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Kettlebell Grip Strength Help

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Flavius

Flavius

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So I'm well on my way with the 24 and, looking to move to the 32 here shortly (S&S) but, I'm running into a problem with the grip strength of my strong arm during the 1 handed swing. By rep 90 I have to really focus on crush gripping the bell to save my TV from having a giant hole in it. My stronger arm on the other hand thinks rep 100 is easy. So the question is how do I remedy it? Are there any specific write-ups or plans to correct my strength imbalance?

And as always, thank you for your assistance!
Flavius
 
Hello,

You can hang yourself to a pull up bar (weighted or not) with your weakest arm and stay as long as you can.

Kind regards
 
I had this problem. I think the main thing that helped me was adding two things:
  1. Heavy overhand rack supports: think top of a deadlift and just hold it for time. (@Steve Freides suggestion)
  2. Throw fat grips on everything that moves :p especially deadlift and rack supports but also snatches and bottoms up presses(wouldn't try this one with a towel).
It really added up over a few months. My overhand deadlift has surpassed my previous mixed grip by 10lbs. And what started the whole journey - I can now do respectable 1H swings (for low reps) with the 48kg.

If I was going to stick with Kettlebells I would do farmers walks with and without a towel or fat grip wrapped on the handle.

Main thing is pick something and make it part of your normal routine. Good luck!
 
@Flavius

I found that GTG work on the Captains of Crush Grippers during the day is helpful ( I have a desk job). I stand up and work 2-3 reps each hand, every hour or so, using all Pavel's strength cues.
I also did farmer's walks at the end of the TGUs during Simple. The grip is pretty smoked already, but I think it helped me a lot.
If I had done both of these earlier, I think I would have progressed faster.
Good luck!
 
Limited to just KB's at home right now (no pullup bar in apartment) so Farmers walks and buying a Gripper I could do for sure. Any gains to be had from to just doing static holds with the 32? IE holding it suitcase style for time, would that help my swing grip?
 
Flavius said:
Limited to just KB's at home right now (no pullup bar in apartment) so Farmers walks and buying a Gripper I could do for sure. Any gains to be had from to just doing static holds with the 32? IE holding it suitcase style for time, would that help my swing grip?
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I would try single arm bottoms up rack carries..work the strong arm first and then only walk as far with the stronger arm as you did with the strong arm. This has helped my grip tremendously. You could also do bottoms up rack holds if you want it to be static.
 
It's getting into the realms of strength endurance there.

If the 32kg isn't much of a challenge for you, static holds with two smaller bells can be a bit more challenging, just squeeze the handles together and pick them both up at the same time. Starting with two medium bells around the 24 kg mark will force you to grip in a different finger position so you build a bit of strength with your fingers more extended, which is closer where my grip tends to end up after a big set of swings or snatches. By the time you can do it with two 32kg - 36kg bells you will have a solid grip. I have small hands though, so it's a bit tougher for me than some, for a bigger bloke that could be scaled up to possibly two 40kg bells or heavier.

If you have a wooden floor and neighbors downstairs it could get a bit dicey though.
 
@Flavius,

Personally, I find grip strength for kettlebell lifting pretty specific to kettlebells. I haven't found any supplementary grip work to have as much direct carry over to kettlebell lifting as actually lifting kettlebells. I think the unusual combination of support and cruch grip, the fairly thick handle, and how dynamic the grip demand is make carry over from other exercise less than might be expected.

Sure, someone who already has general world classs grip strength, like a John Brookfield, will be able to apply that strength to a kettlebell. But for a regular guy trying to really own the 24, or transition from 24 to 32, I don't think specialized grip exercises are necessarily the best way to go.

Don't underestimate the importance of the dynamics in swinging or snatching a kettlebell. It is the IMPULSE you have to deal with, not a static force, and it's hard for other exercises to recreate or help you respond to that impulse. This also means there is a large SKILL element with the kettlebell. You not only have to apply ENOUGH force, you also have to apply it FAST enough and at exactly the right TIME. Depending on specific circumstances, an ounce of improved grip skill can be worth a pound of grip strength. And you only develop that skill by doing lots and lots of reps.

Your dominant hand may be stronger than your non-dominant hand, but it is probably also more coordinated, skillful, and "learns" faster.

So I'd recommend just being patient and letting your non-dominant hand be your limiting factor. For most people, it will always be a little behind the dominant hand, but it will get stronger and stronger over time. If you want to speed the process along a little, you can do more sets on the non-dominant side (you can decrease the reps per set if necessary, but the idea to get a higher total volume on the non-dominant side). You can also do a few supplementary sets with the 32 if you are able to. These can be for low reps -- think of it as "teaching" that hand, not "working it out." Learning to snatch (or practicing the snatch) can also be a big help.

