Grip Strength

dbrightwell1270

Hi Guys/Gals,

My workout has me doing Deadlifts, Power Cleans, snatches, Clean pulls, barbell rows, and holding dumbells for step ups, jump squats, lunges and a few other things. I'm finding that I am losing my grip on deadlifts (early in the workout) and it is affecting my form and how much I can lift. By the end of the workouts, I can barely squeeze my hand into a fist, let alone hold a dumbbell.

Other than straps, does anyone have suggestions on ways to strengthen your grip and/or to increase the endurance of the muscles used to grab the barbells and dumbbells?

StaticEntropy

How long is your workout? Sounds like a lot of exercises for a single session.

For grip strength you can try Farmer's Walk with really heavy dumbbells. One-minute Static Holds with a pronated grip on the barbell will also help. Use a pronated grip for your warm up sets on the deadlift as well, switching to mixed grip only on your working (heaviest) set.

dbrightwell1270

Sorry. I alternate between two workouts. Not all of these are done on the same day. My total workout time is about 65 minutes. This includes about 10-12 minutes of a calisthenics-type warm up and about 5-8 minutes of core work.

dinosnopro

+1 for farmers walk. To add a bit to them either wrap a small towel around the grip of the dumbbell to make it fatter, or buy a set of fat gripz. They both work wonders for improving grip strength.

gerard54

Chalk up...

tomcornhole

Are straps a bad thing? Just started barbell lifting (dead lifts) so I don't know.

KatLifter

Also try using a mixed grip. One hand over and one under, it has really helping increase my deadlift weight.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

If you have long fingers like I do, a hook grip can make things much easier. My nails grow really quickly so I just make sure to cut them at least twice a week so they don't hurt my fingers.

suelegal

Versa Gripps

dbrightwell1270

Thank you all for your suggestions.

Are straps a bad thing? Just started barbell lifting (dead lifts) so I don't know.

To some degree it's personal preference. To some degree its safety. I don't like using straps because part of the advantage to a compund lift is that it uses multiple muscle groups. By using straps, you are mitigating the use of some of those muscles and reducing the effectiveness of the workouts. An alternative view may be that a weak grip is reducing your use of the big muscles and holding them back from getting a full workout. I'm not sure which is correct.

Another consideration is safety (not so much for the deadlift). I will not use straps for snatches or power cleans because I don't want to be strapped to the bar in cases where my form was off and I need to get out from under the bar in a hurry. I don't want it crashing down on my head or snapping my arm or shoulder.

tomcornhole

I just started dead lifting on Monday. Doing the Starting Strength method. I got to 205 lbs and my grip gave out at the end of the 3rd working set. Today, I used straps and my working set was 225 lbs x5 x3. I don't think I actually got stronger between Mon and Wed because I have not found my good starting working weight yet. I don't think 225 lbs is my max working weight, either. I am guessing that Friday will be heavier as I learn form and how far I can push it. I'm guessing I will end up around 250 lbs x 5 x 3 on Friday. Without the straps, no way I can hold 250 lbs right now and I will be stuck at 205 lbs for a while until my grip strength improves. That seems counterproductive. I do the first 4 warm up sets without the straps and just do the 3 working sets with the straps. Don't use them for anything else but I am just doing the basic 4 (squat, bench press, press, dead lift) right now.

kingkong123

I just started dead lifting on Monday. Doing the Starting Strength method. I got to 205 lbs and my grip gave out at the end of the 3rd working set. Today, I used straps and my working set was 225 lbs x5 x3. I don't think I actually got stronger between Mon and Wed because I have not found my good starting working weight yet. I don't think 225 lbs is my max working weight, either. I am guessing that Friday will be heavier as I learn form and how far I can push it. I'm guessing I will end up around 250 lbs x 5 x 3 on Friday. Without the straps, no way I can hold 250 lbs right now and I will be stuck at 205 lbs for a while until my grip strength improves. That seems counterproductive. I do the first 4 warm up sets without the straps and just do the 3 working sets with the straps. Don't use them for anything else but I am just doing the basic 4 (squat, bench press, press, dead lift) right now.

