Grip strength

[viv]

I figured this would be the best part of the forum to post this:

This morning I worked out and was able to do 14 pullups. But it seems like every time I do pullups, it's not my back or biceps that die on me, it's my forearm and wrist area. What are some good exercises to do that will strengthen this part of the arms?


GO NAVY BEAT ARMY

 

[stevew]

I've used the following method to strgthen my forearms mayeb it'll work for you:

Holds your arm out at you sides so that they are perpendicular to your body with your palms facing down. Flex and extend your fingers (open and close your hands) as far as you can. I.e from a flat palm to a tight fist.

Try starting with 70 or 80 of these and then work from there. I think you should see a difference pretty quickly.

Let me know how that works for you

-Steve

 

[kevin]

my first piece of advice would be to do lots of pullups. the "specificity of training" theory would say to increase your grip strength on pullups, do more pullups. try looking in the prt section of this site for the armstrong pu program. as for ancillary work, try doing forearm exercises with weights (ie wrist curls both extension and flexion). it's probably your wrist extensors that are weakest, so try getting a bar (any handle type of thing) and attaching a rope to it. weights are attached to the other end of the rope and then you simply hold the bar out in front of you and coil up the rope (using as much wrist action and as little arm action as possible) till the weight touches the handle. the other thing you can do is to stack a ton of weight on a barbell and hold it for as long as possible. ive been deadlifting for some time, and this is how my grip strength increased the most.

 

[viv]

Stevew - I definitely felt the burn using your method! I think at about 60, my arms started to feel numb.
kevin - I've seen something like you're describing ( bar w/ a rope attached) in the weight room. I'll throw in those forearm exercises at the end of my next workout.

-Thanks for the tips


GO NAVY BEAT ARMY

 

[jaerose]

A couple more things you can do are to get heavy dumbells, or plates and hold one in each hand while walking around the room. Hold for as long as you can, then rest and repeat like a regular workout (farmer's walk is its name). Also, immediately after you do your pull-ups, do a 1-2 minute set of dead hangs (or as long as you can). This is just where you hold the chin bar like you're going to do some pull-ups, but you just hang there as long as you can. Not only will it improve your grip when you're exhausted, but it will also stretch your back, shoulders and pecs very well, which in turn will help your recovery and muscle growth.

JR

 

[farkle84]

reverse curls (like your doing biceps curls but flip your hands so palms are down with a barbell). forearm curls (barbell on a flat bench, palms up holding the barbell on your quads, and bring your hands to you or curls your wrists, works the other way with palms down too) plus some gyms have machines that a specifically used for the forearms.

 

[MarineAV04]

Hi, I am a pretty competative climber (as well an aspiring Marine.) Here is what I would recomend for grip strength. Every day before you do pull-ups, put a layer of athletic tape around the bar. The increased with will engage your forearm and grip. Also vary the types of pull-ups you do. Try to do pyramids of each: reg, reverse, close, behind the neck and commando. Good Luck Stay Motivated!!!!

 

[MarineAV04]

Hi, I am a pretty competative climber (as well an aspiring Marine.) Here is what I would do for grip strength. Every day before you do pull-ups, put a layer of athletic tape around the bar. The increased with will engage your forearm and grip. Also vary the types of pull-ups you do. Try to do pyramids of each: reg, reverse, close, behind the neck and commando. Good Luck Stay Motivated!!!!

 

[grouch]

Oh the jokes that could be made....

 

[wildflyin69]

lol, I can't believe nobody's made one yet....

 

[Banjo33]

"The Stranger, eh?" :-]

Gone in Sixty Seconds

 

[46Driver]

You can also try some of the stuff we use in the weight room. When you are doing deadlifts, some guys use wraps (which wouldn't work for pullups), chalk, or grip spray. I use the last - basically its like spraying pine tar onto your hands - it really locks the bar in place but takes a day or two to wash off.