Don't forget about the benefits of grip in everyday life. Because big press, for example, in everyday life practically not needed. And strong fingers will definitely come in handy. A powerful handshake will also not be superfluous - it will make you respect and envy.
So let's look at ten best exercises to increase grip strength.
1. Tennis balls to strengthen your hands
By using tennis balls You can train your hands, grip and fingers. The following exercises can be distinguished:
- Static with all fingers (squeeze and wait until the hand “falls off”). This exercise is especially useful for arm wrestlers.
- Pressing with four fingers.
- Pressing with your thumb. Exercise pumps up thumb for a pinch grip.
- Squeezing the ball with the palms of both hands. If when executing this exercise the ball breaks, which means you are a strong guy.
2. Rope to strengthen your grip
Rope climbing is one of the best exercises for developing your grip. It is advisable that it is not a school one - 3 cm in diameter, but a professional one - 6 cm in diameter. You need to climb a rope without legs. The highest class is one-arm rope climbing. But to do this, naturally, you first need to learn how to do one-arm pull-ups.
If you don’t know how to do pull-ups at all, learn according to the instructions in the following video:
3. Hand expanders
Undeniably hand expanders- this is a wonderful thing for the development of hands, and strong hands after all, they start with strong brushes. Are there different types of expanders? How to choose the right one? Buy one that you can squeeze all the way 5-10 times.
4. Holding the pancakes
Take the pancake by the edge with your fingers and try to hold it for as long as possible. Start with 5-10 kg, and increase the load as necessary. This exercise develops your finger grip.
5. Reverse Kettlebell Exit
Reverse exercises with kettlebells are useful because they strengthen not only the hands and forearms, but also the fingers. This exercise is performed in almost the same way as regular kettlebell lifts over your head, but only with the bottom up.
For more interesting and wrestling exercises with kettlebells, watch the following video:
6. Hanging on the horizontal bar
Hanging on the horizontal bar strengthens your grip. The more you pull yourself up, the stronger your hands become. To strengthen your hands and grip, it is advisable to do pull-ups on a thick bar or holding on with 2-3 fingers.
Thanks to a strong grip, you can protect yourself from various injuries, get beautiful muscles forearms and acquire a powerful handshake. Such training is necessary for people involved in mountaineering, arm wrestling, basketball, kiting, bodybuilding and weightlifting.
There is a common belief that grip strength is entirely dependent on the size of the forearms. This statement is only partly true, and a number of specific training methods are used to develop grip, which will be discussed in detail below.
The biceps are practically not involved in the grip. Its strength increases as a result of active training of the forearms and hands.
Many professionals claim that they were able to develop a strong grip by doing pull-ups on a thick horizontal bar and using a bar with an increased diameter.
To increase your grip strength you must adhere to:
- The principle of progressive loads, which involves a smooth increase in working weights with each workout. To increase strength parameters and muscle growth, it is important to increase the number of repetitions and approaches.
- The principle of periodization allows you to avoid overtraining, which entails a stop in development. Therefore, it is recommended to perform exercises to increase grip strength no more than once every 7-10 days.
- According to the principle of super compensation, training too infrequently has the same negative effect on increasing grip strength as training too often. In case of loss of super compensation, the strength parameters of the hand return to pre-training levels.
To increase such strength, it is important for the body to maintain a balance of serotonin, dopamine and testosterone. Excessive amounts of cortisol (female hormone) greatly inhibit muscle growth. Overeating significantly reduces the production of growth hormone, so you should be very careful about the task of creating your own diet.
Grip strength training
It is recommended to perform exercises aimed at strengthening your grip at an average pace without haste. There is no need to do long intervals. Better results can be achieved by combining exercises to develop pinch strength, holding strength and compressive ability into a single complex. Before you begin performing such exercises, you need to properly stretch the tendons, ligaments and muscles of the forearm. ABOUT wrist straps It’s best to forget forever, but in the hall you should pay more attention free weights than block simulators.
