Got Grip?

brads58

New member
Been working out lately for the past month-month N half and I'm having trouble keeping my grip on heavier weights. I have noticed it's gotten a little bit better, but was wondering if anyone had any techniques to strengthen your grip or something?

I don't know if it's a fatigue setting in my wrist/hand, but it's usually when I'm almost done with an exercise and it's the second or last set. It feels like my thumb disappears and the bar is just cradling onto my fingertips.

Any info would be appreciated, it's frustrating when you know the part of your body that is performing the exercise can do the weight, but you just can't hold it.
 
plate pinches, or just take a heavy ass barbell and do static holds with it
 
brads58 said:
Been working out lately for the past month-month N half and I'm having trouble keeping my grip on heavier weights. I have noticed it's gotten a little bit better, but was wondering if anyone had any techniques to strengthen your grip or something?

I don't know if it's a fatigue setting in my wrist/hand, but it's usually when I'm almost done with an exercise and it's the second or last set. It feels like my thumb disappears and the bar is just cradling onto my fingertips.

Any info would be appreciated, it's frustrating when you know the part of your body that is performing the exercise can do the weight, but you just can't hold it.

I'm sure some of the stronger guys have some better techniques, but one thing that's helped me is at the end of every back workout i'll go grab the 100lb DB's and hold them as long as I can for 2-3 sets. You can start out lower if you need to.
 
JT190 said:
I'm sure some of the stronger guys have some better techniques, but one thing that's helped me is at the end of every back workout i'll go grab the 100lb DB's and hold them as long as I can for 2-3 sets. You can start out lower if you need to.


Well, I did that today, after my deadlift set that busted when I couldn't hold my 225, I then did some DB 65's and did shrugs, killing 2 birds. But as I'm doing it, my hands just keep tilting the weight and then i'm just hooking them in instead of a calm, steady hold.

Thanks for the replies though. And I'll have to look up these plate pinches.
 
Go to ww.ironmind.com and order the grippers. When you can close the #3 you'll be able to hold far more then you'll ever be able to DL, I assure you :)
 
I did grip work in the power rack. Loaded the bar like when doing rack pulls, pull it and hold it as long as I could. They're static holds. For me, the key was to hold BIG weights. Even bigger than when doing deads.
 
my grip sucked back then. can't even hold 220 on deads without it slipping. i'd suggest you doing both overhand grip during deads...they help a lot
 
AngryMuscles said:
my grip sucked back then. can't even hold 220 on deads without it slipping. i'd suggest you doing both overhand grip during deads...they help a lot


I do do overhand grips, have never tried the other grip (one over, one under).

Also, I've gotten better, but on my flat DB press, I tend to lose my grip and the weight starts to come inside instead of straight/curved to an extended motion.

The weight I'm doing isn't insanely too heavy, even though my grip is a little shotty, I'm still progressing in weight. So I don't really know if it's my grip or fatigue setting into my forearms, which really aren't that strong.
 
luquillo78 said:
I did grip work in the power rack. Loaded the bar like when doing rack pulls, pull it and hold it as long as I could. They're static holds. For me, the key was to hold BIG weights. Even bigger than when doing deads.
^^
the other question i would ask is what kind of grip do you use on deads: is it alternating or hook grip or do you just use a regular grip? i use the regular grip till i can't grip the bar anymore, i then switch to alternating but even hook grip right throughout would definitely help.
PS: do the static holds like luq suggests.
 
silver_shadow said:
^^
the other question i would ask is what kind of grip do you use on deads: is it alternating or hook grip or do you just use a regular grip? i use the regular grip till i can't grip the bar anymore, i then switch to alternating but even hook grip right throughout would definitely help.
PS: do the static holds like luq suggests.


I grip everything the same, traditional grip, as if i was making a fist, thumb under the bar. But when it goes, it turns into a hook grip, which then I can't control the weight. Right now I'm having the worst time on my deadlift, I know I can do the weight, my back is strong, but just can't do the hold. I found an old gripper, I've been squeezing the crap out of it. I also found someone saying if you get on a pull up bar and just hang there as long as you can, helps. Will try that when i go back to the gym.

Thanks for the responses.
 
i don't think you understood the hook grip. by traditional, i meant both hands over, or palms facing the towards you. this is strengthened by using a "hook grip" which means wrapping your fingers over your thumb rather than the natural tendency which is thumb over fingers. the alternative is to have one hand with palm facing you and the other with palm opposing - the alternating grip or mixed grip. your choice - whichever you feel comfortable with.
 
AngryMuscles said:
honestly, grip can easily be fatigued/overtrained. give it a rest perhaps....


mmmm negative, most programs that specialize in grip are 4-6 days straight with a day rest if any at all and then back at it. You can beat the living fuck out of your hands and they will recover extremely quick.
 
