How to Fix A Weak Grip
Ever drop a loaded barbell or slip off the pull-up bar because your grip gave out before the rest of your body? If so, you’re in good company. Trouble is, most of us don’t think about grip strength until we fail at a lift or struggle to open a jar of banana peppers. (That about sums up my week.)
If you’re one of many women who’s started incorporating regular strength training into your routine, or you have a job that requires a lot of carrying, your grip should already be stronger than average. “Most people will dramatically increase their grip strength just by lifting regularly,” exercise physiologist Mike T. Nelson, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., tells SELF.
However, a general strength training program will only develop your grip strength up to a certain point. “Most equipment is designed to be easy to hold onto,” David Dellanave, grip strength competitor and owner of The Movement Minneapolis gym, tells SELF. When your grip isn’t forced to work harder and get better, “it limits how much you can strengthen your grip in the same way that never adding any weight to the bar would limit your strength gains.”
If you’re not interested in hefting heavy weights, deliberately developing better grip strength may not be a priority for you. But grip-specific drills are essential for anyone tackling heavier, more complex lifts, or for anyone aspiring to do a set of pull-ups. Heavy and demanding movements will shine a spotlight on any weak links. For most people, that weak link tends to be grip, Nelson says. After all, if you can’t hold onto something, you can’t lift it. Why You Have Weak Grip Strength—and How to Fix It | SELF