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Other/Mixed Grip training?

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
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the hansenator

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Hello,

I'm looking for advice on grip training. I'd like to be better able to hang from one hand and just generally have strong hands and injury proof wrists. No particular application in mind.

What I've been doing lately is practicing hanging from a bar for a bit. Then play with the Thor's hammer, wrist roller, and plate pinches. Then maybe some fingertip pushups. And I'll do this about twice per week.

I'm not sure if what I'm doing makes sense, I just found some exercises I like. Progress was good at first but seems to have slowed quite a bit so I thought I'd ask for advice.

Thanks.
 
Those are all pretty effective grip exercises. One thing I like to do is drape a towel over a pull up bar and just hang from it.

Just don't overdo it. I'd say twice a week is good
 
Hang with one hand full and just a few fingers from the other hand. Work up to a one-arm hang.

Hang two-handed with additional weight.

Combine those two.

-S-
 
I like plate curls for my wrists. Not 100% sure what Thor's hammer is (outside of Mjolnir), so maybe I'm repeating something similar to what you do.

Rice bucket training has helped me (p)rehab my wrists, but honestly I'm not sure if it's that good of a strengthener.
 
Thanks for the advice. So twice per week is about right? I wasn't sure about programming or exercise selection - if there's a smart way or a dumb way to do it.

By Thor's hammer, I'm referring to like a dumbell with weight only on one end. You grip the other and turn your wrist back and forth.
 
One of my favourite grip training tools is a sledgehammer you can still do the lateral stuff but "kissing the hammer " is a real test of grip strength and nerve
 
Basically hold the hammer by the bottom of the handle head upwards,extend your arm then lower the head back toward your face then away from you.
Hence the kissing the hammer tag if your not careful you end up doing just that !
 
It's pretty hard... Grab a sledge hammer by the handle at the end. Then straight arm raise the hammer in front of you until the handle is more or less parallel to the ground. Then keeping your arm mostly straight and horizontal pivot the wrist back (upwards) so that the hammer becomes vertical with the head in the air above you. But you're not done yet... Keep pivoting the wrist back until you can touch the head of the hammer to your nose or 'kiss' it.
It's a bit of a party stunt, but it does require a remarkably strong grip and wrist flexibility. (And yes, nerve) It's also kinda dangerous. Having a 15lb sledgehammer land in your grill would probably ruin your day. I probably wouldn't recommend kissing the hammer as a regular training tool.
 
There are many options for sledge hammer levers, just google it. My favorites are slim and front lever.

I have been playing with a hammer lever getup. It's a slim lever from the half kneeling windmill, then a front lever standing with a bell overhead. I saw it in a demo video of The Iron Tamer doing a old time strongman performance, and figured it out on my own. Super fun feat of strength.
 
What is it called when you just have your arm straight down and keep the hammer parallell to the floor without moving anything? That's what I usually do.
 
For grip strength there are plenty great exercisec. My favorites are:
- one and two-handed grip hand on towel rolled by 3 to 4 times;
- one and two-handed grip hang on bar;
- one and two handed plate pinch
- one-handed hub pinch
- one and two-handed kettlebell hold with towel rolled on it (or just doing farmer walk with two heavy bells)
- fingertip push-up.
 
MattM said:
What is it called when you just have your arm straight down and keep the hammer parallell to the floor without moving anything? That's what I usually do.
Click to expand...
Not sure, when you pick it up from the floor parallel to it and lock out. Hold or not. It's a sledge hammer deadlift. Try choked and full length, or hammer forward and backward.
 
If you've got access to kettlebells something simple like heavy one arm swings and get ups will tax your grip heavily. When you're using a heavy bell in the get up you are forced to squeeze the handle and keep your wrist from extending which is pretty challenging especially when you get to 32kg +. An other one of my favourites is bottoms up kettlebell clean and hold the top of the clean for a desired amount of time 3,5, 10 seconds. Also, any barbell deadlift variation would be good, especially snatch grip deadlift and suitcase deadlifts. Personally, I wouldn't over-think grip training especially if you're doing kettlebell work, deadlifts and weighted pull ups. Adding in a day or two of grip specific exercises will only enhance it!
 
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