Grip Training, what you should know

[Indefatigable]

bump. This thread provided me with some great info about grip training. Grip is getting a bit sloppy / a weakpoint on deadlifts, so keen to see how to improve it.

[Thiggins2]

good read.

[John Hicks]

Bump this thread! What are you guys working on now? I'm about to post some pics of what I've been doing lately!

[nockowt1]

Bump this thread! What are you guys working on now? I'm about to post some pics of what I've been doing lately!

My workouts have been quite sparse the past year because of the time commitment that work and school (and traveling back and forth to each) require. With that being said, I'm going to need to crank up my grip training over the next couple of weeks so I don't disappoint one of my professors. Over a year ago, I had this same professor for a class. Towards the end of the semester we had a pot luck (as a means to relax us a little before the final) and I asked her if I could put on a show. She didn't know what I was going to do, but she agreed. I tore some cards and phonebooks, bent some bolts, and close some grippers. Neither she or my classmates had seen any of it done before. Fast forward to this semester, my professor told the class that I'm going to perform (she never told them what I'm going to do) at our potluck in a few weeks (none of the students in my current class were in the previous class). I didn't tell her that my training has almost been nil lately. So, I bought some decks of cards, some bolts, and some horseshoes so I can provide the performance as promised.

[HamburgerTrain]

Strang Bamp. Read the OP, it has some decent info. All I want to do is close the COC#4.

[tontyx]

This is something taught to me by a friend with iron grips.

Get a gunny bag (made of Jute) or any of the heavy duty canvas cloth bag. If nothing else, then an old pair of jeans.

If Jute Gunny bag, it must be soaked overnight as it don't absorb water well. Jeans need not soaked that long.

Wring this piece of cloth/canvas/jute dry. Repeat.

If using jeans, and you have large hand, fold it in half first so that it is hard to hold. Gunny Bag works best.

PS: Use only rough cloth. Towel won't work.

[CharlesSwann]

If you have some spare chain lying around, you can buy a softball and an eye bolt for a few bucks and set up something like this:



It's a lot of fun to mess around with. Not a perfect blob analog but it gets the job done.

[benchtochest]

For 4 years ive had a wrist tendinitis which held me back from doing any kind of forearms/grip work. I used to have to use straps for weights as low as to 50% of my 1rm for a few reps.

My grip was absolutely horrible.

About 6 months ago my tandinitis got better so I could finally train forearms/grips. So the first 3 months I did wrist curls/plate pinches but I didnt see much imporvement.


I had old grippers at home that I found, for the last 3 months ive been doing them twice per week and today I dont even need straps or chalk anymore with weights up to my 3rm


Grippers are a live saver

[Huskarl]

If you have some spare chain lying around, you can buy a softball and an eye bolt for a few bucks and set up something like this:



It's a lot of fun to mess around with. Not a perfect blob analog but it gets the job done.

Looks like alot of fun

[John Hicks]

I had old grippers at home that I found, for the last 3 months ive been doing them twice per week and today I dont even need straps or chalk anymore with weights up to my 3rm

That's the way I started, doing mindless reps with a store bought gripper while watching TV; I got the IronMind grippers for more of a challenge.

Grippers are a live saver

True that!!!

[HamburgerTrain]

Celebrate with me grip brah's, COC#3 close at 1:56:

[John Hicks]

COC#3 close at 1:56

So, what took you so long? Are you gonna certify? Good job bro!!

[75kg]

I'm glad to see the thread has been useful to so many Grip has come quite a serious distance since I put this up, and due in no small part to the readers of these forums over the years.

[nockowt1]

Here are the results from the performance I mentioned a month ago:

-Several phonebooks
-A few decks of Bicycle cards
-1/4"x4.5" Grade 2 DU (in a single BB wrap)
-1/4"x4.5" Grade 2 Reverse (in a single BB wrap)
-1/4"x6" Grade 5 DU (in a single BB wrap)
-SCF UL 2
-SCF UL 0 barehand (this was my first barehand horseshoe bend)
-1/2"x3' Hot Rolled
-1/2"x4' Hot Rolled (bent into a fish)

I brought extra stuff with me so my classmates could give a shot and few of them surprised me. There was one guy and two females that tore phonebooks. One of the females that tore a phonebook also tore half a deck of Bicycle cards and bent a 1/4"x6" Grade 2 to 15 degrees in a single BB wrap. I don't think she weighed more than 105lbs. One guy bent a SCF UL 0 to about 70 degrees barehand (I offered him wraps, but he said he wanted to see what it would feel like barehand).

Overall, I would say the show was a success.

[75kg]

Some changes and corrections need to be made now that I'm reading through the thread. All of the bending information remains accurate and the links appear to be current. Not all of the videos work, but can't expect much from 5 year old videos.

