Grip Strength For Grappling

[agrym]

Hello all,

I am new to the forum and have read some previous posting relating to this topic. I would like to improve my grip strength for grappling. It seems the thick bar work and pinching are the recomendations.

At the gym that I go to they have a thick bar but it's not that long. Using that bar I do

- Curls

- Reverse curls

- Wrist curls

I do plate wrist curls too. At the moment I do 3 sets of 6 with 15 lbs.

I have starting some pinching but am a bit confused on the form and techniquie. For example, I typically sit on the bench, pinch the weights and pull them up in a manner that is almost like a dumbell row. That seems almost like a lat, forarm move to me. I have also seen some pinch video's on youtube where they clean the plate all the way over the head.

I don't have a crush device but I have a clamp from home depot. I actually saw the same one in this article

http://www.grapplearts.com/Grip-Strength-Training.htm

I want to buy a CoC crusher but am not sure if I should buy a 1 or 2. I can crush that clamp about 10 times in a row but it is kind of ackward.

I am very open to sugestions about what I can and should to and also workout frequency. I grapple on Monday and Wednesdays and that taxes my hands and wrists pretty good. Since I do the above routine every M, W and Friday I also worry about over training.

Thanks a lot!

[gerryg]

http://www.gripboard.com/index.php?showtopic=27124

[austinslater]

find a thick rope and climb it, do pullups on it, hang on it etc. Ethan Reeve said the best grip work for wrestlers was climbing a rope....

[MalachiMcMullen]

find a thick rope and climb it, do pullups on it, hang on it etc. Ethan Reeve said the best grip work for wrestlers was climbing a rope....

I'm inclined to agree! I'd add too that you could do sled drags/pulls while holding the rope. I don't remember where I saw it but doing pullups on a 2x4 or 4x4 board. I did that once and it REALLY works the pinch. Thickbar training is another indespensable addition to your routine. Pick yourself up a set of these:

http://www.fatbastardbarbellco.com/BELLS1.html

I hear that 2.5 and 2" are better for grappling and MMA training because it better simulates guys with 8" and 6" wrists respectively.

With pinch variety is key. Pinch Deadlifts are the backbone of any good pinch routine but you should work in cleans, snatches, two hand pinches, 2 25's pinch, 4 or 5 10's pinch, and blockweights. All this different pinch stuff strengthens the thumb directly and as John Brookfield put it "strong thumbs=strong hands".

Don't worry about overtraining man, undertraining is the killer. Overtraining can be seen and felt and when it is you can rest a bit. Undertraining cannot be noticed so easily by most and will hurt you WAAAAAAAAAY more than overtraining in the long run. After all, overtraining=learning your limits and pushing them while undertraining=never pushing yourself.

[MRabich]

Strong wrists are important too, so do some leveraging with a sledge, and or plate curls.

[jchawk]

I have similar interests. Can anyone suggest workout frequency for optimal grip strength increases?

[JamesG]

Also try putting a thick bar on top of a power rack so it wants to rotate and do hangs from there. It hits the wrist and open hand strength like nothing else, Try it!

[Jacobs86]

I think that if you are grappling wrist and crushing grip strength are important, no?

Perhaps you could try wrapping a wrestling jacket/gi around some weight and taking a hold, then lifting? levering work at odd angles for wrist strength (carefully does it!) to simulate grappling work.

Thats my two pence worth

[Teemu I]

Sandbag training would be good in several ways.

[twig]

Sandbag training, rope training, towel training, blockweights. All good.