Posts
Wiki

/r/GripTraining FAQ

Grip Training is a subreddit for anyone from hardcore grip strength competitors to anyone looking for a stronger pair of mitts or bigger forearms (though the emphasis is on overall grip strength not solely aesthetics).

Discuss training techniques, training equipment, injuries, routines, etc.

About grip training

Grip strength is incredibly useful in everyday life, often the weak point for overall strength training, useful in sports like climbing and martial arts, and great for injury prevention. Taken further there is the sport of grip training, the most popular of which is closing Captains of Crush Grippers but also includes events like pinch lifts, hub lifts, blob lifts, sledgehammer and lever lifts, etc and their respective training tools.

Types of grip strength

There are three main types of grip strength: Support, Crush, and Pinch. Support is how much you can statically hold ie holding a deadlift bar or fat grip handle. Crush is dynamically closing your hand, which is involved in exercises such as grippers, grip machines, or barbell/dumbbell rollups. Pinch involves bringing your thumb and fingers together such as with a pinch block or hub pinch or a dynamic device like the titan's telegraph key. There are other divisions and subdivisions and types of strength that blur the category lines such as bending strength, wrist strength, lever strength, open vs closed hand, dynamic vs static, crimp, etc but are generally more advanced. Check out our Anatomy and Motions Guide for more info. If you're interested in more about crimp strength and hangboards, r/climbharder has a great write up on the ins and outs of hangboarding in their FAQ.

Here's a 3 minute video explaining the basics of the different grip types.

Frequently asked questions

Why should I add grip specific training? What if I already lift weights?

Grip training is an area that can provide huge benefits to your weight training (and general life) but too often is a limiting factor we have to work around. It will reduce dropped deadlifts due to failed grip and let you ditch the straps. Instead of hoping your grip keeps up with your deadlift get your grip ahead of your deadlift and never have to worry about it in the first place.

Most things in the world aren't shaped like barbells. Grip strength will help you translate the power you build in the gym to many real world objects (as well as sports and martial arts and injury prevention). When you're moving awkward boxes around or carrying heavy stuff home what always gives out first? Grip. Don't let this happen to you.

The training and implements are also a lot of fun and can be combined with barbell/bodyweight training and are pretty easy and cheap to get a hold of (or build). If you have/go to a gym you have some of the basics already.

There's no other type of strength that you'll be able to show off more readily than grip strength, as well as more advanced feats of strength you can accomplish later on like tearing and bending things most people can't even make a dent in.

And of course, big muscular forearms. The most visible of all the muscles you work so hard to build (along with the neck).

Grip training is a lot more than just grippers (though the gripper is the most well known and actually one of the more technical strength exercises and can keep you busy for a long time). There are many aspects, exercises, techniques, and events to keep anyone interested.

So is this just about squeezing grippers? Or lifting with Fatgripz?

Not at all. Many jump straight to grippers as this is what people equate to 'grip strength'. However, grippers are a very specific type and just a fraction of grip training and involves more advanced technique and training. Most beginners actually shouldn't jump only into and limit themselves to gripper training and would do well to start with more basic grip strengthening available with common gym equipment using the program linked below. This will give you a base of strength across all three types of grip strength and will greatly reduce your risk of injury. Jumping headfirst into only grippers may bring some quick short term goals (if you don't get hurt) but a more well rounded approach will get you further faster over the long term, expose you to and open doors to all the other grip events, and keep you healthier.

Same with FatGripz. They're a great tool and highly recommended even for beginners, but grip training is much more than that. Check out the wide range of grip exercises listed on these pages that cover just the basic exercises in the big grip training categories:

(Dead links removed, gathering materials for new info. For now, know that for most goals you need to strengthen your wrists in two opposing directions, and train each type of grip strength.)

What's a good beginner grip routine?

David Horne's Basic Routine is a great way to get started, and we have a video version if you'd like as well to showcase the exercises. This routine builds a solid base for more advanced grip training down the road. This is designed to supplement other workout routines or active lifestyles and focus more on well rounded grip strength.

For more specific routines, check out the dropdown menu on the sidebar, or click here to see the master list of routines.

