chinning Bar and Wrist Roller Setups are added to the Vulcan Racks system
add Strong and Healthy Hands Kits, for strong, pain-free hands

2008

Mark Felix sets a new world record on the Rolling Thunder® with his 301-lb. lift at the Super Series Mohegan Sun Grand Prix
IronMind launches the website for hand health – www.strongandhealthyhands.com
IronMind’s Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. receives a Certificate of Merit from the European Weightlifting Federation, the first non-European ever to win this award
IronMind’s president, Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D., and Captains of Crush grippers are featured in a story in The Sacramento Bee
IronMind’s Draft Horse Pulling Harness is shown on CBS’s The Early Show, as Derek Poundstone pulls a bus down New York’s 5th Avenue. Later, Phil Pfister pulls the same bus down 7th Avenue in front of Madison Square Garden—kicking off the Super Series Grand Prix
MILO covers the groundbreaking FORTISSIMUS 2008 event, in honor of Louis Cyr
IronMind’s Randall Strossen is inducted into the Louis Cyr Hall of Fame at FORTISSIMUS 2008 for his work as a journalist and photographer
MILO is again—for the fourth time!—the only U.S. Iron Game publication to receive accreditation to cover weightlifting at the Olympic Games (Beijing, China)
IronMind launches a specialty website for Captains of Crush grippers – www.captainsofcrushgrippers.com
IronMind adds closing the Captains of Crush No. 3.5 grippers to its world-renowned certification program
Stanford magazine spotlights Randall Strossen (Ph.D. ’79), IronMind, and Captains of Crush grippers
IronMind updates its classic book on grip strength, Mastery of Hand Strength, Revised Edition
the IronMind Green EGG makes it debut
introduce the Sew-Easy Lifting Straps

2009

Business Week features the article “IronMind Captains of Crush: A Lesson in Clever Marketing” in its SmallBiz magazine
two more people certify on the Captains of Crush No. 3.5 Gripper
IronMind brings the German men’s Olympic weightlifting team to the IronMind Invitational at the Arnold where they wow the crowd . . . and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Rich Williams ups the ante by certifying on both the Captains of Crush No. 3 and the No. 3.5 grippers on the same day at the Arnold’s Grip Gauntlet
Police and Security News highlights Captains of Crush grippers in the article, “The Secret to Better Subject Control? Grip Strength is the Key” in its 25th anniversary issue
Sam Solomi is the first gripster to meet the Jesse Marunde Teenage Capatins of Crush Challenge by Certifying on a Captains of Crush No. 3 gripper as a teenager, and IronMind donates $500 as pledged to the educational trust fund of Jesse Marunde’s children
publish a grip training program for practical and tactical weapons users: “Using Grip Products by IronMind” by Ron Avery
add the Wrist Defender to its line-up of hand health training tools
introduce the CoC Key, a precise way to track your performance on the CoC grippers
design the CoC and IMTUG Caddies to keep your Captains of Crush and IMTUG grippers in line, ready for training
publish Grappling Basics: A New Twist on Conditioning, by Brian Jones, M.S.
introduce the High Country Hyper Bench to put some starch in your spine and give your aching back some relief

2010

introduce MILO posters: Forearmed is Forewarned and No-No-No Squats
present the Crushed-to-Dust!® Cube, for understanding grip strength
the Tough-As-Nails Sandbag debuts at World's Strongest Man
the Command Chinning Bar makes its debut
introduce Blue Twos and Black and Fourth Lifting Straps
introduce the Captains of Crush Training Center, Captains of Crush Shield and sets of Captains of Crush grippers for teams and gyms
publish updated CoC owners guide: Captains of Crush Grippers: What They Are and How to Close Them, Second Edition
CoC Compass logo: new design for the Captains of Crush grippers packaging, T-Shirt and ID Card
IronMind's Strong-Enough Straps are the official lifting straps at World's Strongest Man
the IronMind Forum is open to the strength community

