Your everyday life requires grip strength and endurance. Think about it, how often do you
Pick up something from the ground or overhead and then carry it?
Carry in groceries from the car?
Open a new jar?
Rip open a cardboard box or a packet of your favorite indulgence?
It goes without saying the lifting barbells and dumbbells also require high levels of grip strength. At times it can be the number one limiting factor. You can either grip it or you can’t.
So doesn’t it make sense to train such a vital skill? Hopefully your answer is yes.
1. FARMERS WALK
Picking up a heavy weight and walking with it sounds simple enough but it’s a real challenge. This full body exercise not only trains your grip but works on your cardiovascular fitness and mental toughness.
This underrated exercise always deserves a prime time spot in your exercise routine.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fkzk_RqlYig&w=560&h=315]
Training suggestions
Pairing this with an exercise that doesn’t require a ton of grip strength is ideal. For example:
1A. Bench press, squat, shoulder press or hip thrust.
1B. Dumbbell farmers walk- 40 yards.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvQXREKFfpY&w=560&h=315]
Or you can include this in a core training superset. For example:
1A. Side plank or Front plank variations 30- 60 seconds
1B. Dumbbell farmers walk 40 yards.
After this, opening a jar will be no big deal.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArlxMZdGa4U&w=560&h=315]
2. PLATE PINCH
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNbatvOweWw&w=560&h=315]
Did you know we have 34 muscles that move our fingers and thumb? That’s a lot of muscles to neglect.
Our fingers can be incredibly strong – strong enough for some people to climb mountains, while supporting their entire weight at times by a few fingertips.
We give all our other body parts some love (hello, biceps), so why not our fingers?
Training suggestions
Save this exercise for the end of your training, when you’re looking for some extra bicep work. If your biceps/forearms look anything like mine, do this tri-set two to three times per week.
1A. Dumbbell biceps hammer curl 15- 20 reps
1B. Barbell wrist curls 15-20 reps
1C. Plate pinch (with 5-10 pound plates) to failure on both sides
Repeat this circuit three times with minimal rest in between exercises.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vub3q-TACtg&w=560&h=315]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oYfdKGlKSk&w=420&h=315]
Wrapping up
Grip strength plays a big role in our everyday lives so it makes perfect sense to train this in the gym. If you’re lucky, you’ll start to get a better handle on things also.
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