[quote]Moriarty wrote:
It has already been said but I will re-iterate…I’ve been lifting weights for about 10 years now. I’d say that for the first 7 years my forearms were embarrassingly small and my grip strength stupidly weak. I threw away my straps and gloves and within a year my forearms and grip were one of my strengths.
Notice I said “throw away”. I also went through the motions of “only using straps on my heavy set of deads” and things like that, but I didn’t see improvement until I threw them away completely. Every set of every lift with no straps (and no gloves).
Another thing: I threw away my straps right around the time I had incorporated 10x3 sets of rack pulls into my back routine, and that along with pull-ups did the trick pretty well. Try doing high volume rack pulls; you’ll kill your forearms in addition to all of the normal benefits of rack pulls. Things like grippers and “wrist curls” are a waste of time IMHO.
Second try. Maybe it’s my computer, but first looked all garbled over here:
I’m no expert at this, but I’ve experienced pronounced increases in grip strength recently (last few months) mostly by just playing around, gripping irregular stuff, stretching, and making sure I work the opposing muscles (extensors, right? the ones that open your hand) now and then.
Example – instead of doing pullups on a standard bar, for the last few months I’ve been doing them outdoors off of ledges or trees (3"-4" limbs work grip more than 1" bar, esp. if irregularly spaced). I’ve also tried jumping up, grabbing the lower branches of a tree, and working my way around to the left and to the right just using my hands (can also be an insane upper back workout). If my forearms get too pumped/tight in between sets of stuff, I’ll stretch them out a bit and then my grip’s good for a couple more. I also do a kind of reverse wrist curl in between every set of deads (using other hand for resistance) and that seems to help. Lastly, I keep a fat rubber band in my pocket that I’ll put over my fingers and practice opening my hand against resistance (it’s light resistance, but adds up).
I’ve suffered from RSI in both wrists (I’m a musician and I spend a billion hours a week typing between school and work so my hands get used a ton everyday). Six months ago my grip was so bad I could hardly hang on for a set of pullups. It’s not superhuman now, but I can jump up and grab a 3" plus limb with one hand the way most people grab a basketball rim. My hands are actually visibly thicker. It is definitely my weak-ass posterior chain that gives out on deads now before my grip. If it means anything, I’ve never used straps.
Anyway, those are my observations, just from my own experience over the last several months. I didn’t progress scientifically – just started gradually, messed around, and followed my instincts – but my hands feel worlds better and much stronger.
[quote]Feist wrote:
Second try. Maybe it’s my computer, but first looked all garbled over here:
I’m no expert at this, but I’ve experienced pronounced increases in grip strength recently (last few months) mostly by just playing around, gripping irregular stuff, stretching, and making sure I work the opposing muscles (extensors, right? the ones that open your hand) now and then.
Example – instead of doing pullups on a standard bar, for the last few months I’ve been doing them outdoors off of ledges or trees (3"-4" limbs work grip more than 1" bar, esp. if irregularly spaced). I’ve also tried jumping up, grabbing the lower branches of a tree, and working my way around to the left and to the right just using my hands (can also be an insane upper back workout). If my forearms get too pumped/tight in between sets of stuff, I’ll stretch them out a bit and then my grip’s good for a couple more. I also do a kind of reverse wrist curl in between every set of deads (using other hand for resistance) and that seems to help. Lastly, I keep a fat rubber band in my pocket that I’ll put over my fingers and practice opening my hand against resistance (it’s light resistance, but adds up).
I’ve suffered from RSI in both wrists (I’m a musician and I spend a billion hours a week typing between school and work so my hands get used a ton everyday). Six months ago my grip was so bad I could hardly hang on for a set of pullups. It’s not superhuman now, but I can jump up and grab a 3" plus limb with one hand the way most people grab a basketball rim. My hands are actually visibly thicker. It is definitely my weak-ass posterior chain that gives out on deads now before my grip. If it means anything, I’ve never used straps.
Anyway, those are my observations, just from my own experience over the last several months. I didn’t progress scientifically – just started gradually, messed around, and followed my instincts – but my hands feel worlds better and much stronger.
[/quote]
Now thats thinking outside the square.
Id love to see the fuckin look on peoples faces passing by watching you jumping up and down hanging from a tree.
Of all things I never would have thought of, it turns out taking the kids to the playground and ‘playing’ on the monkey bars has done wonders for my grip, chins, and ‘hanging’ stamina.
Go hang on monkey bars. “Walk” the bar with your hands (ie grab on, hang, then start shuffling left and right.
My forearms are screaming after a stint at the playground. Plus, my 7 year old keeps challenging me to swing from bar to bar.
I am in the same boat. Especially when I start to sweat, I can’t hold the bar.
My max in April was 405, and that was using chalk. I am now in a commercial gym, so no chalk and I don’t want to use straps. I feel that if I am using straps I’ll never give up on the pull even if its leading to injury. Last Friday I was deadlifting, and I could not do 315+ for reps. I decided to start pulling singles after 345 and up and I couldn’t lock out 365 because the bar slipped.
Frustrating to say the least. Doing weighted chins on a fatbar (our Smith rack is a fat bar) definitely gives my forearms a killer burn so I am assuming that it is working my grip quite well. Aside from that I am doing wrist curls, plate pinches, and DB holds.
I like how everyone thinks just because your at commercial gym you can’t use chalk. I go to a commercial gym and I use chalk everyday, its very easy to hide. Its not like they search you on the way in. Most of them don’t give a shit either unless its probably a high up manager and he won’t be walking around asking you to throw away your chalk or something.
[quote]SmittyTheOx wrote:
IMO most people encounter grip problems because they rely on straps, gloves etc. in the first place. Drop them and they will no longer be an issue.[/quote]
How do gloves hurt grip strength? I hadn’t heard this.
[quote]Phydeaux wrote:
SmittyTheOx wrote:
IMO most people encounter grip problems because they rely on straps, gloves etc. in the first place. Drop them and they will no longer be an issue.
How do gloves hurt grip strength? I hadn’t heard this.[/quote]
With things like deads I feel I cant get quite the grip that I can with bare hands.
Another problem is when people rely on them they cant get a good grip without them.
As for the chalk in a commercial gym, I keep my chalk in a plastic bag and pull it out to rub on and then back into the bag.
The thing that helped my grip more than anything was when I quit deadlifting with an over-under grip. I always felt like the one hand palm up and one hand palm down grip was torquing my back and was contributing to me banging the bar into my shins, so I just started grabbing the bar with both hands palm down and I keep my thumb between the bar and my shins, viola’, no more blood and my grip has never been a problem.
[quote]JoeC5267 wrote:
Whoa, you definitely want to avoid dead meat, ice down Mr. Willy when needed.[/quote]
awesome post haha
i like farmer holds, what better way to help your deadlifts than holding bar in adeadlift position? ppl may laugh at this but also do stability ball dumb bell presses for 15-20 reps all the control needed burns like shit!