Grip Strength Training:
How to Build Mind-Boggling Grip Strength

Grip strength training is essential to building strong forearms, powerful hands and a devestatingly intense grip that can intstantly turn diamonds into dust.

This page teaches you the benefits of grip training and provides six highly effective exercise techniques for building powerful pinch, crush and support grip strengths.

The hands are your body's most important tools, and having a strong grip can even be the key to survival...

...How else do you expect to save yourself when hanging off the a cliff ledge from your fingertips, during a tornado while being repeatedly pelted by baseball-sized chunks of hail, as you patiently wait for help to arrive, huh? Well, maybe that's not quite a plausible situation, but a powerful grip could definitely come in handy during somewhat less dire situations.

Most people will find it easy to perform grip strength training because there is no specialized equipment required. You can train grip by simply squeezing a crumpled piece of paper while watching TV or pretending to work (although I'll recommend some better techniques down the page).

Grip Strength Training Benefits

Benefits. Consistently performing grip strength training techniques and exercises will help you to achieve the following benefits, and then some:

• Popeye Forearms. Grip strength training builds the flexors and extensors in the forearms. I ask, "Who doesn't love rolling up their sleeves and bustin' out a pair of badass, vascular forearms?"
• Stronger Lifts. Having a stronger grip which makes it easier to lift more weight and do gym exercises such as deadlifts, bicep curls, pull ups, rows, and power cleans.
• Better Handshakes. Improving your grip can better project your confidence when shaking someone's hand. Or at the very least, you won't have to worry about giving weak handshakes.
• Become a Nutcracker! No, not like the toy soldier. But once you get strong enough, you'll be able to open pistachios, walnuts and maybe even a coconut or two with nothing your bare hands. (Don't get your hopes up about the coconut, though.) Ignore the fact that this is an almost completely useless skill.

Types of Grip Strength & Grip Strength Training Exercises

The human hand is capable of three types of grip strengths: pinch grip, crush grip and supporting grip. Below is an explanation of each, plus grip strength training techniques and exercises:

Pinch Grip

Pinch Grip Strength. Pinch strength is the ability to hold something between the thumb and finger(s). The thumb applies an inward force which is balanced by one or more fingers applying a force back towards the thumb. Amazing feats of pinch strength include ripping a phone book or a new deck of cards in half. Below are two popular pinch grip exercises:

• Plate Squeeze. Warm up by doing a few wrist curls and hand rotations. Get a couple of Olympic plates standing up, side by side, then lift them with the thumb and fingers of either hand until you can't lift them any longer. If you're training for the first time, start with 10lb plates, gradually increasing the number of plates and their weight. This grip strength training exercise is best done on a soft surface; if you're in a gym, you can place a rubber mat underneath the plates. Always be careful not to drop the plates on your toes.
• Hub Pinch Lift. Warm up with wrist curls. Let an Olympic plate lie on its back with the center hub pointing upwards. Using your thumb and fingers, squeeze the hub then lift it from the floor. Start with a 25lb plate and lift to failure, or until you can no longer do it. Lifting a 45lb Olympic plate is considered a world-class feat.

Crush Grip

Crush Grip Strength It is exerted when you press something between your palm and fingers, just like what you do in a handshake. The difference between a pinch grip and a crush grip is that the latter only has minimal use of the thumb, with the fingers applying a crushing force inwards towards the palm. The power of this type of grip strength can be seen when you crush a can of soda. Below are two popular crush grip strength training exercises:

• Grippers. Make your foes crumble at their knees by delivering a bone-pulverizing handshake using grippers. Although there are various types of grippers and related grip training equipment out there, most are low quality. I personally use and wholeheartedly recommend Captain of Crush (CoC) Grippers, which come in various levels crush grip strength (measured in lbs. of pressure required to close). They range from the CoC Guide (60 lbs.) up to the CoC No. 4 (365 lbs.), which has only been closed by a handful of people (pun intended). Most trainees should start with the CoC Trainer, the CoC No. 1 (140 lbs.) and the CoC No. 2 (195 lbs.) in order to be sufficiently challenged. Start by warming up with the Trainer and work your way up. It may take a couple weeks of diligent practice to master the No. 1.
• Towel Squeeze. Find a small to medium sized towel, cloth, rag or other textile that you have permission to ruin. Run it under water to make it wet/damp. Start by twisting the ends in opposite directions, one side/hand at a time. Put simply, "wring out" the towel. Since one hand will be pulling backward and the other should be pulling forward, it's important to switch directions after each set so each hand recieves an equal workout. Use a thicker towel, or fold the towel in half to increase the resistance.

Support Grip

Support Grip Strength. Support grip is the most common type of grip strength. It is used when holding on to something such as a hammer, a suitcase, a baseball bat, and of course, free weights. Developing this strength enables you to maintain a solid hold, which in turn supports your ability to lift heavier weights for longer periods of time. Here's a couple support grip exercise techniques to get you going:

• Flexed Arm Hang. Using a pull up bar, grasp it with both hands with the fingers pointing toward you. Execute a chin up by lifting your body until your chin is above the bar. Hold on until you can't hold on any longer. To make it more difficult, add weight by using dip belt, by placing a dumbbell between your legs/feet or by wearing a weight-filled backpack. Repeat for the desired number of times. A variation of this exercise involves holding onto the bar from a "deadhand," meaning that your arms are fully extended.
• Farmer's Walk. This exercise was named because it mimics how farmers carry buckets (filled with water, milk, feed, cow pies, or whatever) in their hands, on farms. But theres no need to get agricultural and whip out your overalls and straw hat for this exercise; just hold a heavy dumbbell in each hand and pace back and forth until your grip fails. Alternatively, you can train pinch strength with this technique if you use plates instead of dumbbells. No gym equipment on hand? No problem. Find two buckets or containers with handles and fill them with sand, rocks or the dense compound of your choice. Otherwise, just get creative and pick up two similar heavy and grippable objects and start walking.

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