• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Hashi Mashi

Fitness Tips for Your Mind and Body

  • Body Transformation
    • Change Your Body: the Ultimate Guide
    • How deadlifts change your body
    • Getting Fit at 50 before and after photos
    • Swimming body transformation
    • 12-week body transformation plan
    • How rowing changes your body
    • Running body transformation
    • Rock climbing body transformation
    • How cycling changes your body
    • Assault bike body transformation
    • Skinny fat to muscular
    • CrossFit Body Transformation
    • How kickboxing changes your body
    • Types of Workouts for Body Transformation
  • Diet
    • How to lose 20 pounds in 3 months
    • Deadlift calories burned
    • Lifting weights to lose belly fat
    • Benefits of losing 20 pounds
    • How to lose 75lbs in 6 months
    • The Obesity Code summary
    • Deadlift for fat loss
  • Exercises
    • Deadlifts
      • Deadlift muscles worked
      • Benefits of deadlifts
      • How to deadlift
      • Deadlift accessory lifts
      • Deadlift alternative for bad back
    • Squats
      • Squat muscles worked
      • Benefits of squats
      • How to squat
      • Squat accessory lifts
      • Squats for body transformation
    • Bench Press
      • Bench Press Benefits
      • Improve Your Bench
      • Incline vs Flat Bench Press
      • Floor Press VS Bench Press
    • Power Cleans
      • Power Cleans Muscles Worked
      • Power Clean VS Deadlift
    • Overhead Presses
      • Overhead Press Muscles Worked
      • Overhead Press Accessory Exercises
    • Chin-Ups / Pull-Ups
      • Neutral grip pull-ups muscles worked
      • Pull Ups benefits, muscles worked
      • Chin Up Muscles Worked
      • Chin-Ups vs Pull-Ups
    • Push-ups
      • 100 pushups a day
      • Pushup muscles worked
      • Benefits of pushups
      • Exercises to Improve Pushups
  • Workouts
    • 3×5 workout program
    • Army prt exercises
    • Strength Training for Men Over 50
    • Bodybuilding over 50 workout routine + PDF
    • Weight lifting for weight loss
    • Minimalist training
    • Powerbuilding program + PDF
    • Strength Training for Women Over 50
    • Beginner deadlift workout routine
    • Deadlift Program
    • Beginner squat workout routine
    • 5/3/1 for Beginners
  • Equipment
    • Weightlifting
      • Olympic Barbells
      • Elbow Sleeves
      • Knee Sleeves
      • Weightlifting Shoes
      • Weightlifting Belts
      • Gifts for Weightlifters
      • Bumper Plates
      • Dumbbells
      • Weight Benches
      • Cable Machines
    • Deadlift Equipment
      • Best shoes for squats & deadlifts
      • Deadlift shin guards
      • Deadlift bars
      • DIY deadlift platform
      • Best lifting straps
      • Deadlift socks
    • Supplements
      • Best Protein Powders
      • Supplements for Men Over 50
      • Multivitamins for Men Over 50
      • Best Budget Probiotics
    • Cardio
      • Best Air Bikes
      • Rowing Machines Under 500
      • Walking Shoes for Men
      • Compact Treadmills
      • Treadmills for a Heavy Person
      • Recumbent Bikes
      • Budget Ellipticals
Home » The 7 Best Grip Strength Exercises: Benefits + Training Workout

The 7 Best Grip Strength Exercises: Benefits + Training Workout

Updated November 30, 2022 by Rich

11 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Grip Strength Exercises – Introduction

What are the best grip strength exercises you can do at home or in the gym?

Fitness experts love sayings and expressions.

Often-heard examples include “you can’t out-train a bad diet,” “no pain, no gain,” and “six-pack abs are made in the kitchen.”

These little idioms are usually pretty close to the truth and often reveal training and nutrition secrets that are sometimes forgotten.

For example, it really doesn’t matter how many crunches, sit-ups, and planks you do; if you are eating too much of the wrong foods, you’ll never have a six-pack.

Abs really are made in the kitchen!

Another popular saying is, “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.”

This term can be used for sports teams, companies, and the human body.

In exercise, the “weak link” is often the core, which is the collective name for the muscles of your midsection.

For example, even if you have strong arms and legs, your squat and deadlift performance can be limited by a weak core.