2011

introduce It's Tough Sledding single-pin sled, for pulling and dragging, and 10-Foot Strong Tow Strap
introduce the Endless Loops, setups for chinning and climbing maneuvers
introduce Inner Gorilla poster, the primal pull of grip strength
introduce the Lift More Than You Can T-Shirt
introduce the PT Proven Cap, Good-Old-Basic Sweatpants, and Good-Old-Cotton Shorts
offer the Small Tough-As-Nails Sandbag
Adriane Blewitt is the first woman to certify on the Captains of Crush No. 2 gripper
the Compact Trucker is the little brother of the Quarter-Ton Trucker

2012

introduce Extraordinary Effort poster, the fruits of hard work
introduce the Gold Challenge Nails, the ultimate in short steel bending
introduce the Captains of Crush Point Five gripper, transition from the CoC Trainer to the CoC No. 1
introduce the Tough-As-Nails Carryall Bag, for all your essentials, from laptops to shotgun shells
launch the Crushed-to-Dust!® Challenge, a well-rounded test of grip strength
offer the CoC Silver Bullet and CoC Silver Bullet Disk, for strength, endurance, and power, perfect for training and competitions
first world record set on the CoC Silver Bullet Hold
updated the You Decide Double-Dip Bars, with two hand positions
improved the Fabled Cables with a rigid handle
the Sew-Easy Lifting Straps now have a longer length
new colors for the Vulcan Racks, Pillars of Power, Five Star Flat Bench, and Command Chinning Bar
offer the SDC Center, all-in-one unit for squats, dips, and chins
MILO gets a new design, larger format and covers the 2012 Olympic Games in London

2013

design the Combo Caddy for all IronMind grippers
introduce Zenith grippers, the revolutionary gripper for the 21st century
design the revolutionary Alight Training Center, all-aluminum, gorgeous, portable, for squats, dips, chins
offer the Lu Xiaojun snatch poster
first world records set on the IronMind Hub and Little Big Horn

2014

offer Olympic champion Ilya Ilin 233-kg clean and jerk poster
introduce the Pull-Ease Harness, a pared-down harness with high-strength capacity
offer the Tough-As-Nails Tool & Travel Kit: carry your grippers and nails; use as a travel kit
publish 3 Grippers, 1 Goal: Training for Strong and Healthy Hands
offer IronMind Gift Cards, for gift-giving and contest prizes
improve the Wrist Defender, now with a strap
revamp MILO to include 4-color throughout, display ads, and a new friendly design

2015

offer MILO posters: Zlaten Vanev Grit, Harness Your Inner Viking, and Story of the Sultan's Squeeze
introduce Left-Turn grippers, tailor-made for lefties
improve The Essential Fabled Cables
MILO goes to Russia to cover the 2015 Armlifting World Championships
MILO gets a new name: MILO®: Strength
first world record set on the Blockbuster Pinch Grip Block

2016

introduce the Coil Caddy for all IronMind grippers
revise IronMind's training booklets: CoC instruction booklet; CTD Cube: Understanding Grip Strength; 4 Grippers 1 Goal; Grip Training for Handgunners; and Strong Hands, Healthy Hands
world records established on Rolling Thunder Pull-up, two-arm max weight and one-arm and two-arm for reps
MILO covers major competitions in Forde, Norway; St. Petersburg, Russia; Palmer, Alaska; Halkirk, Scotland; and Kasane, Botswana, among others
new world record is set on the CoC Silver Bullet Hold
IronMind menu and website are redesigned
the Stacker returns, another IronMind test of grip strength
classic T-shirts – MILO Guys (Strength Athletes), Second Pull, and Milo Crotona – are back by popular demand
offer three posters: Scott Rider open stone, Lasha Talakhadze 212 snatch, and Just Plane Strong, featuring Hafthor Julius Bjornsson pulling a Hercules C-130 military transport plane

2017

Instagram photos and captions draw applause
IronMind/MILO travels to Leeds, UK; Split, Croatia; Gabarone, Botswana; St. Petersburg, Russia; and Hank, Holland to cover top strength contests worldwide.