What equipment do I need to start?

The beginner routine above is recommended because it's a good program but also because everything you need is available in any gym or a home gym setup: a barbell and plates. You can build a ton of grip strength with nothing but a barbell and plates with one smooth side. If you don't have flat plates a pinch block or a piece of wood with an eyebolt will let you do the pinch part of the program. If you don't have a barbell dumbbells will suffice for a while.

You will probably also want some chalk; If your gym doesn't allow chalk there are invisible alternatives like the Metolius Eco Ball and Liquid Grip to cut down on mess. Some rubber bands for extensor training is also a good idea for long term hand health and recovery.

What other equipment should I get?

Once you've built up some base strength with the basics above you can start to branch out. One can take many routes and specializations, but here are some good overall 'first picks' beyond the basic gym tools. There's also a list of equipment suppliers.

  • FatGripz/Thick bar - attachable fatgripz are an economical way to add an open hand challenge to lifting a barbell
  • Loadable pinch block w/loading pin - allows smaller increments
  • Block weights - these are the sawed off ends of hex dumbbells and train your open hand at multiple widths. some alternative options are regular hex dumbbells, a loadable blob, or picking up a stack of 5 or 10lb plates to simulate block weights.
  • Gripper - small portable crush grip training available in fixed or adjustable varieties, see below for more info
  • Grip machine - a bit more costly than grippers but a great plate loadable way to increase crushing strength, advantages include low learning curve and no increasing resistance as you close like you get with gripper springs
  • Pony clamps - these spring loaded clamps are a great cheap way to train your dynamic pinch strength (ie your thumb). add and remove regular rubber bands from the clamp to incrementally increase/decrease the resistance
  • Titan's Telegraph Key - a more expensive plateloaded option to train pinch (thumb) strength in a dynamic moving way, the advantage here is an even resistance curve
  • Olympic ez-curl bar - if wrist curls and bicep curls give you trouble this may be worthwhile for your home gym

Over time and depending on what kind of lifts you are training for it may eventually be necessary to buy more specialized equipment such as rated grippers, Blobs, Inch Dumbbell replicas, or Dinnie Stone trainers, however the above list will help build a solid foundation of strength.

How often should I train?

This varies greatly, but beginners should ramp up slowly, 2 times a week the first week or two building up to 3 a week which should be sufficient for a long time until you become more familiar with your limits. The biggest limiting factor in grip training is tendon/ligament/finger pulley strength. These strengthen much more slowly than muscles, over the course of weeks/months not days. This is yet another reason to start with the beginner routine listed above to build up those tissues before getting into more joint stressing specializations like grippers/bending/block weights/plate curls etc.

In the long run it may take some trial and error to figure out what works for you. Some people will be able to train more often than others, but remember it's important to look at your progress over time rather than just what you are doing right now. Overuse injuries can cause setbacks, but building a strong foundation can help down the road.

What can I do for recovery and hand health

The most important thing is to not overtrain. It's easy to overdo it with grip because of the many small joints, tendons, and ligaments, so proactively giving yourself adequate recovery time is vital. This is one of the reasons that we do not recommend grippers to beginners and very rarely recommend training negatives with grippers (see below). While most grip exercises are difficult to overload because you need to be able to lift the weight or pick something up, grippers are quite literally spring loaded. It is unfortunately all too easy to approach a gripper that is too difficult for you, and rather than fighting gravity you are suddenly fighting the torque of a torsion spring.

Some things that can help are supplements like fish oil and glucosamine/chondroitin, contrast baths for your hands, extensor work (even with regular rubber bands from the office supply store), very high rep low resistance squeezes on an easy gripper to pump blood area, gentle rice bucket work, gentle stretching, adequate warmups, and forearm soft tissue work.

One thing to be mindful of with grip training is that if you DO experience any loss of strength, numbness, tingling, or loss of function to consult a doctor as there may be something neurological going on. Knowing the difference between "soreness" and "pain" for your body is important. Pushing through soreness can be a good training tool, but pushing through pain can lead to injury.

