How to train your grip strength properly. What grip strength is useful for, what different grips there are and which exercises you can use to your advantage in everyday life and in strength training
A firm handshake not only has a convincing effect on others, but also helps you with tangible everyday tasks: for example, when lugging groceries. But grip strength is also essential when training with machines or weights in the gym. A common problem: the hands give way while other muscle groups are not yet at their limits. Do you want to have everything under control in everyday life and in sport? In this article, you will learn everything you need to know to avoid weak mistakes.
What is grip strength?
The answer is simple: grip strength is the strength with which you can hold or grasp something – for example the dumbbells in the gym. “It is the most important link between a clean exercise execution and the body,” says expert André Hermens , who has been working as a personal trainer and nutrition coach in Cologne for several years. If you lack grip strength, your training success will suffer. For example, it may be that your hands can no longer hold the barbell during deadlifts , but your legs are still full of power. However, you will still not be able to train as effectively as your legs need. This does not have to be the case if you train not only the obvious muscles, but also your forearms and hands.
Which muscles are used?
The fingers do not have their own muscles that can be trained to improve grip strength. But where does all the strength come from? “It is mainly the forearms and hand muscles that are used,” says the personal trainer. The muscle fibers sometimes extend from your elbow to your fingertips. Ultimately, 19 muscles in your forearms (extensors and flexors) and over 30 in your hands determine how firmly you can grip.
These are the different types of grip strength
According to personal trainer Hermens, you can distinguish between five different types of grip strength. Each form has its own important function for fitness training:
- Crushing grip: This is the force with which you squeeze tightly – like when holding on to the pull-up bar.
- Wrist strength: This serves to support the wrist and fingers. This gives you a stable grip when doing exercises with dumbbells.
- Thumb strength (pinching): If you want to hold something between your thumb and the rest of your fingers, you need what is known as thumb strength.
- Finger strength (Individual Finger Strength): Although your fingers don’t have any muscles themselves, finger strength allows you to spread them. This gives you a better grip when doing push-ups, for example.
- Support Grip: “This refers to holding something for a longer period of time,” adds Hermens. So if you want to hold something in your open palm for a longer period of time, you need support grip.
Why is grip strength important?
“Grip strength not only strengthens general coordination, a firm grip is an advantage in almost every sport that is performed with the hands,” explains Coach Hermens. The grip initiates many exercises – some of which we will look at in more detail later in this article. The result for your workout: improved strength values and clean execution. “Good grip strength is therefore the prerequisite for better training,” the expert summarizes.
Other sports that require a good grip
The same applies to many sports outside the gym. These include athletics disciplines such as pole vaulting and javelin throwing, but also handball and especially climbing and bouldering require a good grip.
But a firm grip also has many advantages in everyday life, says the expert: hands become tools and act as strong companions when carrying, pulling and pushing. Solid doors and heavy bags? No problem for you anymore. In a 2016 study, researchers also found that the grip strength of the younger generations up to 34 years of age has decreased compared to their parents. This is due to jobs that require less grip. It is therefore all the more important to ensure sufficient grip in the gym.
How often should you train your grip strength?
Basically, any exercise that is done with your hands can help you train your grip strength. The more often you need a firm grip during your workout, the stronger it will become. However, it is advisable to specifically train your forearms for a few minutes two to three times a week. Expert Hermens refers to lifting aids that are designed to relieve the strain on your hands and forearms when lifting heavy weights: “You should avoid using them to continue training your grip.”
Which exercises specifically strengthen grip strength?
Below we present you with some exercises that can improve your general grip strength. Whether with a barbell, pull-up bar or simply with your own body weight: there is something for everyone.
1. Rowing with the barbell
This will improve your squeezing grip strength and wrist strength. The exercise primarily trains the back muscles: the large back muscle (latissimus dorsi) is used just as much as the trapezius muscle (trapezius muscle). Your biceps are also used.
2. Pull-ups
In order to hold on to the pull-up bar , you need grip strength. Alternatively, you can just hang on the bar without pulling yourself up. The exercise is still effective and strenuous – we promise!
3. Deadlift
Deadlifts also take your grip to the next level: Although the main muscles that are trained are the back extensors, the quadriceps and the gluteal muscles, your forearms also provide support. This also strengthens your grip strength.
4. Forearm curls
This exercise trains six different muscles in your forearms and hands. Different muscles in the hand and finger flexors are used. You can’t avoid this exercise if you want to improve your firm grip.
5. Push-ups
Depending on whether you do push-ups on your fingers or fists, you can specifically improve your grip strength. By doing push-ups on your fists, you can avoid overloading your joints and at the same time train their stability.
What tools do I need for grip training?
For grip strength training you need at least heavy dumbbells , a kettlebell or, better still, a barbell set and a pull-up bar . You won’t get anywhere without additional equipment, after all, it’s all about gripping and lifting more and more weight or holding your body weight on the bar.
How useful are gloves or hand trainers for increasing grip strength?
In addition to the exercises mentioned, there are simple tools such as grip trainers or gloves that are designed to improve grip without much effort. ” Grip trainers can specifically train grip strength,” says Hermens. You can also use them casually in the office. The expert would personally advise against gloves for this. But the fact is: if you work up a sweat while training and want to avoid calluses, gloves are the way to go. If that’s too much for you, just use lighter grip pads . If you have them with you in the gym, you’re playing it safe. Many Crossfitters also use special magnesium products to prevent slippery hands.
Conclusion: A firm grip improves every performance
In everyday life, our grip strength is developed less and less, but with the right exercises, you can ensure better grip in the gym. The best exercises for this are those that use your forearms – because that’s where the strength in your fingers comes from. A grip trainer is also useful in preparation for your next visit to the gym, and you can also use it casually at work.
Sources:
Elizabeth Fain, Cara Weatherford: Comparative study of millennials’ (age 20-34 years) grip and lateral pinch with the norms, Journal of Hand Therapy, Volume 29, Issue 4, October-December 2016, pp. 483-488, URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26869476/, last accessed on August 18, 2024.
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