Grip training advice??? Specifically for the deadlift

[Eddie Debus]

What are some good exercises people use to build deadlift grip strength. With what I have available I do towel holds (dumbbell suspended by a towel held for time) , finger curls with a barbell ( let the bar roll to my fingertips then close my hand to roll it back up) , and hang from fingertips from a chin up bar with no chalk.

Any other good exercises with limited grip training equipment?

[MCG14Lifter]

Besides hook grip DL, my only other grip work is plate pinches and farmer's walks. Seems to be working alright so far.

[kinggorilla]

u can make a fat handled dumbell.
go to lowes or home depot whatever and get a 2" piece of pipe(one of the 6 inch ones)one 1" pipe about 12" long (or more)and a plumbing base that fits the 1" pipe.
attach base to pipe load half the weight u want for the dbell (so 50 lbs for a 100 lber)then slide the 2"pipe over the 1"pipe add the other half of weight,put some type of clamp on that end or another plumbing base and your ready to roll.
also with all that same **** (plus an adapter head to slide a chain through)u can use it as a rolling thunder.
attach pipe to base,then adapter head to pipe,run a chain through adaptor head,then run chain through 2"pipe ,put a D ring on it and thats it.
well if any of that made sense then you'll have yourself 2 grip devices for around 20$.

[coachdeez]

Gotta work the thumb more. Plate pinches are good for static strength on that...I'm sure if you're creative you can think of a way to train it concentrically.

[MarcinPB]

Grip holds. I load up a bar on the squat rack rests. I will put about 100-120% of my 1rm deadlift on the bar, lift it up the two inches i need to off the rests and hold it for about 5-10 seconds.

[Eddie Debus]

Grip holds. I load up a bar on the squat rack rests. I will put about 100-120% of my 1rm deadlift on the bar, lift it up the two inches i need to off the rests and hold it for about 5-10 seconds.

In theory this would make the most sense but unfortunately it's too taxing on your CNS when handling big weights just for grip training. I don't need to be holding 750-800 any other time then when I have to pull it lol

[Frankdaddy]

In theory this would make the most sense but unfortunately it's too taxing on your CNS when handling big weights just for grip training. I don't need to be holding 750-800 any other time then when I have to pull it lol

So you have tried this and burned out your CNS? I would be rather shocked actually!!

[brentwillisbgw]

Pull DOH when you deadlift until your grip starts to give out. That will work it more than using a mixed grip the entire time.

I also really like heavy rows and pullups w/out straps. The change of momentum at the bottom of the rep requires a lot of grip strength. The same thing would apply to bb and db shrugs.

Do some farmers walks too if you have heavy enough weights. I also used to do dumbbell holds. I would grab the two heaviest dumbbells at our gym and just sit down on a bench and hold them until my grip gave out.

[andom]

Here is what I do:

Heavy Rack Pulls (usually work up to 120% of my max)
Heavy DB Rows
Pull Ups
Farmers carry


People always give me the weirdest looks when I just walk around the gym with 120lb dumbbells.

[MarcinPB]

In theory this would make the most sense but unfortunately it's too taxing on your CNS when handling big weights just for grip training. I don't need to be holding 750-800 any other time then when I have to pull it lol

Thats why you put it on the rest of a squat rack. You literally grab the bar and lift it up an inch or two off the rack. If thats too taxing on you CNS i cant even imagine what deadlifts and squats do to you.

[NIsrael]

i know alot of people like DOH static holds usually for like 10-15 sec per set

[kinggorilla]

u could also get a crippled horse energy drink.
it'll **** your ****.oh hell but but **** yeah.
nothings meaner than a crippled horse.

[UHCougar05]

Farmers and any holding the last set of deads for a count of 5-10. Pretty much anything that will hammer the support grip.

[DCSpartan]

do pullups hanging from a towel or rope.

[_Smitty_]

these have worked my grip better than any other exercise... i set up like a t-bar row and stack 25s on it:

[carnage1985]

Overhand rack pulls with 5-10 sec pause per rep.

[Eddie Debus]

Thats why you put it on the rest of a squat rack. You literally grab the bar and lift it up an inch or two off the rack. If thats too taxing on you CNS i cant even imagine what deadlifts and squats do to you.

apparently you dont know how the CNS is taxed when having to recruit enough muscle fibers even to do just a static hold with maximal poundages. Grip training is not something that should tax the CNS at all. You do enough training that taxes the CNS already, taxing the **** out of it for grip work is a stupid thing to do.

[SCJuggernaut]

In theory this would make the most sense but unfortunately it's too taxing on your CNS when handling big weights just for grip training. I don't need to be holding 750-800 any other time then when I have to pull it lol

apparently you dont know how the CNS is taxed when having to recruit enough muscle fibers even to do just a static hold with maximal poundages. Grip training is not something that should tax the CNS at all. You do enough training that taxes the CNS already, taxing the **** out of it for grip work is a stupid thing to do.

I don't know know how you expect to increase your grip, if you refuse to overload it.

If 120% is really 750-800 pounds (e-stats ?) , you are obviously strong enough and have trained your cns to handle heavy loads.

[RMBros]

these have worked my grip better than any other exercise... i set up like a t-bar row and stack 25s on it:

Net effect is a thick-bar row - I'm going to have to try this at my sorry excuse for a gym.

To the OP - I'm not sure you can get valuable advice from those of us who don't handle the kind of weight you're talking about.

Most of the guys I see here are trying to figure out how to hold onto 225lbs without having their grip fail - how they hell are they supposed to help you?

