Grip strength Grip strength

7 Best Exercises On Grip Strength And How To Work On It

Increasing your grip strength is not just for a firm handshake, frying an egg, or helping in opening a pickle jar. From a wrestler to a tennis players—everyone needs that monster grip to improve their overall health.

But many of us do not give much attention to building a stronger grip or sometimes neglect this grip training altogether and rely upon machine-based workouts. 

Beyond this, grip strength relates to diseases like diabetes, heart health, or even death—sounds interesting? Great. 

So if you are looking for detailed information on grip strength and its impacts, then you arrived at the right place. This article will discuss in detail the importance of grip strength and all the necessary facts.  

Ok, how about grabbing the heaviest book you have and holding it in that pinch grip position? And if it seems easy for you, walk the book, using your fingers up and down when you hold the book in mid-air. Tough yeah!

grip strength
Photo by: Olha Ruskykh /Pexels. Copyrights November 25th, 2020

5. What Are The Benefits Of Grip Strength?

Having a strong grip is not just necessary for your daily activities, but it also holds importance for a fitness enthusiast or if you are in sports. 

So, check out a few benefits of having a powerful grip strength.

5.1 Give You A Better Life And Lower Mortality Risk

As we age, we should take care of our bone density and muscle strength—they cut down the chances of injury and help us perform our daily work.

Greater grip strength is positively correlated with lower mortality, functional status, cognition, and mobility.

5.2 Improved Cardiovascular Health

According to some studies, grip strength drops the chances of cardiovascular disease. A strong heart is essential to living a longer life. 

So, daily workouts, including grip strengthening exercises, are a reliable indicator of improving your heart health.

5.3 Help You Lift Heavier

If you can lift heavier weights, it will help you maintain your proper form and strengthen your muscle. A well-developed muscle is an indicator of having good metabolism.

Moreover, studies show that stronger grip strength can help you move the dumbbell or barbell more easily.

Little Known Exercises That Drastically Increase Grip Strength

6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is a good grip strength?                                                                           

A1. The average healthy grip strength for men is a squeeze of about 72.6 pounds while women typically measure around 44 pounds. Should your score fall below this measurement, it could be an indicator of a variety of health issues.

Q2. How can I improve my grip strength?                                                                 

A2. 6 Tips to Build Grip Strength

  • Mix Up Your Handles.
  • Take a Heavy Walk.
  • Hang Out in a Dead Hang.
  • Reverse Your Biceps Curl.
  • Flip Your Kettlebell.
  • Grab Some Battle Ropes.

Q3. What does poor grip strength indicate?                                                           

A3. Poor grip strength can be a sign that the muscles are wasting or shrinking. In most cases, this is caused by disuse of the hands and fingers but it can also be a sign of peripheral neuropathy, cervical compression, brachial plexus syndrome, MS Parkinson’s, and arthritis.

Q4. Is grip strength genetic?                                                                                   

A4. Hand grip strength (HGS) is an inherited trait; about 65% of a person’s grip strength is genetically determined, whereas the remaining 35% depends on training and developmental factors such as nutrition. Past studies have connected HGS to various measures of physical condition, including bone density and longevity.

Q5. Does handgrip increase veins?                                                                         

A5. The distensibility of veins was preserved. Our results showed that handgrip training and intermittent compression of the upper arm veins, performed daily, increase the diameter of forearm arteries and veins and improve endothelium-dependent vasodilatation.

 

Also read—Workout Plans for Women: A Captivating Guide.

Last Updated on March 4, 2023 by Agnes

  • It can improve grip strength and develop a unique grip while performing the standard pull-ups.
  • Towel pull-up is a good exercise to prepare yourself for rope climbing.

How to Do Towel Pull-ups - Build Bigger Forearms & Stronger Grip

3.7 Reverse Wrist Curls

Reverse curl works fantastic on your wrist and forearms, ultimately improving your grip strength. It is similar to biceps curl that requires curling motion—but with the wrists facing downward. 

How to do?

You need to take a light dumbbell and use your biceps to curl the weight toward the shoulders. Do not let your elbows leave your sides before you stop. Now return your hand to the starting position and repeat it.

Benefits

  • Reverse curl can make your biceps strong, which leads to a well-built upper body. 
  • Study shows that reverse curl can increase shoulder ability. Moreover, it helps to improve weak grip strength by improving your wrist mobility.

How to Do Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Curls

4. How To Develop Grip Strength At Home?

4.1 Stress-Ball Squeeze

Take a stress ball or a tennis ball and squeeze it with your hand for about 10 pulses. Try to give pressure with your thumbs and fingers. Now repeat the same sequence with the other hand.

How To Do A STRESS BALL SQUEEZE | Exercise Demonstration Video and Guide

4.2 The Rubber Band Hand Exercise

Just wrap a rubber band around your fingers and stretch them in the opposite direction as far as you can. Now hold the position for a few seconds and return to its starting position. You can do it at your office or home whenever you want.

Top 5 Hand and Finger Strengthening Exercises with Rubber Bands

4.3 Book Pinch

Ok, how about grabbing the heaviest book you have and holding it in that pinch grip position? And if it seems easy for you, walk the book, using your fingers up and down when you hold the book in mid-air. Tough yeah!

grip strength
Photo by: Olha Ruskykh /Pexels. Copyrights November 25th, 2020

5. What Are The Benefits Of Grip Strength?

Having a strong grip is not just necessary for your daily activities, but it also holds importance for a fitness enthusiast or if you are in sports. 

So, check out a few benefits of having a powerful grip strength.

5.1 Give You A Better Life And Lower Mortality Risk

As we age, we should take care of our bone density and muscle strength—they cut down the chances of injury and help us perform our daily work.

Greater grip strength is positively correlated with lower mortality, functional status, cognition, and mobility.

5.2 Improved Cardiovascular Health

According to some studies, grip strength drops the chances of cardiovascular disease. A strong heart is essential to living a longer life. 

So, daily workouts, including grip strengthening exercises, are a reliable indicator of improving your heart health.

5.3 Help You Lift Heavier

If you can lift heavier weights, it will help you maintain your proper form and strengthen your muscle. A well-developed muscle is an indicator of having good metabolism.

Moreover, studies show that stronger grip strength can help you move the dumbbell or barbell more easily.

Little Known Exercises That Drastically Increase Grip Strength

6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is a good grip strength?                                                                           

A1. The average healthy grip strength for men is a squeeze of about 72.6 pounds while women typically measure around 44 pounds. Should your score fall below this measurement, it could be an indicator of a variety of health issues.

Q2. How can I improve my grip strength?                                                                 

A2. 6 Tips to Build Grip Strength

  • Mix Up Your Handles.
  • Take a Heavy Walk.
  • Hang Out in a Dead Hang.
  • Reverse Your Biceps Curl.
  • Flip Your Kettlebell.
  • Grab Some Battle Ropes.

Q3. What does poor grip strength indicate?                                                           

A3. Poor grip strength can be a sign that the muscles are wasting or shrinking. In most cases, this is caused by disuse of the hands and fingers but it can also be a sign of peripheral neuropathy, cervical compression, brachial plexus syndrome, MS Parkinson’s, and arthritis.

Q4. Is grip strength genetic?                                                                                   

A4. Hand grip strength (HGS) is an inherited trait; about 65% of a person’s grip strength is genetically determined, whereas the remaining 35% depends on training and developmental factors such as nutrition. Past studies have connected HGS to various measures of physical condition, including bone density and longevity.

Q5. Does handgrip increase veins?                                                                         

A5. The distensibility of veins was preserved. Our results showed that handgrip training and intermittent compression of the upper arm veins, performed daily, increase the diameter of forearm arteries and veins and improve endothelium-dependent vasodilatation.

 

Also read—Workout Plans for Women: A Captivating Guide.

Last Updated on March 4, 2023 by Agnes

  • It can improve grip strength and develop a unique grip while performing the standard pull-ups.
  • Towel pull-up is a good exercise to prepare yourself for rope climbing.

How to Do Towel Pull-ups - Build Bigger Forearms & Stronger Grip

3.7 Reverse Wrist Curls

Reverse curl works fantastic on your wrist and forearms, ultimately improving your grip strength. It is similar to biceps curl that requires curling motion—but with the wrists facing downward. 

How to do?

