Grip strength is something that many people have a problem with. Whether we like it or not, without a strong grip you simply can't practice some exercises. Many people try to resolve this disparity between the forearm and the other muscles involved by, for example, using snatches or other equipment. Unfortunately, it is these aids that cause the imaginary gap between the developed and lagging parts to widen. So today we're going to look at the best exercises to help you strengthen your grip.
It is clear to us that a demonstration is useful for explaining the technique of the exercises. So, some of you will be more comfortable with the video we made on our YouTube channel on this subject.
If you are more comfortable with the written form, or if you just want a reminder of the exercises mentioned in the video, please continue reading.
1. Biceps overhand axial raise
This exercise is not only good for strengthening your grip, but also for building muscle mass. I'm sure most of you are familiar with it, but probably do it underhanded. Unlike the underhand, this one involves the deep arm muscles, the radius, the innerthe inner and outer wrist flexors and many other muscles of the forearm. There is less biceps involvement at the expense of these muscles, but it is through the use ofof all the above mentioned muscles, it is worth including this variation in your training. The execution is exactly the same as for the deadlift with the underhand grip, the only difference is in the grip of the axle.
2. Deadlift with overhand grip
Most people tend to use an alternating or locking grip for the deadlift. When it comes to maximal performance per repetition, this is obviously a good and effective choice. However, in terms of building grip strength, it is not the best solution. Try to engage the overhand grip as much as possible. About 70% percent of your training should be accomplished this way. If it's giving you trouble, it's because of a weak grip. Thus, a combination of overhand and alternating grip is suggested . For example, when maxing out at 3 reps, it's a good idea to use an overhand grip for the first rep and an alternating grip for the other two.
If you misjudge the number of reps and know you can do more than you originally thought, it's also a good idea to choose the overhand grip for the remaining reps. Overhand gri p is also a great auxiliary exercise to strengthen your grip . Unlike the farmer's walk, there's no need to walk anywhere, so it's definitely more comfortable. Of course, it is most effective if you avoid using snatches, hooks and other unnecessary things .
If deadlift technique is a problem for you, or you want to learn some tips and tricks on how to improve in this discipline, be sure to check out our older articlewhere everything is discussed in detail.
3. Rolling the axis from the fingers to the palm
This exercise is not that often used among people, but it is definitely very effective. I personally find it probably the most ideal, but something different may suit everyone. The most important thing is to estimate the weight correctly and not to go to the extreme, because even smaller weights can really give you a hard time. Performing the exercise itself is not difficult - you get into an upright deadlift position and simplyYou lower the axis towards your fingertips and then back up into your clenched fist.
4. Firm grip (not only) of the one-armed hands during training
If you want to strengthen your forearm as much as possible, you need to engage it as much as possible. This is the biggest problem for most people. Therefore, for all exercises with the one-handers, you need to hold them as firmly as possible to activate the forearm as much as possible. It often happens that people in the gym have their wrists twisted in various ways during biceps lifts, for example. This execution of the technique not only looks bad, but also doesn't help at all. Try to maintain the best technique for all exercises, don't twist your wrists and hold the dumbbells as tightly as possible.
5. Aids
Personally, I don't think the use of aids is necessary if you are incorporating enough forearm exercises into your workout. In any case, there are definitely aids that can help you engage your forearms more intimately and therefore strengthen your grip. The most ideal ones in my opinion are fat gripz. This is an attachment to the axle that increases its diameter. This makes it much harder to hold the axle and the difficulty of the exercise increases significantly. Grippers, which are used by many fighters for example, are not to be thrown away either.
If the weak grip is limiting you, I definitely recommend including it at least once a week in your training along with biceps or back work. It ' s important not to forget about stretching. Ideally, find a few minutes after each workout to do some static forearm stretching.
Why can you trust us?
Sport has been my lifelong passion, I have been close to it since I was a child. For a long time I was primarily involved in athletics, which also eventually led me to the gym. Every good sprinter knows that to get one tenth of a start, he must therefore sacrifice hundreds of hours in training. And it was this toil behind the curtain, which no one sees, that was my greatest passion.
Every kilo in the gym helped me to move a little closer to my goal and I fell in love with the gym very quickly. Even though I don't race anymore, nothing has changed in my relationship with uncompromising training.