That is precisely why a lot of people use straps on the deadlift. They can pull more, but their grip strength won't allow them to work with higher weights. It makes sense to strap up for sets where you can't hold the bar.

I was never a fan of straps. I felt like I should be able to hold the bar on my own if I am going to be working with the weight. HOWEVER, chalk, chalk, chalk. You'd be surprised how much of a difference it makes. Chalk and an over/under grip make the world go round while deadlifting.

I'd focus on heavy dumbbell rows, kroc rows (dumbbell rows with a weight you can get 20-40 reps with), and farmer's walks to build your grip strength. Pull-ups and shrugs wouldn't hurt either.

tomcornhole

No chalk at the stupid gym I am doing a trial at right now. Won't let me take it in either. That seems silly. I will try the opposed grip tomorrow as well.

waldo56

I've been working on doing pullups using nothing more than the molding on a door frame. Can do 1 now. Got to it by doing static fingertip and first knuckle hangs on a pullup bar.

I also practice 1 handed pullup bar hangs (grap your wrist with the other hand to not be hanging on one shoulder, which takes quite a bit of strength to be safe with) and arms only rope climbs.

Grip strength has gone through the roof.

j75j75

I've been working on doing pullups using nothing more than the molding on a door frame. Can do 1 now. Got to it by doing static fingertip and first knuckle hangs on a pullup bar.

I also practice 1 handed pullup bar hangs (grap your wrist with the other hand to not be hanging on one shoulder, which takes quite a bit of strength to be safe with) and arms only rope climbs.

Grip strength has gone through the roof.

^^This. Pull-ups/chin-ups, static holds, rope chin-ups, rope climbs, one-hand pull-ups are good (start the way waldo suggested and then work your way up to doing them truly one-handed)

ttippie2000

I agree that building grip strength is important and that using straps isn't optimal. There are a bunch of exercises you can do for it, and some good ones listed here.

I cheat sometimes and use straps. I don't use them for deadlifts though. I use them more for endurance stuff like rounds of 50 yard lunges with 50 lb dumbells in each hand. I know, I know. I suck and all that. But a couple of days a week I have to walk out of the gym an use my hands at the level of a professional musician within an hour of a workout. You cannot play an Allegro tempo Bach fugue if your hands are quivering from exertion.

georgina1970

I had a similar problem today with my handgrip failing.
What is a farmers walk?

ahmadfahmy

Hi Guys/Gals,

My workout has me doing Deadlifts, Power Cleans, snatches, Clean pulls, barbell rows, and holding dumbells for step ups, jump squats, lunges and a few other things. I'm finding that I am losing my grip on deadlifts (early in the workout) and it is affecting my form and how much I can lift. By the end of the workouts, I can barely squeeze my hand into a fist, let alone hold a dumbbell.

Other than straps, does anyone have suggestions on ways to strengthen your grip and/or to increase the endurance of the muscles used to grab the barbells and dumbbells?

HEAVY shrugs, hammer curls, and pull ups using a strap/towel grip...here is a vid explaining how to do em: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3o6up7-RK1o

bradzahringer

I like doing static hold with a normal and/or a fat grip. Practice with a fat bar or axle bar. Once I started this I never have had any issues with grip.

bradzahringer

Farmers walks are where you hold heavy dumbells to your side and walk so far with them. Helps improve grip and can hammer legs/calves if heavy enough

CittiB

Would increasing your finger strength help? I don't lift heavy weights so I don't know, but I do climb which requires a good grip on holds.

Maybe look for the "Gripmaster" which you squeeze with one finger at a time. There's also the "Grip Saver Plus" which I don't think is as good for fingers, but might be better for the hand overall.

FoxyMcDeadlift

If grip is limiting your workout, you should do as much as you possibly can until you need the straps. There's nothing inherently wrong with using straps to strengthen your back if your grip has given and your back has more to give. Try Liquid chalk, Fat Gripz, pinch holding plates, dead hangs/ holds at the end of reps and if you havent yet, think about switching to hook grip which is the strongest grip, but will most likely start as the weakest.