You need to take a light dumbbell and use your biceps to curl the weight toward the shoulders. Do not let your elbows leave your sides before you stop. Now return your hand to the starting position and repeat it.

Benefits

  • Reverse curl can make your biceps strong, which leads to a well-built upper body. 
  • Study shows that reverse curl can increase shoulder ability. Moreover, it helps to improve weak grip strength by improving your wrist mobility.

How to Do Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Curls

4. How To Develop Grip Strength At Home?

4.1 Stress-Ball Squeeze

Take a stress ball or a tennis ball and squeeze it with your hand for about 10 pulses. Try to give pressure with your thumbs and fingers. Now repeat the same sequence with the other hand.

How To Do A STRESS BALL SQUEEZE | Exercise Demonstration Video and Guide

4.2 The Rubber Band Hand Exercise

Just wrap a rubber band around your fingers and stretch them in the opposite direction as far as you can. Now hold the position for a few seconds and return to its starting position. You can do it at your office or home whenever you want.

Top 5 Hand and Finger Strengthening Exercises with Rubber Bands

4.3 Book Pinch

Ok, how about grabbing the heaviest book you have and holding it in that pinch grip position? And if it seems easy for you, walk the book, using your fingers up and down when you hold the book in mid-air. Tough yeah!

grip strength
Photo by: Olha Ruskykh /Pexels. Copyrights November 25th, 2020

5. What Are The Benefits Of Grip Strength?

Having a strong grip is not just necessary for your daily activities, but it also holds importance for a fitness enthusiast or if you are in sports. 

So, check out a few benefits of having a powerful grip strength.

5.1 Give You A Better Life And Lower Mortality Risk

As we age, we should take care of our bone density and muscle strength—they cut down the chances of injury and help us perform our daily work.

Greater grip strength is positively correlated with lower mortality, functional status, cognition, and mobility.

5.2 Improved Cardiovascular Health

According to some studies, grip strength drops the chances of cardiovascular disease. A strong heart is essential to living a longer life. 

So, daily workouts, including grip strengthening exercises, are a reliable indicator of improving your heart health.

5.3 Help You Lift Heavier

If you can lift heavier weights, it will help you maintain your proper form and strengthen your muscle. A well-developed muscle is an indicator of having good metabolism.

Moreover, studies show that stronger grip strength can help you move the dumbbell or barbell more easily.

Little Known Exercises That Drastically Increase Grip Strength

6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is a good grip strength?                                                                           

A1. The average healthy grip strength for men is a squeeze of about 72.6 pounds while women typically measure around 44 pounds. Should your score fall below this measurement, it could be an indicator of a variety of health issues.

Q2. How can I improve my grip strength?                                                                 

A2. 6 Tips to Build Grip Strength

  • Mix Up Your Handles.
  • Take a Heavy Walk.
  • Hang Out in a Dead Hang.
  • Reverse Your Biceps Curl.
  • Flip Your Kettlebell.
  • Grab Some Battle Ropes.

Q3. What does poor grip strength indicate?                                                           

A3. Poor grip strength can be a sign that the muscles are wasting or shrinking. In most cases, this is caused by disuse of the hands and fingers but it can also be a sign of peripheral neuropathy, cervical compression, brachial plexus syndrome, MS Parkinson’s, and arthritis.

Q4. Is grip strength genetic?                                                                                   

A4. Hand grip strength (HGS) is an inherited trait; about 65% of a person’s grip strength is genetically determined, whereas the remaining 35% depends on training and developmental factors such as nutrition. Past studies have connected HGS to various measures of physical condition, including bone density and longevity.

Q5. Does handgrip increase veins?                                                                         

A5. The distensibility of veins was preserved. Our results showed that handgrip training and intermittent compression of the upper arm veins, performed daily, increase the diameter of forearm arteries and veins and improve endothelium-dependent vasodilatation.

 

Also read—Workout Plans for Women: A Captivating Guide.

Last Updated on March 4, 2023 by Agnes

 

Benefits

  • Help to activate hamstrings, glutes, backs, and hips.
  • Acts as a strong stimulus for grip strength. Besides deadlift, some other pulling movements like rows, chin-ups, and pull-ups—these solid grip exercises help you develop endurance.

Paused Deadlift

3.3 Plate Pinch

If you want to improve your grip strength, go with this plate pinch exercise. You can make your fingers strong enough, just like a mountain climber who supports themselves with the tips of the fingers.

Or, if you are in sports or wrestling, this will also develop your crushing abilities. 

How to do?

What you need to do is, pick a pair of metal plates and sandwich them together. Now press them with your fingers for about 30 seconds. You can start with heavier weights also.

Benefits

  • Plate pinching is an excellent grip strength exercise for football players, wrest finger climbers.
  • It can improve your thumb and fingers strength simultaneously

Plate Pinch Workout

3.4 Dead Hang

Dead hangs are fantastic to enhance your grip strength. It is not as simple as hanging from a pull-up bar. You need a lot of endurance and determination for it.

How to do?

All you need to do is hang from a pull-up bar, hands outstretched and keep the body in the hollow position.

Benefits

  • These types of bodyweight exercises can work on one’s forearm muscles, wrist, and fingers to improve grip strength.
  • Dead hang can enhance your endurance in shoulder strength, biceps, and lats.

How to dead hang

3.5 Wrist Curls

If you work on your wrist, this wrist curl or plate curls (using a plate) will increase the ability to hold onto heavyweights, which will increase your grip strength.

How to do?

All you have to do is sit on a bench and take a barbell or light dumbbell. Place your forearms on your knees, and your hand should be hanging off the knee.

Now bend your wrist backward, press the weight towards your fingertips, and curl it up.

Benefits

  • According to some studies, wrist curls can aid in developing muscular endurance and improving the health of your joints.
  • Wrist curl helps to develop stronger forearms, which will enhance your grip strength under tension whenever you involve any upper body movement.

How to Do Dumbbell Wrist Curls

3.6 Towel Pull-ups

Got bored with regular pull-ups? How about going for towel pull-ups—a good grip strength exercise that will support your total body weight just using a towel?

How to do?

Throw a towel over the bar and allow yourself to hang. From this position, perform your regular pull-ups.

Benefits

  • It can improve grip strength and develop a unique grip while performing the standard pull-ups.
  • Towel pull-up is a good exercise to prepare yourself for rope climbing.

How to Do Towel Pull-ups - Build Bigger Forearms & Stronger Grip

3.7 Reverse Wrist Curls

Reverse curl works fantastic on your wrist and forearms, ultimately improving your grip strength. It is similar to biceps curl that requires curling motion—but with the wrists facing downward. 

How to do?

You need to take a light dumbbell and use your biceps to curl the weight toward the shoulders. Do not let your elbows leave your sides before you stop. Now return your hand to the starting position and repeat it.

Benefits

  • Reverse curl can make your biceps strong, which leads to a well-built upper body. 
  • Study shows that reverse curl can increase shoulder ability. Moreover, it helps to improve weak grip strength by improving your wrist mobility.

How to Do Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Curls

4. How To Develop Grip Strength At Home?

4.1 Stress-Ball Squeeze

Take a stress ball or a tennis ball and squeeze it with your hand for about 10 pulses. Try to give pressure with your thumbs and fingers. Now repeat the same sequence with the other hand.

How To Do A STRESS BALL SQUEEZE | Exercise Demonstration Video and Guide

4.2 The Rubber Band Hand Exercise

Just wrap a rubber band around your fingers and stretch them in the opposite direction as far as you can. Now hold the position for a few seconds and return to its starting position. You can do it at your office or home whenever you want.

Top 5 Hand and Finger Strengthening Exercises with Rubber Bands

4.3 Book Pinch

Ok, how about grabbing the heaviest book you have and holding it in that pinch grip position? And if it seems easy for you, walk the book, using your fingers up and down when you hold the book in mid-air. Tough yeah!

grip strength
Photo by: Olha Ruskykh /Pexels. Copyrights November 25th, 2020

5. What Are The Benefits Of Grip Strength?

Having a strong grip is not just necessary for your daily activities, but it also holds importance for a fitness enthusiast or if you are in sports. 

So, check out a few benefits of having a powerful grip strength.

5.1 Give You A Better Life And Lower Mortality Risk

As we age, we should take care of our bone density and muscle strength—they cut down the chances of injury and help us perform our daily work.

