Jump to content

Do Heavy Squats Help With Grip Strength?


Sybersnott

Q: Does heavy squatting lead to gains in grip strength?  

67 members have voted

  1. 1. Q: Does heavy squatting lead to gains in grip strength?

    • I Very Much Agree
      34
    • I Somewhat Agree
      17
    • I Don't Agree
      14
    • I've Never Squatted Before
      0


Recommended Posts

I was reading the book, The Complete Keys To Progress last night and throughout the book John McCallum really hammers home the issue of doing heavy squats which will lead to overall bodily strength.

Do you think that performing heavy squats has a carryover in terms of grip strength as well?? Vote now!!! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Haven't combined the two in one workout in some time, but some of my most memorable gripper workouts came immediatley after squatting (sometimes between sets) so I vote in favor of it.

Nowadays my palms are too sore from bending to do much with grippers, but eventually I'll be working them in on squat days again!

VeGripper

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nah, squats will make you slow and get too big of legs and tush so you can't wear designer jeans anymore.

:kiss

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually! To steal some Gator Drama:

SQUATS RULE BABY!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think squats help with grip just as they would help with any other exercise. It's not an immediate boost in strength, but with time I think I will see greater gains than with gripping alone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As far as I am concerned, I don't care what the muscle is... If you are doing heavy weight leg work on a weekly basis and eating lots of protein, you get better muscle development and strength throughout the entire body.

Actually, I am going to start KTA, next monday, and I planned it to start 2 weeks after my 12 week heavy leg cycle started.

SA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

maybe the question should be, "is there anything in the world that squats don't help?"

:laugh

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My grip and bending are always strongest during a squat workout. It never fails. I don't know if its because you get thoroughly warmed up by squatting, if it just gets your CNS primed to deliver a max effort or if its something else entirely.

In the longer term, I think its generally accepted that squatting heavy tends to increase growth hormone production which helps with muscle development throughout the body.

In short, yes, Squats Rule!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

NO!!! they are bad for your knees and you will "hurt"your back PLUS they are very hard to do.Sometimes you may even be exhausted!

If you go over 225 lbs they will certainly make you very tired and you will ache all over the next day.Sometimes you will get really sweaty!!! and it might be hard to catch your breath!! Your legs can even HURT the next day! Be carefuL! They might even make your butt sore!! Plus that awful,heavy, steel bar bar digs into your back and hurts REALLY bad....that knurling is really dangerous too.You can get a very bad rash from it.

I think they might even pinch some nerves if you go below parallel and this might make your hands tingle??

Squats and will give you flat feet and your arch support will never be the same.If you squat?I hope you never plan to wear some dressy 'wing tips' again!

I say:Don't ever do squats-at all-ever!! but if must do them or if you have a really mean coach or if you must act 'tough'for the guys in the gym... just do high reps and a shallow partial movement...just barely bend your legs and make sure you look down at your feet during every repetition...(make a lot of noise too)MAYBE??the high reps might help you to get 'toned'up and lots of "cuts" and definition...but at what cost??

:laugh

Yeah I think they help...i find my hands are at there strongest AFTER a HEAVY leg work out...a lot of others do also.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

well i have no rant to go on first, but I guess they might as well help, personally I haven't noticed a big difference but i can see why there would be

Link to comment
Share on other sites

NO!!! they are bad for your knees and you will "hurt"your back PLUS they are very hard to do.Sometimes you may even be exhausted!

If you go over 225 lbs they will certainly make you very tired and  you will ache all over the next day.Sometimes you will get really sweaty!!! and it might be hard to catch your breath!! Your legs can even HURT the next day! Be carefuL! They might even make your butt  sore!! Plus that awful,heavy, steel bar bar digs into your back and hurts REALLY bad....that knurling is really dangerous too.You can get a very bad rash from it.

I think they might even pinch some nerves if you go below parallel and this might make your hands tingle??

Squats and will give you flat feet and your arch support will never be the same.If you squat?I hope you never plan to wear some dressy 'wing tips' again!

