SHRUG Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 How important are grippers for arm wrestling hand strength. Wouldn't it be far more important to focus on open hand strength and train with implements such as thick handled dumbbells? Do grippers have their place while focusing specifically on arm wrestling or could your time be better spent improving your hand strength in a different fashion? I am sure that grippers would help some, should they be mixed in an arm wrestling training routine or are they really just a waste of time and an ego builder with no practical application in the sport? I ask as I would like to get an idea of how much time I should devote to improving my gripper strength should they prove to be a useful tool for the sport. SHRUG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ealonzo Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Read Joe's article on finger pressure. Its a few threads down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lifesnotfair Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 I'm not an armwrestler, but from what I've read, I think they don't help much. Even if someone says they do, then like you say, your training time and energy is better spent on other types of handstrength that have more carryover. That's just from reading some armwrestlers' writings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florian Kellersmann Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Look at www.inthehook.com. Devon Larratt explains what you need to know. There is also a video that answers your question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHRUG Posted September 9, 2009 Author Share Posted September 9, 2009 Thanks, I am gonna check that out right now! SHRUG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexor Brachialis Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 they don't help much... Strongman Andrus murumets even explained that they make the grip strenght worse, because it is just one movement for 1,2 seconds, but holding his bodyweight on a fat bar or something would be much better... the angel in which you close the grippers is in a negativ wrist position, and this angel is bad in Armwrestling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHRUG Posted September 9, 2009 Author Share Posted September 9, 2009 (edited) It won't break my heat to not train them much. I had a bad run in with them a few years ago. While training one day it felt like something in my forearm popped and at first I was really worried. I waited but no blood pooled under the skin and I could still move all my fingers and flex my wrist. For the next several days though my forearm hurt really bad and I could not bend my fingers or wrist back. I can still feel it sometimes with I train but I don't think it is anything to worry about. I am able to do the same amount of weight with that forearm as the other one. Oddly though it swells up and get much tighter much faster than the other forearm while training. I hope it does not cause me any issues in the future as it is my right arm and I REALLY want to pull with both hands. Being that it did not pool any blood or anything I feel that any issues with it could be overcome with hard training and determination, I don't think it was anything to serious, any thoughts? SHRUG Edited September 9, 2009 by SHRUG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyfreeland Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 (edited) It took me about 7 months to close a #3 and about 3 weeks to bend a red, so you could say I have pretty good grip strength. I don't think it helped much when I started, I was told I had a strong hand, but still got OWNED armwrestling solid amatures. Since I started armwrestling (6 months now) I have done very little grip work. I would trade all of my grip for a stronger wrist Edited September 9, 2009 by AFreeland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pencilneckmike Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 im sure 2 ppl that have exactly identical hands, and one of them was able to close #4 while other only closed #1, the number 4 guy would win, but gripper training is not as significant as other training for arm wrestling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jad Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Flat finger strength all the way! Joe's video is excellent and gives an excellent way to train flat finger without the usual advice of I-beam or flat finger pullups. I think someone that is good on grippers is going to go in with a stronger hand than someone untrained but I think there are better ways to use your time regarding AW. That said, I'll NEVER give up my beloved gripper training! On a side note, Shawn Dempsey, who is the 2009 Unified National Champion at 165# RH, told me he likes grippers because he thinks they make his wrist strong??? Hard to argue with his results. Along the same lines, I don't understand the benefit of thickbar for AW. Fingerwise it's just crush strength which is clearly different than the flat finger you need for pulling. I guess if the bar was thick enough maybe... but the position my hand is in on the RT isn't even close to what it looks like when trying to exert hand control on an opponent. I guess if you want to go thumbless and lock your fingers flatish and try to pull?? I could see using a RT vs. a normal handle on cable work (side pressure, etc..) but RT deadlifts or rows or whatever???? Just like with grippers, I think there are much better ways to spend your time. To echo what AFreeland said, the good base I have in front lever strength has been far more useful for pulling than any other grip abilities I have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrojetred Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 If you want to use grippers, then use them, but don't expect it to boost your armwrestling. Unless you want to crush someone's hand as a AW technique, they don't help much. Thick bar lifting, thick bar pullups all help. They also need to spin, if possible. The reason why they help is because you use cupping strength to keep your hand from spinning off the bar. I hardly work grippers now, only a few closes a day. I can no set close a CoC 2, and I think that is acceptable for AW. If you are not working grippers, and you are an AW, and you can close higher than that, then that is because your AW has supplemented your grip strength, but I don't think it is the other way around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHRUG Posted September 10, 2009 Author Share Posted September 10, 2009 I pretty much had this question answered yesterday by Devon Larratt. He says that he does not train grippers heavy anymore but instead he uses them some for cross training, and when he does use them he keeps them light and goes for lots of reps. Therefore I plan on sticking around a number 2 and 2.5 for lots of no set reps and not trained on days that I train arm wrestling. I agree that thick bar work is the way to go along with other things such as towels, bands, pulley work, etc, etc, etc, and most importantly TABLE TIME! SHRUG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrojetred Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 I pretty much had this question answered yesterday by Devon Larratt. He says that he does not train grippers heavy anymore but instead he uses them some for cross training, and when he does use them he keeps them light and goes for lots of reps. Therefore I plan on sticking around a number 2 and 2.5 for lots of no set reps and not trained on days that I train arm wrestling. I agree that thick bar work is the way to go along with other things such as towels, bands, pulley work, etc, etc, etc, and most importantly TABLE TIME!SHRUG I used to do a very structured gripper routine, and I think it's posted on here somewhere, but now I just do a few closes a day, like a said, I believe. I have some posts and pictures of a thick bar pullup bar made, if you need a reference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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