Having a strong grip is very important for various activities such as sports and everyday activities. Sporting activities such as rugby, wrestling, rock climbing and weight lifting require that one has as strong a grip as possible in order to make it in such activities. Even daily activities as one goes about their life such as opening doors, opening jars, and carrying heavy objects are eased when one has a strong grip. For one to have a greater upper body strength, one needs to have greater grip strength as well.
If one wants to increase their grip strength, there are a number of exercises that they can select from. Hand grip strengtheners are equipment that one uses in exercises in order to strengthen their grip. We review some of them in the following sections.
Here are five of the most commonly used methods for grip strength training used today.
Hang Grippers
These are V-shaped equipment that are springy and can fit into the palm of ones hands so that one can close them using their fingers and the thumb. One can imagine hand grippers as springy scissors which fit the hand and the user presses down on them to close them. These come in a variety of closing strength depending on the skill level of the trainee. Most are light to medium weight and are ideal for the common users while heavier weight grippers are for the advanced users. One can squeeze the hand grippers repeatedly or alternatively, grip and hold them for as long as they can in order to build their grip strength and stamina.
There are routines one should follow when using hand grippers in order to ensure they get maximum workout from it. First, one should always select grip strengtheners which have a good resistance level. It is advisable to work ones way up slowly adding more resistance as one progresses, rather than doing the tough ones at first. This is very dangerous and may put one in a hospital bed due to injuries.
Since hand grippers are targeted for the hands, one should always keep the rest of their body still in order to avoid putting the rest of the body into the motion. It is also important to keep breathing throughout the exercise as it helps one to relax and focus on the gripping movements. One can use hand grippers while doing other activities such as reading, watching television or surfing the net.
It is also important to keep quality of the training in mind. Varying the training also helps keep ones mind and body in check.
Plate Pinch
Finger muscles originate from deep in the forearms. This kind of grip strengtheners is used to develop the crushing strength in ones fingers. This are used together and one places them together on a bench then holding the plates at the top, one grasps them in one hand and holds the plates next to their legs for as long as possible. This is then repeated with the opposite hand for a change. One can always begin with light weight and keep advancing to heavier plates as time goes on, strengthening their grip more and more each day.
Wrist Roller
This is a plank of wood or metal which has a rope attached to the middle. Weights can be attached to the other end of the rope. In order for one to use a wrist roller, one simply fixes a suitable weight to the end of the rope and then rotates their hands turning the rope round and round the handle thus raising the weight off the floor. Once the weight gets lifted up to ones hands, the rope is rolled in the opposite direction to bring the weight back down to the floor slowly. This makes sure that one strengthens their arms, shoulders and gripping muscles.
One can always make their own wrist rollers with a piece of rope, a piece of wood and a metal carabiner. This helps save costs for the trainee while still providing the same quality of service commercial wrist rollers would have provided.
Deadlift Hold
This grip strengthening exercise involves holding on to very heavy weight while lifting them in order to strengthen ones grip. This form of grip strengtheners target various muscle groups and is effective for many parts of the body. One must be warned in advance, however, that this is an advanced form of grip strengthening exercise and should therefore be done with a lot of caution. One should never attempt this if they cannot lift the weight they want to deadlift with.
In the deadlift hold, safety is paramount so one should perform it with ultimate caution taking care not to put too much strain on the lower back as this might cause complications and unforeseen illnesses or injuries. It is also very important to take rests between breaks in this kind of exercise in order to regain lifting strength and avoid quick exhaustion before the grip fails causing injuries.
One should always have a schedule for the training in order to plan and vary the type of grip strengtheners that are used. This helps one to reap the maximum benefits of these grip strengthening exercises and in order to target as wide a range of muscle and parts as possible.
Thick Bar Training
This form of specialized training involves wrapping a thicker grip on a regular dumbbell to increase the axle size to 2″ or more. Many who weight train find that once they reach a certain point, they plateau and don’t seem to improve on the weights they lift. Athletes in the past used thick bar training for the extra edge against their competitors. It is therefore used primarily by those who visit the gym and lift weights on a regular basis. Typical axles on dumbbells today are 1″. The smaller axle may be easier to hang on to but it does little to improve weight lifting ability. This is because by increasing the grip size of the axle, one needs to increase grip strength accordingly to lift a greater amount weight. Thick bar training helps increase upper body strength and weight lifting ability. As one gradually improves the grip on the larger axle, weight lifting ability increases naturally. Learn more about FatGripz as a tool.
Additional Thoughts
Having looked at the above types of grip strengtheners, it is important to mention a few other things that may help during the course of these grip strengthening exercises. First and foremost, it is important to have a limit to the amount of exercise done every time. This is crucial to making sure that the body has enough time to recover and soak in the effects of previous exercise. A healthy diet is also recommended especially for those who require grip strength for use in the sporting field. It is also good to seek the help of a professional in case of any problems and complications that may arise in the course of the grip strengtheners.
Decide On The Grip Strengthener For Your Situation
In conclusion, grip strengtheners are an essential part of grip strength training and it is always important to have the right equipment for the exercise. Doing this the right way guarantees someone of grip strength in a very short time.