Powerful compressive ability
A striking example of a strong squeezing ability is the handshake, which is called the “iron” handshake. The simplest and in an accessible way Carpal expanders and special rings are considered to develop this strength made of rubber. First, it is best to take an expander or ring that allows you to perform no more than 7-10 compressions in one approach. You should switch to a harder expander after 3-4 weeks of regular exercise.
Compressive force also includes chopping wood with an axe. The constant change in the position of the center of gravity, the presence of acceleration and the moment of impact contact with a strong tree give the muscles of the forearm and hand a significant load.
There is another noteworthy way to develop compressive ability, which is to lift weights using ordinary forceps. John Brookfield describes it in one of his books, and it looks something like this:
- A durable metal bucket is filled with a weighting agent at the athlete's discretion (wet sand, nails, stones or any other filler).
- The handle of the bucket is wrapped with a rope or strap. Otherwise, the weight may slip out of the tongs and cause injury.
- It is necessary to lift the bucket using tongs so that they are in a vertical position.
Everyone should calculate the weight of the weighting material, the number of approaches and repetitions for themselves experimentally. The main thing is not to overdo it with weight at the initial stage of training, however, training with too light an apparatus will also not bring positive results. This exercise is more suitable for athletes living in their own homes rather than in apartments. City dwellers can be advised to use the following alternative: taking an ordinary broom by the very tip of its handle, you need to lift it from the floor with one hand. When the exercise seems too easy, you should add a weighting agent in the form of a brick to the opposite end of the tool.
Holding force
The holding force has the closest relationship with powerful compressive ability, so they must be developed synchronously. To train holding power, it is recommended to use thick dumbbell handles and a bar, which will complicate the work, but will allow you to work your forearms much more effectively and strengthen your hands. One of the most effective exercises The Farmer's Walk is considered to develop holding strength. It is performed in a very simple way: taking heavy dumbbells in your hands, you just need to walk around with them. You need to walk until you feel a slight burning sensation in your forearms.
It is preferable to do the exercise at intervals of 5-6 days.
Another interesting idea is hanging on a horizontal bar, during which the weight is held using four fingers (the thumb does not take part in this exercise). Some athletes wrap a towel around the barbell or dumbbell to develop holding strength. Such tactics have a certain effectiveness, but are traumatic. Today, there are special attachments on the neck designed to expand its diameter.
Pinch force
Even in the case of pumping powerful compressive ability and holding power, it is necessary to develop the fingers, especially the thumb, which is practically not used during execution. standard exercises. You can load it well by holding the smooth discs away from the bar. It is best to start with pancakes weighing 5-10 kg. To improve pinch strength, you should also pay attention to the following effective exercises:
- All fingers are threaded through a piece of thick elastic, after which you need to try to straighten them completely. Having reached the point of maximum tension, you need to hold on to it for as long as possible, without letting your fingers close.
I advise you to do this exercise every day. The result will not keep you waiting long.
- A rigid expander with metal or wooden handles must be fully squeezed and held in this position for 20-30 seconds using the efforts of the fingers. Performed in 3-4 sets with a single repetition.
- A Yawara, Kubotan, or a regular wooden stick is great for everyday warm-up. For example: resting one end of the projectile on your thumb, you need to alternately and with maximum effort press the pads of your other fingers on the opposite end, holding the static tension for 8-10 seconds. Instead of a stick, you can use a ball made of thick rubber.
Sports tricks such as tearing a book or a deck of cards into two parts, as well as straightening nails, tire irons and horseshoes are based on the strength of the hand. An effective exercise for developing this strength is the wrist curl, only the weight used is not dumbbells or a bar, but a disc. There is an option to perform this exercise with a similar grip, only in a standing position. Throughout the entire approach, the hands should remain motionless.
To increase hand strength, exercises that involve holding a rope and twisting a weighted cable around a handle are good exercises.
Rotation training
The bulk of Powerball projectiles on the market are made of plastic, but there are metal models designed for advanced athletes.
Powerball represents wrist trainer, working on the gyroscopic principle. That is, the more you spin it, the greater the load will fall on the hand and forearm muscles. There are “balls” with backlight, a spin counter, a speedometer showing the current speed and other useful functions. This projectile allows you to strengthen your fingers, hands and forearms. Another very effective method Similar training is dumbbell rotation. To perform the exercise, take a heavy dumbbell in each hand, after which, from a standing position, rotate your wrists back and forth counterclockwise and in the opposite direction.
