A Grip Like a Vice: Grip Strength Training Tips

artofmanliness.com/articles/molding-a-mighty-grip-strength

Guest Contributor October 11,

2019

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Jedd Johnson.

In this day and age, we all know (or should know) how important it is to maintain a
healthy level of physical fitness in order to live a good quality life, maintain our
cardiovascular system, and keep our bodies strong in order to thrive into our later years.
For many of us, this means getting into the gym in order to do resistance training — one
of the best forms of exercise that is available to us. For those looking to get back into the
gym in order to maximize your health, strength, and vigor, one thing to take into
consideration that is often forgotten or completely ignored is grip strength. “Grip
strength? What does that have to do with anything?” you might ask. It may not make
sense to you right off the bat to take time to train the hands and lower arms while at the
gym. I know when I first learned about it, it seemed like a complete waste of time to
spend valuable training time on less than 5% of your body, but the truth of the matter is
having a strong grip pays many dividends both in your training and elsewhere.

What is Grip Strength?

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Grip strength is often thought of as simply hand strength, and while hand strength is
definitely included, there are actually many other things to consider when thinking
of grip. First off, grip involves everything from the musculature near the elbow
down to the fingertips. It has to be thought of this way because many of the forearm
and hand flexor muscles actually originate above the elbow, and anytime a muscle
crosses a joint, it will in some way influence it. As we move downward, the gripping
muscles pass through the forearms, the wrists, and into the hands, fingers, and thumbs
— and not only through the front of the forearms, but also the back of forearms. This is
important to remember. When we look at grip in this manner, we start to see that
there are MANY movement patterns that are realized by the lower arm
musculature. As we train the lower arms, we must then remember to train all of these
movement patterns in order to maintain a suitable balance between the antagonistic
muscle groups, such as the flexors and extensors. In fact, many cases of inflammation-
related forearm pain such as tendonitis, tendonosis and epicondylitis can arise due
to improper training of the forearm muscles or simply neglecting certain muscle
groups or movement patterns.

Benefits of Having a Strong Grip

There are many reasons men should seek to have a strong grip. They range from social
reasons, to training reasons, and beyond. Let’s highlight a few.

Stronger Grip = Stronger Handshake. Whether it is right or not, men are often judged
by their level of strength and by how strong they seem. Nothing is a better example of
this than the need for a strong, hearty handshake. When you shake hands with a man
and he looks you in the eye and gives you a solid squeeze back, it makes him seem more
confident, dependable, and trustworthy. However, if they hit you with the proverbial
“dead fish” handshake, they lose credibility and may even seem slimy and weak.

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Don’t let this be your handshake…
Stronger Grip = Bigger Lifts. When you have a strong grip, you are able to lift heavier
weights in the gym. Especially in pulling movements such as deadlifts, rows, pull-ups,
and chin-ups, a solid grip that you can call upon will help you increase your training
results by increasing strength.
Stronger Grip = Better Endurance. When your hands and lower arms are strong, you
can also perform more repetitions than someone whose weak hands are a liability. This
means you will be able to perform more repetitions per set of an exercise, thus burning
more calories, losing more fat, and building more muscle.

Stronger Grip = Better Later Life Quality. Research has now shown that grip strength
has proven to be a reliable indicator for quality of life at an older age. For instance, in
1999 a study concluded the following:

“Among healthy 45- to 68-year-old men, hand grip strength was highly predictive of
functional limitations and disability 25 years later. Good muscle strength in midlife may
protect people from old age disability by providing a greater safety margin above the
threshold of disability.”

Stronger Grip = Better Injury Resiliency. Muscles and connective tissues that are
strengthened are more injury-resistant, and if injury does end up taking place, stronger
tissue can usually recover faster so that you are back on top of your game. This is
particularly important for athletes who play contact sports, especially when the hands
play such a major role in success. For instance, while players of football and basketball
are highly dependent on the strength of their legs and core, their performance is
hindered substantially just by jamming a finger or developing pain in the wrist or
forearm. And breaking or spraining the wrist will land an athlete on the bench to watch
the game from the sidelines.

Now that we have established that there is a lot more involved in grip training than just
using our hands, and now that we know just how beneficial it can be to have a strong
grip, let’s take a look at some of the many defined movement patterns that exist with
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grip training.

Types of Grip Strength

There are many defined forms of gripping. Some involve primarily the hands while
others involve action from the wrist and forearm as well. See below.

