“…A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research concluded that grip strength is a predictor of muscular endurance and overall strength. Other studies have found that a stronger grip correlates with a lower risk of heart attack and stroke.” *Washington Post
Whether you are wanting to execute a full pull up, a kipping pull up or simply support your body weight. GRIP STRENGTH is an important weapon in your arsenal. When training grip strength look for mobility, strength and endurance variations.
At Catalyst, we work with our clients to ensure good grip strength whenever possible! You are encouraged to work on these things at home as well. Remember: YOU are the guardian of your own fitness, strength and mobility. Find your resources, do the work.
ENDURANCE, STRENGTH
Turkish get up:
An amazing all-around strength and stability move, because the weight is supported over-head, your main focus is on keeping the wrist straight or slightly flexed over the duration.
Hanging
Rather than pushing, you are basically pulling or static at best.
BONUS: The active hang is also great for building upper back strength along with grip strength. Find your hollow hold position from the bar. Then depress shoulders. Don’t think about lifting yourself to the bar, just focus on activating the scapula. There are 17 muscles connected to this floating bone, so you’ve got LOTS to work with!
MOBILITY:
If you are in the habit of lifting heavy things, you know that changing grip changes everything. A neutral grip vs supinated (up) vs pronated (down) makes all the difference in muscle recruitment. So make sure you aren’t just training grip in the sagittal (moving front to back) or frontal (side to side) planes.
In addition to strength training, stretches for the hand and forearm will improve muscle extensibility (stretchiness), helping build strength during training.