Benefits of a strong grip
A strong grip is an indicator of good health, and it is not for nothing that during a medical examination in hospitals they still use a dynamometer to this day, which must be pressed using the strength of your hands. It is precisely because of an insufficiently strong grip that many bodybuilders with developed muscles turn out to be weaker than lightweight powerlifters.
The hands have a close connection with the brain, and their development has a beneficial effect on the functioning of neural networks. Its importance in such sports and disciplines as boxing, hockey, tennis, powerlifting, martial arts, workout and crossfit.
A strong grip is important not only for full-fledged work in gym, but also for solving various everyday problems.
Conclusion
You need to work carefully to strengthen your grip, making training aimed at its development as hard and persistent as possible. However, there is a nuance here that you should not forget about, so as not to cause damage to your own body. If, after performing several approaches on the forearms, they get tired and “clogged,” then it is important not to overdo it in the load on the hands and fingers, and increase it as smoothly as possible, gradually increasing the weight at each workout. In order to develop a powerful grip, it is also recommended to hang on a thick horizontal bar or perform three-finger pull-ups.
Be sure to read about it
John Brookfield is a living legend in the world of strength. He is known as "Mr. Hands" - the person with the strongest grip. Brookfield is one of several Earthlings to grip the Captain of Crush N 4 wrist expander and produces his own wrist expanders, the JB Grippers. In addition, he created several posts on how to strengthen your grip, where he showed how to learn how to bend steel bars and tear decks of cards.
Here's what Phil Pfister, the 2006 Strongest Man, says about him: “I know some very strong guys. However, John is one of those rare super guys who is not just one of the strongest in the world, but is truly head and shoulders above the rest of us... When it comes to developing strength, John breaks all barriers. He knows no boundaries..."
How to increase your grip strength? Here are some exercises to develop grip strength that John Brookfield suggests in his book Grip Tip:
1. Expander on a rope
Here is an exercise that will significantly increase the strength of your arms. In fact, it's more than just an exercise. This " gold mine" for results and an exciting game that will motivate with its challenging nature. Also, by developing arm strength, the exercise will significantly improve explosive force and coordinates the eye-hand connection.
Preparing for the exercise is very simple. All you need to do is take the expander and hang it on a rope or thin chain. Tie the rope to something above your head. Sometimes I do this exercise by simply holding the rope above my head with my other hand. In general, it doesn’t matter how high the expander is suspended. Adjust the height so that the expander is level solar plexus, I think this height is optimal.
The goal of the exercise is to squeeze the expander in one quick, explosive movement. Don't try to grab and then squeeze, grab the resistance band and squeeze it in one continuous motion. Start by keeping your hand at your side as if you were about to draw the gun from the holster. Grab the expander as quickly and sharply as possible, immediately squeezing it to the end. This will be really hard to do. You will grasp the resistance band differently each time, and this is one of the main advantages of the exercise. Each time you squeeze the resistance band, it works your arm a little differently.
The question arises, which expander to use? Oddly enough, due to the extreme difficulty of this exercise, average person Not even a regular resistance band sold in the sporting goods department can squeeze in this style. Don’t forget to work both arms evenly during each workout, and also use different expanders. I myself work with Trainer Captains of Crush, about 50 reps per arm.
2. Raising a row of bricks
This valuable exercise develops functional strength throughout the entire upper body. When I say " upper part body" I mean not only the chest and back, but also the arms, wrists, and fingers.
Start by laying out the bricks on the ground in a row in front of you. They need to be folded tightly to each other, as shown in the photo. The type and weight of the bricks does not play a special role. I'll leave it up to you to decide. Once you have decided on the number and size of bricks, bend down, grab the row at the edges and, squeezing the bricks together, lift them off the ground.
Lift bricks up or do abdominal pull-downs with them. Place them on the ground and start moving again. I prefer to keep the row together and touching the ground throughout the set. This constant compression gives you the opportunity to really give it your all. This exercise will work your chest like never before. I like to do eight to ten reps per set, and I also do all the movements very slowly. Remember that you must constantly squeeze the bricks to prevent them from falling.
