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'.

Carl Myerscough

Myerscough in 2012
Personal information
Birth name	Carl Andrew Myerscough
Nickname	The Blackpool Tower
Nationality	British
Born	(1979-10-21) 21 October 1979 Hambleton, Lancashire
Height	2.08 m (6 ft 10 in)
Weight	160 kg (25 st 3 lb; 353 lb)
Spouse	Melissa Price
Sport
Country	Great Britain
Sport	Shot put and Discus throw
University team	University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Retired	2016
Medal record Commonwealth Games 2002 Manchester Shot put 2010 Delhi Discus
Updated on 1 March 2017

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 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 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 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 – 193 kg (425 lb)/ RGC 256 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 – 170 kg (375 lb)/ RGC 210 of pressure x 1 rep (54mm credit card), 8 speed reps (both are World Records)
• IronMind Captains of Crush No. 4 gripper – 165.5 kg (365 lb)/ RGC 215 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 / first man to close it in 19 years after Magnus Samuelsson)
  • IronMind Captains of Crush No. 3.5 gripper – 146 kg (322 lb)/ RGC 175 of pressure x 9 reps (54mm credit card), 18 speed reps, Joe Kinney style close and hold (10 seconds), both left and right hand simultaneous closure (all are World Records)
• Double overhand Apollon's Axle deadlift – 237.5 kg (524 lb) (World Record) (the thickness of this Axle is 2" (50.8mm))
• Double overhand Rogue Axle deadlift – 248 kg (547 lb) (Joint-World Record) (the thickness of this Axle is 1 11⁄12" (49.3mm))
  • Double overhand barbell deadlift with Fat grips pro (blue - 2.25" outer diameter) – 208 kg (459 lb) (World Record) (the diameter of the handle of this fat grip is 2 1⁄4", which is 0 1⁄4" thicker than the Apollon's Axle)
  • Double overhand Rogue Axle deadlift hold – 227.3 kg (501 lb) for 8 seconds
  • Double overhand snatch grip Rogue Axle deadlift – 200 kg (441 lb)
  • Apollon's Axle overhead strict press – 172.8 kg (381 lb) (Max), 143 kg (315 lb) x 8 reps
  • Apollon's Axle arms stretched front hold – 52 kg (115 lb) for 6 seconds
• Sorinex Saxon bar (3x4" rectangular bar) deadlift – 142.5 kg (314 lb) (World Record)
  (Carl also held the former world record 4 times with 136.5 kg (301 lb), 132.5 kg (292 lb), 130 kg (287 lb) and 127.5 kg (281 lb))
  • Sorinex Saxon bar deadlift (for reps) – 125 kg (276 lb) x 3 reps, 111 kg (245 lb) x 10 reps
  • Sorinex Saxon bar snatch grip deadlift – 121.5 kg (268 lb)
  • Sorinex Saxon bar one arm deadlift – 68 kg (150 lb)
  • Sorinex Saxon bar curls – 90.8 kg (200 lb) (Max), 61 kg (134 lb) x 9 reps
  • Sorinex Saxon bar clean and overhead press – 100 kg (220 lb)
  • Sorinex Saxon bar one arm snatch – 41.5 kg (91 lb) (World Record)
• Millennium Dumbbell 104.5 kg (230 lb) – one hand lift and hold (9 seconds) (World Record), pick up and walk (9 ft) (World Record)
• Inch Dumbbell 78 kg (172 lb) – 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) – 90.8 kg (200 lb) (the diameter of the handle of this fat grip is 2 3⁄4", which is 0 3⁄8" thicker than both millennium and inch dumbbells which has a thickness of 2 3⁄8" each)
  • One arm barbell deadlift with Fat grips pro (blue - 2.25" outer diameter) – 104.5 kg (230 lb) (the diameter of the handle of this fat grip is 2 1⁄4", which is 0 5⁄12" thicker than the Apollon's Axle)
  • One arm Rogue Axle deadlift – 122.5 kg (270 lb)
• Suitcase grip double sides deadlift (both hands) with Apollon's Axle on the right and Rogue Axle on the left – 120 kg (265 lb) per hand
  • Suitcase grip one side one arm deadlift with Fat grips pro (blue - 2.25" outer diameter) – 112.75 kg (249 lb)
  • Straddle lift (in-between legs one arm deadlift with Fat grips pro (blue - 2.25" outer diameter) – 110 kg (243 lb), with Fat grips one (black - 1.75" outer diameter) – 136 kg (300 lb)
• IronMind Rolling Thunder – 117.5 kg (259 lb)
  • Grip Genie RGT (Rolling Grip Thing) – 102.5 kg (226 lb) (World Record)
• Non-revolving Dumbbell one arm deadlift with Fat grips pro (blue - 2.25" outer diameter) – 122.55 kg (270 lb)
• Monster-Crush (3" rotating double handle) – 165.7 kg (365 lb) (World Record)
• Country-Crush (2" rotating double handle) – 220 kg (485 lb) (World Record)
• Raptor (3" rotating single handle) – 83 kg (183 lb) (World Record)
• Raptor (2" rotating single handle) – 122 kg (269 lb) (World Record)
• Raptor (1.75" rotating single handle) – 127.5 kg (281 lb) (World Record)
• Crusher (2.25" rotating single handle) – 120.1 kg (265 lb) (World Record)
• Crusher (2" rotating single handle) – 136.4 kg (301 lb) (World Record)
• Trilobite by Barrel Strength (3" rotating handle) – 84 kg (185 lb)
• Vingot two hand pinch lift by Arm Assassin – 129.2 kg (285 lb) (World Record)
  (Carl also held the previous world record with 125.4 kg (276 lb) and also holds the one arm world record with 60.5 kg (133 lb)
• 2 Hand Flask pinch lift – 128 kg (282 lb) (World Record)
• IronMind Hub – 43 kg (95 lb)
• Plate curls – 25 kg (55 lb) x 1 rep per hand, 20 kg (44 lb) x 5 reps per hand
• Double Plate curls – two 25 kg (55 lb) bumper plates with both hands x 1 rep, two 20 kg (44 lb) bumper plates with both hands x 5 reps
• Barbell Reverse curl – 90.8 kg (200 lb) x 1 rep
• Plate side laterals – 25 kg (55 lb) x 2 reps, 20 kg (44 lb) 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