Harvard man makes good: Appellate lawyer Vincent Rivellese has been certified on the Captains of Crush No. 3 gripper, making it official that he has world-class grip strength.

“I am 52, 5' 6", and I vary from 175 to 183 pounds depending on whether I need to weigh in for a competition,” Vincent told IronMind.  “I had to drop out of sports when I was 10 because I had cancer, and as a result I have always been more of a geeky intellectual than an athlete (Harvard grad, appellate lawyer).  

“When I had cancer, the radiation and chemo stunted my growth a bit. I never worked out and was never able to bench press as much as 200 pounds, and for years I wondered why I could beat bigger, more athletic guys at arm wrestling in bars. I tried some [Captains of Crush grippers] at an arm wrestling meet and liked them much better than arm wrestling, so I ordered the No. 1, No. 1.5, and No. 2. 

“The day I got them I closed the No. 1 and the No. 1.5 (but not the No. 2) without setting them, and closed the No. 2 with a set (maybe narrower than credit card). 

“On average [I train grip] once a week, and not just grippers, but also arm lifting and other grip implements. Lately, to prepare for this cert, I have trained only grippers and twice a week. I warm up with no set closes on easier grippers and then do singles approaching my max, sometimes with credit card set and sometimes parallel set. 

“I type a lot. I am an appeals lawyer, and I write a lot of appellate briefs. My hobbies are grip sports and massaging my girlfriend's feet and legs (only half kidding there—she insists it is good accessory work for my grip goals!). 

“I made a bunch of new friends, began training grippers and some other grip implements, attended competitions, etc., and have really improved my strength, social life, and overall happiness in large part due to grip sports and arm lifting.  The largest part of that hobby has been supplied by IronMind grippers and other equipment, so it was natural to want to achieve this certification.  

“If approved, I will be proud to be a member of this elite group!,” Vincent said.

Be proud, because it’s official and richly deserved: Vincent Rivellese has been certified on the one and only Captains of Crush No. 3 gripper—welcome to the club!

Here’s a video of Vincent’s official attempt.                                

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