Can Long Bar Bending Isometrics Strengthen Support Grip?

[timiacobucci]

I wish to strengthen my max non-rotating, normal width handle support strength. I don't have enough weight yet to do rack pulls, which seems to be the most direct and useful method for this.

I have been doing long bar, 48" x 7/8", isometrics. My support grip is the major limiting factor in bending this bar, do you feel that doing isos on it will strengthen support grip?

Grippers and pinch and unbraced bending seem to have no effect on this strength. Even rotating and thick handle strength do not seem to help much. Would finger lifts help perhaps? I have been wary of working that but it would make sense if each finger could support more that all together they would be stronger.

For those of you that have concentrated on improving this strength or have at least tracked its progress, how quickly did it progress and what worked best for you?

I have searched a bit and couldn't find allot of info on this subject so far. Will holds for time carryover well to max effort? I also want to get a dip belt soon, heavy weighted hangs should work until I get more weight for rack pulls no?

What sort of weights and time have you guys done with weight hangs and what do you think would be a good range to work max effort. A few seconds seems best but that will take allot of weight I think and might not be great on the shoulders.

[timiacobucci]

So nobody knows anything about support strength? I certainly don't know anywhere else to ask about this.

[MalachiMcMullen]

I was thinking about trying to bend an easy long bar by pulling on the center of it rather than crushing it over the thigh. Perhaps doing something like that with a 1/2x4' bar or less, even kinking it could help supporting strength? Something I like to do, I don't know about it's benefits to support strength, is hold a weight that is about 90% of my max at lockout for as long as possible.

[Pancake Sprawl]

why don't you just do farmer's walk or get 2 5 gallon buckets, fill with sand, wrap towels around handles and hold for time. even lifting wheelbarrows i would think will help this.

[timiacobucci]

I was thinking about trying to bend an easy long bar by pulling on the center of it rather than crushing it over the thigh. Perhaps doing something like that with a 1/2x4' bar or less, even kinking it could help supporting strength? Something I like to do, I don't know about it's benefits to support strength, is hold a weight that is about 90% of my max at lockout for as long as possible.

I'm not sure I understand your center pull idea. What are you gonna brace it on? Pulling with one hand?

The 90% thing and rack pulls are sure fire I just need to get more weight. I can dl all my weight 9x now. It doens't really challenge my grip unless I hold it for a damn while.

why don't you just do farmer's walk or get 2 5 gallon buckets, fill with sand, wrap towels around handles and hold for time. even lifting wheelbarrows i would think will help this.

I like the bucket idea, thanks. I have wanted to do farmers walks but had nothing good to use for it. How much weight can you get in a 5 gal? Do holds for time with lighter weight really cary over to max support well?

[timiacobucci]

What about heavy finger curls? I didn't think of this until I saw Odin's video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqu8ZctKyhE

I bet that will contribute greatly to support strength, it is really your fingers that give out.

How heavy and how often do you think it is possible to work this?

[MalachiMcMullen]

You would have the bar braced at the ends with something. Imagine a 5' bar braced in a 59" wide doorway and you pull back with your hand in the center of the bar. Basically that but without damaging your home I just thought it would be neat looking for a show or something if you can figure out how to work it.

[matthcarl]

I think finger curls are good for grip, if it's the fingers giving out. I think they've helped me be able to hold onto the bar better for one handed deadlifts, but I don't bend long bars and I'm not sure if that's the same muscles.

Edited March 9, 2008 by The Writer

[timiacobucci]

I think finger curls are good for grip, if it's the fingers giving out. I think they've helped me be able to hold onto the bar better for one handed deadlifts, but I don't bend long bars and I'm not sure if that's the same muscles.

One hand dealifts are different if they are on a rotating barbell, it tries to turn out like a rolling thunder and you have to drop the weight allot. It is more like DO and mixed grip deadlifting for me. DO is more natural for the motion but I switched to mixed grip because that was my limiting factor and even at that it still is.

I am just curious about max support strength anways aside from long bar bending, that is just one of the reasons I am interested in it. I don't know if max one head deads really cary over well or not. On a setup like a farmers walk barbell that doesn't rotate I think it would help allot.

[timiacobucci]

I just thought it would be neat looking for a show or something if you can figure out how to work it.

I see now, I was really looking for practical specific ways to strengthen max support grip.

It is interesting, working towards that would be similar though, you need real strong support grip, I suppose bracing something on both shins and pulling the middle to kink it would be an interesting method.

I am curious about isos though, things like overcrushes are basically isos and they work great for developing crushing grip, why not for support too?