GNC Grip Gauntlet

It was developed by brothers Brad Gillingham and Wade Gillingham and became an internationally recognised contest featured at some of the world's most prominent strength athletics events and expos, including the Arnold Strongman Classic and various WSM Super Series Grand Prix's.

The last time the GNC Grip Gauntlet was run in a competitive format was the 2010 Arnold Classic.

Therefore Wade approached Randall J. Strossen from IronMind Enterprises to get permission to use Captains of Crush Grippers as part of the challenge.

In conversation with Strossen it was decided that Wade's original idea to use a Thomas Inch dumbbell replica for the supporting grip challenge should be replaced with the IronMind Rolling Thunder.

The GNC Pro Performance Grip Gauntlet debuted at the 2004 Arnold Expo Challenge.

[1] An estimated 20,000 competitors at Fitness Expos over a 7-year run from 2004 to 2010 tested their hands at the GNC Grip Gauntlet.

[2] In 2010 due to changes in the Rolling Thunder and a change from Captain's of Crush grippers to the new Gillingham High Performance (GHP) grippers, it was decided by Wade Gillingham that the historical integrity of the event was no longer sound enough to continue compiling a list of winners.

The history of this implement goes back to the 60s when Richard Sorin was asked to refurbish the weight room at University of South Carolina.

[5] Sorin noticed one half of a discarded 100 lbs first generation York roundhead dumbbell with a near broken handle which he moved to his YMCA gym.

Early on in its history, in 1993, Ironmind issued a challenge to the world of strongmen to lift 300 lbs with Rolling Thunder, and it took 15 years for this challenge to be met when Mark Felix performed the feat at the 2008 Mohegan Sun Grand Prix, in the process becoming Rolling Thunder World Champion.