Greater grip strength is positively correlated with lower mortality, functional status, cognition, and mobility.

5.2 Improved Cardiovascular Health

According to some studies, grip strength drops the chances of cardiovascular disease. A strong heart is essential to living a longer life. 

So, daily workouts, including grip strengthening exercises, are a reliable indicator of improving your heart health.

5.3 Help You Lift Heavier

If you can lift heavier weights, it will help you maintain your proper form and strengthen your muscle. A well-developed muscle is an indicator of having good metabolism.

Moreover, studies show that stronger grip strength can help you move the dumbbell or barbell more easily.

Little Known Exercises That Drastically Increase Grip Strength

6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is a good grip strength?                                                                           

A1. The average healthy grip strength for men is a squeeze of about 72.6 pounds while women typically measure around 44 pounds. Should your score fall below this measurement, it could be an indicator of a variety of health issues.

Q2. How can I improve my grip strength?                                                                 

A2. 6 Tips to Build Grip Strength

  • Mix Up Your Handles.
  • Take a Heavy Walk.
  • Hang Out in a Dead Hang.
  • Reverse Your Biceps Curl.
  • Flip Your Kettlebell.
  • Grab Some Battle Ropes.

Q3. What does poor grip strength indicate?                                                           

A3. Poor grip strength can be a sign that the muscles are wasting or shrinking. In most cases, this is caused by disuse of the hands and fingers but it can also be a sign of peripheral neuropathy, cervical compression, brachial plexus syndrome, MS Parkinson’s, and arthritis.

Q4. Is grip strength genetic?                                                                                   

A4. Hand grip strength (HGS) is an inherited trait; about 65% of a person’s grip strength is genetically determined, whereas the remaining 35% depends on training and developmental factors such as nutrition. Past studies have connected HGS to various measures of physical condition, including bone density and longevity.

Q5. Does handgrip increase veins?                                                                         

A5. The distensibility of veins was preserved. Our results showed that handgrip training and intermittent compression of the upper arm veins, performed daily, increase the diameter of forearm arteries and veins and improve endothelium-dependent vasodilatation.

 

Also read—Workout Plans for Women: A Captivating Guide.

Last Updated on March 4, 2023 by Agnes

Hand extension does not come under gripping exercises, but it trains those muscles that are synergistic with those used for gripping. And the results—maintaining a healthy balance between wrists and hands—will reduce the chances of muscle injury and overuse of these muscle groups.

grip strength
Photo by: Ketut Subiyanto /Pexels. Copyrights September 27th, 2020

3. How Can I Develop My Grip Strength?

From deadlifting to wrist curls, there are some best exercises that you can include in your daily grip strength routine—to develop a monster grip or great forearms in no time.

Here are the top 7 workouts that involve some basic movements using your body weight or trying them in the gym.

3.1 Farmer’s Walks

Do you know the great thing about this grip-builder? It is simple and effective and does not require specific equipment to perform this exercise—all you need to do this grab something heavy or just a pair of dumbbells and walk around. 

How to do?

Stand tall for a minimum of 30 seconds. When you get tired, just put down the weight, take a rest and start again.

Benefits

  • Add motions to your grip and help develop the strength of your forearms, core muscles, hips, and shoulders.
  • Help you in your everyday life by increasing your forearm strength.

The Farmer's Walk Dumbbell Tutorial - Discover the Benefits

3.2 Deadlift And Deadlift With Pause

The easiest way to improve your grip strength and give pressure on your forearms is by lifting more weight. And when it includes holding the weight for a bit—you can easily squeeze in some extra benefits. It works well when you use a variety of hand grips.

How to do?

The bar needs to be motionless throughout the pause without dropping down again when driving to standing. Pause for 2 seconds somewhere between the floor and the knee.

 

Benefits

  • Help to activate hamstrings, glutes, backs, and hips.
  • Acts as a strong stimulus for grip strength. Besides deadlift, some other pulling movements like rows, chin-ups, and pull-ups—these solid grip exercises help you develop endurance.

Paused Deadlift

3.3 Plate Pinch

If you want to improve your grip strength, go with this plate pinch exercise. You can make your fingers strong enough, just like a mountain climber who supports themselves with the tips of the fingers.

Or, if you are in sports or wrestling, this will also develop your crushing abilities. 

How to do?

What you need to do is, pick a pair of metal plates and sandwich them together. Now press them with your fingers for about 30 seconds. You can start with heavier weights also.

Benefits

  • Plate pinching is an excellent grip strength exercise for football players, wrest finger climbers.
  • It can improve your thumb and fingers strength simultaneously

Plate Pinch Workout

3.4 Dead Hang

Dead hangs are fantastic to enhance your grip strength. It is not as simple as hanging from a pull-up bar. You need a lot of endurance and determination for it.

How to do?

All you need to do is hang from a pull-up bar, hands outstretched and keep the body in the hollow position.

Benefits

  • These types of bodyweight exercises can work on one’s forearm muscles, wrist, and fingers to improve grip strength.
  • Dead hang can enhance your endurance in shoulder strength, biceps, and lats.

How to dead hang

3.5 Wrist Curls

If you work on your wrist, this wrist curl or plate curls (using a plate) will increase the ability to hold onto heavyweights, which will increase your grip strength.

How to do?

All you have to do is sit on a bench and take a barbell or light dumbbell. Place your forearms on your knees, and your hand should be hanging off the knee.

Now bend your wrist backward, press the weight towards your fingertips, and curl it up.

Benefits

  • According to some studies, wrist curls can aid in developing muscular endurance and improving the health of your joints.
  • Wrist curl helps to develop stronger forearms, which will enhance your grip strength under tension whenever you involve any upper body movement.

How to Do Dumbbell Wrist Curls

3.6 Towel Pull-ups

Got bored with regular pull-ups? How about going for towel pull-ups—a good grip strength exercise that will support your total body weight just using a towel?

How to do?

Throw a towel over the bar and allow yourself to hang. From this position, perform your regular pull-ups.

Benefits

  • It can improve grip strength and develop a unique grip while performing the standard pull-ups.
  • Towel pull-up is a good exercise to prepare yourself for rope climbing.

How to Do Towel Pull-ups - Build Bigger Forearms & Stronger Grip

3.7 Reverse Wrist Curls

Reverse curl works fantastic on your wrist and forearms, ultimately improving your grip strength. It is similar to biceps curl that requires curling motion—but with the wrists facing downward. 

How to do?

You need to take a light dumbbell and use your biceps to curl the weight toward the shoulders. Do not let your elbows leave your sides before you stop. Now return your hand to the starting position and repeat it.

Benefits

  • Reverse curl can make your biceps strong, which leads to a well-built upper body. 
  • Study shows that reverse curl can increase shoulder ability. Moreover, it helps to improve weak grip strength by improving your wrist mobility.

How to Do Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Curls

4. How To Develop Grip Strength At Home?

4.1 Stress-Ball Squeeze

Take a stress ball or a tennis ball and squeeze it with your hand for about 10 pulses. Try to give pressure with your thumbs and fingers. Now repeat the same sequence with the other hand.

How To Do A STRESS BALL SQUEEZE | Exercise Demonstration Video and Guide

4.2 The Rubber Band Hand Exercise

Just wrap a rubber band around your fingers and stretch them in the opposite direction as far as you can. Now hold the position for a few seconds and return to its starting position. You can do it at your office or home whenever you want.

Top 5 Hand and Finger Strengthening Exercises with Rubber Bands

4.3 Book Pinch

Ok, how about grabbing the heaviest book you have and holding it in that pinch grip position? And if it seems easy for you, walk the book, using your fingers up and down when you hold the book in mid-air. Tough yeah!

grip strength
Photo by: Olha Ruskykh /Pexels. Copyrights November 25th, 2020

5. What Are The Benefits Of Grip Strength?

Having a strong grip is not just necessary for your daily activities, but it also holds importance for a fitness enthusiast or if you are in sports. 

So, check out a few benefits of having a powerful grip strength.

5.1 Give You A Better Life And Lower Mortality Risk

As we age, we should take care of our bone density and muscle strength—they cut down the chances of injury and help us perform our daily work.

Greater grip strength is positively correlated with lower mortality, functional status, cognition, and mobility.

5.2 Improved Cardiovascular Health

According to some studies, grip strength drops the chances of cardiovascular disease. A strong heart is essential to living a longer life. 

