Grip strength is kind of a hidden necessity when it comes to strength training as well as other everyday activities like carrying something heavy. If you’re finding that your core, arms, and shoulders seem strong enough to lift or do pullups but you’re still unable to hold on for as long as you want, you probably need to up your grip strength. So here are some tips.
“Crush” Strength
There are three types of grip strength. This one refers to the strength with which you can curl or squeeze your fingers into your palm. You can practice every day by squeezing a stress ball or something similar regularly. Be sure to do this evenly on both sides, and to add extra oomph you can squeeze between each finger and your thumb individually as well.
“Pinch” Strength
The second type of strength is just what it sounds like: how hard you can pinch! You can practice this by holding something heavy like books or weight plates (NOT real plates—those can break!) between your fingers and thumb. Let your arms hang by your sides while you pinch the objects between your fingers for as long as you can without dropping them.
“Support” Strength
This is your ability to support weight, like carrying something heavy (that you can curl your fingers around, unlike the pinch), or doing pullups. To practice, you can practice reps with weights or do some assisted pullups with a stretch band to help you work on your grip strength rather than focusing on your other muscles.
