IronMind Hub - Pinch Grip Trainer

The IronMind Hub is the classic hub lift: a round, 2.875" diameter disc you pinch with your fingertips and lift off the floor with plates hanging below it. It is a staple at grip competitions, the official implement for IronMind's Hub world records, and one of the three events in the Crushed-to-Dust! Challenge. Grip sport and armlifting athletes, strongman competitors and anyone whose thumb strength lags behind their crush grip will find out quickly where they stand.

What It Trains

• Fingertip pinch: all five fingertips work around the curved rim of the Hub, so the load sits on the ends of the fingers rather than in the palm.
• Thumb strength: the thumb has to oppose the fingers on a small, round surface, which grippers and handles barely touch.
• Grip sport and armlifting events: hub lifts show up on contest menus, and the Hub is the implement IronMind uses for record and challenge lifts.

How to Use

1. Load plates on a loading pin, then clip a carabiner from the pin to the Hub. The Country Crush Loading Pins come with a carabiner option if you need both.
2. Chalk your lifting hand and wipe the Hub clean.
3. Set all five fingertips around the rim with the Hub roughly level. Do not wrap your hand over the top like a doorknob; that is a no lift under IronMind's rules.
4. Stand up to full lockout without dragging the Hub up your leg, hold for a one count, and lower under control while keeping hold of the Hub.

Starter protocol: train the Hub twice a week after your main grip work. Warm up with two light sets, then do 3 to 5 heavy singles or 10 to 20 second holds per hand. When every hold feels solid, add the smallest plate you own.

Hub vs Pinch Blocks

A pinch block has two flat, parallel faces: thumb on one side, fingers on the other, with the load spread across the whole hand. The Hub is a single curved rim gripped only with the fingertips, so it hammers thumb and fingertip strength in a way a block cannot. Flat-face pinch builds raw pinch numbers; the Hub exposes weak fingertips. Most grip athletes train both, starting with a 2" block from the Country Crush Pinch Blocks alongside the Hub.

What's Included

• One IronMind Hub
• Loading pin, carabiner and plates are sold separately

Specs

FAQ

What is a good Hub lift?

The Crushed-to-Dust! Challenge asks for 20 kg (45 lb) on the Hub, alongside closing a Captains of Crush No. 2 gripper and lifting 90 kg (200 lb) on the Rolling Thunder. IronMind's world records stand at 44.80 kg (98.96 lb) for men, set by Harri Tolonen in 2019, and 28.51 kg (62.85 lb) for women, set by Anzhela Kulagina in 2021.

Does the weight of the Hub and pin count?

Under IronMind's rules, yes. The lift is the total of the Hub, loading pin, carabiner and plates. IronMind lists its Hub, 15" pin and carabiner together at 5 lb, so weigh your own pin and carabiner if you want an exact number.

What do I need besides the Hub?

A loading pin, a carabiner and some plates. Any pin and carabiner that fits will work. IronMind's rules call for a 15" Olympic loading pin for official lifts.

Can I use chalk?

Yes. IronMind allows ordinary magnesium carbonate chalk on the lifting hand for official lifts. Liquid chalk is not allowed.

Is the Hub included in any GripStrength.com packages?

Yes. Several of the 2026 Armlifting USA Super Series Packages include an IronMind Hub along with the other contest implements.

See how the Hub fits into a full grip setup in The Complete Guide to Grip Training Equipment, or browse every contest implement in the Grip Sport and Armlifting collection.