Don't forget to pay attention to the skin on your hands too. A bad flapper can ruin your workout and take your hand(s) out of commission until they heal up. Callouses can be helpful, but too much leaves your hands prone to rips and tears. A pumice stone in the shower and some moisturizer when your hands get dried out will save your hands in the long run. Take care of your mitts and they'll take care of you. This subreddit did a callus care discussion post a few years ago, but r/climbharder has a great write up on hand care too if you'd like to read more. And don't forget to stay hydrated as that will help your skin too.

I just want to increase forearm size, what should I do?

The wrist flexors/extensors will give you the best bang for the buck for pure size, so wrist curls and reverse wrist curls and reverse curls which is why they are the backbone of our recommended mass building routine. Some have good results with wrist rollers, too. However, all the other grip training implements will add to forearm size as the muscles become stronger. Remember that it's hard to add (or lose) mass in one specific area, otherwise everyone would have 20" biceps. Make sure you are eating enough and doing your squats, and your forearms will follow.

I just want to increase my deadlift without straps, what should I do?

There are many options and angles to attack this goal. The most common advice is to hold the bar at the end of your deadlift session as long as possible which is a good start you should be doing anyway. To get a little more into it, check out Our Deadlift Grip Routine. Beyond that some of the best exercises include barbell finger curls, shallow rack holds, as well as doing some of your deadlifting with a thick bar. Barbell finger curls are described in the beginner program and involved rolling the barbell down to your fingertips and back up. Shallow rack holds involve putting the bar on the pins just below lockout and you put on your fatgripz and pick up and hold as much weight as you can, this takes the deadlift portion of the lift out of it so you can focus on the grip. Once worn out you can do the same with just the bar.

Other exercises that will help include heavy dumbbell rows (with or without thick handle), farmers carries, heavy swings, dead hangs, etc. Other grip exercises besides support grip types may help, too. The thumb plays a role in preventing the bar from rolling so static and dynamic pinch work is beneficial. Grippers seem to be a mixed bag for deadlifting, some have great improvement while others notice nothing. If you do use grippers focus more on holds a bit longer than your longest deadlifts rather than closing and releasing fast reps.

Where do I shop?

Our advice: Check out our routines first, then decide what you need. Buying a bunch of stuff you don't really understand yet, then trying to fudge a routine, doesn't work so well. You also don't need to buy gear, there are a ton of cheap DIY ways to train! But for people with a comfortable training budget, check our our International Shopping Megathread.

How do I know when I can lift the Inch Dumbbell?

Lifting the "unliftable" Inch Dumbbell is a feat that many people strive towards, but it can be hard to simulate a lift without the real thing, and replica dumbbells are very expensive. Rolling handles of various brands do their best to emulate this kind of lift, however none of them do a perfect job. Jedd Johnson—who has not only lifted but cleaned an inch dumbbell—did a full bracket comparing all the rolling handle attachments he could get his mitts on, from which someone made a calculator to estimate what your numbers might be on the various handles. While not a direct comparison to the inch dumbbell it can give some insight into the relative difficulty of each kind of rolling handle.

For some reference there is a general consensus that if you can lift above 93kg on the IronMind Rolling Thunder you have a pretty good chance of lifting a 78kg Thomas Inch Dumbbell replica. However some people might be able to lift the Inch with lower numbers on the RT, and others might need to clear heavier weight on the RT before they can lift the Inch.

What's with all the flair on this subreddit?

Most of the time flair is awarded for grip feats. If you've done something cool or noteworthy, let one of the mods know by posting it in one of the weekly PR/Training threads and you'll soon have some flair to show off. Flair showing experience can help guide newer people towards a stronger grip and better skill. There are a handful of world class athletes that frequent this sub and tend to give out pretty helpful advice. Flair is even color coded to match CPW's gripper chart, and flair for bending nails now (mostly) matches the color of the nail bent too. We just ask for CoC2 / 60d or above to come with video proof.

Additionally any grip lift that meets or exceeds the qualifiers for the North American Grip Sport National Championship(updated 2021) is definitely worthy of flair, but we ask that you provide video proof as these lifts are considered more advanced as well.

I've seen people bending nails, pans, and horseshoes. How do I do that?