Not everyone survives without RMI or carpel. Plenty of us aren't build like Ronnie Coleman to where we can display inhuman levels of training frequency under extreme duress.
 
Well I went to the gym today, did a leg workout/stretch, then I got some 70lb DB's and walked around the gyms little track. I made it halfway, dropped them, picked up and went almost the other half, dropped, then picked up again and finished. I don't know if it's working my grip, but it sure as hell is working those forearms. I then picked them up again and just held them for 20 seconds, which was really how long I could hold them in a decent manner.

This is called a farmer's walk, I found it on some site when searching for grip techniques. Pretty much the only thing I can do are these. I can hang from the chin up bar, I'm about 295lb, so I don't really get a use out of that exercise, and the gym doesn't have wide bars that I was reading about, something like 2 inches thick.
 
Mudge said:
Not everyone survives without RMI or carpel. Plenty of us aren't build like Ronnie Coleman to where we can display inhuman levels of training frequency under extreme duress.


And where was it stated that a regimine like that would require that type of physical condition?

Grip can be trained in several different aspects. Grippers and similar exercises can be done nearly every day with a day or twos rest in between. Grippers will have the best carry over into deadlifting since crushing grip (grippers) carries over very well into supporting grip (holding a DL bar), although its not the other way around. Now exercises like thickbar which incorporate more of the forearm muscles because you utlilize the thumb might need to be trained less frequently. But still, training it 3-4 times a week at the least aint gonna set you back so long as you're smart and train your extensors to prevent an imbalance in your hand.

Grip is somewhat similar to calves but recovers far more quickly. Look at a mason work sometime, watch as what he does in a day's work far exceeds any grip specialized workout that most execute. He takes maybe a day or two off from work, and yet still has a grip that would put most of the people in a gym to shame. Lookup Slim "the hammerman" Farman, the guy who used to work everyday in a rock quarry with a 12lb sledge breaking rocks 7 days a week, and now can perform feats with sledge levering that no one in the world has yet to come close to.

My point is that I think a lot of people take the "don't wanna overtrain, might hinder my progress too much" into grip training, which couldnt be farther from getting a stronger grip. Its worked for me and countless other people I know so it can't hurt to try imo.
 
I'm only speaking from personal experience, doing things like phone book tears which is an under a minute ritual wears me out enough that it affects my performance the very next day. I have a long history of using my hands typing (technical support in the late 90s) and playing guitar for 15 years, so I am familiar enough with what my hands/forearms can and cannot do.

So as someone who is not a 90 pound weakling who overtrains just by reading Arnold's Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding, I am putting out my own agreement with AngryMuscles that grip training can be sensitive for a number of people out there.

Frequent training is fine, but intensity levels have to be watched - it is all a balance. Can I train my grip to failure every day or even every other day successfully? No, definitely not. Nobody is saying you are wrong, I am speaking from my own experience in agreement with another forumer. Plus I will add in that muscles are only one part of the equation. If you want carpel and RMI problems then that is your business, but training must be balanced and I am not trying to beat out some guy who works in a fucking rock quarry. Good for him, I'm sure he is impressive, but I'm here for the long haul and I may not share his genetic gift of small tendons and a large carpel tunnel. :)
 
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Mudge said:
I'm only speaking from personal experience, doing things like phone book tears which is an under a minute ritual wears me out enough that it affects my performance the very next day. I have a long history of using my hands typing (technical support in the late 90s) and playing guitar for 15 years, so I am familiar enough with what my hands/forearms can and cannot do.

So as someone who is not a 90 pound weakling who overtrains just by reading Arnold's Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding, I am putting out my own agreement with AngryMuscles that grip training can be sensitive for a number of people out there.

Frequent training is fine, but intensity levels have to be watched - it is all a balance. Can I train my grip to failure every day or even every other day successfully? No, definitely not. Nobody is saying you are wrong, I am speaking from my own experience in agreement with another forumer. Plus I will add in that muscles are only one part of the equation. If you want carpel and RMI problems then that is your business, but training must be balanced and I am not trying to beat out some guy who works in a fucking rock quarry. Good for him, I'm sure he is impressive, but I'm here for the long haul and I may not share his genetic gift of small tendons and a large carpel tunnel. :)


Can you tear a deck of cards :) ? If so what kind, just wondering.

The phone books are great at parties for sure, that and exploding full beer cans.
 
I can do the cans but I haven't tried cards, but yes I can tell it would be more challenging. The suggestion is to start out on cheap and used cards, but I just haven't gotten around to it, phone books are more plentiful and I'm not really a casino hopper.

Chains or handcuffs would be swell.
 
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