Grip training is important for everyone, not just strongman and grip athletes (and for obviously reasons its extra important for them.)
You can do just the basics. For many people, swinging a thick handled kettlebell is going to give them more hand strength then they’ve ever had in life.
But the hands are amazing in what they can do. There are so many exercises available for each and every area of the body, and for the hands I’d say there are three times as many. This is because of all the functions the hands can do.
Hand strength is more than just closing grippers
There are three basic grips when it comes to hand strength. Support grip is your ability to hold something. Crushing grip is closing your hand (think grippers). Pinch grip works the thumb in opposition to the fingers.
Looking at the hands from a physiological stand point. You also have wrist flexion and extension, radial and ulnar deviation. The fingers flex, extend, adduct and abduct.
Are you training all these movements?
Luckily you don’t need to isolate each movement pattern, as in all effective training, when integrated you get better results as that is how we’re suppose to move.
However, many trainees do neglect some part. A common example is working that crushing and support grip (the flexion of the fingers) but never going in the opposite manner (extending the fingers) under resistance.
When you work everything, you’ll enjoy greater strength and health. This is because you are bringing up the weak links in your chain that allow the stronger links to get even stronger.
If you’ve been doing grip training for awhile then this may be familiar to you. If not, I may have lost you back near the start, but that’s okay.
Do you want to know more?
One of the top trainers out there, especially when it comes to grip is Jedd Johnson. He has written THE books on Bending Nails and Card Tearing. Highly recommended if you want to get started in those feats.
And recently he re-opened the site The Grip Authority as an inexpensive membership.
If you are working on your feats of strength or competing in grip contests you need to check this out. There’s been detailed videos on phonebook tearing, anvil lifting, the rolling thunder and more. Just a couple weeks ago he released videos on horseshoe bending. The accessory exercises alone were worth the price of admission.
I tried one out the other day and absolutely loved it. He guarantees that you have never seen this one before and he’s right. It’s unique and it works very well.
For the average person you’ll learn more about grip then you possibly need (like all the different gripper certifications). But there is tons you will use. Each month he gives you workouts you can do or learn from to make your own.
With The Grip Authority you’ll become an expert in grip training fast.
But be prepared when you sign up as there are several hours of video up. You’ll may have to set aside some time to watch it all.
In strength,
Logan Christopher