The same is true for push-ups and bent-over rows.

But this article isn’t about your core.

Instead, we’re talking about the muscles in your hands and forearms that control your grip.

For a lot of people, the grip is their anatomical weak link.

We reveal the benefits of a stronger grip, the best exercises for increasing it, and provide you with a short but effective grip workout to try.

The Benefits of Training Your Grip

Not convinced that your grip is worth training?

Consider these benefits and then decide!

Better workouts

Most exercises in your workouts involve holding onto a bar or handle.

That includes upper body pushing and pulling movements, as well as most free-weight leg exercises.

If your grip is weak, your hands may fail before you’ve fatigued the muscles you are training.

This is especially true for back exercises like chin-ups, rows, pulldowns, and deadlifts.

A firmer grip will also make it easier to stabilize heavy loads, e.g., during bench presses and overhead presses.

Yes, you COULD wear wrist straps and wraps to bolster your grip and wrists, but this will probably make your hands weaker rather than stronger, as you’ll become reliant on using them.

More muscular forearms

While most people train their biceps and triceps, far fewer exercisers spend as much time on their forearms.

That’s a shame because the forearms are often more likely to be seen, probably more often than the upper arms.

If you want to develop the most aesthetically-pleasing arms, you should train your forearms as well as your biceps and triceps.

After all, they are calves of the upper body!

exercises for grip strength - forearm muscles Image Credit Bone and Spine
The best exercises for grip strength strengthen your forearm muscles – Image Credit Bone and Spine

Live longer

Believe it or not, grip strength is a reliable indicator of longevity, health, and functional fitness.¹

The assumption is that if your grip is strong, so too is the rest of your body.

Studies suggest that people with a strong grip live longer than those with weaker hands and forearms.

While isolated grip training probably won’t do much for your long-term health, building your forearms along with the rest of your body, such as by deadlifting, will have a significant impact on length and quality of life.

Beyond being a fantastic exercise for building a stronger grip, see the 37 Remarkable Benefits of Deadlifts to Unleash Your Fitness Fast.

Make many everyday activities easier

Strong hands make many everyday activities easier, from opening jars to carrying grocery bags to hammering in nails and loosening screws and bolts.

Having a powerful grip means never having to ask for help when you want to open a jar of peanut butter!

The 7 Best Grip Strength Exercises

Looking to build your grip strength?

Here are seven of the best grip and forearm exercises!

  1. Farmer’s carries
  2. Deadlift holds
  3. Dead hangs
  4. Towel-grip pull-ups
  5. Barbell reverse curls
  6. Plate pinches
  7. Hand grippers

Exercises for Grip Strength – Descriptions

#1. Farmer’s walk

There aren’t many grip exercises that are more effective than the farmer’s walk.

This full-body strength and conditioning exercise will push your forearms and grip to their limit!

How to do it:

  1. Place two dumbbells or kettlebells on the floor and stand between them.
  2. Squat down and grip the handles with an inward-facing grip.
  3. With your arms straight and core braced, stand up straight.
  4. Squeeze the handles as tight as you can.
  5. Walk around your training area until you feel your grip starting to weaken.
  6. Put the weights back on the floor, rest for a moment, and repeat.
  7. You can also do this exercise one arm at a time to increase lateral core engagement.

For more information on this excellent full-body exercise – see Farmer Carries Muscles Worked, Benefits, How-To + Workout Guide.

Do this exercise every day to build muscle, strength, and grip!

#2. Deadlift hold

A big deadlift requires a strong grip.

This deadlift-specific exercise will ensure your hands will never limit your deadlift performance.

How to do it:

  1. Place a heavily loaded barbell in a squat or power rack at about mid-thigh height.
  2. Stand just behind the bar and hold it using an overhand shoulder-width grip.
  3. Keeping your arms straight, lift the bar off the rack and then hold it for as long as possible.
  4. Keep your lower back slightly arched, core braced, and shoulders down and back throughout.
  5. No rack? No problem!
  6. You can also do this exercise from the floor.

How to do the deadlift hold

#3. Dead hang

Grip exercises don’t come much simpler than the dead hang.

However, while this is a straightforward forearm and grip builder, it’s also very effective.