So, daily workouts, including grip strengthening exercises, are a reliable indicator of improving your heart health.

5.3 Help You Lift Heavier

If you can lift heavier weights, it will help you maintain your proper form and strengthen your muscle. A well-developed muscle is an indicator of having good metabolism.

Moreover, studies show that stronger grip strength can help you move the dumbbell or barbell more easily.

Little Known Exercises That Drastically Increase Grip Strength

6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is a good grip strength?                                                                           

A1. The average healthy grip strength for men is a squeeze of about 72.6 pounds while women typically measure around 44 pounds. Should your score fall below this measurement, it could be an indicator of a variety of health issues.

Q2. How can I improve my grip strength?                                                                 

A2. 6 Tips to Build Grip Strength

  • Mix Up Your Handles.
  • Take a Heavy Walk.
  • Hang Out in a Dead Hang.
  • Reverse Your Biceps Curl.
  • Flip Your Kettlebell.
  • Grab Some Battle Ropes.

Q3. What does poor grip strength indicate?                                                           

A3. Poor grip strength can be a sign that the muscles are wasting or shrinking. In most cases, this is caused by disuse of the hands and fingers but it can also be a sign of peripheral neuropathy, cervical compression, brachial plexus syndrome, MS Parkinson’s, and arthritis.

Q4. Is grip strength genetic?                                                                                   

A4. Hand grip strength (HGS) is an inherited trait; about 65% of a person’s grip strength is genetically determined, whereas the remaining 35% depends on training and developmental factors such as nutrition. Past studies have connected HGS to various measures of physical condition, including bone density and longevity.

Q5. Does handgrip increase veins?                                                                         

A5. The distensibility of veins was preserved. Our results showed that handgrip training and intermittent compression of the upper arm veins, performed daily, increase the diameter of forearm arteries and veins and improve endothelium-dependent vasodilatation.

 

Also read—Workout Plans for Women: A Captivating Guide.

Last Updated on March 4, 2023 by Agnes

Support grip is the same as crush grip. But this technique requires the ability to support something while fingers take the maximum load. It involves workouts like—carrying heavy dumbbells and deadlifting—that need open-hand support, and there will be a gap between the thumb and fingers if the holding handle is wide.

2.3 Pinching Grip

It is the action of grasping something in contrast to the fingertips using your thumbs. It can be two types static and dynamic. This exercise requires a lot of stress on thumps to increase grip strength.

2.4 Open Crushing Grip

It will focus on your wrist stability and wrist movement. It involves the grip with open hands where fingers don’t touch or overlap—that need to transfer your energy from the body through the fingers—how about opening your favorite pickle jar?

2.5 Hand Extension

Hand extension does not come under gripping exercises, but it trains those muscles that are synergistic with those used for gripping. And the results—maintaining a healthy balance between wrists and hands—will reduce the chances of muscle injury and overuse of these muscle groups.

grip strength
Photo by: Ketut Subiyanto /Pexels. Copyrights September 27th, 2020

3. How Can I Develop My Grip Strength?

From deadlifting to wrist curls, there are some best exercises that you can include in your daily grip strength routine—to develop a monster grip or great forearms in no time.

Here are the top 7 workouts that involve some basic movements using your body weight or trying them in the gym.

3.1 Farmer’s Walks

Do you know the great thing about this grip-builder? It is simple and effective and does not require specific equipment to perform this exercise—all you need to do this grab something heavy or just a pair of dumbbells and walk around. 

How to do?

Stand tall for a minimum of 30 seconds. When you get tired, just put down the weight, take a rest and start again.

Benefits

  • Add motions to your grip and help develop the strength of your forearms, core muscles, hips, and shoulders.
  • Help you in your everyday life by increasing your forearm strength.

The Farmer's Walk Dumbbell Tutorial - Discover the Benefits

3.2 Deadlift And Deadlift With Pause

The easiest way to improve your grip strength and give pressure on your forearms is by lifting more weight. And when it includes holding the weight for a bit—you can easily squeeze in some extra benefits. It works well when you use a variety of hand grips.

How to do?

The bar needs to be motionless throughout the pause without dropping down again when driving to standing. Pause for 2 seconds somewhere between the floor and the knee.

 

Benefits

  • Help to activate hamstrings, glutes, backs, and hips.
  • Acts as a strong stimulus for grip strength. Besides deadlift, some other pulling movements like rows, chin-ups, and pull-ups—these solid grip exercises help you develop endurance.

Paused Deadlift

3.3 Plate Pinch

If you want to improve your grip strength, go with this plate pinch exercise. You can make your fingers strong enough, just like a mountain climber who supports themselves with the tips of the fingers.

Or, if you are in sports or wrestling, this will also develop your crushing abilities. 

How to do?

What you need to do is, pick a pair of metal plates and sandwich them together. Now press them with your fingers for about 30 seconds. You can start with heavier weights also.

Benefits

  • Plate pinching is an excellent grip strength exercise for football players, wrest finger climbers.
  • It can improve your thumb and fingers strength simultaneously

Plate Pinch Workout

3.4 Dead Hang

Dead hangs are fantastic to enhance your grip strength. It is not as simple as hanging from a pull-up bar. You need a lot of endurance and determination for it.

How to do?

All you need to do is hang from a pull-up bar, hands outstretched and keep the body in the hollow position.

Benefits

  • These types of bodyweight exercises can work on one’s forearm muscles, wrist, and fingers to improve grip strength.
  • Dead hang can enhance your endurance in shoulder strength, biceps, and lats.

How to dead hang

3.5 Wrist Curls

If you work on your wrist, this wrist curl or plate curls (using a plate) will increase the ability to hold onto heavyweights, which will increase your grip strength.

How to do?

All you have to do is sit on a bench and take a barbell or light dumbbell. Place your forearms on your knees, and your hand should be hanging off the knee.

Now bend your wrist backward, press the weight towards your fingertips, and curl it up.

Benefits

  • According to some studies, wrist curls can aid in developing muscular endurance and improving the health of your joints.
  • Wrist curl helps to develop stronger forearms, which will enhance your grip strength under tension whenever you involve any upper body movement.

How to Do Dumbbell Wrist Curls

3.6 Towel Pull-ups

Got bored with regular pull-ups? How about going for towel pull-ups—a good grip strength exercise that will support your total body weight just using a towel?

How to do?

Throw a towel over the bar and allow yourself to hang. From this position, perform your regular pull-ups.

Benefits

  • It can improve grip strength and develop a unique grip while performing the standard pull-ups.
  • Towel pull-up is a good exercise to prepare yourself for rope climbing.

How to Do Towel Pull-ups - Build Bigger Forearms & Stronger Grip

3.7 Reverse Wrist Curls

Reverse curl works fantastic on your wrist and forearms, ultimately improving your grip strength. It is similar to biceps curl that requires curling motion—but with the wrists facing downward. 

How to do?

You need to take a light dumbbell and use your biceps to curl the weight toward the shoulders. Do not let your elbows leave your sides before you stop. Now return your hand to the starting position and repeat it.

Benefits

  • Reverse curl can make your biceps strong, which leads to a well-built upper body. 
  • Study shows that reverse curl can increase shoulder ability. Moreover, it helps to improve weak grip strength by improving your wrist mobility.

How to Do Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Curls

4. How To Develop Grip Strength At Home?

4.1 Stress-Ball Squeeze

Take a stress ball or a tennis ball and squeeze it with your hand for about 10 pulses. Try to give pressure with your thumbs and fingers. Now repeat the same sequence with the other hand.

How To Do A STRESS BALL SQUEEZE | Exercise Demonstration Video and Guide

4.2 The Rubber Band Hand Exercise

Just wrap a rubber band around your fingers and stretch them in the opposite direction as far as you can. Now hold the position for a few seconds and return to its starting position. You can do it at your office or home whenever you want.

Top 5 Hand and Finger Strengthening Exercises with Rubber Bands

4.3 Book Pinch

Ok, how about grabbing the heaviest book you have and holding it in that pinch grip position? And if it seems easy for you, walk the book, using your fingers up and down when you hold the book in mid-air. Tough yeah!

grip strength
Photo by: Olha Ruskykh /Pexels. Copyrights November 25th, 2020

5. What Are The Benefits Of Grip Strength?

Having a strong grip is not just necessary for your daily activities, but it also holds importance for a fitness enthusiast or if you are in sports. 