Hand Specific Movements

Crushing — Crushing is the action of closing the fingers against resistance. Similar in
nature but often forgotten are clamping (wrapping the fingers around something and
squeezing it toward the palm) and crimping (directing force with the fingers toward the
callous line).

Pinching — Pinching involves grasping something with the thumbs in opposition to the
fingers. This can be static (no movement, such as gripping a board) or dynamic (such as
squeezing the handles of a clamp).

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Supporting — Support grip entails lifting
something with the fingers taking the
brunt of a load — normally in an isometric
fashion, like deadlifts, rows, and kettlebell
work. It should be noted that true support
grip entails the fingers wrapping well
around the bar. If the handle is large
enough that there is a space between the
fingers and thumb, it is referred to as open
hand support.

Extension — Hand extension is the

opening of the fingers and thumb
(antagonistic action to flexion of the
fingers and thumb).

Wrist & Forearm Postures

Ulnar / Radial Deviation — Angling the

wrist toward the inside or outside edges of
the forearm. Shown above is ulnar
deviation. Movement toward the thumb
side would be radial deviation.

Flexion / Extension — Flexion is the

bending of the wrist so that the palm
moves toward the front of the forearm —
shown above. Extension, then, is the
antagonistic movement pattern and
involves moving the wrist so that the back
of the hand moves toward the back of the
forearm.

Pronation / Supination — These are the terms given to forearm rotation. Pronation is
the turning of the forearm so that the palm faces down (similar to prone, as in lying face-
down), while supination is turning the forearm so that the palm faces upward.

Circumduction — This is a combination of all of the above movement patterns, where

the hand moves in a circular fashion about the wrist. It can also be done holding
something, such as with the shot device shown above, as a leverage move.

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Elbow Movement Patterns

Flexion (with Pronation) – Bending the

elbow so that the forearm nears the bicep
with the palm facing downward (like a
reverse bicep curl motion). Shown above,
this is a very important movement for
preventing and getting rid of inflammation
injuries like tennis elbow.

Flexion (with Supination) – Bending the

elbow so that the forearm nears the bicep
with the palm facing upward (like a normal
bicep curl motion, not shown).

Extension – Straightening the elbow, such

as in the bench press. Any weakness or
liability in the surrounding musculature
can decrease your numbers on the bench
and other movements.

Common Grip Training Exercises

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Grippers (Crush Grip)
There are many types of grippers on the
market. The objective is to squeeze them
so that the handles touch together. Some
companies have certifications for closing
their grippers. Grippers are probably the
most popular form of grip training.
Everyone should have a set. If you can
close the number 3 from IronMind, you
are considered to have a great crushing
grip, and you can get certified (women can
now certify on the number 2).

Plate Pinching (Pinch Grip)

This is done by setting up two or more
plates smooth-sides-out and then lifting
them off the floor in a pinch grip. Common
combinations include 4-tens, 2-25’s, and 7-
fives. If you can pinch 5-tens, 2-35’s, or 8-
fives, then you have an excellent grip. If
you can pinch 6-tens, 2-45’s, or 3-25’s, then
you are world class.

Block Weights (Pinch Grip)

These are really any block-shaped device,

but most often are broken or cut-off heads of a dumbbell that are lifted off the ground in
a Pinch Grip. The most popular goal in grip training is to lift the 50-lb Blob, a half 100-lb
dumbbell produced by York Barbell.

Thick Bar Lifting (Open Hand Support)

As the handle of a dumbbell thickens it becomes
much harder to lift. The most widely recognized
feat of thick bar strength is the Thomas Inch
Replica Dumbbell, weighing roughly 172 lbs and
having a nearly 2.5-inch thick handle. All one unit
with non-rotating globe heads, as soon as the bells
leave the ground the entire unit starts to spin,
peeling your grip open. This dumbbell is named
after a challenge dumbbell used by the strongman
performer Thomas Inch in the 19th century.

Ways to Increase Grip Strength

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There are many ways to develop your grip strength, beyond just using the equipment
shown in the section above. However, it should be noted that while the classic hand and
forearm work done and taught in gyms usually includes wrist curls, these really do not
have anywhere near as big of an impact as other exercises.

