Which Exercise Is Best For All-around Hand Strength

[Greensoup]

I was wondering about whether one kind of grip work carries over to most other grip work. I enjoy adding grip work to my regular fitness routine but it seems like there are so many different ways to go I'd like to limit it to one or two types at a time.

Does work with a crusher have carry over to pinch grip or even claw grip (like finger pushup holds where the fingers are bent so they would pinch a plate with the tip, not the pad of the finger)? Or mix those or any other exercises in any combination. Which makes the others strongest? Would one type use more muscle or have better strength gains that would help with the other types to make a "general" hand workout?

[EJ Livesey]

There is no one workout that covers everything. Just like when you lift you want to hit the different muscle heads, no one workout covers everything. You need to do a little of everything unless you're looking to be stupid strong in just one area.

You're questjon is also very vague. You need to specify I want to do this this and this what would carry over to help me accomplish this. What grip goals do you have. The more info the better for us to answer your questions.

Edited February 25, 2015 by EJ Livesey

[cemery]

It seems like the guys that are unusually strong at thick bar are also unusually strong at most grip movements. So I would say thick bar training has the most carry over to most areas of grip.

[climber511]

Not really trying to be funny but " physical work" is probably the single best thing you can do for all around strength. Training only any one thing will always leave you with gaps in your strength somewhere. The only real way to "have it all" is to "train it all". My personal "if I could only do one" is finger curls done heavy in a power rack. But there's nothing magic about it really. There simply isn't any shortcut to having all around strong hands.

[Jones1874]

Not really trying to be funny but " physical work" is probably the single best thing you can do for all around strength. Training only any one thing will always leave you with gaps in your strength somewhere. The only real way to "have it all" is to "train it all". My personal "if I could only do one" is finger curls done heavy in a power rack. But there's nothing magic about it really. There simply isn't any shortcut to having all around strong hands.

Are finger curls pretty much a dumbbell or barbell version of using a plate loaded gripper? just wondering, because i cant see any difference unless its pointed out to me.

if you can clarify that would be great.

Thanks.

[climber511]

I find a huge difference between the two. On a machine you have the back of the hand braced on the top handle - so what you do is a combination gripper close and dead lift on the bottom handle with big weights. On the finger curls you have nothing to brace on so it doesn't have a "gripper close" aspect to it - so pure fingers. Both have merit but I did the finger curls for years before hearing of the GB - I think it was responsible for much of the strength I had when I came into the sport. I think doing the finger curls with a Double Underhand grip with some cheating on the thighs can build some truly incredible hand strength in both supporting and overall grip strength. You can work up to fairly significant weight.

Jones 1874 - try both - I think the difference will become obvious pretty quickly. When you hit double BW you'll have most of the strength you're looking for.

[Bearcat 74]

I don't know if there is a best but if I had to pick it would be thick bar for everything. Wrist curls, presses, curls and especially thick bar cleans.

I agree about climber as far as physical work. Most of the guys around here that are mechanics, loggers, etc have very strong hands and wrists.

[Jones1874]

I find a huge difference between the two. On a machine you have the back of the hand braced on the top handle - so what you do is a combination gripper close and dead lift on the bottom handle with big weights. On the finger curls you have nothing to brace on so it doesn't have a "gripper close" aspect to it - so pure fingers. Both have merit but I did the finger curls for years before hearing of the GB - I think it was responsible for much of the strength I had when I came into the sport. I think doing the finger curls with a Double Underhand grip with some cheating on the thighs can build some truly incredible hand strength in both supporting and overall grip strength. You can work up to fairly significant weight.

Jones 1874 - try both - I think the difference will become obvious pretty quickly. When you hit double BW you'll have most of the strength you're looking for.

Thanks for the reply. ill have to try it out to really see the difference. just have a few questions:

what rep range do you use for this exercise?

will it improve crushing strength?

How many times a week is enough for this exercise?

the only time i really used my grip machine, was years ago when i was looking to build big forearms. i never went heavier than 15kg, believe it or not... instead i would do sets of 20-40 reps in a circuit, along with a basic wrist roller, and reverse curls. i done this x3-4 a week. after 7-8 months my forearms grew pretty big. i noticed two things: a HUGE improvement in endurance, and supporting strength aswell. it didnt do anything for my crushing strength though. i still had to put my #1.5 in a choker..

i think i overdone it though. not sure if training them for hypertrophy that many times a week, for that length of time is what caused a problem in my left tricep? maybe there was an imbalance.. i dont know.

since then i had to back off. i love training forearms for size but it only seems to bother my elbows. not sure why exactly.

Edited February 26, 2015 by Jones1874

[climber511]

what rep range do you use for this exercise? will it improve crushing strength? How many times a week is enough for this exercise?

1. I do them a couple ways - one is just moderate weight for moderate (8 to 10 reps) - usually double overhand. Once a week.

2. Then I do them fairly hard for triples - double underhand - cheating like heck with my thighs with hard negatives at time - also once a week - so two workouts a week.

Then I do them stupid hard for triples - double underhand - cheating like heck with my thighs to help out and then with hard negatives each time - working up to as much weight as I can possibly do even when the range of motion gets less and less and doing quite a few sets. This replaces the heavier day (#2) once every 3 weeks. This should be well over bodyweight and approaching 1.5 or 2 x BW if you aren't great big - this workout should make you seriously sore.

[Jones1874]

Appreciate the reply. Thanks again.

[climber511]

But the reality is that it's only a small part of the whole that one needs to be doing for your overall body work. Adding this on as a part of your overall program for say 6 weeks can be useful. But then its time to move to something else - nothing works forever.

[Allan435]

THis is my personal opinion- "if" I had to choose one thing to do- it would be thick handle farmers walk.

[Florian Kellersmann]

I also wanted to suggest finger curls... as Climber already did. Though I have not trained them with a double underhand grip yet. Chris, what is the advantage of a DU grip with this exercise?

[climber511]

I also wanted to suggest finger curls... as Climber already did. Though I have not trained them with a double underhand grip yet. Chris, what is the advantage of a DU grip with this exercise?

The advantage is the ability to "roll" the bar up your thighs to what ever degree you desire - meaning you can cheat a little or a lot. At the end of a workout - I might be doing nothing more than a crazily loaded negative to complete negative failure - ala the old Arthur Jones idea. Deep deep fatigue.

[beef_supreme]

Tried finger curls yesterday for the first time. Very cool. Definitely takes the whole "curling in the power rack" thing to another level

Thanks for the tip, climber!

[Florian Kellersmann]

I also wanted to suggest finger curls... as Climber already did. Though I have not trained them with a double underhand grip yet. Chris, what is the advantage of a DU grip with this exercise?

The advantage is the ability to "roll" the bar up your thighs to what ever degree you desire - meaning you can cheat a little or a lot. At the end of a workout - I might be doing nothing more than a crazily loaded negative to complete negative failure - ala the old Arthur Jones idea. Deep deep fatigue.

Thanks, Chris!