So, check out a few benefits of having a powerful grip strength.

5.1 Give You A Better Life And Lower Mortality Risk

As we age, we should take care of our bone density and muscle strength—they cut down the chances of injury and help us perform our daily work.

Greater grip strength is positively correlated with lower mortality, functional status, cognition, and mobility.

5.2 Improved Cardiovascular Health

According to some studies, grip strength drops the chances of cardiovascular disease. A strong heart is essential to living a longer life. 

So, daily workouts, including grip strengthening exercises, are a reliable indicator of improving your heart health.

5.3 Help You Lift Heavier

If you can lift heavier weights, it will help you maintain your proper form and strengthen your muscle. A well-developed muscle is an indicator of having good metabolism.

Moreover, studies show that stronger grip strength can help you move the dumbbell or barbell more easily.

Little Known Exercises That Drastically Increase Grip Strength

6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is a good grip strength?                                                                           

A1. The average healthy grip strength for men is a squeeze of about 72.6 pounds while women typically measure around 44 pounds. Should your score fall below this measurement, it could be an indicator of a variety of health issues.

Q2. How can I improve my grip strength?                                                                 

A2. 6 Tips to Build Grip Strength

  • Mix Up Your Handles.
  • Take a Heavy Walk.
  • Hang Out in a Dead Hang.
  • Reverse Your Biceps Curl.
  • Flip Your Kettlebell.
  • Grab Some Battle Ropes.

Q3. What does poor grip strength indicate?                                                           

A3. Poor grip strength can be a sign that the muscles are wasting or shrinking. In most cases, this is caused by disuse of the hands and fingers but it can also be a sign of peripheral neuropathy, cervical compression, brachial plexus syndrome, MS Parkinson’s, and arthritis.

Q4. Is grip strength genetic?                                                                                   

A4. Hand grip strength (HGS) is an inherited trait; about 65% of a person’s grip strength is genetically determined, whereas the remaining 35% depends on training and developmental factors such as nutrition. Past studies have connected HGS to various measures of physical condition, including bone density and longevity.

Q5. Does handgrip increase veins?                                                                         

A5. The distensibility of veins was preserved. Our results showed that handgrip training and intermittent compression of the upper arm veins, performed daily, increase the diameter of forearm arteries and veins and improve endothelium-dependent vasodilatation.

 

Also read—Workout Plans for Women: A Captivating Guide.

Last Updated on March 4, 2023 by Agnes

What’s more—if you include these movements in your weekly workout routines—it will drop the chances of carpal tunnel, tendonitis, and arthritis.

grip strength
Photo by: cottonbro studio /pexels. Copyrights April 28th, 2021

2. What Are The Types Of Grip Strength?

When it comes to the different types of grip strength training, involve several muscle groups and techniques. So, here I will discuss some basic types of grip strength that you need to know.

2.1 Crushing Grip

It is the process of squeezing your fingers against the resistance. The action of the hand closing around something and pressing it towards the palm (clamping) and using fingers for directing force toward a callous line (crimping)—just like holding onto a dumbbell or handshaking.

2.2 Supporting Grip

Support grip is the same as crush grip. But this technique requires the ability to support something while fingers take the maximum load. It involves workouts like—carrying heavy dumbbells and deadlifting—that need open-hand support, and there will be a gap between the thumb and fingers if the holding handle is wide.

2.3 Pinching Grip

It is the action of grasping something in contrast to the fingertips using your thumbs. It can be two types static and dynamic. This exercise requires a lot of stress on thumps to increase grip strength.

2.4 Open Crushing Grip

It will focus on your wrist stability and wrist movement. It involves the grip with open hands where fingers don’t touch or overlap—that need to transfer your energy from the body through the fingers—how about opening your favorite pickle jar?

2.5 Hand Extension

Hand extension does not come under gripping exercises, but it trains those muscles that are synergistic with those used for gripping. And the results—maintaining a healthy balance between wrists and hands—will reduce the chances of muscle injury and overuse of these muscle groups.

grip strength
Photo by: Ketut Subiyanto /Pexels. Copyrights September 27th, 2020

3. How Can I Develop My Grip Strength?

From deadlifting to wrist curls, there are some best exercises that you can include in your daily grip strength routine—to develop a monster grip or great forearms in no time.

Here are the top 7 workouts that involve some basic movements using your body weight or trying them in the gym.

3.1 Farmer’s Walks

Do you know the great thing about this grip-builder? It is simple and effective and does not require specific equipment to perform this exercise—all you need to do this grab something heavy or just a pair of dumbbells and walk around. 

How to do?

Stand tall for a minimum of 30 seconds. When you get tired, just put down the weight, take a rest and start again.

Benefits

  • Add motions to your grip and help develop the strength of your forearms, core muscles, hips, and shoulders.
  • Help you in your everyday life by increasing your forearm strength.

The Farmer's Walk Dumbbell Tutorial - Discover the Benefits

3.2 Deadlift And Deadlift With Pause

The easiest way to improve your grip strength and give pressure on your forearms is by lifting more weight. And when it includes holding the weight for a bit—you can easily squeeze in some extra benefits. It works well when you use a variety of hand grips.

How to do?

The bar needs to be motionless throughout the pause without dropping down again when driving to standing. Pause for 2 seconds somewhere between the floor and the knee.

 

Benefits

  • Help to activate hamstrings, glutes, backs, and hips.
  • Acts as a strong stimulus for grip strength. Besides deadlift, some other pulling movements like rows, chin-ups, and pull-ups—these solid grip exercises help you develop endurance.

Paused Deadlift

3.3 Plate Pinch

If you want to improve your grip strength, go with this plate pinch exercise. You can make your fingers strong enough, just like a mountain climber who supports themselves with the tips of the fingers.

Or, if you are in sports or wrestling, this will also develop your crushing abilities. 

How to do?

What you need to do is, pick a pair of metal plates and sandwich them together. Now press them with your fingers for about 30 seconds. You can start with heavier weights also.

Benefits

  • Plate pinching is an excellent grip strength exercise for football players, wrest finger climbers.
  • It can improve your thumb and fingers strength simultaneously

Plate Pinch Workout

3.4 Dead Hang

Dead hangs are fantastic to enhance your grip strength. It is not as simple as hanging from a pull-up bar. You need a lot of endurance and determination for it.

How to do?

All you need to do is hang from a pull-up bar, hands outstretched and keep the body in the hollow position.

Benefits

  • These types of bodyweight exercises can work on one’s forearm muscles, wrist, and fingers to improve grip strength.
  • Dead hang can enhance your endurance in shoulder strength, biceps, and lats.

How to dead hang

3.5 Wrist Curls

If you work on your wrist, this wrist curl or plate curls (using a plate) will increase the ability to hold onto heavyweights, which will increase your grip strength.

How to do?

All you have to do is sit on a bench and take a barbell or light dumbbell. Place your forearms on your knees, and your hand should be hanging off the knee.

Now bend your wrist backward, press the weight towards your fingertips, and curl it up.

Benefits

  • According to some studies, wrist curls can aid in developing muscular endurance and improving the health of your joints.
  • Wrist curl helps to develop stronger forearms, which will enhance your grip strength under tension whenever you involve any upper body movement.

How to Do Dumbbell Wrist Curls

3.6 Towel Pull-ups

Got bored with regular pull-ups? How about going for towel pull-ups—a good grip strength exercise that will support your total body weight just using a towel?

How to do?

Throw a towel over the bar and allow yourself to hang. From this position, perform your regular pull-ups.

Benefits

  • It can improve grip strength and develop a unique grip while performing the standard pull-ups.
  • Towel pull-up is a good exercise to prepare yourself for rope climbing.

How to Do Towel Pull-ups - Build Bigger Forearms & Stronger Grip

3.7 Reverse Wrist Curls

Reverse curl works fantastic on your wrist and forearms, ultimately improving your grip strength. It is similar to biceps curl that requires curling motion—but with the wrists facing downward. 

How to do?

You need to take a light dumbbell and use your biceps to curl the weight toward the shoulders. Do not let your elbows leave your sides before you stop. Now return your hand to the starting position and repeat it.

