So, I got thinking about Gary Goodridge the other day. Man, that guy was a powerhouse, right? Seeing some old clips, especially his arm wrestling stuff, just got me curious. It looked like pure, raw strength crushing guys. I figured, hey, maybe I could get a bit stronger, try it out myself. Nothing serious, just, you know, messing around and seeing what it’s all about.
Getting Started (Sort Of)
First thing I did was, well, not much structured training. Forget fancy gyms. I started squeezing those old grip trainers I had lying around. Found an old bucket and filled it with some sand, started doing wrist curls with it in the garage. Felt kind of silly, but hey, gotta start somewhere. I also watched a bunch more videos online. Not just Goodridge, but others too. Trying to see what they were actually doing. It wasn’t just pushing sideways like I thought.
Things I noticed people doing:
- Pulling back, not just sideways.
- Twisting their wrists in weird ways (they call it hooking or top rolling, I think).
- Using their whole body, like leaning way over.
It looked way more complicated than just brute force, even though guys like Goodridge made it look like simple power.
The Actual Trying Part
Okay, so squeezing grippers is one thing, actually pulling against someone is totally different. I talked my buddy Dave into trying it. We just used the kitchen table. First few times, we were just slamming our hands together, laughing mostly. Then I tried to do that pulling back thing I saw. It kinda worked? Felt different, anyway. My forearm was screaming after like, three attempts. Dave beat me most times, he’s got that farmer strength, you know?
We didn’t really know the proper setup, like pads or straps or rules. Just planted our elbows and went for it. Probably doing it all wrong. My elbow got sore real fast. Then my shoulder started aching a bit too. Made me realize how much technique must be involved to not hurt yourself, even just messing around.
What I Figured Out
It’s definitely not just arm strength. When I tried to use my back and shoulder a bit, pulling instead of just pushing sideways, it felt stronger. Less strain on just the forearm. Still got beat, mind you, but it felt like a better way to pull. That whole wrist-twisting thing? Way harder than it looks. I couldn’t figure out how to get leverage doing that, just felt like my wrist was going to snap.
And thinking back to Goodridge, yeah he was strong, but watching closer, he set up fast, got his grip, and just exploded into it. Maybe his power let him skip some of the finer technique, or maybe he just applied his technique with overwhelming force. Hard to tell just from watching.
Where I’m At Now
So, am I some arm wrestling champ? Heck no. My forearm still gets sore thinking about it. But it was fun messing around. Gave me a new respect for the guys who do it seriously. It’s a real skill, a real strength test, not just some bar trick. I haven’t really kept up with the sand bucket lifting or anything. Maybe I’ll try it again sometime if Dave’s up for it. For now, I’m happy just watching the pros and remembering how deceptively simple Gary Goodridge made that raw power look. It’s way tougher than it seems.