If you want to use the exercise to develop pure strength, continue adding bricks, placing them on top of the row. The more bricks you put on top, the harder it will be to lift them. Also, if you put additional bricks in the middle of the column, it will take more force to hold the row, as the bricks on top try to push the bricks out of the row. Remember, it is not the weight of the bricks, but the force with which you squeeze them that makes this exercise so difficult.
3. Double rope traction
I'll show you great way developing not only arm strength, but also the whole body. As many of you know, I am a huge proponent of working with thick ropes in rows and pull-ups. For this exercise you need a barbell or steel bar with weights. Next you will need an inch thick rope. The rope I'm using in the photo is an inch and a half thick, but you can use different thicknesses of rope depending on how difficult you want the exercise to be.
Adjust the length of the rope until you find one that is comfortable for you. I suggest using two pieces of 60 cm rope. If you want to do a partial deadlift, then the rope can be longer.
Wrap the pieces of rope around the bar, taking the ends of one piece of rope into left hand, ends the other to the right. Be sure to wrap the rope so that the bar is balanced as you lift. The idea is to pull the bar while holding the ends of the ropes in your hands. The stronger your grip, the more weight you will be able to pull.
The double rope row is fun and a great way to make your arms stronger; If your grip is not particularly strong, this exercise will be a little painful at first. With the double rope row, you can pull and hold the bar for a while, do reps, or load up the bar and try your max. This exercise will inhale new life in training your grip, the thing that will bring great results.
4. Fingering on the board
All you need is a couple of boards of the same length. I suggest two measuring 5x10x100 cm. To begin, stand holding the boards aligned with each other in front of you. Hold them above the ground, at chest level, squeezing them with your fingertips. Start moving your fingers towards the bottom of the boards so that the boards move up. You will immediately notice that the exercise, which is easy at first, will become very difficult when you get your fingers to the lower end of the boards.
Once you get to the end, try moving your fingers in the opposite direction. This will require a lot of finger strength and constant control of the compression of the boards, especially at the bottom. At first it will seem impossible to keep the boards together while moving them at the same time. Keep training and you will achieve great results.
Be careful not to let the boards slide against each other. As you get stronger, you can use longer boards and even add a third. As you can see, you can get great results from this exercise without getting bored with it.
5. Lifting a chair with weight
Here's another fun and unusual way to develop your forearms. I have mentioned many times that it is very important to do interesting and unusual things during training, this is good for maintaining motivation. I call this exercise the "chair lift."
Find a stool or small chair. Also several pancakes of 5 - 10 kg. If you don't have pancakes, use sandbags or bricks. Now take the chair by the leg closest to you and lift the chair vertically up. Once you lift the chair off the ground, place weight on it and hold it for as long as possible.
There are many different ways do this exercise. Personally, I like to do this: I put a couple of weights on a chair and hold them until my arm gets tired, then I remove the second weight and hold them as long as I can, and then I hold an empty chair.
You can lift a chair from the ground by first placing weight on it. This is cool, but you need to make sure that the weight does not move or fall during the lift. Also, the stool may be so heavy that additional weights are not needed. With a little experimentation, you will find the chair that suits you and the extra weight you need.
I strongly remind you to include this exercise in your workout, as it will give you very good results. It works the forearm and deltoids. This is a great exercise for arm wrestlers and anyone trying to develop functional strength such as bending nails.
6. Working with a long bar
This method can be used in various exercises in many ways. I remember a drawing by Arthur Saxon where he used one of these techniques in his training. I call it "Long Neck Work" and it really sums it up.
All you need to do is grab a bar longer than a standard dumbbell and get to work. You can even pick up a barbell once you learn how to control it. Now you're wondering what's the big deal about using a long dumbbell bar or even a barbell? This time we will use them in single arm exercises. The reasoning behind this is that it's a great way to develop lower arm strength; you'll have to work hard to keep the bar balanced. You will have to balance the bar using only the strength of your hand.