Benefits

  • Reverse curl can make your biceps strong, which leads to a well-built upper body. 
  • Study shows that reverse curl can increase shoulder ability. Moreover, it helps to improve weak grip strength by improving your wrist mobility.

How to Do Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Curls

4. How To Develop Grip Strength At Home?

4.1 Stress-Ball Squeeze

Take a stress ball or a tennis ball and squeeze it with your hand for about 10 pulses. Try to give pressure with your thumbs and fingers. Now repeat the same sequence with the other hand.

How To Do A STRESS BALL SQUEEZE | Exercise Demonstration Video and Guide

4.2 The Rubber Band Hand Exercise

Just wrap a rubber band around your fingers and stretch them in the opposite direction as far as you can. Now hold the position for a few seconds and return to its starting position. You can do it at your office or home whenever you want.

Top 5 Hand and Finger Strengthening Exercises with Rubber Bands

4.3 Book Pinch

Ok, how about grabbing the heaviest book you have and holding it in that pinch grip position? And if it seems easy for you, walk the book, using your fingers up and down when you hold the book in mid-air. Tough yeah!

grip strength
Photo by: Olha Ruskykh /Pexels. Copyrights November 25th, 2020

5. What Are The Benefits Of Grip Strength?

Having a strong grip is not just necessary for your daily activities, but it also holds importance for a fitness enthusiast or if you are in sports. 

So, check out a few benefits of having a powerful grip strength.

5.1 Give You A Better Life And Lower Mortality Risk

As we age, we should take care of our bone density and muscle strength—they cut down the chances of injury and help us perform our daily work.

Greater grip strength is positively correlated with lower mortality, functional status, cognition, and mobility.

5.2 Improved Cardiovascular Health

According to some studies, grip strength drops the chances of cardiovascular disease. A strong heart is essential to living a longer life. 

So, daily workouts, including grip strengthening exercises, are a reliable indicator of improving your heart health.

5.3 Help You Lift Heavier

If you can lift heavier weights, it will help you maintain your proper form and strengthen your muscle. A well-developed muscle is an indicator of having good metabolism.

Moreover, studies show that stronger grip strength can help you move the dumbbell or barbell more easily.

Little Known Exercises That Drastically Increase Grip Strength

6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is a good grip strength?                                                                           

A1. The average healthy grip strength for men is a squeeze of about 72.6 pounds while women typically measure around 44 pounds. Should your score fall below this measurement, it could be an indicator of a variety of health issues.

Q2. How can I improve my grip strength?                                                                 

A2. 6 Tips to Build Grip Strength

  • Mix Up Your Handles.
  • Take a Heavy Walk.
  • Hang Out in a Dead Hang.
  • Reverse Your Biceps Curl.
  • Flip Your Kettlebell.
  • Grab Some Battle Ropes.

Q3. What does poor grip strength indicate?                                                           

A3. Poor grip strength can be a sign that the muscles are wasting or shrinking. In most cases, this is caused by disuse of the hands and fingers but it can also be a sign of peripheral neuropathy, cervical compression, brachial plexus syndrome, MS Parkinson’s, and arthritis.

Q4. Is grip strength genetic?                                                                                   

A4. Hand grip strength (HGS) is an inherited trait; about 65% of a person’s grip strength is genetically determined, whereas the remaining 35% depends on training and developmental factors such as nutrition. Past studies have connected HGS to various measures of physical condition, including bone density and longevity.

Q5. Does handgrip increase veins?                                                                         

A5. The distensibility of veins was preserved. Our results showed that handgrip training and intermittent compression of the upper arm veins, performed daily, increase the diameter of forearm arteries and veins and improve endothelium-dependent vasodilatation.

 

Also read—Workout Plans for Women: A Captivating Guide.

Last Updated on March 4, 2023 by Agnes

Interesting fact: During grip work, about 35 forearm muscles are involved in moving the fingers.

grip strength
Photo by: Allan Mas /Pexels. Copyrights October 16th, 2020

1.1 Does Grip Strength Matter?

Yes, it matters. Getting your jobs done—like driving a car, writing notes, carrying groceries, or simply brushing your teeth—you can’t do it without your forearm muscles and dexterous hands.

But these are your everyday tasks, now how is this related to staying fit?

Having a firm grip is related to upper body strength—which will increase your ability to hold onto weights and will help you to improve overall muscle strength.

Good grip strength will help execute exercises like practicing pull-ups, pumping with dumbbells, or deadlifting. So, if you ever feel like having fatigued wrists or weak hands after your workout, you should focus on a workout routine that includes—wrists, hands, and forearms.

And keeping these areas toned—will lead to a well-developed upper body, enhancing the shoulder joint ability, and ultimately better health.

What’s more—if you include these movements in your weekly workout routines—it will drop the chances of carpal tunnel, tendonitis, and arthritis.

grip strength
Photo by: cottonbro studio /pexels. Copyrights April 28th, 2021

2. What Are The Types Of Grip Strength?

When it comes to the different types of grip strength training, involve several muscle groups and techniques. So, here I will discuss some basic types of grip strength that you need to know.

2.1 Crushing Grip

It is the process of squeezing your fingers against the resistance. The action of the hand closing around something and pressing it towards the palm (clamping) and using fingers for directing force toward a callous line (crimping)—just like holding onto a dumbbell or handshaking.

2.2 Supporting Grip

Support grip is the same as crush grip. But this technique requires the ability to support something while fingers take the maximum load. It involves workouts like—carrying heavy dumbbells and deadlifting—that need open-hand support, and there will be a gap between the thumb and fingers if the holding handle is wide.

2.3 Pinching Grip

It is the action of grasping something in contrast to the fingertips using your thumbs. It can be two types static and dynamic. This exercise requires a lot of stress on thumps to increase grip strength.

2.4 Open Crushing Grip

It will focus on your wrist stability and wrist movement. It involves the grip with open hands where fingers don’t touch or overlap—that need to transfer your energy from the body through the fingers—how about opening your favorite pickle jar?

2.5 Hand Extension

Hand extension does not come under gripping exercises, but it trains those muscles that are synergistic with those used for gripping. And the results—maintaining a healthy balance between wrists and hands—will reduce the chances of muscle injury and overuse of these muscle groups.

grip strength
Photo by: Ketut Subiyanto /Pexels. Copyrights September 27th, 2020

3. How Can I Develop My Grip Strength?

From deadlifting to wrist curls, there are some best exercises that you can include in your daily grip strength routine—to develop a monster grip or great forearms in no time.

Here are the top 7 workouts that involve some basic movements using your body weight or trying them in the gym.

3.1 Farmer’s Walks

Do you know the great thing about this grip-builder? It is simple and effective and does not require specific equipment to perform this exercise—all you need to do this grab something heavy or just a pair of dumbbells and walk around. 

How to do?

Stand tall for a minimum of 30 seconds. When you get tired, just put down the weight, take a rest and start again.

Benefits

  • Add motions to your grip and help develop the strength of your forearms, core muscles, hips, and shoulders.
  • Help you in your everyday life by increasing your forearm strength.

The Farmer's Walk Dumbbell Tutorial - Discover the Benefits

3.2 Deadlift And Deadlift With Pause

The easiest way to improve your grip strength and give pressure on your forearms is by lifting more weight. And when it includes holding the weight for a bit—you can easily squeeze in some extra benefits. It works well when you use a variety of hand grips.

How to do?

The bar needs to be motionless throughout the pause without dropping down again when driving to standing. Pause for 2 seconds somewhere between the floor and the knee.

 

Benefits

  • Help to activate hamstrings, glutes, backs, and hips.
  • Acts as a strong stimulus for grip strength. Besides deadlift, some other pulling movements like rows, chin-ups, and pull-ups—these solid grip exercises help you develop endurance.

Paused Deadlift

3.3 Plate Pinch

If you want to improve your grip strength, go with this plate pinch exercise. You can make your fingers strong enough, just like a mountain climber who supports themselves with the tips of the fingers.

Or, if you are in sports or wrestling, this will also develop your crushing abilities. 

How to do?

What you need to do is, pick a pair of metal plates and sandwich them together. Now press them with your fingers for about 30 seconds. You can start with heavier weights also.

Benefits

  • Plate pinching is an excellent grip strength exercise for football players, wrest finger climbers.
  • It can improve your thumb and fingers strength simultaneously

Plate Pinch Workout

3.4 Dead Hang

Dead hangs are fantastic to enhance your grip strength. It is not as simple as hanging from a pull-up bar. You need a lot of endurance and determination for it.

