Functional Strength

[Blackheart]

I do not seem to gain any serious strength (at least till the point that i have stuck ( closing the #2 for one times each hand)......for example in combat situation or in hard lifts etc.maybe i should go to a much bigger level of hand strength to see results?

[Soilworker]

You really need to elaborate a little bit more on what exactly it is that you are talking about. If you are looking for "functional" strength from grippers, especially the lower level ones, it won't be much.

If you want to get stronger in lifting, lift more weight.

[Blackheart]

I mean in a combat situation where you have to be able to control the opponents hands for example..

There you need i believe a great amount of strength...

For example if you fight with a thieve or a criminal or a fight in the street, i cannot think of anything else right now.

[TennisDude]

http://www.dieselcrew.com/articles/combat%20hard.pdf

Check that out.

[StalwartSentinel]

http://www.dieselcrew.com/articles/combat%20hard.pdf

Check that out.

←

Great article!

[verdigriz]

If your goal is to control someones hand in battle there are a few key things to consider imo. Firstly technique and experience, knowing how to use leverage and where to apply that leverage and when. The next thing I feel is helpful in that quest of handling is levering exercises. Being able to supine and rotate your wrist to twist anothers is a basic necessity in grappling. Another thing to look at that isnt directly related to hand strength is the strength of the core..torso etc..a great exercise for that that is related to hand fighting is barbell twists. To do these grab a long olympic bar (if you have one), place the end furtherest away from you in a corner that wont mind a bit of damage, place a weight plate on the end you will pick up thats closest to you, and pick the bar up so that your arms are right in front of you you, slightly up on an angle. Now lower the weight to your right side not bending your body to the front nor back but staying upright, but allowing the feet to turn in the direction of the weight...the left foot will rise onto the ball. Then raise the weight using only your hips (as much as poss) and lower to the other side, and repeat. I am sure you can see the effects this would have on your ability to bring someone to the ground

[Blackheart]

Thank you very much verdigriz...It is very interesting.I start searching immediatelly.

[Eli72]

we call them wrestler twists, make sure you do them explosive like a shot putter. russian twists is basically the same but lower the bar to the floor

You can also do them 1 arm or go heavy w/ bent arms and punch at the top

[TelegraphKey]

IMO here's one great example of functional hand strength I experienced way back in high school wrestling. This one guy on the team came from a family of set-net fishermen, where you put out about a mile of net into the bay water, let it catch fish as they swim up to the mouth of the river, then manually pull the net back in with your own bare hands. This guy not only had a strongass grip from pulling nets all summer, his fingers & hands were freakishly long. I could lift more than him, but he was a really snaky, wiry wrestler, and overall he usually beat me. One time in practice, we were wrestling; he got me on my back, somehow with both my arms behind (under) my back. He had both my wrists in ONE of his hands!!!! His other arm was completely free to do whatever, and I was toast.

[Eli72]

The best wrestlers usually aren't the strongest in the weight room but use their strength very effectively and have very strong hands. We had a guy at OU, Jake Percival, I think he was 150ish,4x all american placed top three all 4 years. Once he got his hands on you your weren't getting away.

[supermagnamon]

http://www.dieselcrew.com/articles/combat%20hard.pdf

Check that out.

←

Great article!

←

you're right, that is a great article. they even got testimonials on the site from ppl that read it.

[bencrush]

Read anything that Rick Walker has written on the subject (Diesel Crew website) and anything the Diesel Crew members have to say on the subject.

There is a lot more out there and all sorts of training but for the most and quickest bang for your buck, visit the Diesel Crew website and start researching and printing off. Read them once. Then read them again.

But the most important thing is after reading them, actually PUT THE IDEAS TO USE. Start training. Don't be one of those people who research stuff for 3 years and attempt to get the very best info...only to realize that they haven't actually been TRAINING during that time. The time when you might need something in one of these articles is NOT the time to realize that you haven't been doing any training whatsoever...

Good luck!

[TelegraphKey]

Read anything that Rick Walker has written on the subject (Diesel Crew website) and anything the Diesel Crew members have to say on the subject.

There is a lot more out there and all sorts of training but for the most and quickest bang for your buck, visit the Diesel Crew website and start researching and printing off.  Read them once.  Then read them again.

←

I completely agree with this. Aside from this forum which I only discovered about a month ago, DieselCrew & Rick Walker's articles are the most motivating things out there to read.

[Bob Lipinski]

Rick's stuff is good.

[Left Side]

IMO here's one great example of functional hand strength I experienced way back in high school wrestling.  This one guy on the team came from a family of set-net fishermen, where you put out about a mile of net into the bay water, let it catch fish as they swim up to the mouth of the river, then manually pull the net back in with your own bare hands.  This guy not only had a strongass grip from pulling nets all summer, his fingers & hands were freakishly long.

←

Sounds like Jesse Marunde growing up.

If you want to be able to overpower someones hands confidently and quickly in combat, I would say that anything less than #3 is not enough, you will have an advantage over the average person if you have crush on par with #2, but not enough to give yourself a clear edge.

Levering is also critical to overpowing an opponents hands in a fight, if your wrist is much stronger than theirs, and they cannot escape your crushing grip, you will have them at a distinct disadvantage in a grapple fight.

[TelegraphKey]

IMO here's one great example of functional hand strength I experienced way back in high school wrestling.  This one guy on the team came from a family of set-net fishermen, where you put out about a mile of net into the bay water, let it catch fish as they swim up to the mouth of the river, then manually pull the net back in with your own bare hands.  This guy not only had a strongass grip from pulling nets all summer, his fingers & hands were freakishly long.

