Carl Myerscough

Carl Myerscough (born 21 October 1979) is an English former track and field athlete specialised in shot put and discus throw and a world record holder grip strength specialist. His imposing height of 208 cm (6 ft 10 in) earned him the nickname 'The Blackpool Tower'.

Biography

Track and field

While competing for the University of Nebraska Carl gained two indoor (2002–03) and two outdoor (2003-04) NCAA Division 1 championships. He graduated from the University of Nebraska in 2004, with a degree in Fine Art and won the UK championships 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.

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 IronMind Captains of Crush hand grippers when he was a student at the University of Nebraska, and he managed to closed 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 Captains of Crush No. 3 gripper. He continued to progress and in 2018, got certified on the Captains of Crush No. 3.5 gripper. In August 2023, he became the sixth person ever to get certified on the Captains of Crush 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 closing a 256 RGC rated Gillingham High Performance (GHP) level 10 gripper. He is the only person in history to accomplish this seemingly impossible feat of crush grip strength and it remains the strongest gripper ever closed by a human. For reference, Captains of Crush No. 4 gripper he closed was calibrated at 215 RGC (by Cannon Powerworks) which means GHP 10 he closed is nearly 20% more difficult than his CoC 4 close while the narrower GHP block (38mm) vs. the IronMind credit card (54mm) improves the starting leverage.

Carl is also a 3 x times Arnold Classic Armlifting Champion, and one among handful of people who have lifted the Millennium Dumbbell. He has broken more than 20 grip related word 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

* Gillingham High Performance (GHP) No. 10 gripper – of pressure x 1 rep (38mm block) (World Record)
''(Only man to close it / strongest gripper ever closed)''
** Gillingham High Performance (GHP) No. 9 gripper – of pressure x 1 rep (54mm credit card), and 8 speed reps
* Captains of Crush No. 4 gripper – of pressure x 1 rep (54mm credit card) (World Record)
''(Only man to close it under the credit card rule / sixth man to close it overall / fist man to close it in 19 years after Magnus Samuelsson)''
** Captains of Crush No. 3.5 gripper – of pressure x 9 reps (54mm credit card), 18 speed reps, and Joe Kinney style close and hold (10 seconds)
* Double overhand Apollon's Axle deadlift – (World Record) ''(the thickness of this Axle is 2" (50.8mm))''
* Double overhand Rogue Axle deadlift – (Joint-World Record) ''(the thickness of this Axle is 1 " (49.3mm))''
** Double overhand barbell deadlift with Fat grips pro (blue - 2.25" outer diameter) – (World Record) '' (the diameter of the handle of this fat grip is 2 ", which is 0 " thicker than the Apollon's Axle)''
** Double overhand Rogue Axle deadlift hold – for 8 seconds
** Double overhand snatch grip Rogue Axle deadlift –
** Apollon's Axle overhead strict press – (Max), x 8 reps
** Apollon's Axle arms stretched front hold – for 6 seconds
* Sorinex Saxon bar (rectangular bar) deadlift – (Former-World Record)
''(Carl also held the former world record thrice with , and )''
** Sorinex Saxon bar deadlift (for reps) – x 3 reps, x 10 reps
** Sorinex Saxon bar snatch grip deadlift –
** Sorinex Saxon bar one arm deadlift –
** Sorinex Saxon bar curls – (Max), x 9 reps
** Sorinex Saxon bar clean and overhead press –
** Sorinex Saxon bar one arm snatch – (World Record)
* Millennium Dumbbell – one hand lift and hold (4 seconds) (World Record)
* Thomas 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 (orange - 2.75" outer diameter) – ''(the diameter of the handle of this fat grip is 2 ", which is 0 " thicker than both millennium and inch dumbbells which has a thickness of 2 " each)''
** One arm barbell deadlift with Fat grips pro (blue - 2.25" outer diameter) – '' (the diameter of the handle of this fat grip is 2 ", which is 0 " thicker than the Apollon's Axle)''
** One arm Rogue Axle deadlift –
* Suitcase grip double sides deadlift (both hands) 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 (blue - 2.25" outer diameter) –
** Straddle lift (in-between legs one arm deadlift with Fat grips pro (blue - 2.25" outer diameter) – , with Fat grips one (black - 1.75" outer diameter) –
* Rolling Thunder one arm deadlift –
* Non-revolving Dumbbell one arm deadlift with Fat grips pro (blue - 2.25" outer diameter) –
* Monster-Crush (3" rotating double handle) – (World Record)
* Country-Crush (2" rotating double handle) – (World Record)
* Raptor (3" rotating single handle) – (World Record)
* Raptor (2" rotating single handle) – (World Record)
* Raptor (1.75" rotating single handle) – (World Record)
* Crusher (2.25" rotating single handle) – (World Record)
* Crusher (2" rotating single handle) – (World Record)
* Trilobite by Barrel Strength (3" rotating handle) –
* Vingot two hand pinch lift by Arm Assassin – (World Record)
''(Carl also held the previous world record with and also holds the one arm world record with ''
* 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.

Notes:

See also

* https://www.instagram.com/carl.myerscough/ – Instagram account
* List of doping cases in athletics

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Myerscough, Carl
1979 births
Living people
People from Hambleton, Lancashire
English male discus throwers
British male discus throwers
English male shot putters
British male shot putters
Olympic male shot putters
Olympic athletes for Great Britain
Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for England
Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics
Athletes (track and field) at the 2002 Commonwealth Games
Athletes (track and field) at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
Athletes (track and field) at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
Athletes (track and field) at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
British Athletics Championships winners
AAA Championships winners
Nebraska Cornhuskers men's track and field athletes
Doping cases in athletics
English sportspeople in doping cases
Medallists at the 2002 Commonwealth Games
Medallists at the 2010 Commonwealth Games