Every man should possess strong grip strength. It’s essential for moving heavy weight at the gym and for life in general.
In fact, when I interview candidates the first thing I notice about them (besides their appearance) is their handshake. A strong handshake exudes power and confidence. A weak handshake is a deal breaker.
The good news is that you can build the iron grip of your dreams in a relatively short period of time. Here’s how.
1. Heavy Deadlifts For Massive Grip Strength
For my money, the deadlift is the King of Exercises. That’s because it works nearly every muscle in your body hard, including your grip.
Do you know what every advanced and elite deadlifter have in common? The answer should be obvious – incredible grip strength.
You simply cannot pull heavy weight with a weak grip. In fact, a weak grip is usually a limiting factor for many beginner and intermediate lifters on their heavy sets.
The biggest mistake I see these lifters make is to incorporate straps too early in their training. Don’t make that mistake. Build an iron grip by incorporating heavy deadlifts into your workout routine.
Here are my top three tips for increasing your forearm and grip strength with heavy deadlifts.
- Squeeze the bar as hard as possible on each rep. The cue I like to use is “crush the bar.”
- Incorporate heavy triples, doubles, and singles. The deadlift is a pure test of strength. Don’t be afraid to load up the bar.
- Hold the last rep of each set for as long as possible. Aim for at least 5 seconds. The longer the better.
2. Captains Of Crush Hand Grippers
I won’t beat around the bush. Captains of Crush (CoC) hand grippers are not your garden-variety grippers. These are the real deal. Made with aircraft-grade aluminum, CoC grippers are built to last. They will humble and challenge you like no other gripper on Earth. But your efforts will be rewarded ten-fold.
CoC hand grippers come with 11 different strength levels to choose from. The “easiest” gripper – the Novice – has 60 pounds of resistance. The #4 gripper is the hardest, with a ridiculous 365 pounds of resistance. Those numbers may not mean much to you so here’s some perspective: the last person to officially close a #4 gripper was Magnus Samuelsson back in 2004.
So, what gripper should you start with? Here’s my recommendation.
- If you’re just getting into weightlifting or grip training buy the Sport model.
- If you’ve been lifting for at least one year buy the Trainer model.
I like to train with CoC grippers twice a week. I do three sets for as many reps as possible.
Generally speaking, you can move up to the next level CoC gripper once you’re able to do 3 sets of 15 with your current gripper. After moving up a level, you can use your old gripper for warm-up sets.
3. Reverse Curls To Target The Forearms
Every guy at every gym in America does curls. But ask yourself, how many of those guys have really impressive forearms and grip strength? Not many.
That’s because conventional barbell and dumbbell curls target your biceps, with your forearms and grip just going along for the ride.
But you can (and should) target your forearms and grip by doing reverse curls. By simply reversing your grip on the bar you’ll develop a pump in your forearms that you may not have thought was possible.
Here are some things to focus on when doing reverse curls:
- Similar to heavy deadlifts, you want to “crush the bar.”
- Check your ego at the door. Reverse curls put your biceps at a mechanical disadvantage in exchange for greater emphasis on forearm and grip strength. This means you’ll start off curling less weight than you’re used to. Deal with it.
- Don’t swing the weight up. Really focus on contracting your forearm muscles throughout the entire range of motion.
Final Thoughts
A strong grip reflects strength and confidence in and out of the gym. So don’t let a weak grip hold you back. Add some heavy deadlifts, Captains of Crush grip training, and reverse curls to your workout routine. You’ll soon reap the benefits of increased forearm size and grip strength.
All the best,
JD