So I was going for a new PR last week, and in every attempt I got the bar about an inch shy of lockout and it just rolled right out of my damn fingers. So my question: what’s the best grip training specifically for deadlifting?
I’ve read that one type of grip training doesn’t translate into another. I was thinking of doing some Farmer’s Holds and using my Captains of Crush thingy-ma-bob. What else would you guys recommend?
Also: where’s a good place to put grip training, and how often should it be done? I’m doing a Westside isnpired template right now. Should I do grip training on both my ME and DE Squat/DL days? Or maybe on the bench days instead? Or even all days?
Thanks for any help. Training by myself at the moment, and it’s a little difficult to get my numbers up.
The biggest thing that helped my deadlift grip was various holds. I would often do double overhand holds for time, but not too much time. I’m not going to hold a deadlift for 45 seconds, so I wouldn’t do holds for that long.
I would also do one-handed holds grabbing the fat, collar part of the barbell. Just put the bar in the rack at knee-level or so, stand outside the rack, grab the collar, lift and hold.
If you have a partner, these can be made fun and competitive by having one person hold each side. See who can hold the longest. You can “handicap” each other’s grip by adding weight to person’s side with the stronger grip.
There’s really a lot you can do for grip and strength. You just have to do it. Sometimes it’s boring and tedious, but if you stick with it, your hand strength will improve.
I would also do one-handed holds grabbing the fat, collar part of the barbell. Just put the bar in the rack at knee-level or so, stand outside the rack, grab the collar, lift and hold.
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I agree–
doing this exercise really helped my grip.
Also–you said the bar ‘rolled’ out of your hands–are you using a double overhand grip? If so then using a mixed grip will work. I use a Double overhand grip even on heavy sets, though, just to really make sure my grip is on par. Besides, i think grip training is really fun. Here are a few ideas:
Hex dumbbell holds (Hold hex dumbbells by the top and hold for time)
Plate holds (put two tens or two twenty five pound plates together–smooth sides out–and hold onto these for time. can be done single handed, two handed)
towel pull ups (put a towel over a chin up bar so both sides are dangling and do pull ups)
sand bag work (many things can be done with a sandbag–for lighter bags throw them up in the air and try to catch it. for heavier bags…no explanation necessary)
CoC grippers (you said you had these, just do them like a regular exercise)
Nail Bending–in my experience, the best of the lot. I love nail bending, find it a lot of fun, and it is one hell of a workout for the forearms.
Everyone has pretty much nailed down great exercises; but some advise on when to do it now… Personally I pick up the trainer gripper (C.O.C.) when i feel like it, and i just picked up a "GripMaster Light tension from EFS for ‘free’ (x-mas gift card), that i have been known to throw it in my pocket and bust it out whenever. Then not touch it for a few days.
Also make sure to work your extensors too. I found a great way to do this is to take rubber bands and push them apart from the inside, so the band is trying to hold your fingers together. Its also very easy to do a load progression with the rubber bands, just add another one!
With weighted grip work or heavier C.O.C. grippers i throw those in at the end of a session if i really think it needs work or just want to (ala Chad Waterburys ‘5 min free time’ at the end of a session). Now if I really wanna focus on it I will treat it like an accessory movement and really go for it.
Lots of good exercises mentioned, but consider that the problem may be lack of rest, not lack of exercises. I think it’s easy to overtrain the grip because it’s a link in so many other moves. Try straps for a week or two every once in a while on all your deadlift variations, and dumbbell pulling moves, and see if you benefit from that break.
[quote]atypicaluser wrote:
Lots of good exercises mentioned, but consider that the problem may be lack of rest, not lack of exercises. I think it’s easy to overtrain the grip because it’s a link in so many other moves. Try straps for a week or two every once in a while on all your deadlift variations, and dumbbell pulling moves, and see if you benefit from that break. [/quote]
That’s very good advice, actually.
Additionally, my observation has been that you can get meaningful increases in grip strength on the front end of a training cycle bu just performing barabell wrist and finger curls. There may be no need to get real crazy on exercise selection and an argument can be made that excessive use of holding type exercises may actually push you backwards if you are in, for example, a meet peaking cycle where the demands on your grip are increasing.