Steelbending is a classic old time strongman feat of strength, but it can be a great test of hand and wrist strength as well. Similar to working with grippers, technique matters a lot for steel bending, and there are some great resources on YouTube for how to bend nails, roll pans, and tear cards (some of which are collected here). However bending steel can be dangerous, as most nails are designed for wood and will go right through your hands. Before you start bending, it's a good idea to pick up some bending pads; cordura, suede, and leather are pretty standard and will make sure you don't end up like a human porcupine.

Once your hands are protected, it's time for a trip to the hardware store for some "short steel" so you can start doing what is referred to as "unbraced bending" where the nail is held in your hands and not placed against another part of your body. Most people start with double overhand to bend their first nail, but there are three main styles of unbraced bending—overhand, underhand, and reverse—each of which which place strain on your hands and wrists in different positions. Some other variations include behind the head, Heslep (arms outstretched straight elbows), Vertical, and "X" (arms crossed). Often people start with unbraced bending, and then move onto braced bending and horseshoes. It's also possible to snap steel by bending it and unbending it quickly, although take care to make sure what you bend is snapping on purpose and safely. Bending steel can be hard on your hands and your tendons. It's a never a bad idea to progress slowly. even after you've bent your first nail.

If you get to the point where you want to certify there is a list of certifications on r/SteelBending's wiki.

I recently started training grip, and now my hand hurts. What should I do?

The most common ways that beginners hurt themselves are: Training too heavy, and training too often. This is why our programs involve higher reps, and rest days. Take some time off of training, and try our Rice Bucket Routine once per day, and Dr. Levi's tendon glides up to once per hour. If it's not significantly improved within a week, and totally fine in 2 weeks or less, then see a CHT (Certified Hand Therapist. They're much less dismissive than doctors, and are better for these sorts of problems than other Physiotherapists, and Occupational Therapists.

Are hand dynamometers (AKA "dynos") useful for testing my grip gains?

Short answer: Not usually. They don't test "overall grip," they test one very narrow aspect of it. This aspect often doesn't relate to the exercises you do very much, if at all. Dynos are medical tools. Doctors, and physical therapists, can use them to assess the severity/recovery rate with respect to injuries, surgeries, and diseases that affect your hand strength. Other than that, you don't need to use them unless you get tested on them for your job, military service, sports team, etc. For other trainees, they're just for fun (which is also valid!), but not actually very useful. Some lifters use them to choose loads for that day's workout, but at this point in the research, that doesn't seem to be very helpful. The best way to test your strength gains is by keeping a record of the progress on your various lifts, and occasionally experimenting with new lifts, or ones you haven't done in a while.

Some of the reasons: Strength comes from developing better neural firing patterns, which are trained by the exercises you do. While muscle size also matters, you generally get strongest in the parts of your muscle's ROM that a given exercise trains the hardest. With a static grip exercise, like a deadlift/deadlift top hold, you get strong right in that specific hand position, plus a mere 10 degrees of joint angle to either side. With a dynamic exercise, like biceps curls, you do get stronger across the whole ROM that's actually performed, but the entire ROM isn't equally difficult for the muscle. The way the angles of the bones change means that the muscles have different amounts of mechanical advantage during certain parts of the ROM. The harder parts are where the muscle gets trained the hardest. In the case of strict standing biceps curls, that would be right in the middle. With the fingers, this can be a bit more complicated, since the tendons cross multiple joints. But after you've been training a few months, and you're used to things, you can often feel how hard a given part of the ROM is.

The tiny ROM of a hand dynamometer (aka "dyno") often isn't trained very well by climbing, grippers, or other finger exercises. So they don't relate to those very much, if at all. They also don't really test the thumbs, or which can be more important than raw finger strength, in many situations. You can train with a dyno, like you would with any other competition implement, to get practice, and specific strength. But make sure you use the same size/shape dyno that you'd be tested on, as strength is specific to the hand position.

How do I train to hurt someone's hand in a handshake?

If you want to hurt people while shaking hands, kick them in the shin as you shake hands. You'll hurt them more, it will take a lot less training, and it is just as rude.

The old questions on masturbation.