2018

publish 25^th anniversary issue of MILO: Strength
establish teen-age world records on the Rolling Thunder Pull-ups for Reps
two teenagers certify on the Captains of Crush No. 3 and benefit the Jesse Marunde Memorial Fund
support launch of Armlifting USA, making 19 years of collaborating with Odd Haugen on grip contests
photojournalism includes coverage of Europe’s Strongest Man (Leeds, UK), Armlifting World Championships (St. Petersburg, Russia), European Weightlifting Championships (Bucharest, Romania), Asian Games (Jakarta, Indonesia)

2019

IronMind Draft Horse Pulling Harness celebrates its 18th appearance at the World’s Strongest Man contest
IronMind is front and center at the APL Armlifting World Championships (St. Petersburg, Russia)
IronMind's Randall Strossen consulted about, invited to and attended Bader Alawadhi’s (Red Nail '12), grip contest—which featured the elusive Laine Snook (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
IronMind sponsored and Randall Strossen attende the APL European Grip Championships, which were held in Vienna's DAS GYM Intelligent Strength (Vienna, Austria), which Strossen said had more IronMind posters (maybe every single one?) than he ever seen in one place before
IronMind is center stage at the inaugural APL European Armlifting Cup (Minsk, Belarus), where Nikita Yurkovets certified on the Captains of Crush No. 3 gripper, the second Belarusian to achieve this honor
IronMind's Randall Strossen invited to Burkhard Macht’s Underground Grip Championships (Amelinghausen, Germany) and was on his way to the airport when his first flight had a delay that derailed his itinerary
Glenda Anderson contacted IronMind to tell Randall Strossen that she and her family would be visiting Moscow to visit Gorky Park—the site of Paul Anderson’s prodigious performance in 1955—and asked for an introduction to the Russian Weightlifting Federation (RWF). Strossen contacted RWF president Maxim Agipatov, and the Russian Weightlifting Federation rolled out the red carpet for the Andersons

2020

IronMind hardly skipped a beat during the Covid pandemic as our philosophy showed its strength under the most adverse circumstances: we kept customers around the world squatting, crushing, bending, as they said, “A lot of physical is mental” . . . “Lift more than you can” . . .
our Orange You Glad T-shirt brightened a lot of workouts in a Covid-constrained world
Global Reach poster celebrated the worldwide impact of Captains of Crush grippers
Northern California high school coaches Kevin and Paul Doherty prove their resourcefulness as they set up dozens of outdoor training sites for their athletes, with Vulcan Racks center stage

2021

IronMind responded to an urgent call from World’s Strongest Man for a custom bar, which starred in the Overhead Medley, along with the Apollon’s Axle (which debuted at WSM in 2011)
10 new Captains of Crush No. 3 certifications (and counting), including 2 Teenage Captains of Crush, plus three CoC No. 3.5 certifications are added in 2021 as CoC certifications continue to provide the most coveted recognition of world-class grip strength

2022

Lyudmila Gaiduchenko (Ukraine) certifies on the Captains of Crush No. 2 gripper

2023

Carl Myerscough certifies on the Captains of Crush No. 4 gripper, the first man to do this since Magnus Samuelsson in 2004
Seven men certify on the Captains of Crush No. 3 gripper (representing Australia, USA, Mexico,and Ukraine)
Yves Graveille (Canada) breaks the men’s world record in the 1-arm Rolling Thunder pull-ups by doing 3 reps
Chad Gustin (USA) breaks the world record for max weight Rolling Thunder pull-ups with 175.18 kg
Denny Ployhar (USA) breaks his world record on Rolling Thunder pull-ups for reps by banging out 30 reps
Denny Ployhar (USA) does it again: moving the world record for Rolling Thunder pull-ups for reps to 32
London Schuirmann (USA) becomes the first man to certify on the Red Nail since the rules forbid gaining an unfair advantage from the pads
9 men certified on the Crushed-To-Dust! Challenge (representing USA, Canada and Ireland)
CTD+. . . Crushed-to-Dust!® announced: a test of world-class all-around grip strength
Alexey Tyukalov (Russia) becomes the first man to certify on the CTD+ Challenge

2024

Tammy McClure (USA) breaks the women’s world record for Rolling Thunder pull-ups for reps by knocking off 15
IronMind introduces the Crushed-To-Dust! Challenge for women
Amy Wattles (USA) and Tammy McClure (USA) become the first and second women to certify on the Crushed-To-Dust! Challenge for women
Updated the iconic IronMind Forearmed poster
Nikita Yurkovets (Belarus) certified on the CTD+ Challenge