Posted on December 14, 2015 by Jenny Cromack

Grip strength is often one of the most neglected components of a lifting program. I’m not going to argue that you need to have the crushing power of a robot to perform well in the gym, however it does make a huge difference, and guess what you won’t know the huge benefit grip strength can have on your training until you’ve experienced it. Once you have….you will never look back!

Grip strength unlike many other types of strength is extremely varied and requires numerous approaches to develop. Firstly lets have a look at the variety of ways we can actually grip and object, these can be categorized into three broad areas:

1. Crush grip – think of the grip you use when shaking a hand
2. Pinch grip- the grip between a finger and thumb, or multiple fingers and the thumb
3. Support grip- the grip used when holding an object for a prolonged period, it usually involves a very closed hand, think during pull ups, shopping bags etc

The type of grip strength you need to develop can be individual specific and should meet the requirements of your training or goal. For example a sportsperson involved in a grappling sport such as a judo will need excellent pinch grip strength and crush grip strength, or if your closest food shop is 1 mile from home and you don’t drive your going to need excellent support strength.

So how do we develop these three categories of grip strength?

Here are the top exercises for developing grip strength:

1. Hanging: A variety of grips can be utilized here to develop crush or support grip. For example simply hanging from pull up bars build tremendous support grip, whereas hanging from pull up bars that are considerably thicker or surround in pipe insulation builds tremendous grip strength. Using towels or ropes to grip changes the stimulus slightly and will develop grip strength more holistically than selecting just one mode.
2. Kettle bell holds: Holding a kettle bell that is upside down with a vertical arm is a great exercise for developing crush strength. Use heavy loads and attempt to hold for up to 15 seconds at a time for multiple sets is a great routine to include.
3. Plate Pinches: Holding a small plate between any combination of fingers and thumbs is a great strategy to develop pinch strength, keep changing up the grip type and don’t be afraid to use small plates.

An important point to finish on is with great grip strength must come great finger extension, i.e. dont turn your hands into claws. To keep the forearm balanced its important to exercise the musculature that opens up the hand. This can simply be achieved by placing an elastic band around the fingers and simply opening and closing the hand. 5 minutes a day every 2 or 3 days will be sufficient.

Enjoy getting to grips with your grip strength.