grip / forearm failure point

[Yazilliclick]

Hey,

I just started hitting the gym with a trainer just before the holidays having never really done anything weight lifting wise before. Things have been going good but I figured I'd ask here just to get some other opinions.

So typically it seems my left forearm is the failure point of not being able to continue. It'll eventually just slowly seize up to point I can't really grip anything, can't make a clenched fist etc... It's not immediate, I can go through several exercises making use of it but it's just consistently the muscle that limits how far I can go. Weights have been increasing for sure so it's doing more, just sort of wondering if it should eventually catch up or if there may be anything else I could do to help it? Or if weights are increasing then just accept the process is working and will take time? I go to gym 3 days out of week right now, have a few items at home could use, thinking of adding another day to gym.

Today was good workout for it, first time doing farmers carries with 100lbs weights. Left hand was just barely holding on at end of that last run!

Cheers!

[drudixon]

When you do Deads, hold the last rep for a while. Also, do standard grip as much as you can

[Artemis00]

If you can get one of those pull up bars that you hang over the door frame...you can do dead hangs from that for time. Once those start to get easy, do one arm hangs for time.

[MrNismo]

If you can get one of those pull up bars that you hang over the door frame...you can do dead hangs from that for time. Once those start to get easy, do one arm hangs for time.

Dead hangs have been awesome for my grip as well as my thoracic mobility! I hang for 30 seconds between every squat set and not only has my grip gotten much stronger but I don't really have this little pain in my upper back after squats like I used to.

[Yazilliclick]

Thanks for the tips! Will look into dead hangs, at least an alternative version or something similar. No way I can do the actual ones now as I'm at 350lbs, sure would test my grip strength!

[OldFartTom]

Common issue... my deadlift was limited by grip, now my grip is giving out about same as rest of me (I'm still working on grip. I always double overhand the bar, never mix grip, maybe I need to learn thumb hook?).

End every session with some kind of carry.
Grip is largely neuromuscular and recovers quickly so you can train it pretty often.
Mix in different things like carrying plates with a pinch grip, walking with dumbbells. Holding last deadlift for as long as you can. When can deadhang even just 5 or 10 seconds do some as well. Variety!

At home sitting in front of TV you can get a big sheet of paper like from a newspaper, adverts or something, with only *one hand* as quickly as you can screw the paper into a tight ball, throw at TV, swap hands, repeat until you have done the whole newspaper. Surprisingly good forearm workout.

[Artemis00]

Thanks for the tips! Will look into dead hangs, at least an alternative version or something similar. No way I can do the actual ones now as I'm at 350lbs, sure would test my grip strength!

Yeah, if you can't dead hang...well then let your hands take as much weight as you can while bending your knees a bit to adjust how much weight your legs are supporting versus your hands. I'm using this technique to try to improve my one hand grip strength while holding onto fabric.

[mtpockets]

Fat gripz got rid of an imbalance I had and increased my forearm strength significantly. If you're just starting out dead hangs should rectify the imbalance fairly quick.

[EjnarKolinkar]

Dead hangs have been awesome for my grip as well.

It is a very simple way to develop more hand strength. Weighted carries for time or distance can be good too. The good thing is both of these methods are good general training anyway. So it's not something extra.