To start, you can use an old style barbell, which is much shorter than a regular barbell. You can also work with a heavy steel rod, fixing the weight in a position convenient for you using four locks. Be extremely careful to ensure that the locks securely support the weight. As always, experiment to find the right weight.
There are many exercises in which you can use a long bar. However, let's look at just three moves that are fairly safe. I say safe because you don't have to lift weights above your head.
1. Biceps curl. Lift the weight slowly, trying to keep the bar balanced. This will intensely work the forearm and wrist. Don't push yourself too hard, keep control of the bar. If the bar is pulled out of your hand, let it fall to the ground. If the exercise is too hard, use lighter weights or a shorter bar.
2. Reverse grip biceps curl.
3. One-arm row. Bend over, holding the bar in front of you and pull it towards your chest.
Work both arms in all exercises. Work with a long bar and you will develop a stronger grip.
7. Finger training
This is one of the best ways develop hand strength. In fact, it develops not only hand strength, but coordination and muscles of all fingers. First you will work with small weight plates, about 5 kg, to master the technique of movement. When you master the technique, you can take a pancake weighing 10 kg, or, for example, two 5 kg each, folding them with the smooth side out.
Take a big pancake and index finger. Now hold the pancake with your thumb and middle one, release your index finger, and so on with all your fingers, then reverse order until you again hold the pancake with your thumb and forefinger.
The exercise is very important not only for developing finger strength, but also for dexterity. At first you will move your fingers slowly, one after the other, but after a while the movement will become quite natural to you. It will also be very difficult to support the weight with just your thumb and little finger. It will be difficult to maintain even a small weight in this way. However, this exercise will very quickly develop strength and agility.
Remember to work both hands equally. In fact, you can do the exercise with both hands. Holding the heavier pancake with your fingers of the same name, repeat the same cycle as long as you have the strength.
This exercise will give your fingers a new type of challenge, find their weak spots and quickly strengthen them. It will also teach your fingers to move in previously unusual directions.
A lot of men dream of a powerful grip. However, for some it is a privilege, and for others it is an important necessity, without which it is impossible to build a career or achieve success in sports. It is important for every athlete who goes to the gym and has made a clear decision to progress in this matter day after day, week after week, year after year, to know how to increase grip strength. Now you will understand why this is needed and what exercises will turn your hands into a vice.
Why do you need a strong grip?
The answer to this question is obvious to anyone who has given himself at least once in his life high load in the gym, understands perfectly how important it is to be confident in the strength of your forearms. Working with heavy weights and other exercises require the athlete to have power in his hands, otherwise it will not be possible to load the core muscles. It just won't hold the weight.
When the projectile slips out of your hands it:
- Unpleasant to say the least
- Violates the technique of performing the exercise
- Does not allow you to properly load the muscle
- May cause injury to the athlete
In addition, there are people who simply need a powerful grip. This includes wrestlers, judokas, karatekas, arm wrestlers and so on. But if the latter build their training mainly with an emphasis on developing a strong grip, then for everyone else this method is various reasons doesn't fit. And besides, they don’t need to have such powerful and swinging arms. It is enough to simply strengthen the muscles and ligaments without reaching such volumes, and the following exercises will help you with this.
Exercises to develop an iron grip
There is a set of simple, but at the same time effective exercises that, when combined correctly, will help develop the power of your hands.
Stretching a belt or rope- Very interesting exercise, which was used by sailors and soldiers back in the tsarist army. IN hand-to-hand combat all means are good, and in the turbulent pre-Soviet times, clashes occurred quite often. Times have passed, but the effectiveness of the method remains. You must take a strong belt or thick rope, and then begin to stretch it, trying to break it. Systematize this exercise to achieve better effect do 20-25 stretches in 3-4 sets. It may seem simple, but in reality, not everyone can do 15 repetitions.
Start stretching the rope, trying to break it. To achieve the best effect, do 20-25 stretches in 3-4 sets
Pull-ups and hanging from a belt or rope– the principle is the same as in the first exercise, only the effect is much better. The main thing is not to make loops around the wrist - remember that you are strengthening your grip first, but doing pull-ups at the same time.
