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Earn Great Arms my Improving your Grip StrengthThis article appears in the January issue of Natural Muscle Magazine Featuring Digital Video Exercise Demonstrations By: Scott H. Mendelson CFT, SSC, SPN Arms are perhaps the most frequently trained body part in gyms across America. People will do just about any thing to add a few inches to their upper arm circumference so they can show off their big guns. As a result many males in particular ask me how to build thick pipes where pipe cleaners used to rest. I prioritize the forearm area to stimulate over all arm growth, balance, and increase grip strength when designing arm programs. Got Grip?I typically shake hands with someone the first time we meet and I immediately notice the grip strength of their shake or lack there of. My eyes flow to the forearms automatically to see what muscle covers the lower arm. Most of the time I see pathetic excuses for forearm musculature even on the “advanced” bodybuilders that I greet. Forearms are one of the most neglected body parts despite their important role in training, daily life and general looks. Consider, what is the first upper body part you notice? I do not know about you, but I do not walk around in sleeveless shirts even when the weather is nice, as a result, the only indication of great arms you can present is your lower arm. Conversations about arm training always flow to the forearms when I field questions, and I am consistently informed that most people do not understand why or how to train the lower arm. Well, that is why I am here! Let's rectify this situation so you can get on your way to building a set of arms that will set you apart from the rest. Is Your Progress Slipping away with a poor Gri?In regards to overall training performance grip strength must be addressed to ensure that you are getting the most out of your training. How can you expect to adequately train your back if your forearms give out long before your pulling musculature? Picture any rowing exercise, what fails first? Your grip or your back? Your grip should be outlasting your pulling muscles such as the lats on every set! Improved grip strength endurance is a vital step towards building a better over all physique or achieving any other training related goal. Your grip strength must be strong order to perform well in many sports. Improved forearm function will lead to better performance in a high percentage of sporting activities. Can you get through a tennis match without experiencing significant grip fatigue? These strength issues need to be handled off of the court before the win or loss is on the line. Do not expect to swing a bat with all of your might if your grip cannot keep up with other musculatures. Your bat speed will not reach its full potential if brain knows that you will not be able to hold onto the bat at high rotation speeds. Ditch Your Wrist StrapsAn easy way to build grip strength is to ditch your wraps! Wrapping devices instruct the forearms to shut down since wrap does the work. I guarantee that you will not have the chance to attach a wrap to a heavy shopping cart as it is rolling down hill. You can either grip the cart or lose your merchandise. The importance of griping pieces of clothing or objects is extremely important in many sports and will separate the winners from the losers in many competitions. As a blocker, can you grip the jersey of the defensive end coming to kill your Quarterback? You can also improve your grip strength on any exercise by using a thick object to go between your palm and the barbell, dumbbell or handle on any piece of equipment. A small rag or piece of foam works well. Imagine this scenario: is it easier to hold a 10 pound baseball or a 10 pound football in your hand? The football will be harder to grip because of the width of the object and the natural leverages of your hand. This is a simple trick but it works wonders without adding any additional exercises. please click on each exercise title for a live video clip demonstration Barbell HoldsStand with good posture while squeezing the barbell with a “death grip” Squeezing the bar will recruit more muscle fibers and rapidly improve your progress. Keep your shoulders back and do not cheat by resting the Barbell on your thighs. Barbell Forearm Curls and ExtensionsThese two exercises are very simple and easy to do! They are great for warming up or cooling down. Keep your arms flat on the bench and isolate the forearms by avoiding any shifting to create momentum. Your wrists should be off of the bench so that you are able to curl or extend the bar without hitting the ends on the bench. Remember to pause at the top and bottom and go through each portion of the movement at a slow pace. Zotman CurlsAn awesome exercise for overloading the forearms while integrating your bicep training. Consider that you cannot concentrically lift heavy weights in many cases with typical forearm movements. Zotman curls enable you to raise a decent load using the bicep while lowering using a large cross section of your forearm. Do a traditional bicep curl to raise the load on a preacher bench. At the top of the movement rotate your wrist so that your palm facing the ground on the way down. Towel HoldsDo not be intimidated by this task, in actuality it is not extremely difficult. Use a lower weight than what you normally would use for shrugs. You will be forced to squeeze very hard just to keep the towel from slipping out of your hands. Hold on tight and maintain good posture. Rember that squeezing hard will recruit more musculature to increase growth and strength. Towel ChinsI recommend this exercise for trainees with above average grip strength. Conducting just one towel chin puts you in an elite category in this country. Very few people can accomplish a set of five. Your forearms are forced to support your entire body weight during an unstable movement. Individuals who regularly do this exercise have the forearms and grip strength to prove it! DB HoldsHold on to the top of the DB for dear life. You need to use a certain type of dumbbell like the one pictured unless you have hands like an NBA Center. I learned this technique from on of the strongest powerlifters in the world. He routinely does various movements with weights as high as 1000 pounds on the barbell. Grip strength is a key component to his success and he has forearms that any bodybuilder would envy. Get a Grip! And improve every aspect of your training! Build up those forearms and people will take notice immediately. Shake hands with confidence put the squeeze on a friend until he buys you lunch! Please email Scott SCOTT with questions LEGAL DISCLAIMER |
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