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Everyone who trains with weights is looking for a secret weapon, an idea or
technique that will give their workouts an edge that no one else has. After
all, the bottom line for every training program is results and the fact of
the matter is that a few adjustments here and there can significantly
increase those results as long as they are applied correctly.
What I am about to present to you is a training idea to you that is
incredibly powerful yet so simple that you will probably slap yourself in
the forehead for not thinking of it..
Let me back up a moment. You see, it should be obvious that human body
functions as a unit and therefore must be trained as such.
Walk
into any gym in the land and you will have no problem finding individuals
training the usual body parts: arms, legs shoulders, chest, abs, back etc.
This is
all fine a good, as any effective program should incorporate all of those
aspects into it for best results.
However, nine times out of ten most gym goers downplay or outright neglect
one of the most important areas of training: the strengthening of the grip
and forearms.
Think
about it; the strength of the hands and forearms affects every other
exercise. The stronger these areas are, the more effectively the rest of the
body can be trained. For example, in every pulling movement such as shrugs,
rows, pull-ups etc the hands will give out before the larger, stronger lat
muscles are worked as hard as possible.
For
"pressing" movements, the stability of the hands and forearms comes into
play.
In
either case, the stronger the hands and forearms, the more reps in just
about every exercise and more reps = more strength.
Of course,
you could always strap your hands to the bar (and many do) but in the long
you will get better results by using a few specific exercises to strengthen
your grip directly.
Here are some very common ways of training these oft neglected areas:
1. Hand
Grippers - At some point you have probably tried a plastic or wooden handled
hand gripper that you could easily close for a few hundred reps. While those
may be fun for a while, they soon lose their challenge. There are, however,
several brands of heavy duty hand grippers which will challenge even the
strongest of people. Don't let the small size fool you, these grippers range
from 60 lbs. all the way up to 365 lbs or pressure to close. Train high
reps, low reps, singles or what have you; if you want to turn your hands
into industrial crushing machines, these are a great choice.
2. The
Plate Pinch - As simple as it gets, put two plates together with the smooth
sides facing out and then lift. The heavier or wider the plates, the more
difficult the feat is. The average person should be able to lift a pair of
25 pound plates but you wont find one man out of a thousand who could do the
same with a pair of 45 ponders.
3. The
Farmers Walk - Grab a pair of heavy dumbbells and walk with them until they
drop. Ion addition to being a fine grip exercise, this movement will also
develop every other part of the body as well including the lungs which makes
it a very effective all -round conditioner.
4. The
Wrist Roller - This could take the form of a simple round piece of wood with
a length of cord attached or it could be a machine ground knurled metal pipe
with a high density climbing rope attached, both will get you strong. Be
sure to roll both directions for best results.
5. The One Arm Deadlift - Couldn't be simpler: 1. see weight, 2.
pick up. Use a heavy dumbbell or for more fun, an Olympic bar.
These are just a few examples; there are many different ways to strength
your grip. I do not, however, recommend doing all of these exercises in one
workout, pick 2-3 movements, train them hard and watch your progress in all
areas take off like a rocket. |
