Post by Joey Smith on Aug 25, 2006 8:42:21 GMT -5
Gripping Exercises
Grip training exercises can be grouped into two types: suspension and crushing/squeezing/tearing exercises.
Suspension Exercises.
These involve, as the name suggests, suspending a weight, while gripping it with the wrist. They work primarily the pinching grip. Dangers are inherent in this type of training, as the feet could be crushed if the weight is dropped, or, if the grip gives out during a hanging movement, an injury could occur.
Grip Hangs.
For this exercise, simply hang from a bar with a holding grip for a period of time, which should be increased as grips strengthens.
Grips hangs done in this fashion work holding and crushing strength.
A twist on this movement is to use the fingers (hanging from a beam as opposed to a bar) to increase pinching grip.
Towel Grip Dumbbell Curls
Wrap towel around the bar of a dumbbell, and grip both ends of the towel. Perform a curl in this fashion to work isometric crushing strength, and develop spectacular forearms.
A good practice to get into, is to incorporate this movement into a biceps routine (between regular dumbbell curls for example) to really target total arm development.
Three sets of 12-15 repetitions for this movement. The normal strength-training rules concerning building up slowly before increasing weight apply, as they do with all remaining exercises in this article.
Towel-Grip & Plate-Grip Farmers Walk.
These movements respectively develop isometric crushing and pinching strength. For both these movements, find a suitable area where one can walk 100 meters unobstructed.
For the towel walk, attach a towel to a dumbbell or any other suitable weight (a brick, or sandbag etc), grasp hold of this weight and walk the designated distance until the grip gives out - the weight therefore needs to be suitably heavy so one does not have to walk a considerable distance. This movement really works all muscles of the forearm.
The plate-grip farmers walk adopts the same principal in terms of walking distance, but instead substitutes a plate (5lbs in each hand to begin with), to work isometric pinching strength. Three sets for each type of walking should be sufficient. A 90-second hold should be a realistic target.
Static Barbell Hold
This movement increases crushing and holding strength. It is a very simple exercise that involves taking a barbell from a rack and holding it for up to 90-seconds.
To specifically develop various types of holding/crushing grips, use both the bar and a rolled-up towel to add different degrees of stimulus: the towel with make the grip wider and emphasize more of the pinching type strength. Three sets of 90-seconds for this movement.
One-Arm Dumbbell Rows With Towel
Attach a towel to a dumbbell and perform rows while holding the towel. Again, different thicknesses of towel will target different aspects of grip.
This movement can be incorporated into a back workout to help build crushing/holding strength.
Crushing/Squeezing/Tearing Exercises
These movements help to build vice-like strength in the hands, while establishing significant size in the forearms. The following exercises utilize the thumb, fingers and palm, which make them total grip strengthening movements.
Rubber Ball Squeeze
Using a rubber ball (or tennis ball), simply squeeze and hold for up to 90-seconds. Train both hands with three sets each. This movement heavily targets the forearm flexors.
Newspaper Balls
These would have to be one of the simplest, yet most effective, ways of developing crushing strength. Take one newspaper and tear each page into smaller pieces. Roll each piece into the smallest possible ball, one hand at a time, until the entire newspaper has been used
Of course, it pays to begin with a few pages and progress to the entire paper, over a period of weeks.
Newspaper Tearing
This exercise is an extension of the traditional strongman phonebook and card-deck tearing feats. In fact it can be used as a build-up to either of these displays. It is a very simply movement, which can be done at almost any time, anywhere.
Take two pieces of newspaper, lay them on top of each other, the fold them in halves five times. Then begin by tearing these halves into halves, and even quarters. Begin with a few sheets and progress to a entire newspaper.
Other Grip Strengthening Exercises
Fingertip Push-Ups
This movement is one of the most effective for strengthening the fingers, which translates to an improvement in grip strength.
It does not target holding, crushing or pinching grip directly, but is an excellent movement nonetheless. Three sets of as many repetitions possible should do the trick.
Wrist Twists
These are great for daily activities like turning door knobs, opening jar lids and using tools such as a screwdriver. To perform this movement, take a moderately weighted dumbbell and sit on the end of a bench
Feet should be shoulder-width apart and forearms are to be placed on thighs. Wrists should be slightly off the edge of your knees. Grasping the dumbbells, slowly rotate the hands back and forth making sure that the forearms are stabilized. Three sets of 12-15 repetitions should do it.