I think you will get more out of actual swings and snatches (and PATIENCE) than any other more static supplementary work. It may feel like your grip is "holding you back," but working within your limitations will naturally push back those limitations over time. It's an expected part of the process, not a problem that needs to be solved.

"Time and I against any other two."
-- Baltasar Gracian
 
Hi @Flavius - boy do I feel you!

I'm having serious trouble transitioning to the 32kg on S&S, my first "Grip Plateau"!

Here is what got me from barely being able to eek out a few decent 32kg-1Hsw to now doing all swings with the 32 (though not in 5mins yet):
1) Chalk. Not to much, as it will rip your hands, but using a little can get you to a place where you can start getting some solid reps in.
2) Technique: as has been mentioned by others this is a huge factor. If you 'drop' the KB back as opposed to 'guide' it, the balistic force will be way higher. If you spend too much strength on places where you don't need to, you will tire too early. And so on. Always improve technique.
3) Patience: it is not supposed to be easy - just simple.

My 2-cents.
 
A swing is an open grip exercise. Try thumbless KB Hook Grip holds, carries, rows, pull-ups, and hangs.

Do you use chalk? Not using chalk is a safety issue to me. You don't want the bell to go ballistic during a swing, or if you have ever seen the bar slip out of someone's hands during a bench press you would change your opinion on using chalk.
 
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Flavius said:
Limited to just KB's at home right now (no pullup bar in apartment) so Farmers walks and buying a Gripper I could do for sure. Any gains to be had from to just doing static holds with the 32? IE holding it suitcase style for time, would that help my swing grip?
Click to expand...

One thing that may not have been mentioned. You may have some weakness in aspects of the forearms, wrists and fingers that require specialized grip work. I've come to the conclusion that my run in with golf and tennis elbow during 2015/2016 has left me with a peculiar weakness in my middle finger on my right hand, which seems to evade even standard physio diagnostics. So, while I agree with the thrust of the comments that kettlebell grip builds kettlebell grip, I still think there's room for specialized grip work.

Also, if you don't have expand your hand bands from Iron Mind, do get them.
 
These are all great tips and cues!
+100000 for patience
+1000 for carries and all the varieties
+1000 for technique:
I find with S&S, we work so hard to get the swings done in the 5 min time, we can get carried away rushing things. Not allowing the bell the chance to "finish its back swing" can burn out your grip. said another way, trying to change the momentum of the bell before its ready will be more taxing on your grip. this was a hard lesson that I had to learn with practicing GS style things. @Brett Jones just published a really cool article Patience: The Unexpected Key to Power
"I don’t care how fast you can do ten swings, but rather how long it can take you to do ten swings". This isn't really the context of the article, but I see it as such a great point, especially when you're breaking new ground with a new weight.
 
King Cobra Fit said:
Not allowing the bell the chance to "finish its back swing" can burn out your grip. said another way, trying to change the momentum of the bell before its ready will be more taxing on your grip. this was a hard lesson that I had to learn with practicing GS style things. @Brett Jones just published a really cool article Patience: The Unexpected Key to Power
"I don’t care how fast you can do ten swings, but rather how long it can take you to do ten swings". This isn't really the context of the article, but I see it as such a great point, especially when you're breaking new ground with a new weight.
Click to expand...

Anna C said:
That's a great point.
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+2. That is a great point about completing the back swing, and one that is not mentioned enough.

In addition to stressing the grip, not completing the back swing also robs power from the hip drive. This fits perfectly with the Brett Jones article linked above. It's a great example of how being more patient allows you to express more power.

It's also a great example of Brett's point about perception. Being patient in completing the back swing is not something that is necessarily obivous to an observer. It's a subtlety you have to develop a feel for. In fact, an observer would be more likely to notice a powerful hip drive and perceive that the reversal is supposed to be more violent than smooth.

I find that being patient in completing the back swing and getting the timing just right leads to enough of a power increase that I can enjoy a nice float at the top and my swings still take less time than when I rush it. So ironically, I'm actually faster when I'm more patient.
 
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As the grip doesn't regenerate that good, adding this or that actualy might not be a good idea. Been there, done that, failed. Scale back a bit, stay the course, have patience, succeed. Your grip will get much stronger with SAS swings, guaranteed.
 
I switched to doing 5L/5R for my sets of ten the last couple days and, that seems to be working for keeping my reps strong and crisp. I can hit 10x10 in that manner without feeling like I'm going to break my TV. LOL It's a bit slower with parking the bell between switches but, I can slowly work back up to 10L then 10R in this manner just adding 1 rep at a time when my strong arm catches up to my stronger arm. @Pavel Macek and, others are likely right just need to slow down the drive to go up in weight (always been my problem).

It's really strange how progression goes. When I started S&S I could swing the 16 easily and, had a tough time with the TGU at 25lbs. Now my TGU's are under 10 minutes daily with the 24 and, my swings are stagnated with the 24. The body is a funny thing!
 
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