Editing IronMind (section)

==Focus on grip strength==
[[Grip strength]] has been a major focus for IronMind since the company introduced its specialized line of grip-strength tools in 1990.

The idea that grip strength comprises three basic components – '''crushing''', '''pinching''' and '''supporting elements''' ([[deadlift]]ing, etc.) – was first presented to the world in the 1992 IronMind catalog.<ref>IronMind Enterprises, Inc. 1992. Catalog. Vol. 2, p. 11.</ref> IronMind promoted<ref>{{cite web|url=https://strongerrx.com/how-do-your-hands-work.html |title=Strong and Healthy Hands: How Do Your Hands Work?|accessdate=October 7, 2008}}</ref> and further developed this idea in later catalogs. It first published a chart in 1995 highlighting how grip strength applies to activities and professions ranging from [[police|law enforcement]] to [[powerlifting]] and playing music,<ref>IronMind Enterprises, Inc. 1995. Catalog. Vol. 5, page 21.</ref> and expanded on it in subsequent catalogs.

Two books written by grip-strength expert John Brookfield and published by IronMind – ''Mastery of Hand Strength, Revised Edition''  (2008) and ''The Grip Master's Manual'' (2002) – also expand upon these basic components of grip strength, which are now considered as widely accepted fact.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.captainsofcrushgrippers.com/ironmind/opencms/gripperfact.html|title=Fact and Fiction About Captains of Crush Hand Grippers|accessdate=October 7, 2008|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090618103818/http://www.captainsofcrushgrippers.com/ironmind/opencms/gripperfact.html|archivedate=June 18, 2009}}</ref>

===Captains of Crush Grippers===
{{main|Captains of Crush Grippers}}

IronMind is known worldwide for its Captains of Crush line of [[Grippers|hand grippers]]. These grippers, considered the "industry standard" in building grip strength,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.massiveforearms.com/forearms/Super-gripper.htm |title=Super Gripper: Build grip strength and a Crushing Grip by using a supergripper|publisher=Massiveforearms.com|accessdate=September 5, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mmaringreport.com/columnists-corner/columnist-s-corner/grip-strength-22.html|title=Grip strength|author=Aldridge, Lee|publisher=MMA Ring Report|date=May 2, 2008|accessdate=October 4, 2008|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011092839/http://www.mmaringreport.com/columnists-corner/columnist-s-corner/grip-strength-22.html|archivedate=October 11, 2008}}</ref> have become somewhat of a [[cult following|cult phenomenon]]<ref name="Stanford Magazine"/> and have amassed a worldwide following – one British strength enthusiast has written into his [[will (law)|will]] that he would like to be buried with his Captains of Crush hand gripper.<ref>Robertson, p. 2</ref>

In 1991, IronMind began certifying people able to close the company's benchmark Captains of Crush No. 3 gripper; certification on the Captains of Crush No. 4 was added in 1998 and certification on the Captains of Crush No. 3.5 was added in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ironmind.com/ironmind/opencms/ironmind/Main/captainsofcrush5.html|title=Captains of Crush Grippers: Rules for Closing and Certification|accessdate=October 7, 2008|archive-date=January 20, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090120193246/http://www.ironmind.com/ironmind/opencms/ironmind/Main/captainsofcrush5.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Only five people (Joe Kinney, Nathan Holle, David Morton, Tommy Heslep and [[Magnus Samuelsson]]) have been certified for closing the No. 4.<ref>Kassam, Rahim. "Titans of power." ''Musclemag,'' September 2007, p. 262.</ref>