A Grip Strength Program
The following program is designed to build total grip strength. Certain exercises are omitted (Towel dumbbell rows and curls can be done during back and biceps training respectively). Training days can be shifted to suit current training program, if necessary.
Don't be overwhelmed by the workload. Given the relatively non-taxing nature (in terms of stressing the entire body) of grip work, regular training sessions (back/biceps etc) can be easily worked around. The Friday and Saturday sessions can be done in front of the TV, or in a similar, relaxed, setting.
Monday (Crushing Strength):
Grip hangs (holding grip): three sets of 90-second hangs.
Towel grip farmers walk: three sets of 90-second holding.
Static barbell hold: three sets of 90-second holding.
Thursday (Pinching Strength):
Grips hangs with fingers: three sets of 90-second hangs.
Plate grip farmers walk: three sets of 90-second holding.
Finger tip press-ups: three sets of as many as possible (this movement, although not strictly a pinching movement, does strengthen the fingers which are required for pinching work).
Friday:
Newspaper balls: begin with a few sheets, and progress to an entire paper of over subsequent weeks. Alternate hands.
Wrist twists: three sets of 12-15 with a light dumbbell - progress to a heavier one as strength develops.
Saturday:
Newspaper tearing: Begin with a few sheets and progress to an entire paper.
Rubber-ball squeeze: three sets of 30-40 squeezes with each hand
Conclusion
There are many grip training exercises available. The ones featured in this article are what I consider to be the best and most efficacious, in terms of both developing phenomenal strength, and filling out the forearms. Some of the movements featured are pretty obscure, and used primarily as an aid to martial artists. However, they work equally as well for both strength athletes, and the general population.
Developing gripping strength will enhance not only the ability to handle heavy objects, but assist with injury prevention due to increased wrist/hand strength, enhance quality of training due to an increased ability to handle weights without the grip giving out, develop massive size in the forearms, and help with day activities such as opening jars. Developing gripping strength can be a lot fun, and is certainly worth committing to.
References
About.(2004). Getting a Martial Grip: Improving Your Gripping Strength. [Online]
Jones, M.(2004). Killer Grip Strength for the Martial Arts. Blitz, Martial Arts Magazine. May, 2004.
Grip training exercises can be grouped into two types: suspension and crushing/squeezing/tearing exercises.
Suspension Exercises.
These involve, as the name suggests, suspending a weight, while gripping it with the wrist. They work primarily the pinching grip. Dangers are inherent in this type of training, as the feet could be crushed if the weight is dropped, or, if the grip gives out during a hanging movement, an injury could occur.
Grip Hangs.
For this exercise, simply hang from a bar with a holding grip for a period of time, which should be increased as grips strengthens.
Grips hangs done in this fashion work holding and crushing strength.
A twist on this movement is to use the fingers (hanging from a beam as opposed to a bar) to increase pinching grip.
Towel Grip Dumbbell Curls
Wrap towel around the bar of a dumbbell, and grip both ends of the towel. Perform a curl in this fashion to work isometric crushing strength, and develop spectacular forearms.
A good practice to get into, is to incorporate this movement into a biceps routine (between regular dumbbell curls for example) to really target total arm development.
Three sets of 12-15 repetitions for this movement. The normal strength-training rules concerning building up slowly before increasing weight apply, as they do with all remaining exercises in this article.
Towel-Grip & Plate-Grip Farmers Walk.
These movements respectively develop isometric crushing and pinching strength. For both these movements, find a suitable area where one can walk 100 meters unobstructed.
For the towel walk, attach a towel to a dumbbell or any other suitable weight (a brick, or sandbag etc), grasp hold of this weight and walk the designated distance until the grip gives out - the weight therefore needs to be suitably heavy so one does not have to walk a considerable distance. This movement really works all muscles of the forearm.
The plate-grip farmers walk adopts the same principal in terms of walking distance, but instead substitutes a plate (5lbs in each hand to begin with), to work isometric pinching strength. Three sets for each type of walking should be sufficient. A 90-second hold should be a realistic target.
Static Barbell Hold
This movement increases crushing and holding strength. It is a very simple exercise that involves taking a barbell from a rack and holding it for up to 90-seconds.
To specifically develop various types of holding/crushing grips, use both the bar and a rolled-up towel to add different degrees of stimulus: the towel with make the grip wider and emphasize more of the pinching type strength. Three sets of 90-seconds for this movement.