Rope climbing with corner – complex exercise, which will strengthen not only your grip, but also load your abs along with latissimus muscles backs. Climb until your hands can hardly be clenched into a fist, and since this exercise is new, this effect will not take long to appear.
Rope climbing will not only strengthen your grip, but also load your abs along with your latissimus dorsi muscles.
Climbing on the monkey bars is also a great and simple method to strengthen your grip. The exercise must be performed until complete failure. This means that when you can no longer progress through the pipes, get off, rest and start again. The point is to load your arms to such an extent that even the first “step” is difficult for you.
Hanging on the bar- the simplest and most common exercise that is familiar to many school lessons physical education. You need to perform it all the way, continue to hang on your fingers and fight for every second, because this is what determines the power of squeezing your hand in the future. Once you can hang without much difficulty for 5-10 minutes, you can add weights to continue progressing.
Squeezing the expander- Same familiar exercise, which is best combined with any other. The main advantage of working with an expander is the ability to pump up the relief or, conversely, load the forearms.
When squeezing the expander, you load your forearms
Conclusion
Proper combination of the above exercises will help you realize your dream and develop powerful forearms. In addition, it would be useful to add a barbell or dumbbells here, as well as combine with them various methods of strengthening the grip. It is unlikely that you will be able to achieve good results right away, but remember that the body is not built in one day. Try it, and soon you will be able to turn your hands into a steel vice.
Grip strength characterizes every man during a handshake. A weak and soft palm does not leave the best impression. In addition, you need to have strong hands and fingers if you are seriously involved in sports, for example, working with weights or on a horizontal bar. Therefore, fellow athletes, let's train a strong grip!
Grip and big sport
A strong grip is the main characteristic of athletes performing in this form of weightlifting, such as armlifting. This professional sports, which brings athletes worldwide fame, good prizes and, of course, a sense of pride in the results obtained. In general, there is something to think about - maybe you will be able to achieve great heights in this sport.
Armlifting is not as popular as football or tennis, but an army of thousands of fans still exists.
Super grip is useful not only in itself. Developed hand muscles are of great importance in arm wrestling, powerlifting, bodybuilding, workout, etc. tennis, hockey. In any sport where you need to hold significant weight with your hands, grip is of great importance.
Grab and ordinary life
A men's meeting begins with a handshake. His strength is a man’s calling card. When you greet with a strong grip, this already lets the other man know that you are “strong.”
This is the first reason why there should be strength in the palm.
Men regularly lift something - at work, at home, while grocery shopping. When you didn’t have a car, you carried bags (and previously nets) of groceries home. Remember how hard it was sometimes? How the fingers unbent of their own accord under the weight of the bag. Now most of you have cars. At most, you carry the same packages to the car. And then from the car to the house. In “horseless” times the grip was stronger, that’s for sure.
But, for example, there is an emergency situation when you need to climb a couple of meters up, and this is a matter of life and death. Again, the strength of the brushes will solve this situation in the direction you want.
And if your hands are weak, you can lose a lot. This happened during earthquakes, falls, landslides, persecution. A good example of this is the movie Cliffhanger, starring Sylvester Stallone.
And, of course, we cannot leave aside the visual perception of the forearms. After all, hand training involves active work of these muscles. Massive and powerful forearms immediately place emphasis on the question: is it worth talking to you carelessly or rudely.
A strong grip (or better yet, a perfect grip) is the key to confidence. Its significance is great, as you have already noticed, not only in sports, but also in everyday life.
Principles of Grip Training
Grip training is the only way to strengthen your hand muscles. Without this, it is impossible to achieve extraordinary results. However, a person’s genetic predisposition also plays some role.
Not always muscle mass the athlete speaks about the strength of his grip. It happens that the outcome of a competition is decided by the thickness of the forearm tendons, and not at all by the volume of the muscles. Moreover, the girth of the biceps does not in any way affect the grip strength of the hand - the shoulder flexor is not involved in this movement.
So the forearm has 19 different muscles. Only 4 of these 19 provide turns. The rest are responsible for flexion and extension.
There are a number of exercises that are good only at the initial stage of training. When performed over a long period of time, they are able to maintain the current level of muscle development, but they will not be enough for further progress. We're talking specifically about grip strength.
