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Hand Structure And Its Impact On Grip Strength Performance


bencrush

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We know that hand size plays a big part in various ways to most grip feats. Sometimes it's great to have a long hand (thickbar and blobs) and others it's detrimental or of negligible help (like hubbing). But hand structure really makes a bigger difference than most of us think.

Hand structure details like how thick your palm and hand in general is and how good of a wrap you can get on a thickbar. Daniel Reinard comes immediately to mind. Not a long hand by any means (I think it's the same size as mine @ 7 and 7/8" long) and he is able to HOOK GRIP the Axle. His hand span is less than mine by a significant amount too. Yet, I can't hook grip the Axle. Not even close really. I CAN touch my thumb and index finger but just barely. And by touch I mean they meet at the tips (like a gentle kiss).

My hand span is enormous (as far as I have heard from the measurements posted by others) for my less-than-8" hand length. But I have never been a strong pincher. Nor a particularly noteworthy thickbar guy. I know that I'm not limited by anything other than not being strong enough to perform whatever feats because I have the hand size for pretty much anything out there within reason.

So what do I feel my hand structure has made me more suited for than others might be? I guess it would be 1" and 2" vertical bar - those come to mind even though it took me a while to develop strength. It didn't just come overnight. And my hand seems to "fit together" pretty well for TNS gripper closes.

4lm1.jpg

What do you feel your hand size and hand structure are most suited for? Least suited for? Please list your hand size and structure (like how close you are to being able to touch your fingers on the RT, etc.

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Also, there is something about the way my thumb fits beside my palm when I do thumbless-grip deadlifts that seems to give me an advantage...creating a more stable "shelf" than most hands.

Some guys can pinch strongly with their thumb putting the majority of its pressure on the any of the opposing fingers. Pinky included. Tmmicklabs is one that pinches the same weight no matter what angle his thumb opposes his fingers.

I am at the other extreme and lose a significant amount of strength for every millimeter my thumb moves away from opposing my index finger.

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There has only been ONE pinching feat that my hand span and hand structure seemed to be perfectly suited for. That was at one of the Michigan Grip Champs. There was a 100lb dunbbell there that I was absolutely smoking to lockout and then casually putting it back down on the ground.

There were some BIG pinchers there and some of them had at least a bit of difficulty 2-hand pinching that dumbbell. It had flat sides and was very wide. Flat-sided and wide objects seem to be the only angle that I have luck with. I've got the video of that dumbbell pinch somewhere.

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Just refreshed my memory by reading a write-up of the 2008 MGC and I lifted the 100lb dumbbell with my thumb, ring, and pinky fingers. That's what made it harder. Josh mentioned in his write-up that he thought nobody else was able to lift it that way. It might've been a case of I was the only one there who had enough hand span to lift it that way.

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Hey Ben. My hands are 8 inches long from the first crease of the wrist to the tip of the middle. I'm also able to hook grip the axle. I actually asked Doc at the Durniat Strength comp if it was allowed but since he said no I didn't do it in the competition and I don't do it in training. My span is 9 inches. My strongest area is grippers and my current weakest is thick bar but I have only been training thick bar and pinch for a short period of time. Here are some pictures of my hand wrapped around fat gripz and the rolling thunder.

Fat Gripz

Brand New Rolling Thunder

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The only grip feats I was ever any good at mostly due to the proportions of my hands were RT, any kind of thick handled dumbbell or barbell, and very wide grip pinch. Wristrolling came easily to me. Never much good at narrow pinch, and setting a gripper was pointless for me. Nail bending was tough as not being flexible, I had to bend the nail the hard way with no bracing and very little chest crush.

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Ben - Looking at the picture you posted showing your hand spread, your thumb and pinky almost line up to make a 180 degree angle! Fully stretched, mine barely break 90 degrees. My hand length is 8.25" and my span is 8.75". My hand is not thick, so I get good results from anything thick-bar related. My weakest area is grippers.

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My longest span measurement is thumb/ring. About 1/4" longer than thumb/pinkie. Anyone else that way?

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I might post some pictures later, but I have got short stubby fingers on a bigger palm. I think my thick palm is a good base for grippers, and short fingers are only a minor handicap for the MMS. Short fingers are wonderful for any type of rim lifts though.

I am good at RT-type lifts for my handsize, part of it is wrist strength I think. Also, I think a wide and thick palm gives me a good base for levering.

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A person I know who has by very far the strongest hands I have ever seen, has an average sized hand, but very thick palms. He excells at nail and horseshoe bending, phonebook tearing, and toys with 50 lb Blobs and heavy pinchgrip.

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A person I know who has by very far the strongest hands I have ever seen, has an average sized hand, but very thick palms. He excells at nail and horseshoe bending, phonebook tearing, and toys with 50 lb Blobs and heavy pinchgrip.

Is this person a Gripboard member?

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A person I know who has by very far the strongest hands I have ever seen, has an average sized hand, but very thick palms. He excells at nail and horseshoe bending, phonebook tearing, and toys with 50 lb Blobs and heavy pinchgrip.

Is this person a Gripboard member?

Will have to see in time, when I can do some really cool strength feats :laugh

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A person I know who has by very far the strongest hands I have ever seen, has an average sized hand, but very thick palms. He excells at nail and horseshoe bending, phonebook tearing, and toys with 50 lb Blobs and heavy pinchgrip.

Is this person a Gripboard member?

He is a very active member, and posts many vids on youtube. There is no doubt about what he can do.

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Hey Ben. My hands are 8 inches long from the first crease of the wrist to the tip of the middle. I'm also able to hook grip the axle. I actually asked Doc at the Durniat Strength comp if it was allowed but since he said no I didin't do it in the competition and I don't do it in training. My span is 9 inches. My strongest area is grippers and my current weakest is thick bar but I have only been training thick bar and pinch for a short period of time. Here are some pictures of my hand wrapped around fat gripz and the rolling thunder.

i would love to see a snap shot of you hook gripping an axil in a close up. Thx

Parris

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Hey Ben. My hands are 8 inches long from the first crease of the wrist to the tip of the middle. I'm also able to hook grip the axle. I actually asked Doc at the Durniat Strength comp if it was allowed but since he said no I didin't do it in the competition and I don't do it in training. My span is 9 inches. My strongest area is grippers and my current weakest is thick bar but I have only been training thick bar and pinch for a short period of time. Here are some pictures of my hand wrapped around fat gripz and the rolling thunder.

i would love to see a snap shot of you hook gripping an axil in a close up. Thx

Parris

I don't own an official axle. I have only tried one at the Durniat strength comp in February. I can post a pic with 1 7/8 pvc pipe. 1/8 inch less diameter than an axle. Any particular reason why you want to see it?

Edited by Chez
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Yes id like to compare to myself, to see what it looks like.

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Yes id like to compare to myself, to see what it looks like.

alrighty, I'll get the PVC pipe pic posted later on. I'm a little tipsy right now pre gaming for st. patricks day and its 2 flights of stairs down :).

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I have a 8" hand with a 9.25" spread fully stretched out. On an axle I can get my middle finger to go over the tip of my thumb but not a hook. Although I think that what we are good at has much to do with what we train, I would say I was much stronger at pinching and grippers compared to thickbar and v-bar when I first started out and had no experience.

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