Ok, I need to strengthen my grip for holding wrists while on bottom position. I already do forearm rollers and they're great for forearm thickness. But I have a dumb question about pinch grip. I know many say to pinch 2 plates together and hold as long as possible and increase weight. But can I just take a barbell and pinch it, rather than holding in my palm? Would that work if I lift it up and make sure the thumb and the rest of my fingers are doing the work?
I think your question probably has to do with wrist strength as much as pinch grip so.. Pinch grip ideas: -pinching plates -lifting block weights -light gripper/pony clamp -keep track by time, weight lifted, reps at specific weight, etc... -my personal favorite is blob lifting(type of block weight) -try lifting with thumb and individual digits Wrist: -levering weight is the absolute best way to strengthen and bullet proof your wrists -you can use a sledge hammer(start at 8lb and you can eventually move up to 10,12,16,etc) -if you cant lever a sledge by the end right away then choke it down by grabbing it up higher on the handle towards the head of the sledge -try doing overhead, front, back, side. Start of doing high reps of 10-30 and then once you condition all your tendons/ligaments/muscle/etc to the movement you can try lower reps...up to 1rm -keep track of where you grab the sledge on the handle...you can put tape and mark it ....also keep track of total sets and reps....and overall volume..rest between sets..etc....ie typical things as with any other training. -you can also either make your own or buy a levering implement ...ironmind sells some...i have one with thickhandle and it's great ... -weaver sticks exercise is similar to sledge...old time exercise ...you may want to google it... -plate levering/curling is great also....try starting at 10 lb by pinching the plate by the edge and then curl it up and down or side to side...if that's easy then use 2-10s, 25, 35, 45.....very few people can do 35 much less 45...... hope this helps...feel free to ask for clarifications...
Absolutely! Brilliant suggestions! Would holding the bar with a pinch grip work the pinch grip? Or is it mostly a waste of time? Sledge hammer levering sounds awesome!
doing 1-2 hand pinch is excellent also. I suggest either making or getting a ****l block with an eye to attach carabiner to and then attach weight via a loading pin. You can also try a block of wood instead of ****l. 2x4 would work...tho splinters may become an issue...ironmind and some other companies sell pinch block and carabiner/loading pin.
A barbell will not train your pinch grip as well as a couple of plates will. The plates provide a smooth, flat plane, which is ideal for pinch grip training because your fingers have nothing to get under; it's all pinch that keeps the weight suspended. You don't get that with a cylindrical bar. Your fingers will always be holding up the barbell in addition to holding it together. In other words, you'll be training what generally gets called "support grip" addition to your pinch grip. So that's not to say holding a barbell in such a manner wouldn't be a grip exercise. It would be, but I just don't think it would be a particularly useful one. You'll be chasing two rabbits and probably will lose both. Instead, work your support grip separately. Grab a hold of that bar two-fists style, slap on a lot of weight, and unrack it for timed holds. Don't worry about carefully gripping it in such a way as to train your pinch--that's what the plates are for. Nawmeens?
Thick bar work would be the most specific to holding wrists. You don't grab the wrists in a pinch grip, but you close your fingers around it like you would a thick bar. But you should train all aspects of grip anyway.
umm... Thick bar work translates over to crushing strength very well. Old time strongmen registered astronomical numbers on grip machines, and they never did that sort of exercise often, if at all. I closed the CoC #2 without training crushing strength, save for thickbar work. The thick bar puts a lot of pressure on the thumb and creates a lot of leverage.
Thank you sir! Our dumbells only go to 110s Barbell is unlimited, though Thoughts on smith machine holds? Same?
thickbar work is very good i agree. Also JPC is right when you grab the wrists you use a cupping technique so it's really support strength tho pinch/crush/wrist strength all go hand in hand with it in terms of helping your overal grip strength...
If you don't have a thick bar, you can make easily make it thick with cheap, soft foam pipe/plumbing insulation (available at Home Depot, Lowe's, etc.) and Duct Tape. It works well on BBs, DBs, etc., and the "softness" or pliability also more closely resembles a human wrist, thereby requiring an even tighter grip to maintain control.
