Anyone got any good tips for increasing grip strength? During deadlifts i seem to keep reaching a certain weight what i can lift and i am sure i lift more but my grips slowly starts to give so i haven't tried going higher. One of the guys at the gym the has told me to use straps but i am not interested, i would rather work increasing grip strength. I have also seen a few youtube clips, read some articles on it that say try using a larger diameter bar, doing chin/pull ups on something with a large diameter or a wooden beam and farmers carries will help.
*** The 2018 Gym Rats Thread ***
- Thread starter spluff
- Start date
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 21 Nov 2004
- Posts
- 46,383
Could try hanging from a wide bar too.
Have you tried a hook grip for deadlifts? My fingers are a bit too short, but it is a good alternative to straps or mixed grip.
Soldato
- Joined
- 17 Jun 2010
- Posts
- 12,495
- Location
- London
You don't need to do any specific grip training IMO. I don't really deadlift much now but I got to pulling over double bodyweight and grip was never an issue; all I did was use double overhand for nearly all my warm-up sets, maybe hold onto the bar for a bit at the top of the last rep of those, then when it came to working sets switching to mixed and eventually (because I hate myself) hook grip. The other obvious thing is to use liquid chalk. My routine has always had plenty of weighted chin-ups/pull-ups in as well.
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 21 Nov 2004
- Posts
- 46,383
Liquid chalk makes a huge difference. Wouldn’t deadlift without it since I first started using it.
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Mar 2007
- Posts
- 3,875
Out of interest why are you so against lifting straps? I don't use them on every set, but if I feel like I'm fatiguing on the final set or if I'm trying to set a new 1rm then I'll definitely use them.
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 21 Nov 2004
- Posts
- 46,383
I wondered the same. I wouldn’t restrict my back growth for the sake of straps at the highest percentage lifts. I still push my grip as much as I can.
I had tennis elbow for a long time, and the only thing that helped was eccentric reverse wrist curls. Hurt like something hurt-y but symptoms reduced in about two weeks.
This was after two weeks of nothing other than RICE to get any systemic inflammation down. Epicondylitis is a long term thing so whatever you decide to do (therabands, aka marital aids) are meant to be beneficial for tennis elvoe, so good luck and let us know what works.
Also, work on your shoulder mobility and upper back mobility, too, as it sound like something higher up is not helping.
Missed this reply the other week, wasn't being deliberately rude.
I've had the theraband for a few weeks now and it seems to be doing the trick, to the point where I tested a pull up yesterday, i'm a bloody idiot, got about halfway up and then my forearm erupted with what I can only describe as red hot pain. However it subsided as fast as it appeared and this morning, no pain at all outside of the normal elbow ache I had originally.
What's really weird with this is that I can do any kind of pushing exercise, to the point of full bodyweight dips with no pain but as soon as I start to hold even a half full shopping bag, it aches like hell.
If you are relying on straps to support your back development, you have got something wrong in your routine or diet.
If you are looking to set a 1RM and need straps, your ramp rate for that lift is also wrong. To be fair, the very nature of the deadlift (maximal effort and stressing the CNS) means you probably shouldn't be doing more reps than you can without straps, and should be focussing on other means of development (i.e. 15 reps of deadlift, and then 20-30 reps of RDL). Just an idea.
I don't think Som is against straps at all; I think the point is that lifters shouldn't rush to them (same for belts) if they feel grip or back strength needs support.
I never used straps for my Olympic lifting and found that - after umpteen reps at 75% for technique - my grip wouldn't work. So all my primary lifts were done without straps, and secondaries used them at higher percentages (heavy snatch pulls @ 110% 1RM). Weirdly, my lifts got better for it and I could put a lot more work into the heavy secondaries as a result.
I would not say i am totally against them, i have used them in the past and there is a benifit from using them. I guess it more that i like the idea of being able to lift X with no straps.
Missed this reply the other week, wasn't being deliberately rude.
I've had the theraband for a few weeks now and it seems to be doing the trick, to the point where I tested a pull up yesterday, i'm a bloody idiot, got about halfway up and then my forearm erupted with what I can only describe as red hot pain. However it subsided as fast as it appeared and this morning, no pain at all outside of the normal elbow ache I had originally.
What's really weird with this is that I can do any kind of pushing exercise, to the point of full bodyweight dips with no pain but as soon as I start to hold even a half full shopping bag, it aches like hell.
I had this and pullups aggravated it - I changed it to the hands facing each other when doing pullups and that has stopped making it worse.... worth trying when your elbow is better....
It's was neutral grip pull ups I did when I first caused the issue, my pull up game is weak and I got carried away, now i'm out of the pull up game for a long while
Missed this reply the other week, wasn't being deliberately rude.