How to do it:

  1. Grip an overhead bar such as a pullup bar or Power Tower with an overhand, shoulder-width grip.
  2. Pull your shoulders down and back, and brace your core.
  3. Hang from the bar with your feet off the floor.
  4. Hold on for as long as you can.
  5. See – we told you it was simple!

The Amazing Benefits of Dead Hang

#4. Towel-grip pull-up

Pull-ups are one of the best back exercises around, but using a towel turns them into a very challenging and effective grip and forearm developer.

How to do it:

  1. Fold two towels over your pull-up bar.
  2. Make sure the ends are even.
  3. Hold the ends together and squeeze them tight.
  4. Hang from the towels and do your pull-ups as normal, although you will probably find that you cannot do as many reps as usual.
  5. Can’t do pull-ups?
  6. No worries; just do towel grip dead hangs instead.

Rapidly build Ninja grip strength with only a towel

#5. Barbell reverse curl 

The barbell reverse curl is an excellent forearm, biceps, and grip exercise.

It may also improve your pull-up performance as it hits all the muscles that tend to fail and bring your pull-up set to an early end.

How to do it:

  1. Hold a barbell with an overhand shoulder-width grip.
  2. Place your thumbs on top of the bar so you are holding it with your fingers only.
  3. Bend your arms and curl the bar up to your shoulders, pausing for 1-2 seconds.
  4. Lower the weight, extend your arms, and repeat.
  5. Make this exercise even more effective by using a thick bar or clip-on fat bar handles.

How To Do Reverse Curls To Build Thicker Arms and Bicep Peaks

#6. Plate pinch

The plate pinch is a challenging exercise for your fingers, hands, and forearms.

Unlike most other grip exercises, this one is performed with straight fingers.

How to do it:

  1. Place two weight plates back to back and stand them upright on a bench or table.
  2. Squeeze them together with your thumb on one side and your four fingers on the other.
  3. Gripping as hard as you can, lift and hold the weights for as long as possible.
  4. Put the weights down, swap hands, and repeat.
  5. You can also do this exercise on the move, i.e., a plate pinch farmer’s walk.

Greatest Grip Exercise Ever (especially for Basketball): The Plate Pinch

#7. Hand grippers

The great thing about hand grippers is you can use them anywhere and anytime, even when you are chilling at home in front of the TV.

Buy yourself a set of heavyweight hand grippers and work on your grip strength whenever you’ve got a few minutes to spare.

Note that hand grippers tend to lose their strength over time, so you’ll need to upgrade your purchase from time to time, especially as your hands get stronger.

How to do it:

  1. Grip the handles so your thumb is on one side and your fingers are on the other.
  2. Squeeze the handles together.
  3. Perform for reps, e.g., 12-15, or hold for time, e.g., 20-30 seconds.
$22.00
Logest Metal Hand Grip Set, 100LB-350LB 6 Pack No Slip Heavy-Duty Grip...
Logest Metal Hand Grip Set, 100LB-350LB 6 Pack No Slip Heavy-Duty Grip...
  • Durable Construction: Expertly crafted using alloy steel construction grip...
  • Hand Exercisers: Unlike most workouts, you can take these hand trainer with you...
  • Hand grip Strengthener: Targeting your forearms and arm strengthener, fingers,...
  • Choice of Set: The LoGest is available in three different sets to meet...
  • Great Gift Idea: Beautifully packaged in an attractive box, the Hand...
$64.99 −$22.00 $42.99
Check Price

Grip Strength Workout

While you could build a stronger grip just by doing a few of these exercises from time to time, you’ll probably get better results by following a dedicated grip and forearm workout.

Do this program twice a week after your back or arm workout, and never before!

Grip Strength Exercises Workout – Copyright Fit Apprentice® 

#

Exercise

Sets

Reps

Recovery

1

Deadlift hold

4

15-30 seconds

2-3 minutes

2

Barbell reverse curls

3

8-12

90 seconds

3

Plate pinch

2

15-30 seconds

90 seconds

4

Dead hang

1

As long as possible

N/A

Develop INSANE Grip Strength | Forearm Workout – Chris Heria

Best Grip Strength Exercises – Wrapping Up

Your forearms and grip might seem unimportant, but they could be the weak link preventing you from building the body of your dreams.

If your hands fail before your lats in pull-ups or bring your deadlift set to a premature end, your workouts will never be as productive as they could be.

