How to Improve Your Grip Strength

Step 1

Whether you're doing pull-ups, curls, skull crushers or shrugs, having a solid and reliable grip strength is necessary when weightlifting. Besides just weightlifting, grip strength can come in handy when you are moving furniture into/out of your dorm/house, or when you need to make sure you don't lose your hold a beer can during a long night of partying. No matter what the reason is, getting a stronger grip can be tough to figure out. But rest assured, I won't let you down- trust me, my grip is too strong.

Step 2

The first thing you should be thinking about when it comes to grip strength is the strength of your forearms. Whenever you grip anything, It's actually your forearms doing a majority of the work. A few good forearm exercises will help build up those big muscles that help the little ones keep on gripping. Try grabbing a barbell and placing your forearms on a bench, palm up. Let your hands come off the end of the bench, and lower the bar until it reaches your finger tips. Then flex your forearms and bring the barbell back into the palms of your hands. Do 4 sets of 25 of this exercise a few times a week- it'll help.

Step 3

Aside from forearm strength, it is imperative that you build up some hand power too. There are a few different ways to do this. One of which is by applying thicker grips to all the bars you use to exercise. Personally, I use Fat Gripz - The Ultimate Arm Builder, Blue if I want to get a pretty decent forearm pump on every exercise. I slap those bad boys on my curl bars, shrug bars, skull crushers, dips, bench press, later raises- you name it. If there's something for my hands to grab, I'm throwing Fat Gripz on it. And if I'm really trying to work my forearms, I'll use Fat Gripz Extreme. These red Fat Gripz are just a little big bigger, but they make a huge difference.

Step 4

Using Fat Gripz, like doing forearm exercises, will increase the strength inside of your forearm. Fat Gripz also force your hands to open up wider as they grip the bar, so they inherently grip harder. If you use them on every single exercise that you can, you'll notice your grip strength go through the roof.

Step 5

The last way that you can work on grip strength is something that is actually done outside of the gym. Grab yourself a Gripmaster Hand Exerciser. This handy little contraption works your hands simply by being squeezed. Take it in your bag to class, or leave it in your car and squeeze it while you're driving. After a while it will make your palms tough and your grip powerful.