I say:Don't ever do squats-at all-ever!! but  if must do them or if you have a really mean coach or if you must act 'tough'for the guys in the gym... just do high reps and a shallow partial movement...just barely bend your legs and make sure you look down at your feet during every repetition...(make a lot of noise too)MAYBE??the high reps might help you to get  'toned'up and lots of "cuts" and definition...but at what cost??

:laugh

Yeah I think they help...i find my hands are at there strongest AFTER a HEAVY leg work out...a lot of others do also.

Just make sure you squat in the "Smith machine", that is a must. :whistel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very much so

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Could someone explain the physiology? How does doing heavy squats (directly working the hams and quads---- directly or indirectly improve grip strength?) I am interested in knowing.

My grip is always strongest after a heavy squat workout. I honestly don't get it. Is it because because it involves so much effort and it serves as a full body warmup? Does it just cause a temporary release of growth hormome and testosterone that makes us feel like it improves grip when it just actually gives us a nice surge of strength?

Because your really not gripping the bar much when its resting above or below your traps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Squats lead to a stronger grip during the squat workout and long term.

I think during the workout it has to do with two factors:

1. Your arousal level is so high pain from the hands no longer feels significant, kinda like you're drunk. I do my max attempts on the grippers immediately after a set of moderately hard squats. Since the muscles in the hands are so small, the fact that the rest of me is tired doesn't really seem to mean much.

2. The full body effort is an excellent way to warmup the full structure of the hands without tiring the muscles. I find if I start trying to grip early in the morning, by the time my tendons/joints in the hands are ready to go, my skin and muscles are already getting ready to quit.

Long term I think it's the same factors that make the squat a foundation exercise for most routines, with the added benefit of extra stimulation obtained from intense grip workouts during the squatting sessions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Squats are a great primer for a good grip workout (as a "warmup").

Long term gains--I don't know?

Here's a related question. What is the best type of "other" training to benefit a grip specialist? (assuming 1 RM strength is your grip goal).

1) Power training: low reps, long rest between sets. Train the body like the grip--1 RM strength.

2) Hypertrophy training: moderate reps, shorter rests. Possibly more increases in growth hormone and testosterone and more CV benefits for increased recovery.

3) Minimize/eliminate other training for the best grip gains. Save all your "recovery reserves" for grip (for awhile) if that is your main goal.

Before I was doing alot of power traing--low reps, long rests (and mostly KTA). I just started a "mass building" program (in conjunction with KTA-again). Now I'm doing sets of say 10, with 1 min. between, on exercises like Hip-belt squats, dips, etc. It's a killer, but I'm hoping for extra hormone release and recovery benefits. This really gets me breathing hard, so I enjoy the improved conditioning. The jury is still out on any grip benefits, but I'm doing well so far.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I ask this question because in the book he talks about squats helping everything, but he didn't mention if it helped your grip strength! :help

Maybe I read it but I don't remember. :( And I am talking about doing HEAVY squats - like 300 pounds or more for reps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always feel too exhausted after my lower body workouts to even think about PRs in grip strength. In my training schedual, gripping usually gets it's own day, there is too many other things I will do after squats or deadlifts, neck work taking up the most of that time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I ask this question because in the book he talks about squats helping everything, but he didn't mention if it helped your grip strength!    :help 

Maybe I read it but I don't remember.  :(  And I am talking about doing HEAVY squats - like 300 pounds or more for reps.

wouldn't the weight be dependant on the weight people can do as a max? I do 300 lbs for reps but alot of people I work out with don't, but are still just as tired.

I think i'm going to try bringing my grippers to the gym this week for after my squats that'll be fun! we'll see if it makes a difference

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nah, squats will make you slow and get too big of legs and tush so you can't wear designer jeans anymore.

:kiss

I laughed when I saw this...

All my pants are 4 sizes to big in the waist, I can't fit pants that fit in the waist over my leggs. My boss at work took us to go and get fitted for suits and the guy who was measureing me laughed and said something alng the lines of "boy i bet you can't ever find pants that fit...." My wifes family always makes snide comments about my wide legged pants too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy policies.