Grip strength is essential. Period.
Have you ever been in a situation where you can’t complete an exercise because your hands hurt too darn much and your grip is starting to go? Maybe it’s time to start putting more attention towards your grip strength. Or how about this, you’re walking home after a long day at work, you swing by the store to grab some groceries and you know just looking at those loaded bags, your hands are going to kill by the time you get a block down the street.
When you’re strength training, everything you do will benefit your everyday life. But grip strength is definitely one of the most essential things that will help no matter the situation. You’ll likely never hear an athlete or knowledgeable fitness enthusiast say “Meh, I don’t really care about my grip strength, it’s not really that important”. A strong grip will help you reach new goals, simplify everyday tasks and even do it’s part to keep your shoulders healthy. When you lock in that grip, you’ll get more stability in the shoulder joint thanks to signals to the rotator cuff causing it to “pack” itself. Here are 3 basic exercises you can do to improve your grip strength.
3 Basic Grip Strength Exercises
1. Farmer Walk
Grab a pair of dumbbells and walk. That’s it. Grip the heck (squeeze!) out of those dumbbells, stand tall with shoulders back and chest up, keep those weights stable and controlled and then go the distance. Keep your core engaged and don’t bend or twist your torso. Aim for a minimum 50 yard walk.
Challenge yourself: If you’ve got big hands or a good grip already, play around with Fat Gripz if you’ve got access to them.
2. Dead Hang
I’ll give you 3 guesses at what this is…..you got it. Grab on to the bar or rings and just hang out. Closed grip, thumb over your first finger (maybe second as well) and hold on for dear life. If you’ve got shoulder issues, I’d avoid this one for now.
Challenge yourself: If you’re comfortable with pull ups, try adding a 5 second dead hang between reps. Increase it as you go. This works for parallel rows and any other body weight row too. Your feet will be on the ground, but you’re still supporting your body weight with your grip.
3. Rope Rows
Try your body weight row on the original suspension trainer, the ropes. Grab two hanging ropes, dig your heels into the ground and engage your glutes and core. Stay rigid and aim for a straight line from head to heel. Pull yourself to almost upright position, control the way down and repeat.
Challenge yourself: If these are easy, try a hinged rope climb (Glute bridge position, keep hips up. Pull yourself on a single rope to almost upright then control down) or a full rope climb.
Give these three a try and let me know the difference you see in your grip. You won’t be sorry. And remember, your hands might not always be comfortable when holding on to a bunch of weight. That’s not a surprise. But if you can tough it out, it’ll be worth it.