The Grip Strength Tri-Set from Hell: Mark’s Monday Workout #3
Grip strength is essential in many sports: Judo, Handball, for a Football Goalie, Ice Hockey, Motocross, etc just to name a few.
Is it an elephant?
There’s many forearm exercises you can find in bodybuilding for example, and some of them are quite useful.
But there’s a difference between pumping your forearms and strengthening your grip: some muscles in the hand don’t cross the wrist, so you want to work the fingers in particular.
So hand grip strength and forearm strength are not exactly the same. In my experience it’s best to work both simultaneously.
We start with some isometric grip strength endurance work, my tri-set from hell.
I remember one hockey player said:
“Leg work is the worst the day after, but grip work is worst while you’re doing it!” He’s got a point… Prepare yourselves…
OK you need:
- A scott bench or an incline bench,
- A barbell of about 30 kg’s
- A barbell of about 20 kg’s
- 2 dumbbells of around 25 kg’s
Of course the weights fluctuate with the athlete’s strength levels, but I like to start there with a relatively strong player, like a football goalie for instance.
So here’s what you do. This is an isometric tri-set, meaning static, no movement. You get in position on the scott bench, or the back rest of the incline bench, palms up (supinated). Grab the heavier barbell, flex your wrists (curl them up), and…hold on. For 60-70 seconds.
After that time -and agony- has gone by, you switch immediately (no rest) to the lighter barbell, turn your arms around now, palms facing the bench (pronated). Grab the barbell, and extend your wrists (reverse curl). Hold on, for 60-70 seconds.
Onto the third: you immediately grab the two dumbbells, stand with feet close together (danger of dropping dumbbells) and “simply” hold by your side. For the last 60-70 seconds.
NOW you get 2 minutes rest, and then the fun starts all over, for another 2 sets.
We do this insanity business after upper body training (you do it before and you won’t be able to hold on to your noodle, never mind a chin up bar)
Strength training your grip can be as simple as that, but boy oh boy oh boy simple doesn’t mean easy!
Like I said there’s some good forearm workouts, and I have written on them already in the past:
http://www.tsmethod.com/blog/forearm-exercises/
Have fun,
Mark
6 Comments
Leave a Reply
hey mark, would this be good for building the forearms too or just strength? I’ve been trying to do both for awhile now and it’s not working too good. I do all kinds of wrist curls and isometric holds but can’t seem to increase either size or strength. Can’t really increase my deadlift because of it.
Heya Garrett, yeah I should say so! Fact is this isometric tri-set gives you one mother of a pump, they’ll accuse you of hairy palm business if you know what I mean…
Let’s just say you’ll feel like Popeye for a half an hour or so…
Not too sure about this increasing your deadlift much, but by all means I’d give it a try, maybe for three weeks, then go into for example heavy deadlift holds, for some 30 seconds at a time.
It’s always best to periodize your training anyways…this will help your grip strength levels go up…
Hey good luck and please keep me updated?
Mark
I remember this one and calling it a workout from hell is a light way to put it haha!
Heya Sindri, yeah I rememnber it, too…and I guess you’re right! Maybe “A Nightmare from Hell” would be more fitting, LOL!
Man, that just sounds BRUTAL.
I will be sure to do this at the end of the workout for sure, the “hold on to you noodle” part made me laugh!
As usual, something you don’t see in magazines or at many gyms, Mark you never fail to impress bro, keep up the great work!
Heya Sõl thanks man, that sure means a lot coming from you.
Yeah see if you can still thin of me fondly after doing these babies, just don’t try to hold onto your PWO after or you’ll “make a splash”, LOL!