Not to show the guy up, but I didn't know that was a grip strength feat. I actually did that with an old pan years ago. I was moving to a new house and throwing an old skillet away, and for some reason I felt compelled to roll it up. My grip is decent since I've been a guitarist, rock climber and amateur sports massage therapist for years, but I didn't think rolling a skillet was all that difficult. It's more of a trick of leverage.
Now the sledge hammer trick is pretty impressive. I doubt seriously that I would be able to do that. Since I have a few sledges at my gym I will have to try one tomorrow. I'll start with the 8-pounder and work up from there.
For me true test of hand strength is at my local rock climbing gym. They have a 45 degree overhanging 20 foot long track for the hands only! You can't hook your fingers over a lip... You can only do it by being able to squeeze your finger tips against your thumbs on 45-degree square-shaped rungs, and you have to be able to pull yourself up hand over hand with no assistance from your feet. I just did about a third of it today (I'm a little rusty and I weigh about 180). There are guys there who can do that like it's nothing.
My son climbed at the climbing gym today till his forearms gave out (took two and a half hours of straight climbing to do it). I took him climbing the last two days in a row, and he did great! Yesterday we climbed on real rock at Shinall Mountain.
If you want to find out just how strong your grip is, try "Lumberjack" at Shinall (5.11, MAJOR overhang). I have never had anything test the endurance of my hands and forearms more than that climb did (haven't climbed it in a few years though).
If you want to test your nerves, have a 75 pound 10 year old boy anchored to a rock -- who has never used an ATC -- belay for you for the very first time in his life. It's the closest equivalent I can remember to free-soloing. The route we did was not particularly difficult (5.9-ish), but realizing that my life was in the hands of a sometimes-unfocused child made me feel alive! When you know you cannot fall it really fatigues you fast.
It also made me realize how much I need to get a gris-gris. That is on the list before next weekend. I'd like to get him climbing at least 5.7's by the end of summer, and to be back to at least 5.10+ myself.
/hijack
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