I've had the theraband for a few weeks now and it seems to be doing the trick, to the point where I tested a pull up yesterday, i'm a bloody idiot, got about halfway up and then my forearm erupted with what I can only describe as red hot pain. However it subsided as fast as it appeared and this morning, no pain at all outside of the normal elbow ache I had originally.
What's really weird with this is that I can do any kind of pushing exercise, to the point of full bodyweight dips with no pain but as soon as I start to hold even a half full shopping bag, it aches like hell.
Yes - same experience (shopping bags)!
Lots of rows, deadlifts, etc. for that there stabilisation work.
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 21 Nov 2004
- Posts
- 46,383
I have had elbow pain on and off for a few weeks in one arm. Feels like tennis elbow. Nothing during any exercises, just certain arm movements after. I read about doing light hammer curls to help. Since I have started doing a set of these daily the pain has almost entirely gone. Not sure if the curls are the cause, but they do seem to be helping.
Soldato
- Joined
- 17 Jun 2010
- Posts
- 12,495
- Location
- London
I use straps for exercises where I'll be holding onto a bar for prolonged periods, like RDLs and seal rows. There's a place for them obviously, but if you're following a beginners program and aren't pulling big weights (relative to body weight) and/or you're following a program where your deadlift volume is pretty low then it'd be of more benefit to have your grip strength improve with your pulls vs. letting it lag behind. If you're more advanced, lifting huge numbers, have a higher volume or frequency of pulling and things like that, then straps can be useful to save your hands from getting too beat up, and it'd be unlikely you'd get that far and be lacking grip strength so using them as necessary wouldn't be a crutch.
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Mar 2007
- Posts
- 3,875
After my comment about lifting straps I managed to set a new PB today on deadlift without using them, managed 150kg for 4 reps, my previous best was 135kg for 6 reps, so I'm pretty happy
Deleted member 68110
Deleted member 68110
So I gave this a crack. 6m38.00! Awesomesauce.
Had a good week last week.. managed 155kgx2 on squats (old PB from years ago was 150x1) - I felt like I could go for 160, but I have to tiptoe to get it off the rack (manlet issues) and didnt want to crush my ankle if i messed up haha... Oh and 90kg on strick OHP!
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 21 Nov 2004
- Posts
- 46,383
Amazing how increasing calories improves lift progress. Had cut back for the summer and progress slowed/halted (looked good though!). Add in more calories and all lifts are improving, shock 
Squat is strong again. I think adding a belt for 80% of 1RM improved my form earlier in the spring and I am back to lifting the weight I had been, but with great ease now and improved mechanics.
Daily ab work has been a good addition all round too.
Not sure what totals I will end the year on. Won’t gain as much as last year. Holidays every 6 weeks have thrown my momentum and cutting calories hasn’t helped. A big push now though. Would be happy with an additional 10kg on my squat (have always struggled with it, taking me to 170kg) and a minimum 10kg on my deadlift (taking me over 230kg - I think clearing 250kg will have to be next years goal).
The biggest gain has been my functional and flexible shoulder that has moved all chest working sets to over 100kg and gaining quickly.
The biggest thing I have learnt this year is to not be afraid to lower the weight and bang out sets of those over a number of weeks. My max lifts always then improve as a result. 8x3 and some 5x5 has been golden too.
You can’t lower the rack? I assume you can’t or you would. So many in my gym could lower the rack, but tip toe anyway!!!
90kg is very decent. I am pushing 80kg, but it is slow progress. Shoulders are not in my genetics
Squat is strong again. I think adding a belt for 80% of 1RM improved my form earlier in the spring and I am back to lifting the weight I had been, but with great ease now and improved mechanics.
Daily ab work has been a good addition all round too.
Not sure what totals I will end the year on. Won’t gain as much as last year. Holidays every 6 weeks have thrown my momentum and cutting calories hasn’t helped. A big push now though. Would be happy with an additional 10kg on my squat (have always struggled with it, taking me to 170kg) and a minimum 10kg on my deadlift (taking me over 230kg - I think clearing 250kg will have to be next years goal).
The biggest gain has been my functional and flexible shoulder that has moved all chest working sets to over 100kg and gaining quickly.
The biggest thing I have learnt this year is to not be afraid to lower the weight and bang out sets of those over a number of weeks. My max lifts always then improve as a result. 8x3 and some 5x5 has been golden too.
You can’t lower the rack? I assume you can’t or you would. So many in my gym could lower the rack, but tip toe anyway!!!
90kg is very decent. I am pushing 80kg, but it is slow progress. Shoulders are not in my genetics
Soldato
- Joined
- 17 Jun 2010
- Posts
- 12,495
- Location
- London
I've had that issue with the odd rack in other gyms - some of them have J hooks designed by people who clearly never lifted - my go to was usually just to chuck a plate on the floor in a position where I could unrack it then taking one step back would clear it, but it's probably not ideal for a 1RM attempt...