A weak grip can also undermine your bench and shoulder press performance.

If you have no such grip issues, you may not need to spend a lot of time training your hands and forearms.

However, if you have to rely on wrist straps and can’t train without them, you definitely need to work on your grip strength.

Use these exercises and our workout to build an unbreakable grip and forearms that are muscular and strong.

Related Posts

  • 10 Best Pull-Up Bar Exercises for Abs + Core Muscles Workout
  • The Barbell Clean and Press Exercise: How To, Benefits, Variations
  • Chin Up Muscles Worked: How to Build Your Arm & Back Strength
  • The Top 10 Squat Accessory Exercises for a Bigger, Better Squat
  • 5 Simple Steps to Stop Elbow Pain From Lifting Weights
  • The Top 15 Proper Deadlift Form Tips For Beginners
  • Chin-Ups vs Pull-Ups – Which Is Better To Build Muscle?

Footnotes

  • How strong is your grip? An Indispensable Biomarker For Older Adults
11 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Filed Under: Deadlifts

About The Author

Rich Hashimashi AuthorRich is a NASM-CPT (Certified Personal Trainer), Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and the author of Crossing the Bridge From Depression to Life. At the age of 55, he lost 75 pounds in 6 months, and discovered if you transform your body, you can change your life. You can read about his story here and send Rich a message here.

Get Your FREE Body Transformation Guide

Primary Sidebar

Body Transformation Guides

  • Body Transformation: Ultimate Guide | The Fit Apprentice®
  • Strength Training for Men Over 50 + Full-Body Workout
  • The Minimalist Training Home Workout Guide for Strength & Fitness
  • 8 Week Bodybuilding Over 50 Workout Routine + Free PDF
  • 12-Week Body Transformation Workout Plan at Home

Recent Posts

  • Heel Elevated Squats: Benefits, Muscles Worked + How-To
  • 7 Magnificent Ways How Burpees Transform Your Physique
  • CrossFit vs HIIT – Which is Better for Your Fitness Goals
  • The 6 Best Backpacks for Rucking in 2023 – Get Fit Fast!
  • 10 Best Triceps Pushdown Alternative Exercises to Do at Home

One Rep Max Calculator – Fit Apprentice

Enter weight or reps

1 Rep Max:
Show / Hide Intensity Table
% of 1RM Weight Reps

Deadlifts for Beginners

  • How to Deadlift for Beginners – A Step by Step Guide
  • 37 Remarkable Benefits of Deadlifts to Unleash Your Fitness
  • 12 Week Deadlift Program for Beginners in Fitness or Powerlifting

Footer

Change Your Body

Recent Posts

  • Heel Elevated Squats: Benefits, Muscles Worked + How-To
  • 7 Magnificent Ways How Burpees Transform Your Physique
  • CrossFit vs HIIT – Which is Better for Your Fitness Goals
  • The 6 Best Backpacks for Rucking in 2023 – Get Fit Fast!
  • 10 Best Triceps Pushdown Alternative Exercises to Do at Home
  • Dumbbell Deadlift vs Barbell: Pros & Cons + Which Is Better
  • Powerlifting Versus Weightlifting: Differences + Which Is Better?
  • 12 Best Jump Rope Alternative Exercises to Unlock Your Fitness
  • Diamond Push-Ups Muscles Worked: Top Benefits + How-To Master
  • The Best Cable Machine for Your Home Gym – 2023 Buying Guide

Change Your Life

Change Your Life

  • Bench Press
  • Body Transformation
  • Deadlifts
  • Motivation
  • NASM Certification
  • Pushups
  • Squats
  • Weight Loss

Follow Hashi Mashi

Pinterest

The Fit Apprentice® is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Never Give Up

Remember when you were
in shape back in the day?

Do you think that transforming your
physique is a pipe dream?

You are in the right place if you want
to learn how to get fit, change your
body, and change your life.

But do not know where to start.

Here is how...
Start Here
  • About
  • Privacy policy
  • Affiliate link disclosure
  • Terms of use
  • Contact

The Fit Apprentice® Fitness Blog is for informational purposes only and does not provide medical advice, treatment or diagnosis.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.



Copyright © 2012–2023 The Fit Apprentice® powered by HashiMashi.com - Hosted on BigScoots
DMCA.com Protection Status