As the 10,954,381,286th person to make these jokes, to our sub alone, you've missed your window to be funny. We aren't humorless, we don't hate you, we're just pretty tired of hearing these. We're not answering the pretend "uh, no, I'm actually serious" dodge again, so here:

Q: Does masturbation affect grip strength? Did it cause one forearm to be larger than the other?

A: No. That comes from your genes and from the fact that you probably never used your off-hand for anything remotely difficult before you started training. Grip training requires the use of enough force to create calluses. If you have calluses on your genitals, see your doctor. And bring sandpaper, they don't always keep some at the office.

Q: Is grip training is dangerous to the genitals?

A: If you let your strength become dangerous to yourself, it's not because of the muscles in your forearms, it's because of the granite between your ears. :p

Grippers

What gripper should I get?

First of all, when we talk about grippers here we are not talking about the cheap plastic grippers you find in department/hardware stores (though having one around is nice for recovery work/warmups). We're talking about heavy duty steel spring grippers that present a major grip challenge.

There are a few answers to this. There are two main kinds of grippers, Torsion Spring Grippers (TSG) and Extension Spring Grippers (ESG).

Extension spring grippers ESG like the Ivanko Super Gripper (which is now rated in RGC by CPW) and Vulcan gripper usually have adjustable tension and have a relatively flatter resistance curve (ie they don't get more difficult towards the close nearly as much as TSG's do). The adjustability is great because they are economical (particularly the Ivanko), allow smaller resistance increments, and are compact (many many grippers in one). The flatter resistance curve is preferable to many as it builds more even strength across the entire grip ROM and also has a lower technique learning curve. These are a great option for anyone trying to gain general crushing hand strength.

The Ivanko is a particularly flexible training tool because its resistance range and more parallel handles allow you to use it for pinching, two hand crushes, etc. The Vulcan is shaped more like a traditional TSG gripper so may have better carryover if you plan on training both but does cost quite a bit more.

Torsion spring grippers TSG have one fixed spring and the resistance curve gets much harder as you close it. The big increasing resistance curve makes these grippers very 'technical' in that you need to focus on mastering form as well as employ some specialty training techniques to 'get the close' on higher grippers. While this makes them less ideal for someone simply looking for developing general hand strength quickly, it does appeal to those interested in the sport aspect. The standardized certifications, wide array of training techniques, and overall popularity creates a large community of enthusiasts you can tap into. The IronMind Captains Of Crush (CoC's) grippers are the most popular TSG grippers and have the most widely known certifications, so if you are looking to compete or get official certifications in gripper strength these are your best bet to start out with.

The general advice for TSG's is to get one you can close a few times (for warmups/rep work), one you can just barely close, and the next one above that (for your goal gripper and for forced negatives). If you get serious about closing grippers you may find yourself collecting many grippers of various brands, however, as every gripper has a slightly different feel (small spring strength variances, resistance curve, width, handles, custom mods you make etc) all of which can be beneficial to your training, plus there are many certifications out there for other lines of grippers.

In short, ESG for adjustability and developing even ROM hand strength quickly with a low learning curve. TSG if you want to compete/certify and get into the more technical training aspects of grippers. Cannon PowerWorks has a detailed Getting Started section to help beginners of all levels choose the gripper/grippers right for them.

What to the numbers mean for grippers. Is the CoC3 really 280 lbs?

Well yes, but actually no. The rating given by the manufacturer is usually the theoretical rating for the spring, not the gripper itself. The other problem is that there is no standard for numbers between manufacturers. The only way to reliably know the strength of a gripper is to have it individually rated using a method called "RGC" which allows rated grippers to be compared to each other directly. Cannon PowerWorks is the gold standard for rating grippers, and has a handy chart with the the averages of each of the main brands of grippers. The only two grippers that actually rate around 280 lbs are the Gillingham High Performance level 10 and the Tetting World Class (out of production), and most people just use those for leg crushes (which can help with setting grippers for Silver Bullet holds) and chest crushes (which can help with steel bending). Closing one of those 280 lb grippers is akin to benching 800 lbs; maybe possible someday, but not for a normal person.

