In a recent class, we took the tangent on grip training and pulled out some of the grip toys we have. Many people don’t think too much about their grip. However, there are so many instances across the broad spectrum of martial arts training, be it empty hand or weapon use, that could benefit from a better grip. I know that every time one of my business partners concentrates on grip training, his hand and wrist pain (from years of repetitive computer work) goes away completely.
Before using other things, I tend to “warm up” with skill balls, also known as Chinese meditation balls. There are a number of exercises you can do with these, believe it or not, and they come in different diameters. I find the practice quite relaxing. Grip grandmaster John Brookfield uses them too, and I think when I ordered them a few years ago from Ironmind they came with a manual that he wrote himself.
Next, I move on to some rubber bands to expand my hands. I place all five fingers inside the band while resting / curling around the nails; I spread my fingers out, thus opening my hand. In my opinion, this is great for balancing the grip work that goes into so much flexing of the fingers and hands.
After heating and spreading, I get to the nitty-gritty: Captains of Crush tweezers, grasping tools, and various tools to strengthen the wrist, such as the Twist Yo ‘wrist and a wrist roller.
CAPTAINS OF CRUSH TWEEZERS
Everybody loves these. They’re kind of addictive, and every time we introduce them for LEO training classes, they just can’t get enough of them. COC tweezers come in many different strengths, starting with the “Guide”, with 60 pounds of resistance. Most of you will probably be able to start with the Sport (80 pounds) or the Trainer (100 pounds). For women, it’s hard to say, and you’ll have to experiment to figure out where to start. For strength, I would recommend training every other day and doing about 3 sets of 5 to 6 reps on each hand. Once you get into the routine, you can certainly do more. As a general rule of thumb, we say that if you can get 10 good reps on a clamp and be able to “grind” the ends when you close it, it’s time to move on to the next clamp. If men can close a # 2 (195 pounds), they are entering very respectable territory. The same goes for women who close # 1 (140 pounds).
PINCH GRIP TOOLS
We have the bucket style clamp (who needs tools to remove the nuts when you have your monster hands?) And the block clamp (for your C clamp, great for shooters!). We use the olympic size charging pins (with clip). These are amazing, and you can just pick them up or even take a little farmer’s walk with them. I’m not going to joke with you. Using these calipers isn’t an incredibly exciting workout, but you will definitely benefit from the time you put into it. We also have several IMTUG clamps to work with a two-finger grip. These help you build strength in individual fingers.
WRIST / FOREARM TOOLS
I have a love-hate relationship with them. They are great, but they hurt like hell. I have a “Twist Yo ‘Wrist” tool. It is cylindrical and you grip it as you would to remove the lid of a jar. Wind the climbing rope, with the weight attached, in and out of the cylinder. It sets your forearms on fire! Mimics wrist rehab exercises for ulnar and radial deviation.
I made my own wrist roller out of PVC tubing, climbing rope, metal washers, and a paper clip. I made a hole in the middle of the pipe and put the climbing rope into it. I attached a clip so I can add olympic plates. As in the “Twist Yo ‘Wrist”, I roll up and pull the cable out of the tubing and extend my arms with my palms facing down. I suppose you could use it palms up, although I never have. I prefer to do standard wrist curls for that.
In addition to all the tools mentioned above, kettlebells do wonders for their grip. Some people want to wear gloves because they hate corns, but they’re really missing out on the added benefits of launching these little cannonballs. John Brookfield does a number of different things for grip that cost little to no money, including “dry as bone.” All you need to do for this exercise is fill a bucket with water, dip a towel in the water, and drain as much of the water as possible, hence the name, dry! Rope climbing and towel pull-ups are tremendous for grip. Picking up sandbags, in which the weight changes, can also be great for grip. We have many manuals with ideas for grip training, and the possibilities are endless!