How to do?

All you need to do is hang from a pull-up bar, hands outstretched and keep the body in the hollow position.

Benefits

  • These types of bodyweight exercises can work on one’s forearm muscles, wrist, and fingers to improve grip strength.
  • Dead hang can enhance your endurance in shoulder strength, biceps, and lats.

How to dead hang

3.5 Wrist Curls

If you work on your wrist, this wrist curl or plate curls (using a plate) will increase the ability to hold onto heavyweights, which will increase your grip strength.

How to do?

All you have to do is sit on a bench and take a barbell or light dumbbell. Place your forearms on your knees, and your hand should be hanging off the knee.

Now bend your wrist backward, press the weight towards your fingertips, and curl it up.

Benefits

  • According to some studies, wrist curls can aid in developing muscular endurance and improving the health of your joints.
  • Wrist curl helps to develop stronger forearms, which will enhance your grip strength under tension whenever you involve any upper body movement.

How to Do Dumbbell Wrist Curls

3.6 Towel Pull-ups

Got bored with regular pull-ups? How about going for towel pull-ups—a good grip strength exercise that will support your total body weight just using a towel?

How to do?

Throw a towel over the bar and allow yourself to hang. From this position, perform your regular pull-ups.

Benefits

  • It can improve grip strength and develop a unique grip while performing the standard pull-ups.
  • Towel pull-up is a good exercise to prepare yourself for rope climbing.

How to Do Towel Pull-ups - Build Bigger Forearms & Stronger Grip

3.7 Reverse Wrist Curls

Reverse curl works fantastic on your wrist and forearms, ultimately improving your grip strength. It is similar to biceps curl that requires curling motion—but with the wrists facing downward. 

How to do?

You need to take a light dumbbell and use your biceps to curl the weight toward the shoulders. Do not let your elbows leave your sides before you stop. Now return your hand to the starting position and repeat it.

Benefits

  • Reverse curl can make your biceps strong, which leads to a well-built upper body. 
  • Study shows that reverse curl can increase shoulder ability. Moreover, it helps to improve weak grip strength by improving your wrist mobility.

How to Do Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Curls

4. How To Develop Grip Strength At Home?

4.1 Stress-Ball Squeeze

Take a stress ball or a tennis ball and squeeze it with your hand for about 10 pulses. Try to give pressure with your thumbs and fingers. Now repeat the same sequence with the other hand.

How To Do A STRESS BALL SQUEEZE | Exercise Demonstration Video and Guide

4.2 The Rubber Band Hand Exercise

Just wrap a rubber band around your fingers and stretch them in the opposite direction as far as you can. Now hold the position for a few seconds and return to its starting position. You can do it at your office or home whenever you want.

Top 5 Hand and Finger Strengthening Exercises with Rubber Bands

4.3 Book Pinch

Ok, how about grabbing the heaviest book you have and holding it in that pinch grip position? And if it seems easy for you, walk the book, using your fingers up and down when you hold the book in mid-air. Tough yeah!

grip strength
Photo by: Olha Ruskykh /Pexels. Copyrights November 25th, 2020

5. What Are The Benefits Of Grip Strength?

Having a strong grip is not just necessary for your daily activities, but it also holds importance for a fitness enthusiast or if you are in sports. 

So, check out a few benefits of having a powerful grip strength.

5.1 Give You A Better Life And Lower Mortality Risk

As we age, we should take care of our bone density and muscle strength—they cut down the chances of injury and help us perform our daily work.

Greater grip strength is positively correlated with lower mortality, functional status, cognition, and mobility.

5.2 Improved Cardiovascular Health

According to some studies, grip strength drops the chances of cardiovascular disease. A strong heart is essential to living a longer life. 

So, daily workouts, including grip strengthening exercises, are a reliable indicator of improving your heart health.

5.3 Help You Lift Heavier

If you can lift heavier weights, it will help you maintain your proper form and strengthen your muscle. A well-developed muscle is an indicator of having good metabolism.

Moreover, studies show that stronger grip strength can help you move the dumbbell or barbell more easily.

Little Known Exercises That Drastically Increase Grip Strength

6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is a good grip strength?                                                                           

A1. The average healthy grip strength for men is a squeeze of about 72.6 pounds while women typically measure around 44 pounds. Should your score fall below this measurement, it could be an indicator of a variety of health issues.

Q2. How can I improve my grip strength?                                                                 

A2. 6 Tips to Build Grip Strength

  • Mix Up Your Handles.
  • Take a Heavy Walk.
  • Hang Out in a Dead Hang.
  • Reverse Your Biceps Curl.
  • Flip Your Kettlebell.
  • Grab Some Battle Ropes.

Q3. What does poor grip strength indicate?                                                           

A3. Poor grip strength can be a sign that the muscles are wasting or shrinking. In most cases, this is caused by disuse of the hands and fingers but it can also be a sign of peripheral neuropathy, cervical compression, brachial plexus syndrome, MS Parkinson’s, and arthritis.

Q4. Is grip strength genetic?                                                                                   

A4. Hand grip strength (HGS) is an inherited trait; about 65% of a person’s grip strength is genetically determined, whereas the remaining 35% depends on training and developmental factors such as nutrition. Past studies have connected HGS to various measures of physical condition, including bone density and longevity.

Q5. Does handgrip increase veins?                                                                         

A5. The distensibility of veins was preserved. Our results showed that handgrip training and intermittent compression of the upper arm veins, performed daily, increase the diameter of forearm arteries and veins and improve endothelium-dependent vasodilatation.

 

Also read—Workout Plans for Women: A Captivating Guide.

Last Updated on March 4, 2023 by Agnes

So, let’s take a closer look at the benefits of grip strength, its types, and the top 7 exercises to improve grip strength—at home or the gym.

grip strength
Photo by: Evelyn Chong /Pexels. Copyrights October 4th, 2018

1. What Is Grip Strength? 

Grip strength is not just holding something in your hands —it is how long you can hold an object using your handgrip strength and how to maintain control over that object. 

And it depends upon how much power you can apply with your hand muscles and forearm—the measurement of maximum muscular strength or force generated by them.

Interesting fact: During grip work, about 35 forearm muscles are involved in moving the fingers.

grip strength
Photo by: Allan Mas /Pexels. Copyrights October 16th, 2020

1.1 Does Grip Strength Matter?

Yes, it matters. Getting your jobs done—like driving a car, writing notes, carrying groceries, or simply brushing your teeth—you can’t do it without your forearm muscles and dexterous hands.

But these are your everyday tasks, now how is this related to staying fit?

Having a firm grip is related to upper body strength—which will increase your ability to hold onto weights and will help you to improve overall muscle strength.

Good grip strength will help execute exercises like practicing pull-ups, pumping with dumbbells, or deadlifting. So, if you ever feel like having fatigued wrists or weak hands after your workout, you should focus on a workout routine that includes—wrists, hands, and forearms.

And keeping these areas toned—will lead to a well-developed upper body, enhancing the shoulder joint ability, and ultimately better health.

What’s more—if you include these movements in your weekly workout routines—it will drop the chances of carpal tunnel, tendonitis, and arthritis.

grip strength
Photo by: cottonbro studio /pexels. Copyrights April 28th, 2021

2. What Are The Types Of Grip Strength?

When it comes to the different types of grip strength training, involve several muscle groups and techniques. So, here I will discuss some basic types of grip strength that you need to know.

2.1 Crushing Grip

It is the process of squeezing your fingers against the resistance. The action of the hand closing around something and pressing it towards the palm (clamping) and using fingers for directing force toward a callous line (crimping)—just like holding onto a dumbbell or handshaking.

2.2 Supporting Grip

Support grip is the same as crush grip. But this technique requires the ability to support something while fingers take the maximum load. It involves workouts like—carrying heavy dumbbells and deadlifting—that need open-hand support, and there will be a gap between the thumb and fingers if the holding handle is wide.

2.3 Pinching Grip

It is the action of grasping something in contrast to the fingertips using your thumbs. It can be two types static and dynamic. This exercise requires a lot of stress on thumps to increase grip strength.