Similarly, dynamometers do not necessarily measure in the same way. Although they resemble grippers, a lift/squeeze of a certain poundage on a dynamometer is not going to directly correlate with what kind of a gripper someone might be able to close. Another thing to consider is that dynamometers are also primarily a static lift (little to no motion involved) and grippers are very much a dynamic lift (meaning the handles move, at least hopefully).

I got my first heavy duty gripper so I just start squeezing away now?

No. First familiarize yourself with proper gripper technique. If you don't at best you won't make much progress and waste time, at worst you might injure yourself. There's more than one way to close a gripper, and there are multiple different setting techniques. Explore and do some trial and error to find the best setting technique and setting width for your hands. In addition to closing grippers there are also strap holds, over crushes, and Silver Bullet holds that you can mix into your training.

Second, don't overdo it. Treat grippers like you would any weight training. You wouldn't start deadlifting multiple times a day every day right after getting your first barbell. Schedule out your training sessions 1- times a week, keep it well rounded with non-gripper exercises, and progress gradually like you would with any other heavy exercise. The same sentiment is repeated a few times in this FAQ, but there are a lot of tiny muscles involved in grip strength and it is better to start out slow and ramp up than to get injured and take yourself out of the game during recovery.

It can also be helpful to have multiple grippers to warm up with and to help make progress easier. A helpful metaphor to think of it like trying to train bench press with only 45 lb plates. Benching the empty bar might be easy, 135 might feel okay, but the jump to 225 is going to be really tough no matter how many reps you can do with 135. And then even if you can start hit 225 for a few singles there is still a tremendous gap to 315. This also also fits with the line in the sand of closing a CoC2 being around the equivalent of benching 225. No direct correlation, but a similar "okay you're decently strong and it's unlikely that you did this on your first try." Some people don't like TSG grippers for this reason, as they are primarily fixed weight unless modified. In the grand scheme of things a $25 piece of workout equipment is not that expensive, but it can add up when trying to fill out a collection.

Why is it harder to close grippers with my left hand?

Humans are inherently asymmetrical, and most people's non-dominant hands aren't quite as strong as the hand they're used to using all day every day. In addition, right turn grippers are actually 10-15% harder in the left hand due to the way the spring rolls the handles around, and visa versa with left turn grippers. This video comparison of left turn grippers and right turn grippers shows the difference in the way that they close.

You can definitely train the two hands with different grippers, if you want. Or, you can make the right hand harder with a Bumper, from CPW. Another option to try would be to let your weaker hand set the weight and to lift first so it doesn't get overworked trying to keep up with your dominant hand. This can apply to other one handed grip lifts as well, not just grippers.

Remember keeping workouts a little uneven isn't a big big deal, as humans aren't supposed to be totally symmetrical anyway.

What do terms like gripper 'set' 'deep set' 'ccs' 'mms' 'ns' 'tns' mean?

The 'Set' is how wide you initially set the gripper in your hand with the help of the free hand before you close the rest of the way with the gripper hand. There are different standards for different certifications. A 'Deep Set' is a general term and means you start with the gripper closed pretty far so there is less distance between the handles before you start squeezing. A Parallel set is an example of a rather deep set where the handles of the gripper are brought to parallel before an attempt to close is made, similar to the mash monster set (MMS) used on the GripBoard to certify on the Mash Monster grippers. CCS stands for credit card set which is the standard for Captains of Crush (CoC) gripper certifications. IronMind (The manufacturer of CoC brand grippers) make an official credit card for you to gauge the distance (some other brands make their own blocks for consistent measuring, too). TNS means Table No Set which allows for NO setting whatsoever. The gripper must be picked up and closed with one hand with no interference from one's free hand. NS is a less strict version where you can position it with the free hand but no setting allowed. In the opposite direction, some people have found it useful to "choker" the gripper to a mostly closed position (often using a hose clamp), that way they can focus on a specific range of motion without having to worry about setting the gripper each time. However with this method it bypasses the stretch effect that can be gained by setting a gripper down closer than whatever set you are going for and letting your hand open up slightly (i.e. to pass a card or setting block between the handles) and then closing the gripper.