There are a few new retailers that have begun to carry legitimate grippers and an ever-widening array of grip equipment:
http://cannonpowerworks.com/
http://store.sorinex.com/
http://www.grippersuperstore.com/

It is now commonplace in grip circles to "rate" your grippers on the curiously-named "Redneck gripper calibrator." A number of gents across the globe do this for a small fee, and I believe that CannonPowerWorks offers this as well. The "RGC" calibrates the maximum effective poundage needed to make the handles on any given torsion spring gripper touch. You essentially just hang weight from one end until the handles touch, but the actual process is trickier than you might think.

Many of you may recall the Arnold Sports Festival. The Mighty Mitts competition began back in 2010 under the direction of Sorinex and has made an appearance every year since either during or adjacent to the strongman contest. It's a great show and an opportunity for you to see some of the strongest hands capable of flying to Columbus compete head-to-head.

There is now a sanctioning body for grip contests in the US/Canada/Mexico, North American Grip Sport. By this point in time you may have even seen several members on ESPN, National Geographic, TLC and the Science Channel.

I will also note that none of these links are hoplinks or anything of the sort. I am not making money off of your clicks. This is purely to be helpful.

[BenEdwards]

Some changes and corrections need to be made now that I'm reading through the thread. All of the bending information remains accurate and the links appear to be current. Not all of the videos work, but can't expect much from 5 year old videos.

There are a few new retailers that have begun to carry legitimate grippers and an ever-widening array of grip equipment:

It is now commonplace in grip circles to "rate" your grippers on the curiously-named "Redneck gripper calibrator." A number of gents across the globe do this for a small fee, and I believe that CannonPowerWorks offers this as well. The "RGC" calibrates the maximum effective poundage needed to make the handles on any given torsion spring gripper touch. You essentially just hang weight from one end until the handles touch, but the actual process is trickier than you might think.

Many of you may recall the Arnold Sports Festival. The Mighty Mitts competition began back in 2010 under the direction of Sorinex and has made an appearance every year since either during or adjacent to the strongman contest. It's a great show and an opportunity for you to see some of the strongest hands capable of flying to Columbus compete head-to-head.

There is now a sanctioning body for grip contests in the US/Canada/Mexico, North American Grip Sport. By this point in time you may have even seen several members on ESPN, National Geographic, TLC and the Science Channel.

I will also note that none of these links are hoplinks or anything of the sort. I am not making money off of your clicks. This is purely to be helpful.

Good to see you're still around since I don't see you posting often on the GB anymore, like in the old days. Training with the grippers is now commonplace compared to in 2000 when I started my gripper training. I remember thinking the #2 was going to stump my best efforts to close it forever. Years later I used it for a warmup on my way to smashing dozens of #3s.

[BenEdwards]

If I never hear the advice to "squeeze a rubber ball" it wouldn't hurt my feelings any. Seriously, why do guys who usually have mediocre (at best) grip strength recommend squeezing a rubber ball? I've had many guys try my #2, get the handles barely to parallel, and then give me advice on how to build up my crush grip by squeezing the ubiquitous rubber ball.

[BenEdwards]

I am determined to add my name to the #3 list
The grip tips link is cool too I've never spotted that before. Great stuff!!
I'm also going to try some gripper training after my next squat session too and see how that goes.

Are you still working on the grippers Titania?

[BenEdwards]

Titania, they will NOT add your name to the list when YOU certify on the #3.

Instead, I think that they should build a whole new category of grip just for you!!

Titania, you could get added to the #2 cert list on Ironmind and then go to the #2.5 and from there - the #3.

[BigStewTheJew]

I've never personally used thick bars mainly due to lack of access. I hear from tons of people on gripboard and elswhere that it works great for crushing grip! I didn't add it in because I do not know much about thick bar training, I didn't want to talk about something I don't know about and it's not what most beginner's hear about first while grippers are. Grippers are also what most people here ask about. The article was written to proactively answer questions about mainly grippers. Besides, as the article says I left out quite a large amount of info but those interested can read on at the gripboard n' such. BTW GoJu, Titania is recommending this as a sticky

Highly recomend fat gripz. Turns any bar into thick ass bar and destroys forearms

[vaporduff]

Sorry to bump this thread but have a question regarding my grip training routine. I'm starting to use grippers just did 1 week straight on a light gripper and my hands and forearms are sore but a good sore. Monday I'm starting a weightlifting program and I want to train with my grippers and some plate pinching initially then work on my forearms more specifically down the track. My question is should I pinch before I use grippers or the other way around? Just want to get the most out of it and not sure which way to go about it. Thanks in advance.