After years of hearing his voice on the phone, the Bobby Bones Show finally met longtime listener Kyler in person.
Kyler has become a familiar name to the show because he meticulously tracks the results of every game played on-air. Each year, he compiles statistics, winning percentages, and rankings before calling in to share the results with the cast. During his visit to Nashville, Kyler stopped by the studio and explained how his unusual hobby began. He started keeping track of the games about four years ago because the cast frequently debated who was winning, and he saw an opportunity to contribute while also giving himself a reason to call into the show. Kyler, who lives in Ozark, Missouri, works as a construction site superintendent and spends much of his day overseeing job sites. His work environment gives him plenty of time to listen to the show's podcasts, allowing him to keep up with every game and segment.
While the cast knew Kyler as their unofficial statistician, they eventually discovered he had built a substantial social media following. Kyler's content originally focused on construction, remodeling, and DIY projects before he stumbled upon a grip-strength challenge using a dynamometer. The idea took off when he tested workers on a construction site to see whether electricians or plumbers had stronger grips. The video generated millions of views and inspired him to continue creating similar content. Kyler told the show that his competitive nature helped fuel the concept. Eventually, he began challenging participants by offering cash prizes to anyone who could beat his score.
Kyler brought one of his dynamometers into the studio. He also gifted the show a device to keep for future guests and challenges. Before testing began, Bobby predicted the final rankings. He guessed that Scuba Steve would finish first, followed by Raymundo, Mike D, Lunchbox, Eddie, and himself. The challenge consisted of each participant squeezing the dynamometer as hard as possible, with the highest score from either hand counting toward the final ranking.
Scuba Steve was the first to compete and immediately looked like a strong contender. Raymundo followed and posted another impressive score, though there was brief debate about whether he had accidentally used his leg for leverage during one attempt. Mike D completed his test quietly with little fanfare, while Lunchbox experimented with several unusual techniques, including holding the device behind his back. Eddie delivered one of the biggest surprises of the competition. Bobby Bones struggled through several attempts, accidentally triggering error readings on the machine more than once. After finishing, he admitted his back was hurting from putting so much effort into the challenge. Once all six men had completed the test, Kyler revealed the results. Scuba Steve finished first with a score of 131.4, narrowly edging out Raymundo's 129. Eddie secured third place with 114.2. Bobby finished fourth with 94.8, followed by Mike D in fifth with 86. Lunchbox landed in last place with a score of 76. Kyler explained that many people associate grip strength with overall health and fitness, noting that workers who regularly use their hands often score higher. Based on his experience testing more than 1,000 people, he said scores above 160 would be considered elite.
After the men's competition concluded, Morgan, Amy, and Abby competed in the women's round. Morgan topped the women's leaderboard with a score of 67.4, narrowly trailing Lunchbox's score from the men's competition. Abby finished second with 52, while Amy placed third with 45.4. Then Kyler took the dynamometer himself and posted a score of 193, far surpassing everyone else in the room.