Rolling Thunder is a one-hand deadlift first developed in 1993 by IronMind Enterprises, Inc. It primarily tests grip strength via a rotating, thick handle of 2 3⁄8" (6.03 cm) in diameter and 7 1⁄2" (19.05 cm) in length (rotating portion is 6" (15.24 cm)) attached to a weight loadable Olympic loading pin via a carabiner.[1] The thickness of the handle is derived from the Thomas Inch dumbbell.
Throughout the years, it became an internationally recognized method to measure 'support grip'[2] which is one of the three facets of hand strength along-with crush grip and pinch grip.[3]
The first version (V1), had a black coloured handle and was used from 1993 to 2008. However, as the records with this handle kept on increasing during the 2000s, it was observed that the handle drop test (which was used to verify the rotating nature of the handle) didn't work anymore. Despite rotating without added weight or upto moderate amounts of weight, it would not rotate at the verge of the world record weights at the time. To mitigate this, Randall J. Strossen developed the second version (V2) which featured a dark blue coloured handle. It was better than its predecessor however, uniformity of the device was not even. When some of the devices rotated well, some exhibited the same issue V1 had which was not rotating at world record weights in 2012/13. Further developments were made and the third version (V3) was introduced with a dark blue handle which featured distinctive closed end caps contrary to the hollow cylinder of V1 and V2.[4]
(2013 Visegrip Viking)[5][6]| Holder | Weight | Event name and Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
 Jan Bártl
|
265.4 pounds (120.4 kg)[7] | 1 May 2000 | |
| (Rule change: Previously, they allowed a competitor to use a thumbless (false) grip. Because it was later felt that this was not in the spirit of the lift, since it allowed strong-wristed competitors to remove the grip element of the event by cocking their wrists, thumbless grips are now no longer allowed.[8]) | |||
| Jan Bártl
|
258.5 pounds (117.3 kg)[7] | 31 May 2001 | |
 Magnus Samuelsson
|
262.0 pounds (118.8 kg)[8] | 3 Jun 2003 | |
 Andrus Murumets
|
267.0 pounds (121.1 kg)[9] | 16 Jun 2003 | |
 Laine Snook
|
274.2 pounds (124.4 kg)[10] | 2006 Pullum Sports Exhibition Luton, United Kingdom
|
1 Aug 2006 |
| Mark Felix
|
301.0 pounds (136.5 kg)[11] | 18 Jan 2008 | |
| (Version change: By now, the rotating nature of the handle was not happening anymore hence V2 was introduced. All records above, were with V1). | |||
| Mark Felix
|
323.5 pounds (146.7 kg)[nb 1][12] | 2012 Bodypower Expo Birmingham, United Kingdom
|
22 May 2012 |
| Alexey Tyukalov
|
331.8 pounds (150.5 kg)[13] | 2013 A1 Grand Prix Moscow, Russia
|
30 Jul 2013 |
| (Version change: It was noticed that both above performances including Snook's unofficial record[nb 2] were done with official but flawed V2 handles which resembled the same error V1 had, hence V3 was introduced and all the previous records were nullified). | |||
 Mike Burke
|
282.2 pounds (128.0 kg)[6] | 2013 Visegrip Viking San Jose, California, USA
|
10 Oct 2013 |
| Alexey Tyukalov
|
287.7 pounds (130.5 kg)[6] | 2013 Visegrip Viking San Jose, California, USA
|
10 Oct 2013 |
| Holder | Weight | Event name | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Becca Swanson
|
135.0 pounds (61.2 kg) | St. Louis Steel Fingers Challenge | 01 Jul 2002 |
| Elizabeth Horne
|
144.4 pounds (65.5 kg) | British Rolling Thunder Champs | 07 Apr 2007 |
 Jaana Tanner
|
147.2 pounds (66.8 kg) | IronMind Grip Classic Volume II | 28 Jan 2012 |
| Jaana Tanner
|
152.7 pounds (69.3 kg) | IronMind Grip Classic Record Breakers | 26 May 2012 |
 Irina Postnikova
|
159.2 pounds (72.2 kg) | Armlifting World Championships | 22 Sep 2012 |
| Ludmilla Gaiduchenko
|
170.2 pounds (77.2 kg) | Armlifting World Championships | 22 Sep 2012 |
| Hafsa Mason
|
176.3 pounds (80.0 kg) | West Coast Arm Sports Hands of Doom II | 21 Aug 2024 |
Since IronMind, numerous other competitors have produced similar products specially following its flawed design with V1 and V2.
'Grip Genie RGT'[15] is known for being more difficult than IronMind V3 because it rotates more freely and rapidly due to less friction. The world record with this is held by Carl Myerscough at 226.0 pounds (102.5 kg).
'Gods of grip' Godlike rolling handle[16] and 'Titan' rotating deadlift handle[17] offer three handle diameter options at 2", 2.5" and 3".
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