2.4 Open Crushing Grip

It will focus on your wrist stability and wrist movement. It involves the grip with open hands where fingers don’t touch or overlap—that need to transfer your energy from the body through the fingers—how about opening your favorite pickle jar?

2.5 Hand Extension

Hand extension does not come under gripping exercises, but it trains those muscles that are synergistic with those used for gripping. And the results—maintaining a healthy balance between wrists and hands—will reduce the chances of muscle injury and overuse of these muscle groups.

grip strength
Photo by: Ketut Subiyanto /Pexels. Copyrights September 27th, 2020

3. How Can I Develop My Grip Strength?

From deadlifting to wrist curls, there are some best exercises that you can include in your daily grip strength routine—to develop a monster grip or great forearms in no time.

Here are the top 7 workouts that involve some basic movements using your body weight or trying them in the gym.

3.1 Farmer’s Walks

Do you know the great thing about this grip-builder? It is simple and effective and does not require specific equipment to perform this exercise—all you need to do this grab something heavy or just a pair of dumbbells and walk around. 

How to do?

Stand tall for a minimum of 30 seconds. When you get tired, just put down the weight, take a rest and start again.

Benefits

  • Add motions to your grip and help develop the strength of your forearms, core muscles, hips, and shoulders.
  • Help you in your everyday life by increasing your forearm strength.

The Farmer's Walk Dumbbell Tutorial - Discover the Benefits

3.2 Deadlift And Deadlift With Pause

The easiest way to improve your grip strength and give pressure on your forearms is by lifting more weight. And when it includes holding the weight for a bit—you can easily squeeze in some extra benefits. It works well when you use a variety of hand grips.

How to do?

The bar needs to be motionless throughout the pause without dropping down again when driving to standing. Pause for 2 seconds somewhere between the floor and the knee.

 

Benefits

  • Help to activate hamstrings, glutes, backs, and hips.
  • Acts as a strong stimulus for grip strength. Besides deadlift, some other pulling movements like rows, chin-ups, and pull-ups—these solid grip exercises help you develop endurance.

Paused Deadlift

3.3 Plate Pinch

If you want to improve your grip strength, go with this plate pinch exercise. You can make your fingers strong enough, just like a mountain climber who supports themselves with the tips of the fingers.

Or, if you are in sports or wrestling, this will also develop your crushing abilities. 

How to do?

What you need to do is, pick a pair of metal plates and sandwich them together. Now press them with your fingers for about 30 seconds. You can start with heavier weights also.

Benefits

  • Plate pinching is an excellent grip strength exercise for football players, wrest finger climbers.
  • It can improve your thumb and fingers strength simultaneously

Plate Pinch Workout

3.4 Dead Hang

Dead hangs are fantastic to enhance your grip strength. It is not as simple as hanging from a pull-up bar. You need a lot of endurance and determination for it.

How to do?

All you need to do is hang from a pull-up bar, hands outstretched and keep the body in the hollow position.

Benefits

  • These types of bodyweight exercises can work on one’s forearm muscles, wrist, and fingers to improve grip strength.
  • Dead hang can enhance your endurance in shoulder strength, biceps, and lats.

How to dead hang

3.5 Wrist Curls

If you work on your wrist, this wrist curl or plate curls (using a plate) will increase the ability to hold onto heavyweights, which will increase your grip strength.

How to do?

All you have to do is sit on a bench and take a barbell or light dumbbell. Place your forearms on your knees, and your hand should be hanging off the knee.

Now bend your wrist backward, press the weight towards your fingertips, and curl it up.

Benefits

  • According to some studies, wrist curls can aid in developing muscular endurance and improving the health of your joints.
  • Wrist curl helps to develop stronger forearms, which will enhance your grip strength under tension whenever you involve any upper body movement.

How to Do Dumbbell Wrist Curls

3.6 Towel Pull-ups

Got bored with regular pull-ups? How about going for towel pull-ups—a good grip strength exercise that will support your total body weight just using a towel?

How to do?

Throw a towel over the bar and allow yourself to hang. From this position, perform your regular pull-ups.

Benefits

  • It can improve grip strength and develop a unique grip while performing the standard pull-ups.
  • Towel pull-up is a good exercise to prepare yourself for rope climbing.

How to Do Towel Pull-ups - Build Bigger Forearms & Stronger Grip

3.7 Reverse Wrist Curls

Reverse curl works fantastic on your wrist and forearms, ultimately improving your grip strength. It is similar to biceps curl that requires curling motion—but with the wrists facing downward. 

How to do?

You need to take a light dumbbell and use your biceps to curl the weight toward the shoulders. Do not let your elbows leave your sides before you stop. Now return your hand to the starting position and repeat it.

Benefits

  • Reverse curl can make your biceps strong, which leads to a well-built upper body. 
  • Study shows that reverse curl can increase shoulder ability. Moreover, it helps to improve weak grip strength by improving your wrist mobility.

How to Do Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Curls

4. How To Develop Grip Strength At Home?

4.1 Stress-Ball Squeeze

Take a stress ball or a tennis ball and squeeze it with your hand for about 10 pulses. Try to give pressure with your thumbs and fingers. Now repeat the same sequence with the other hand.

How To Do A STRESS BALL SQUEEZE | Exercise Demonstration Video and Guide

4.2 The Rubber Band Hand Exercise

Just wrap a rubber band around your fingers and stretch them in the opposite direction as far as you can. Now hold the position for a few seconds and return to its starting position. You can do it at your office or home whenever you want.

Top 5 Hand and Finger Strengthening Exercises with Rubber Bands

4.3 Book Pinch

Ok, how about grabbing the heaviest book you have and holding it in that pinch grip position? And if it seems easy for you, walk the book, using your fingers up and down when you hold the book in mid-air. Tough yeah!

grip strength
Photo by: Olha Ruskykh /Pexels. Copyrights November 25th, 2020

5. What Are The Benefits Of Grip Strength?

Having a strong grip is not just necessary for your daily activities, but it also holds importance for a fitness enthusiast or if you are in sports. 

So, check out a few benefits of having a powerful grip strength.

5.1 Give You A Better Life And Lower Mortality Risk

As we age, we should take care of our bone density and muscle strength—they cut down the chances of injury and help us perform our daily work.

Greater grip strength is positively correlated with lower mortality, functional status, cognition, and mobility.

5.2 Improved Cardiovascular Health

According to some studies, grip strength drops the chances of cardiovascular disease. A strong heart is essential to living a longer life. 

So, daily workouts, including grip strengthening exercises, are a reliable indicator of improving your heart health.

5.3 Help You Lift Heavier

If you can lift heavier weights, it will help you maintain your proper form and strengthen your muscle. A well-developed muscle is an indicator of having good metabolism.

Moreover, studies show that stronger grip strength can help you move the dumbbell or barbell more easily.

Little Known Exercises That Drastically Increase Grip Strength

6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is a good grip strength?                                                                           

A1. The average healthy grip strength for men is a squeeze of about 72.6 pounds while women typically measure around 44 pounds. Should your score fall below this measurement, it could be an indicator of a variety of health issues.

Q2. How can I improve my grip strength?                                                                 

A2. 6 Tips to Build Grip Strength

  • Mix Up Your Handles.
  • Take a Heavy Walk.
  • Hang Out in a Dead Hang.
  • Reverse Your Biceps Curl.
  • Flip Your Kettlebell.
  • Grab Some Battle Ropes.

Q3. What does poor grip strength indicate?                                                           

A3. Poor grip strength can be a sign that the muscles are wasting or shrinking. In most cases, this is caused by disuse of the hands and fingers but it can also be a sign of peripheral neuropathy, cervical compression, brachial plexus syndrome, MS Parkinson’s, and arthritis.

Q4. Is grip strength genetic?                                                                                   

A4. Hand grip strength (HGS) is an inherited trait; about 65% of a person’s grip strength is genetically determined, whereas the remaining 35% depends on training and developmental factors such as nutrition. Past studies have connected HGS to various measures of physical condition, including bone density and longevity.

Q5. Does handgrip increase veins?                                                                         

A5. The distensibility of veins was preserved. Our results showed that handgrip training and intermittent compression of the upper arm veins, performed daily, increase the diameter of forearm arteries and veins and improve endothelium-dependent vasodilatation.

 

Also read—Workout Plans for Women: A Captivating Guide.

Last Updated on March 4, 2023 by Agnes