One-Arm Dumbbell Rows With Towel
Attach a towel to a dumbbell and perform rows while holding the towel. Again, different thicknesses of towel will target different aspects of grip.
This movement can be incorporated into a back workout to help build crushing/holding strength.
Crushing/Squeezing/Tearing Exercises
These movements help to build vice-like strength in the hands, while establishing significant size in the forearms. The following exercises utilize the thumb, fingers and palm, which make them total grip strengthening movements.
Rubber Ball Squeeze
Using a rubber ball (or tennis ball), simply squeeze and hold for up to 90-seconds. Train both hands with three sets each. This movement heavily targets the forearm flexors.
Newspaper Balls
These would have to be one of the simplest, yet most effective, ways of developing crushing strength. Take one newspaper and tear each page into smaller pieces. Roll each piece into the smallest possible ball, one hand at a time, until the entire newspaper has been used
Of course, it pays to begin with a few pages and progress to the entire paper, over a period of weeks.
Newspaper Tearing
This exercise is an extension of the traditional strongman phonebook and card-deck tearing feats. In fact it can be used as a build-up to either of these displays. It is a very simply movement, which can be done at almost any time, anywhere.
Take two pieces of newspaper, lay them on top of each other, the fold them in halves five times. Then begin by tearing these halves into halves, and even quarters. Begin with a few sheets and progress to a entire newspaper.
Other Grip Strengthening Exercises
Fingertip Push-Ups
This movement is one of the most effective for strengthening the fingers, which translates to an improvement in grip strength.
It does not target holding, crushing or pinching grip directly, but is an excellent movement nonetheless. Three sets of as many repetitions possible should do the trick.
Wrist Twists
These are great for daily activities like turning door knobs, opening jar lids and using tools such as a screwdriver. To perform this movement, take a moderately weighted dumbbell and sit on the end of a bench
Feet should be shoulder-width apart and forearms are to be placed on thighs. Wrists should be slightly off the edge of your knees. Grasping the dumbbells, slowly rotate the hands back and forth making sure that the forearms are stabilized. Three sets of 12-15 repetitions should do it.
A Grip Strength Program
The following program is designed to build total grip strength. Certain exercises are omitted (Towel dumbbell rows and curls can be done during back and biceps training respectively). Training days can be shifted to suit current training program, if necessary.
Don't be overwhelmed by the workload. Given the relatively non-taxing nature (in terms of stressing the entire body) of grip work, regular training sessions (back/biceps etc) can be easily worked around. The Friday and Saturday sessions can be done in front of the TV, or in a similar, relaxed, setting.
Monday (Crushing Strength):
Grip hangs (holding grip): three sets of 90-second hangs.
Towel grip farmers walk: three sets of 90-second holding.
Static barbell hold: three sets of 90-second holding.
Thursday (Pinching Strength):
Grips hangs with fingers: three sets of 90-second hangs.
Plate grip farmers walk: three sets of 90-second holding.
Finger tip press-ups: three sets of as many as possible (this movement, although not strictly a pinching movement, does strengthen the fingers which are required for pinching work).
Friday:
Newspaper balls: begin with a few sheets, and progress to an entire paper of over subsequent weeks. Alternate hands.
Wrist twists: three sets of 12-15 with a light dumbbell - progress to a heavier one as strength develops.
Saturday:
Newspaper tearing: Begin with a few sheets and progress to an entire paper.
Rubber-ball squeeze: three sets of 30-40 squeezes with each hand
Conclusion
There are many grip training exercises available. The ones featured in this article are what I consider to be the best and most efficacious, in terms of both developing phenomenal strength, and filling out the forearms. Some of the movements featured are pretty obscure, and used primarily as an aid to martial artists. However, they work equally as well for both strength athletes, and the general population.
Developing gripping strength will enhance not only the ability to handle heavy objects, but assist with injury prevention due to increased wrist/hand strength, enhance quality of training due to an increased ability to handle weights without the grip giving out, develop massive size in the forearms, and help with day activities such as opening jars. Developing gripping strength can be a lot fun, and is certainly worth committing to.
References
About.(2004). Getting a Martial Grip: Improving Your Gripping Strength. [Online]
Jones, M.(2004). Killer Grip Strength for the Martial Arts. Blitz, Martial Arts Magazine. May, 2004.