Grip strength is one of the most fundamental yet complex areas of strength which is a common set back in the gym and for several athletes. So here are 4 ways you can improve your hand and forearm strength.

1.    Use Hand Grip Tools
Hand grip tools are a great way to build the foundational strength and dexterity required to build up that overall strength and power within your hands known as grip strength. To achieve the best possible success you need to use a tool that provides a challenging weight or resistance. Hand Grippers such as Supreme Squeeze have been proven to deliver results within two weeks to a broad range of demographics as they provide a strong level of resistance. Hand Grippers are a great tool for using on top of your regular fitness schedule. If you are starting out try using them for a few minutes a day 4-5 days a week.

2.    Dumbbell Wrist Curls
While dumbbell wrist curls may at the time feel like a ‘time-waster’ or as though you are unnecessarily hogging the bench this small and repetitive movement is a great transition between taking your hand grip strength gained from hand strengthening tools into a gym environment. Wrist curls should be done with a moderate weight using a tempo to allow time to engage all parts of your hand, wrist and forearm muscles. Think of it as curling up for 1, pause and down for 3. Incorporate this as part of your workout for an arm or shoulder session and overtime don’t be afraid to try new weights.

3.    Condition your hands
In the gym many people including powerlifters are limited by soft and weak hands. Conditioning your hands is important. If you have a strong hand with soft skin it is as though you have a fast car with no wheels. Take the gloves and straps off and use some chalk the next time you are performing conventional lifts such as a deadlift or a clean. Chalk will prevent your hands from slipping of the bar when you start to sweat. As you grip the bar think of it as a sponge grip the bar with even resistance the whole way around and feel all parts of your hand, wrist and forearm engaging as you take the strain.

If you have never lifted bare-handed chances are you may get a callus or small blood blister but this is normal and part of the process for building strong hands that are able to grip a bar without tearing easily.

4.    Surprise Your Hands
We have all heard that we need to surprise our bodies with new workouts, movement, weights or repetitions, the same theory applies to your hands and building up to the desired grip strength. Make sure you are incorporating a barbell, dumbbell, chin-ups and machine work each week as each of these apparatuses will use a slightly different style of grip strength.

Other things to try include farmers carrying and different bar grips such as reverse grip, split grip and thumb grip. You can learn more about these grip style in Supreme Squeeze’s bonus workout materials.