Richard 'Pops' Sorin (June 26, 1950 - June 3, 2024) was an American
strongman
In the 19th century, the term strongman referred to an exhibitor of strength or similar circus performers who performed feats of strength. More recently, strength athletics, also known as strongman competitions, have grown in popularity. These ...
and a
grip strength
Grip strength is the force applied by the hand to pull on or suspend from objects and is a specific part of hand strength. Optimum-sized objects permit the hand to wrap around a cylindrical shape with a diameter from one to three inches. Stair rai ...
specialist.
Career
Sorin developed noteworthy grip strength at a young age. At only 13 he managed to pinch grip a pair of 35 lb (15.9 kg)
York Barbell
York Barbell is an American-based international manufacturer of fitness products. Bob Hoffman, named "Father of World Weightlifting" by the International Weightlifting Federation, bought the Milo Barbell Company and founded York Barbell in 1932. ...
plates.
Coupled with a background of collegiate track and field and national level
olympic weightlifting
Olympic weightlifting, or Olympic-style weightlifting (officially named Weightlifting), is a sport in which athletes compete in lifting a barbell loaded with weight plates from the ground to overhead, with each athlete trying to successfully lif ...
, Sorin rose to prominence, establishing himself as an icon among the grip training fraternity. In 1991, he became the first man to officially close the
IronMind
IronMind Enterprises, Inc. is an American niche market business based in Nevada City, California, that specializes in "tools of the trade for serious strength athletes." Though many of its products include strength-training equipment and acce ...
Captains of Crush
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
No.3
gripper
A ''gripper'' is something that grips things or makes it easier to grip things. It may refer to:
* grippers
Grippers, sometimes called hand grippers, are primarily used for testing and increasing the strength of the hands; this specific for ...
which is recognized as the gold standard in world class crush grip. The feat earned him the nickname 'grip king'.
Also among his noteworthy feats of grip strength are repetitively pinch gripping a couple of old York 45 lb (20.4 kg) plates with thin rounded edges which are thick together, lifting a
anvil
An anvil is a metalworking tool consisting of a large block of metal (usually forged or cast steel), with a flattened top surface, upon which another object is struck (or "worked").
Anvils are as massive as practical, because the highe ...
and snatching anvils while holding them by their horns, performing 7 reps with the Captains of Crush No.3 gripper, closing the 'Phantom 4' gripper, a max pinched grip of ,
rolling thunder of , gripping the
Thomas Inch
Thomas Inch (27 December 1881 – 12 December 1963) was a British strongman, who held the titles of Britain's Strongest Youth and Britain's Strong Man.
Early life
Thomas Inch was born on 27 December 1881 in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, S ...
dumbbell, the original blob and his legendary rack pull lockout hold with a raw grip.
In March 2023 Sorin was inducted into the
International Sports Hall of Fame
The International Sports Hall of Fame (ISHOF) is a section 501(c)(3) Nonprofit organization established in 2012 by Dr. Robert M. Goldman to honor the world's greatest athlete legends in all categories of sports.
The ISHOF's mission is to inspi ...
.
Other ventures
Sorin was the founder of 'Sorinex' strength training equipment.
References
External links
* David Horne's 2002 interview with Richard Sorin �
Untitled Document
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sorin, Richard
1950 births
Living people
American strength athletes