Carl Myerscough


Carl Andrew Myerscough is an English former track and field athlete specialised in shot put and discus throw and a world record holder grip strength specialist. His height of 208 cm earned him the nickname 'The Blackpool Tower'.

Biography

Track and field

While competing for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Carl gained two indoor and two outdoor NCAA Division 1 championships. He graduated from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 2004, with a degree in Fine Art and was British champion in the shot put ten times consecutively from 2003 to 2012. He also competed in four IAFF World Championships.
In 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Carl won bronze in the Shot put. In 2003, he exceeded the British record with a best of 21.92m set in winning the NCAA championships in Sacramento, California, although the performance was not ratified by UK Athletics. In 2004, he won the European Cup in Bydgoszcz, Poland with a throw of 20.85m. In 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi Carl won bronze in the discus throw.
Myerscough was a ten-times British shot put champion after winning the British AAA Championships title from 2003 to 2006 and the British Athletics Championships title from 2007 to 2012. Additionally, Myerscough was the British discus throw champion in 2005 and 2006.
During Carl's early career, he failed a drug test which resulted in a ban from competing for two years. The ban was subsequently overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and in 2012, Carl became an Olympian by taking part in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Grip strength

Carl was introduced to Captains of Crush (CoC) grippers when he was a student at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and he managed to close the No. 2.5 gripper the first time he attempted it. After retiring from track and field in 2016, Carl dedicated four months into grip training and in 2017 got himself certified on the No. 3 gripper. He continued to progress and in 2018, got certified on the No. 3.5 gripper. In August 2023, he became the sixth person ever to get certified on the No. 4 gripper, and the only person to do it after the introduction of its credit card rule.
In September 2023, Carl made history again by certifying on the GHP Level 10 gripper. He is the first and only person in history to accomplish this feat of crush grip strength, and it remains the strongest gripper ever closed by a human. For reference, the CoC No. 4 gripper he closed was rated at 215 lb RGC, which means the GHP 10 he closed is nearly 20% more difficult than his CoC No.4 close while the narrower GHP block vs. the IronMind credit card improves the starting leverage.
Carl is also a 3-time Arnold Classic Armlifting Champion, and one among handful of people who have lifted the Millennium Dumbbell. He has broken more than 20 grip-related world records and is renowned for his exceptional grip strength with feats ranging from launching a 'York Legacy Blob' which weighs 3 times as heavy as a standard Olympic shot, to crushing raw potatoes from his bare hand into pieces.

Feats of grip strength

  • GHP Level 10 gripper – / RGC 256 lb x 1 rep '
  • * GHP Level 9 gripper – / RGC 210 lb x 1 rep, 8 speed reps
  • Ironmind CoC No. 4 gripper – / RGC 215 lb x 1 rep
', both left and right hand simultaneous close, Joe Kinney style close
  • * IronMind CoC No. 3.5 gripper – / RGC 175 of pressure x 9 reps, 18 speed reps, Joe Kinney style close and hold, both left and right hand simultaneous close
  • Double overhand Apollon's Axle deadlift – '
  • Double overhand Rogue Axle deadlift – '
  • * Double overhand barbell deadlift with Fat grips pro –
  • * Double overhand extra thick Axle deadlift – '
  • * Double overhand Rogue Axle deadlift hold – for 8 seconds
  • * Double overhand snatch grip Rogue Axle deadlift –
  • * Apollon's Axle overhead strict press –, x 8 reps
  • * Apollon's Axle arms stretched front hold – for 6 seconds
  • Sorinex Saxon bar deadlift –
'
  • * Sorinex Saxon bar deadlift – x 3 reps, x 10 reps
  • * Sorinex Saxon bar snatch grip deadlift –
  • * Sorinex Saxon bar one arm deadlift –
  • * Sorinex Saxon bar curls –, x 9 reps
  • * Sorinex Saxon bar clean and overhead press –
  • * Sorinex Saxon bar one arm snatch –
  • Millennium Dumbbell – one hand lift and hold, pick up and walk
  • Inch Dumbbell – one hand clean to the shoulder, one hand high snatch, & cheat curls x 3 reps per hand
  • One arm barbell deadlift with Fat grips extreme –
  • * One arm barbell deadlift with Fat grips pro –
  • * One arm Rogue Axle deadlift –
  • Suitcase grip double sides deadlift with Apollon's Axle on the right and Rogue Axle on the left – per hand
  • * Suitcase grip one side one arm deadlift with Fat grips pro –
  • * Straddle lift –, with Fat grips one –
  • IronMind Rolling Thunder –
  • * Grip Genie RGT –
  • Non-revolving Dumbbell one arm deadlift with Fat grips pro –
  • Monster-Crush –
  • Country-Crush –
  • Raptor –
  • Raptor –
  • Raptor –
  • Crusher –
  • Crusher –
  • Trilobite by Barrel Strength –
  • Vingot two hand pinch lift by Arm Assassin –
''
  • IronMind Hub –
  • Plate curls – x 1 rep per hand, x 5 reps per hand
  • Double Plate curls – two bumper plates with both hands x 1 rep, two bumper plates with both hands x 5 reps
  • Barbell Reverse curl – x 1 rep
  • Plate side laterals – x 2 reps, x 5 reps

Personal life

Carl is married to the American athlete Melissa Price. They have two daughters: Mia and Grace.
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