Drop the Straps. In order to start challenging your hand strength and to start building a
grip that will enable you to crush other mens’ hands (when so inclined) as well as to
produce the lower arm strength that will be a huge asset in other forms of strength and
fitness training, sports, and manual labor, the first thing you should do is to drastically
reduce the use of lifting straps and other gripping aids in the gym. Sure, when you reach
the upper levels of your pulling strength in movements such as deadlifts and rows, by all
means strap in so that you can get your repetition goal, but on the lighter sets, there
really is no need to use straps.

Open Hand Training

As far as grip-specific exercises go, the

easiest thing you can do is to choose
implements that force you to lift with your
hand in a more open position. One simple
way to do this is to use Fat Gripz or
Grip4orce handles when performing your
pulling and curling movements. These go
right onto the handles of the implements
and require more of your hands during
the movement because your fingers
cannot wrap completely around the bar or
dumbbell.

Two Hands Pinch

Place two plates together smooth-sides-out, such as a

pair of 35’s or 45’s. Then, run a pipe through the center
hole and add more weight to the pipe. Grip the set-up in
an overhand grip and try to lift it to lockout. You can go
for maximum weight lifted or just perform repetitions or
holds for time. The implement shown above is the
adjustable device used in grip strength contests. The
Two Hands Pinch is one of the staple events.

Towel Training
Towels can be used for instant thick and dynamic
gripping surfaces (make sure it is a strong towel that
won’t rip). For instance, you can loop a towel over a bar
and perform pull-ups (similar to the rope pull-ups
below), attach one to a cable machine for pull-downs
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and rows, or around a kettlebell (shown above) for an World record in the Two Hands
even more dynamic and metabolic method of training Pinch, December 2009: 256.04
lbs
the grip.

Plate Curls
Hook your thumb over the edge of a 25-lb
plate and support it with your palm and
straight fingers. Next, try to perform a curl
with the plate, trying to keep your wrist
and fingers from buckling under the
pressure. This is one of the most basic grip
training methods, yet one of the most
difficult.

Inverted Dumbbell Lift

Stand a 30- to 40-lb dumbbell up on its

head and try to lift it with one hand by the
top in a claw grip. Use the number for a
grip aid if you need to. Once you get it this
way, try it without using the number. All
dumbbells are different and vary in level
of difficulty based on their shape, finish of
paint, and more, but it is a very good
training method.

Rope Training
Rope training is awesome for cardio and
conditioning, but many do not realize how
hard it hits the grip and forearms as well.

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Grip Training Guidelines for Beginners
While everyone can benefit from including regular grip training in their workout routines,
not everyone is at the same level of strength and some people may be more susceptible
to injuries. Because of this, keep these tidbits in mind as you begin and progress.

Start out light: Begin by modifying some of your regular lifting so that it is more grip-
intense and then from there add more work. For instance, you can use a towel as the
handle on rows for a couple of weeks to get the hands used to working harder, then you
can begin adding other implements and techniques into the training as well.

Move up slowly: For those just starting out with grip training, I like to suggest one or two
grip-intensive lifts per session once per week for two weeks. After two weeks, move up to
two workouts where you include grip-specific lifts. After a month, shoot for workouts
where you train the grip with serious intentions up to 3 times a week. This is usually
enough for just about everybody.

Watch the volume: When performing grip lifts separate from the rest of your routine,
keep an eye on the volume. Think of training volume as the number of sets and reps in a
workout. Most people progress very well with grip strength if they stay in the 3 to 5 sets
of 3 to 5 repetitions range when performing lifts like the Two Hands Pinch. That is a total
of roughly 9 to 25 total attempts in a workout. It’s not that much.

Train the extensors: To keep progressing, make sure to include training for the muscles
on the back of the hand, the extensors. You can do this easily and on the cheap by using
the large rubber bands found on heads of broccoli or with #84 rubber bands from
Staples. Wrap the rubber band around the fingers and thumb and then open them
against the resistance of the band. This is a surprisingly effective way to work the
extensors. If you can do more than 20 repetitions, then try adding another rubber band
in order to increase the resistance or hold the opened position for 2 or 3 seconds before
doing the next repetition.
________________________________________________

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Jedd Johnson is a strength coach and competitive grip sport athlete. He holds the World
Record in the Two Hands Pinch, a staple event in many grip strength contests and loves
spreading the world about Grip Sport and the importance of strong hands for athletes. For
hundreds of free articles on Grip Training, check out his website at DieselCrew.com, and for a
free 8 weeks of Grip Training workouts, sign up here: Grip Program.

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