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Other/Mixed Strongfirst Approved Grip Programs

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

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For the purpose of doing exercise anywhere, I'd like the ability to do pinch grip pullups. I have enjoyed using an adjustable product similar to the Ivanko Super Gripper to conveniently practice pinching strength. The problem is that I can pinch 40lbs one-handed for only about one second with control, whether using the Super Gripper or pinching weight plates. At a weight of 190lbs I do not expect to the end goal to be achieved quickly but I still want to have it at some point.

What are some Strongfirst approved grip programs? The only one I read was GTG for Captains of Crush grippers. Would some of these other programs work with pinch holds?

Ladders Reloaded
40 Day Plan from Easy Strength
Power to the People

Are there other, more grip-specific programs to help improve my pinching strength? I'd prefer a daily Easy Strength approach if possible rather than hammering the grip hard one day and just having a day off after. Grip is not the primary focus of my training.

Thank you for your assistance!
 
@GreenSoup For a regular grip: Heavy swings, snatches, pull-ups, farmer's walk, and barbell deadlifts.

Pinch grip - I don't know, ask @Iron Tamer , Master SFG, or send an email to some of the gripping strength specialists like Adam T. Glass.
 
I bought a hub pinch gripper from Ironmind, boy was I in for a surprise as to how weak my pinch grip was (and still is).

I second Adam Glass, he is a grip strength animal and he looks very much like an average guy (not an insult)
 
Hi GreenSoap,

"Pinch grip pull-ups" - what do you like to achieve with this impressive feast of strength?

I am convinced you would need to focus massively on the move (not just as a side exercise) while the risk-award ratio is not in your favor.

Where do you stand:
  • Can you hold yourself for a while in a pinch grip?
  • How much weight you add on a conventional pull-up?
Grippers (or the Ivankos), imho, will not help you much for the pinch grip.

Besides, I assume your body weight is a multiple of the achieved 40lb, so there is still a way to go.

You could start with pinch carries (a piece of wood, smoothed, a hole with a string/chain, then load it).

But don't expect fast results: those carries are with arms stretched downwards = much easier than hands up (hanging), let aside bending the elbow meanwhile the grip is twisting around your thumb.

Please read Dan John's article at T-nations about pull-ups and aging.
I can only hold the pinch grip hang for 2-3 secs (which is probably not really bad). I use towel pull-ups, but I get easily sore elbows or forearms if not warmed up enough or if the moon stands wrong or ....

Please share what you learn during your journey!
 
PS: although your feat is far more than simply about grip strength, you might want to check
John Brookfield’s webpage, or 'the' reference for every grip-interested ("Mastery of Hand Strength")
 
I rock climb a bit and after technique, grip strength always seems to be a weak point (for me at least). My experience has been that grip strength is highly specific with only minimal crossover between types. i.e. Crushing, pinching, crimping, open-hand, etc. So I agree with suroeh that Grippers will most likely not help your pinch grip. Pinching plates will. But maybe even better are trying assisted pinch grip pull-ups. I also concur with the other responses about finding great info from Brookfield, and Brad Johnson.
A word of caution again from personal experience... Avoid pinching things that are too wide to lessen the risk of hypertextending your thumb. That can set you back a long time.
A pinch grip pull-up is pretty impressive....
 
GreenSoup said:
For the purpose of doing exercise anywhere, I'd like the ability to do pinch grip pullups.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure pinch grip pullups necessarily fit the goal of doing exercise anywhere. They strike me more as something to pursue as a goal to achieve for it's own sake, if you are so inclined.

IMO, you are more likely to find a bar or place to anchor a suspension trainer than a suitable place to do pinch grip pullups. Plus, pinch grip pulllups are an advance and specialized feat that requires a lot of specific training to achieve, much less develop to the point where they become a training exercise (as opposed to a feat that is an end in itself).
 
To the OP: what's your best deadlift? Partial range DL can be an awesome grip strengthener - not specific to pinch grip, I realize, but I guess I'm asking if you feel like your grip is strong enough in general terms that you should focus on your pinch grip.

-S-
 
From the comments posted and a reevaluation, I have a lot of reading ahead of me from those experts. The Brad Johnson article looks the most specific to what I had been originally thinking but you're probably right that this is not a big bang-for-the-buck kind of exercise.

However the few weeks of pinch training with the Easy Strength 40 Day plan feels like it takes almost no time at all so I'll keep at it and see what happens. Seriously, I just enter the room, pick up the gripper, PINCH PINCH PINCH and put it down and 10+ reps a day are almost trivially easy to get. When I accidentally realized I was doing 30 or more a day there was some hand strain so I decided to limit it to the Easy Strength 40 Day Plan as written. Two weeks didn't move my left hand's strength from the 31lb spring setting to pinching the next setting at 42 lbs, but pinch training is completely possible with a Super Gripper clone and matched the plates' poundage very well. If I get serious it will be time to get a dedicated bar for a pinch setup like grip-guy David Horne uses.

It's just as well that the experts' books hadn't arrived yet since I'm going to stick with Easy Strength as a fun experiment for a few weeks to see how my pinch grip goes. Many other grip routines on the web seem to recommend working to failure which is not so fun. When I get to see more grip info from Glass, Brookfield, etc it will be interesting to see what they have to say. The rafter pullup doesn't seem nearly so interesting since there are so many other ways to be exercise on the go but pinch power still is interesting for some reason. I'll let you know what happens as this program gets more use.
 
Just as an update, I have to say I've been disappointed with much of what I've read. Most articles seem to recommend going to failure on grip or working near the heaviest efforts at every session. John Brookfield's book does not, but really doesn't recommend anything. It says some do well once a week, some train every day, some train lightly, some train to failure. Whenever I have seen information on grip work there are programs near failure almost all the time. A cycle like in powerlifting is really not easy to find. Perhaps I could keep searching a bit more, but for now I'll stick with the Easy Strength style.
 
You can also join the Gripboard - a place that focuses specifically on building grip strength. Not that the regulars here can't help you, because there is a ton of great training info here.
 
Pinch block deadlifts might be the ticket for you. Fingerboarding for Maximum Strength shows how to build them, they are pretty straight forward. Programming specific isometric grip strength is very important for rock climbers, although there is still lot's of contention on the best methods. (3) 10 sec deadhangs at 80% of max (what you can hang for 13 sec) is a good place to start.
 
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