←

Sounds like Jesse Marunde growing up.

I don't know who that is

If you want to be able to overpower someones hands confidently and quickly in combat, I would say that anything less than #3 is not enough, you will have an advantage over the average person if you have crush on par with #2, but not enough to give yourself a clear edge.

←

Well, grip strength is definitely a component but it's not everything. I've always felt about the same about it as I do about boxing: Boxers can tag you, but if you get them in close (if you're a wrestler), it's a different ball game, on your terms now. Arms, back strength, chest strength, all come into play at least as importantly as grip strength. Still grip strength is plainly important. I think I have "decent" pinching grip, but my crushing (of CoC etc) lags behind. I think pinching might be about as important as raw crushing, since as you know pinching an opponent's arm, or grabbing him by his shirt or clothes or whatever, often entails as much or more pinching strength as raw crush. Indeed, I remember in wrestling practice the coach (who just missed making the Olympics years before) actually suggested 'gripping' the opponent with a thumbless (hook) grip.

Edited December 6, 2005 by TelegraphKey

[Darco]

IMO here's one great example of functional hand strength I experienced way back in high school wrestling.  This one guy on the team came from a family of set-net fishermen, where you put out about a mile of net into the bay water, let it catch fish as they swim up to the mouth of the river, then manually pull the net back in with your own bare hands.  This guy not only had a strongass grip from pulling nets all summer, his fingers & hands were freakishly long.

←

Sounds like Jesse Marunde growing up.

If you want to be able to overpower someones hands confidently and quickly in combat, I would say that anything less than #3 is not enough, you will have an advantage over the average person if you have crush on par with #2, but not enough to give yourself a clear edge.

Levering is also critical to overpowing an opponents hands in a fight, if your wrist is much stronger than theirs, and they cannot escape your crushing grip, you will have them at a distinct disadvantage in a grapple fight.

←

Good time for this: I was grappling with a training partner who is 6'7, who also tells me he is no setting my HG 400 that I lent him (I have not seen it myself). He has big hands and kept wrapping his hands around my SMALL wrists. I was able to almost effortlessly get loose withing a second each time using the most BASIC wrist releases. IF he is really No settin

[Darco]

Good time for this: I was grappling with a training partner who is 6'7, who also tells me he is no setting my HG 400 that I lent him (I have not seen it myself). He has big hands and kept wrapping his hands around my SMALL wrists. I was able to almost effortlessly get loose withing a second each time using the most BASIC wrist releases. IF he is really No setting the 400 with those big paws, then grippers are absolutely useless on their own for combat training.

The first thing about wrist releases is always go towards the thumb, so THAT's what you need to strengthen. Thick Bar Rows, Thick Bar Rows, Thick Bar Rows !

Edited December 6, 2005 by Darco

[Darco]

IMO here's one great example of functional hand strength I experienced way back in high school wrestling.  This one guy on the team came from a family of set-net fishermen, where you put out about a mile of net into the bay water, let it catch fish as they swim up to the mouth of the river, then manually pull the net back in with your own bare hands.  This guy not only had a strongass grip from pulling nets all summer, his fingers & hands were freakishly long.

←

Sounds like Jesse Marunde growing up.

If you want to be able to overpower someones hands confidently and quickly in combat, I would say that anything less than #3 is not enough, you will have an advantage over the average person if you have crush on par with #2, but not enough to give yourself a clear edge.

Levering is also critical to overpowing an opponents hands in a fight, if your wrist is much stronger than theirs, and they cannot escape your crushing grip, you will have them at a distinct disadvantage in a grapple fight.

←

Good time for this: I was grappling with a training partner who is 6'7, who also tells me he is no setting my HG 400 that I lent him (I have not seen it myself). He has big hands and kept wrapping his hands around my SMALL wrists. I was able to almost effortlessly get loose withing a second each time using the most BASIC wrist releases. IF he is really No set

Edited December 6, 2005 by Darco

[Darco]

IMO here's one great example of functional hand strength I experienced way back in high school wrestling.  This one guy on the team came from a family of set-net fishermen, where you put out about a mile of net into the bay water, let it catch fish as they swim up to the mouth of the river, then manually pull the net back in with your own bare hands.  This guy not only had a strongass grip from pulling nets all summer, his fingers & hands were freakishly long.

←

Sounds like Jesse Marunde growing up.

If you want to be able to overpower someones hands confidently and quickly in combat, I would say that anything less than #3 is not enough, you will have an advantage over the average person if you have crush on par with #2, but not enough to give yourself a clear edge.

Levering is also critical to overpowing an opponents hands in a fight, if your wrist is much stronger than theirs, and they cannot escape your crushing grip, you will have them at a distinct disadvantage in a grapple fight.

←

Good time for this: I was grappling with a training partner who is 6'7, who also tells me he is no setting my HG 400 that I lent him (I have not seen it myself). He has big hands and kept wrapping his hands around my SMALL wrists. I was able to almost effortlessly get loose withing a second each time using the most BASIC wrist releases. IF he is really No setting the 400 with those big paws, then grippers are absolutely useless on their own for combat training.

The first thing about wrist releases is always go towards the thumb, so THAT's what you need to strengthen. Thick Bar Rows, Thick Bar Rows, Thick Bar Rows !

****I've been having trouble posting on boards****

[Blackheart]

The sure thing is that to make your hands very very strong you do not need only playing around with grippers and blocks but you must pass through all the equipment , routines and ways to develop your strength.That is, using thick barbells , dumbells, handles, grippers, block weights, pinching things, leveraging and many other stuff, and i believe the most of all you need is much time and biiiiiiiig effort.