Clay Edgin Posted May 10, 2004 Share Posted May 10, 2004 http://www.t-mag.com/nation_articles/312brand.jsp I'm referring specifically to the article on increasing grip strength by stretching your wrist flexors. Any merit to this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisof4 Posted May 10, 2004 Share Posted May 10, 2004 Hmmm...I don't know if it has merit, but I sure can't put my hands behind my back like that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meat Loaf Posted May 10, 2004 Share Posted May 10, 2004 i can pretty much do it, but i've got a tiny bit more room to go! MEAT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
austinslater Posted May 10, 2004 Share Posted May 10, 2004 Ive wondered this as well and maybe its something we should all keep in mind if only for health and injury prevention. Im not even close to the behind the back position. Smitty or Jedd would be the ones to ask, as they have a pretty good handle on this subject. What do you guys think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Wood Posted May 10, 2004 Share Posted May 10, 2004 I fully attribute much of my grip success to Greg Irwin's Fitness Program which has a number of stretching movements and dexterity exercises. I follow it religiously and it has increased my recovery ability tremendously. Too many people underestimate the importance of recovery in their program and it costs them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foggymountainmuscle Posted May 10, 2004 Share Posted May 10, 2004 I am able to catch cleans in full squat and my flexability in my wrist has not diminished from grip training, I am very flexable, and very young yet I cannot do that. Infact, attempting to do so really bothered my wrist. It seems like that requires a HUGE amount of flexability in the wrist. I'm skeptic of it's application, but I'll try it to see if more flexability helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nils Posted May 10, 2004 Share Posted May 10, 2004 I fully attribute much of my grip success to Greg Irwin's Fitness Program which has a number of stretching movements and dexterity exercises. I follow it religiously and it has increased my recovery ability tremendously. Too many people underestimate the importance of recovery in their program and it costs them. I really need to get decrease the injury rate and pain in my hands as well. Is that program from the finger fitness book? Do you recommend any particular of his books/videos? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SqeezeMasterFlash Posted May 10, 2004 Share Posted May 10, 2004 I can't do that, but it did seem to stretch out some of the tension in my sore wrist. This might have some merit. Most stretching exercises for the hands do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Wood Posted May 11, 2004 Share Posted May 11, 2004 Nils, The programs outlined in his finger fitness book have helped me immeasurably and I bet they would help you too in short order. The Finger Fitness book is great and the video makes some exercises a lot easier to understand. The Chinese Therapy Ball course is very good also. www.handhealth.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocksurly Posted May 11, 2004 Share Posted May 11, 2004 I just tried doing that and can only get as far as the guy can. The only place it seemed to hurt me though trying was the outside shoulder area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedd Johnson Posted May 11, 2004 Share Posted May 11, 2004 Austin, Thanks for the compliments. I have a couple thoughts on the subject. 1.) I think the behind the back test is a poor test to measure wrist flexibility, because due to limited flexibility in my shoulders, I can't even get my arms back there. Why not use a test with an empty or close to empty Oly bar in the front rack position where you can test JUST wrist flexibility? 2.) I think there are some relationships between antagonistic balance and joint flexibility, but I have not got enough experience to draw a conclusion as to whether MY inflexibility is holding me back. 3.) One of the author's methods for battling this imbalance is the standing barbell wrist extensions: Quote: The solution to weak wrist extensors involves resistance-training. There are numerous exercises you can perform, but I really like standing barbell wrist extensions. Here’s the description:1) While standing, hold an unloaded barbell or EZ-curl bar with your arms extended in front of you at shoulder height. 2) Extend your wrists back as far as possible (pull knuckles up toward ceiling). 3) Flex your wrist down as far as possible to stretch the extensors. 4) Lift and repeat for 5 sets of 10 reps with 90 second rest periods. Follow these guidelines and you should be well on your way to improved gripping strength and bigger forearms! :End quote. Now, in my opinion, for a guy that wants to look out for the health of his trainees, he is suggesting an exercise which causes quite a bit of strain due to locking of the elbows and enormous strain on the shoulders, and if done improperly strain on the neck and back as well. Why not do this exercise with the forearms on a bench or the knees instead? You can hit the extensors fine in this position without straining the shoulder cavity, etc. Again, this is just my opinion. Arm-chair quarterbacking, I guess. Gotta watch your shoulder health, too. -Jedd- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smitty Posted May 11, 2004 Share Posted May 11, 2004 - John/Jedd and everyone else who commented in this thread are correct, because why? Because there are MANY different protocols out there for recovery and everyone person responds differently to each protocol…so the trick is …find the right combination for YOU. - Is not being able to touch your hands behind your back a result of poor wrist flexibility OR because of: hypertrophy of the deltoid complex, teres major, lattisimus dorsi, ROM of entire shoulder complex including AC joint and subscapularis. I would think the latter argument. - Balance is needed, so of course wrist flexion should be countered with wrist extension. Supination countered with pronation. Crush countered with finger extension, and so on… - Some recovery techniques: shot rotation, shot rotation submersed in cold/hot water, rubberband finger extension, stress ball, gyro, pronation/supination with sledge, hot/cold submersion with wrist flexion/extension, advil, ART, ect…. - SAID principle – Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands – your recovery or muscular balance will occur with specific exercises/rehab techniques – BUT – this is different for everybody. Pick your exercises, pick your recovery techniques that give you the best benefits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gripmaster316 Posted May 11, 2004 Share Posted May 11, 2004 It took a little bit of practice but I can almost do it, there is just a small gap left between the palms. It is very difficult though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianders1 Posted May 11, 2004 Share Posted May 11, 2004 My wife has EXTREMELY flexible flexors and practices Yoga, and she still has difficulty doing this, mainly because of shoulder flexibility. It's actually a Yoga move. I'll have to get some photos up so you guys can see what I mean. She can put her fingers on a table and bend them until her hand is part 90 degrees to the table. I just noticed this the other day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clay Edgin Posted May 11, 2004 Author Share Posted May 11, 2004 When I was about 50lbs lighter and doing yoga regularly, I could do this as well, although it wasn't easy. The stretch felt great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyle Posted May 11, 2004 Share Posted May 11, 2004 I've studied some anatomy and some sports medicine, the stretch pictured would do more for the pecs than the wrists, they can be amply stretched in front of the body, next lack of flexibility doesn't inhibit strenght as long as you are working in the range of motion that you have, it's when you extend your ROM that the muscle won't have the pull, lastly new studies show to work on improving flexibility after exercise not before. the study was done in Austrailla with football players, 1000 stretched before practices and games while a second 1000 person group didn't the results were no different in muscle pull or strains/sprains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foggymountainmuscle Posted May 12, 2004 Share Posted May 12, 2004 I agree with that observation Lyle. In Pavel's book, Super Joints, he talks about switching up when you stretch, before, in the middle, and after you work out. I find this to be more effective than a set period of stretching for every workout. My back muscles need to be streatched during and I like to stretch my abdominals before and I get more ROM stretching my arms afterwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king crusher Posted May 12, 2004 Share Posted May 12, 2004 dont make excuses for your horrible flexability guys...jk i can just about do this....my inside of my palm touches and all my fingers touch but unless i quickly force my outer palm im just alittle off. anyway....it has to do with flexability, i have fairly big sholders and upper body, so you cant really use that for everyone. i wear a 50L coat. i think most people dont stretch....i barely ever see guys doing it before there lifting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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