Working Grip

So I’m fed up with my grip hindering progress in some areas so I’m tossing away the straps and hitting grip hard.

I’ve been doing just a standing grip with 95 dbs for 3 sets of 30 seconds for about a week ( 2 or 3 workouts).

Couple of quick questions…

My split is upper body push/legs and lower back/ upperbody pull; which days would you incorporate grip in?

As there isn’t quite enough space in my gym for farmers-walks is a standing still grip just as good?

How would you do sets/ time?

Is it bad if my forearms and hands start to tingle and turn blue towards the end of the set?

as this is in the pl forum i’ll ask, do you do deadlifts? tried holding at the top of your last rep?

What you’re doing is fine. I’d do it once a week on your pulling day. Training your grip too much can actually make it worse. Just keep doing static holds for as long as you can, and it’ll get better.

I dont think you need to really train your grip to work your grip. Deadlifts, rows (BB and DB), and all the other little stupid exercises you do with straps will help your grip when you do throw the straps away.

Grip exercises that actually do work: captains of crush grips, plate pinches, hex head holds, rubber plate flips (You know, those thick 45lb plates for olympic movements… try it, this sucks.)

Your hands overtrain much faster than any other part of your body. Especially if your hands are weak, only work you grip once a week. Either a couple days before heavy pulling or the day of your heavy lower body stuff.

Your hands are turing blue becuase you cant rip a phone book in half or crush an apple in your palm. Once you can, they will forgive you.

My grip strength seemed to improve when I did lunges, step-ups and shrugs with dumbbells instead of barbells. The lunges and step-ups were in sets of 5 and the shrugs were in sets of 10 but they took about a minute each. It was basically a timed hold. Of course, you have to decide whether or not you want to put lunges, step-ups and shrugs into your routine now.

[quote]cdubs wrote:
Is it bad if my forearms and hands start to tingle and turn blue towards the end of the set? [/quote]

Is this with or without wraps, I’m assuming with? If so I would say that most of the pressure is being transferred to your wrists tightening the wraps and cutting off circulation. Burn the wraps forget they existed and even if you have to dial down the weight build up your base grip strength doing indirect work. Imo deads, db or bb rows, shrugs, pullups and chins are all excellent for grip and are present in every functional training regimen.

[quote]steeljunkie wrote:

[quote]cdubs wrote:
Is it bad if my forearms and hands start to tingle and turn blue towards the end of the set? [/quote]

Is this with or without wraps, I’m assuming with? If so I would say that most of the pressure is being transferred to your wrists tightening the wraps and cutting off circulation. Burn the wraps forget they existed and even if you have to dial down the weight build up your base grip strength doing indirect work. Imo deads, db or bb rows, shrugs, pullups and chins are all excellent for grip and are present in every functional training regimen. [/quote]

why would he be using wraps whilst doing timed holds for his grip?

[quote]steeljunkie wrote:

[quote]cdubs wrote:
Is it bad if my forearms and hands start to tingle and turn blue towards the end of the set? [/quote]

Is this with or without wraps, I’m assuming with? If so I would say that most of the pressure is being transferred to your wrists tightening the wraps and cutting off circulation. Burn the wraps forget they existed and even if you have to dial down the weight build up your base grip strength doing indirect work. Imo deads, db or bb rows, shrugs, pullups and chins are all excellent for grip and are present in every functional training regimen. [/quote]

Burn the wraps. Great response.

If it’s good enough for Andy Bolton, it’s good enough for me.

"Two-Handed Pinch Grip Deadlift

To set up this exercise take an Olympic bar and rest one end on a bench. There must be a small weight plate on this end to prevent the bar from falling over the bench when you deadlift it (see picture for set up).

On the other end of the bar, place two Olympic plates with the smooth side facing outwards. Don’t get it the other way around as it totally defeats the purpose of the exercise! You’ll need a collar to stop the plates from moving.

People with a fairly strong grip may be able to start with two 45-pound plates, but we recommend that the average person starts with 35 pounders.

To add weight, use a 10-pound plate first. Then add whatever you want on top of that. This setup is essential for lifters with large hands. You’ll realize why when you try the exercise.

To perform the movement, take a semi-sumo stance (feet just outside the plates). Set up as you would normally for your deadlift: arched lower back, relaxed upper back, and perform your desired number of reps and sets/timed holds."

Holy shit. As soon as I can deadlift more than I can hold, this will be the only grip exercise I will do.

[quote]StormTheBeach wrote:
"Two-Handed Pinch Grip Deadlift

To set up this exercise take an Olympic bar and rest one end on a bench. There must be a small weight plate on this end to prevent the bar from falling over the bench when you deadlift it (see picture for set up).

On the other end of the bar, place two Olympic plates with the smooth side facing outwards. Don’t get it the other way around as it totally defeats the purpose of the exercise! You’ll need a collar to stop the plates from moving.

People with a fairly strong grip may be able to start with two 45-pound plates, but we recommend that the average person starts with 35 pounders.

To add weight, use a 10-pound plate first. Then add whatever you want on top of that. This setup is essential for lifters with large hands. You’ll realize why when you try the exercise.

To perform the movement, take a semi-sumo stance (feet just outside the plates). Set up as you would normally for your deadlift: arched lower back, relaxed upper back, and perform your desired number of reps and sets/timed holds."

Holy shit. As soon as I can deadlift more than I can hold, this will be the only grip exercise I will do.
[/quote]

Agreed, I also like pinch grip swings to fry the glutes at the end of a leg day and get some grip work in. I’ve always struggled with the set up for pull throughs and like these better. Wendler called kettlebell swings, I believe “expensive pull throughs”.

Wow… looks like just about all of my questions were answered pretty quickly thanks guys.

Still a little concerned though about the blue hands and what not, it isn’t because of wraps because as I said in the OP " I’m tossing away the straps and hitting grip hard "

So right now I’m looking at

1x max time once per week ( in addition to rows, dead, rack pulls etc) and incorporate more things as I get stronger?