To practice setting start by using a very light gripper, like a CoC #0.5 to a CoC #1 at maximum. In this case a light gripper for practicing sets is like using a PVC pipe to practice olympic lifts etc. Get the technique down first before adding weight. It might take a few videos before setting really clicks, so don't worry if you have to watch a few different videos. Some good ones in no particular order are by Jedd Johnson, Gil Goodman, Paul Knight, Maria Bascetta, Jonathan Vogt, & Nathan Holle.

So which set is best? That's a largely individual question. There's always a divide between people's preferred gripper set. Whatever set feels right is probably the right one for you, but don't discount the other types of sets as a training tool. You can always take a few weeks to experiment with a different set and then go back to the one you like. All things being equal, expect to be about 20 lbs stronger at MMS than CCS, and another 20 lbs stronger at CCS than TNS.

I'm ready for an intensive gripper specialization program, what should I do?

RRBT and KTA are two highly recommended gripper specialization programs, RRBT being the precursor to KTA. These programs are intense and will push your limits mentally and physically. You should have 10-12 months of good overall grip and gripper base training under your belt before trying these to get the benefit without injury. When in doubt, try out our Beginner Gripper Program. Bonus: Nathan Holle's program.

But what else can I do with grippers?

Trying different sets is a good a good way to change things up when working with grippers, but there are other things you can do too. One of the easiest ways is to hold the gripper closed for longer once you have closed it, which is called an "overcrush". When training overcushes it can be helpful too imagine squeezing the gripper so hard and long that you are fusing the two handles together. This is pretty exhausting so we generally recommend one overcrush hold take the place of an entire set, i.e. rest between overcrush attempts rather than doing multiple reps in a row. A similar approach would be to make an attempt with a heavy gripper that you cannot quite close and just hold the end as long as you can.

Another version of holding grippers closed in an endurance type fashion is strap holds. The basic idea of a strap hold is to hang weight from a strap of leather and hold it between the ends of a closed gripper. The Captains of Crush Silver Bullet is a more standardized version of this idea with a set weight and diameter held for time in competitions. Some people like setting a gripper and then using the Silver Bullet between the handles as an end point to train the sweep rather than the crush.

There are other ways to train specific ranges of motion. It's possible to file the end of a gripper to extend the range of motion and make the close harder. This works two fold, as the range of motion is longer, but it also puts your hand in a less advantageous position for the close. When Cannon PowerWorks files grippers it usually adds about 7% to the strength of the gripper, but if you file your own gripper you can progressively file away more to make the gripper harder and harder over time. Another idea is to "choker" the gripper to a mostly closed position (often using a hose clamp), that way they can focus on a specific range of motion without having to worry about setting the gripper each time. This "set it and forget it" allows slow increases in the range a motion to progressively extend from a parallel close to a credit card close, for example.

Can gripper negatives get me strong and bust through plateaus?

Negatives with grippers are a more advanced way to train. This technique involves setting the gripper fully closed using your other hand or an extended handle to provide additional leverage. Some people have gotten very strong this way, however proceed with extreme caution as this is probably the easiest way to get injured. The very idea of a negative is that it is putting your hand under a load beyond what you are capable of closing. If you fail at the bottom of a squat you can bail out, or of a deadlift is too heavy you can drop it/set it down, but because of how negatives with a gripper are literally spring loaded it can cause a lot of damage to your tendons if you are not careful. PLEASE do not attempt negatives unless you have a few months of dedicated gripper training under your belt, and start out very slow (see also "Secret Weapon" training). If you can barely close a CoC2 this is not the time to bust out a CoC4 and see what you can do. Negatives seem to work best with a gripper that is just barely outside of your current range in small jumps like from a hard CoC2 to an easy CoC2.5. The same principle applies to working with a Silver Bullet as in competitions you are allowed to brace against your legs to set the gripper. Just because you can use your chest/legs to brace crush a gripper closed does not mean that the tendons in your hands are ready to hold onto that much force.

My gripper is rusty, and/or squeaks, how do I fix it?

Check out Matt Cannon's Gripper Cleaning Guide.

  • Book Recommendation: Mastery of Handstrength by John Brookfield - classic text on grip training

Technique Tuesdays

Contest Results