So, with that said, I'll dip my toe in the water - but remember, this is coming from a 465 max dl lifter (and that's all time, couldn't do that now) - DO advice sounds as though it could be helpful, might try monkey grip for as much weight as you can tolerate as well - I think using monkey grip for DLs, Rows, and SLDLs (before I knew anything about grips or true DLing) made my grip stronger, but broscience for sure - no data to back that up.

I'd try your normal weights with the thick grip as king gorilla suggested - there are links to what he describes in the DIY thread here.

If static holds are taxing your CNS too much, you might try some sort of weighted hang from a pull up bar or a square tube (top of a power rack/squat cage) - I'm thinking you'll need to go REALLY heavy to see an appreciable gain in your grip strength, but I don't know the carryover, so you're on your own for actual poundages.

Last, but not least crazy, DLs with towels looped around the bar - normal DLs, but you loop a towel around the bar for each hand (like you're already doing for one hand in DB curls). You could pull from what would normally be a deficit, if you're concerned about losing an inch or two of ROM. Better be some good towels if you're able to get over 400lbs that way.

That last is totally hypothetical, I've never tried it, seen it tried, or heard of it, but I'd think it would blast your grip.

[Eddie Debus]

I don't know know how you expect to increase your grip, if you refuse to overload it.

If 120% is really 750-800 pounds (e-stats ?) , you are obviously strong enough and have trained your cns to handle heavy loads.

Actually 750-800 is only around 100% but nice try with ur lame e-stats remark. I was attempting 700 lb deads and benching over 400 raw when I was 18 years old.

The thing you guys aren't understanding is when you lift that much weight your cns is taxed twice as much as someone training their grip with 400 lbs even though for them that's 100 % also. When you play wi big boy weights you save your cns from punishment anywhere possible to allow you to tax it where it counts.

[Eddie Debus]

I don't know know how you expect to increase your grip, if you refuse to overload it.

If 120% is really 750-800 pounds (e-stats ?) , you are obviously strong enough and have trained your cns to handle heavy loads.

Thts like saying I don't understand how u expect to bench more when you refuse to max out? You're logic is that unless you max something you can't get stronger on the exercise. Wowww what a moron

[SCJuggernaut]

Thts like saying I don't understand how u expect to bench more when you refuse to max out? You're logic is that unless you max something you can't get stronger on the exercise. Wowww what a moron

I don't understand how someone that strong make those type of statements.

People are not saying to deadlift over 100%... a few to do rack pulls (shorter ROM), but mostly just grip and hold.

Umm.. people use other movements that overload the bench press to get stronger. Not sure how that relates. There are floor presses, board presses, pin press.... and not always used over 100% of the bench press. They are all overloading some portion of the bench press and thus going 100%.

But I don't know... I obviously don't play with big boy weights yet.

My apologies, Sir.

[Smolovicus]

I don't understand how someone that strong make those type of statements.

People are not saying to deadlift over 100%... a few to do rack pulls (shorter ROM), but mostly just grip and hold.

Umm.. people use other movements that overload the bench press to get stronger. Not sure how that relates. There are floor presses, board presses, pin press.... and not always used over 100% of the bench press. They are all overloading some portion of the bench press and thus going 100%.

But I don't know... I obviously don't play with big boy weights yet.

My apologies, Sir.

The point he's making is that the demands placed on your body by lifting does not remain static in relation to strength progression. It's more an exponential matter.

If you're strong enough to deadlift 700 pounds, that doesn't mean it's going to affect your body in the same way as when you were only strong enough to deadlift 300, or even 500. As things get heavier - and much heavier - that weight will be pushing, pulling and tearing at your body from all different angles. Muscles and bodily reactions that weren't entirely necessary or under-activated at lighter weights are now under immense strain.

This is why the stronger the lifter, the more max attempts tend to take out of them. Holding 800 pounds, no matter how strong you are, is always going to amount to holding 800 solid ass pounds. There's no easy way to approach it.

As for grip... just use the hook on warm up and volume sets of any pulling lift. You'll have to use mixed for your work sets for awhile, but the hook will catch up quick. Of course I'm not deadlifting the equivalent of two grizzly bears, either. Just speaking on my experience so far with fairly lax use of HG and having smallish babby hands.

[Newbtime]

static holds only beat the crap out of my lower back, not worth handling 750+ just for grip work.


DOH static holds, wrap a rag around a bar and do rows, thick dumbell rows, 10 lb plate pinching would be some good exercises without buying anything.

[Ka0s]

OP cant you just do DOH static holds with less than 750?

[Jippo]

Gotta call bull**** on the whole CNS thing. I routinely do shrugs with weights far in excess of my deadlift 1RM , sometimes 2-3x per week whilst squatting, pressing and pulling very heavy. I don't see how you can be destroying your CNS with lifts that have such a short ROM, or in the case of holds zero ROM.

[SCJuggernaut]

The point he's making is that the demands placed on your body by lifting does not remain static in relation to strength progression. It's more an exponential matter.

If you're strong enough to deadlift 700 pounds, that doesn't mean it's going to affect your body in the same way as when you were only strong enough to deadlift 300, or even 500. As things get heavier - and much heavier - that weight will be pushing, pulling and tearing at your body from all different angles. Muscles and bodily reactions that weren't entirely necessary or under-activated at lighter weights are now under immense strain.

This is why the stronger the lifter, the more max attempts tend to take out of them. Holding 800 pounds, no matter how strong you are, is always going to amount to holding 800 solid ass pounds. There's no easy way to approach it.

As for grip... just use the hook on warm up and volume sets of any pulling lift. You'll have to use mixed for your work sets for awhile, but the hook will catch up quick. Of course I'm not deadlifting the equivalent of two grizzly bears, either. Just speaking on my experience so far with fairly lax use of HG and having smallish babby hands.

It makes sense, and I can agree with what you posted.