Hanging on the horizontal bar
Constantly hanging on the horizontal bar strengthens your grip at the initial stage of training. When you can hang for about a minute with your hands on the bar, your progress will stop. Then you can increase the hanging time, but the strength will not increase. Each person’s adaptation time is different; some will stop progressing after just 30 seconds of hanging.
Of course, such a hang in itself is very useful. In particular, the longer you hang, the more your spine will stretch (this is more often a good thing than a bad thing), and the endurance of your wrist muscles will increase noticeably. Strength is not, progress will stop over time.
One type manual expander
Very often the lack of results from training with with a manual expander associated with a constant load on the muscles. There is training, but there is no progression - that is, you simply maintain a certain level of strength, but do not grow further. Quite a lot of people face this.
If you carry a donut in your pocket and squeeze it all the time, up to a certain point your strength will increase, and then progress will stop, because the resistance of the machine is constant.
Muscles require adaptive training: that is, as soon as the muscle has the opportunity to do a little more, this opportunity must be immediately used, forcing the muscles to make more significant efforts.
The exact same statement can be made for almost any exercise. The main thing is not to use one weight.
The key to success is a complex workload
Developing grip strength is a versatile activity. You should do different exercises, gradually increasing the load.
Although, if you are satisfied with a slightly more powerful grip than your friends, a few round expanders will be enough for you. Just remember to give your wrist muscles a heavier workout periodically.
To achieve best results, in addition to the hands, the rest of the body should be trained. This is a simple truth that is not obvious to everyone. Isolation training Grip alone will not give the desired result. The body must work harmoniously.
You can do any physical activity. You can work out in the gym, play your favorite sport, or do exercises in the morning. If you want, just run, it will give you basic endurance. Grip strength training will be more effective if all other muscles are developed.
Cardio, by the way, in addition to developing endurance, has another side - improving blood circulation and saturating body cells with nutrients and oxygen. Thanks to accelerated exchange substances the muscles will work better.
Exercises
Not all athletes know how to increase grip strength. And not always those who have an impressive figure can boast of success in this area. So what to do, how to strengthen your hands?
Changing expanders
To get started, go to the nearest sports store and find a “bagel” there. Try working with expanders of different elasticity, decide which one is moderately difficult for you to work with. Take 2 expanders at once - the one you like and one more, a little heavier for compression.
Work with the easier option first. Get to the point where you can do 50 compressions with each hand. Sometimes you can twist your fists while the expander is clenched - it will be more difficult. There is no need to hold your palm clenched for a long time; a second is enough.
Please note: when you work with a ring resistance band, the muscles of different fingers are tensed differently. Try to make sure that all of them experience approximately the same amount of stress.
When you can do 50 compressions with each hand, move on to a heavier expander. And so, as it progresses, you will need to buy a new one.
One day you will have to give up the “donut” and buy a V-shaped expander. It has more resistance and will be your next level workout.
Additionally, you can practice rope climbs and other exercises.
Engaging the extensors
In addition to the wrist flexors, it will be useful to pay attention to the extensors. Extending the palm with force does not have any practical application, but in general complex training muscles will give the best effect.
The simplest thing is to put a strong rubber band on your closed fingers and spread them apart. You can invent some of your own ways to load the palm during extension, here ingenuity and imagination are welcome.
Tracking progress
If you want to track your progress, you will need a wrist dynamometer. This is a device that allows you to see how much force your hand develops when compressed. The numbers will be your guide.
Training the forearms
Notice what tenses when you clench your fist. Right, inner part forearms. Apparently, this muscle also needs to be pumped?
By the way, don't forget about warming up. The muscles of the hand are the same muscles as the triceps and biceps. You don’t go to bench press a barbell right away maximum weight, but approach this weight gradually.
Remember about nutrition
Muscles are made up of muscle and connective tissue. It is important that the tendon is firmly attached to the periosteum on one side, and to the muscle body on the other. To do this, you need to eat foods that contain a lot of protein, vitamins necessary for connective fibers and unsaturated fatty acids (Omega-3 and 6).
