How to improve grip strength?

PoleGrrrrl started this discussion · 11/24/2009

hey all, Although I'm improving my core, arm & back strength as per what you'd expect when training, my grip is constantly slipping when I'm doing split grip/butterfly/elbow grip, on both my upper and lower hand (unless I'm wearing a crapload of mighty grip 😜 ) Even though I grunt and swear and growl at the pole, not matter how much I tense up the relevant muscles, it still slips. I almost feel like I'm not wrapping my hands around the pole enough (its a 50mm xpole but I've got REALLY long fingers!) and that my forearms just don't have the strength I need. Has anyone got any suggestions (weights or pole training) on how to improve my grip/forearm strength as a supplementary exercise? Or am i concentrating on the wrong thing here and my slippy grip can be helped another way? 🤔 thanks guys! xx

14 replies

Mary Ellyn · 11/24/2009
There are several exercises with a barball that work well such as wrist curls and wrist flexes. Adding regular pushups to that will created a good routing to build hand, wrist and forearm strength. You can squeeze a tennis ball or use the grip flexer things as well. What I promote to my students and use myself all the time is the Dyaflex Powerball. This will increase your muscle strength from your fingers all the way up to your upper arm, though it works primarily on the hand and forearm but you feel it working in your biceps and triceps. What I love about this is it cuts one workout off my daily routine saving me some time because I do this to and from work. I spend about 20 minutes on it, alternating from L to R hand until the point of fatigue, all the way to work about 4 times a week (every other day just like other exercises) so that it's time I wasn't doing anything else anyway and it's easy to do while doing something else. Some people do it while watching TV. I noticed a difference within a month of using it regularly and a huge difference after 3 months. They come in different strengths...get the strongest one as they all go from 0 RPMs up and 0 pounds of torque up so the stronger ones are not harder to start but you won't have to replace it if you grow stronger later. THe strongest is the blue with flashing lights...that goes up to 40 pounds of torque and 80,000 RPMS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LQrhkSKjoA I do not believe it will do all the things they claim on their DVD which you can see above, but it will definitely work your grip and forearm.
TigerLily05 · 11/24/2009
Thanks so much for posting this! I was just saying to myself yesterday- how I really need to strengthen my grip! I will definitely look into that power ball. Thanks again ladies!
Veena · 11/24/2009
For hand strength and more...you could try one of these too......http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMsxGfACAfo&feature=player_embedded 🌸
DragonPhoenix · 11/25/2009
Very imformative, both types of ball looks pretty interesting. Definitly plopped them in my favs, thanx 😎
byrdgrrl · 11/25/2009
I have an exercise that I do that works both my legs and my hands. I stand with my feet a little greater than shoulder width apart and bend my knees slightly, making sure that they are pressed out over my toes so my legs look like an M rather than a ^. This is important to protect the joints. Keeping my back straight, my arms go out in front of me shoulder level. While keeping my arms straight, I curl my hands in to fists starting with my little finger and working up to my index finger. I do both hands at once, ten times. Then I stretch my arms out to the side, still shoulder level and repeat ten more times. Then I lift my hands over my head, keeping my shoulders down and do ten more. Then I drop my arms back to the front starting position and bend my knees a little more. I repeat the series of ten to the front, ten to the side and ten overhead. When I finish that one again I drop my arms back to the front and bend my knees a little more and repeat the whole series. When doing this exercise your back must be kept straight. Only bend your knees as much as you can and and still keep your back straight. I got this exercise from my martial arts class. We use it as a warm-up for sword practice. Sword cuts are the best exercise that I have found for building hand grip and forearm strength.
Veena · 11/26/2009
Ohhh cool byrdgrrl, thanks for sharing. ☀️
byrdgrrl · 11/26/2009
Thanks. A video would probably be easier to deal with, but I'm still working on a video camera.
PoleGrrrrl · 11/26/2009
This is so helpful thanks so much ladies, at the very least I can definitely use the stress ball at work to practice during the day, and then work in byrdgrrl's exercises into my next pole session. Empyrean that Dyaflex powerball thing looks great, I went to watch the vid and realised that from a distance it may have looked a bit NSFW - tee hee 😂 roll on the straight edge! 🥂
Mary Ellyn · 11/26/2009
LOL...try actually using one...at night...in your car. You get some really strange looks with the flashing blue lights as people pass you!
Veena · 11/26/2009
HAHA 😂 you could freak someone out and have them think there is a cop behind them, with that ball thing. Or if you drive a van like me, it could look like your having a big ol party! 🥂
Former member · 11/27/2009
omg this thread is wonderful!! thank you guys! i was having the same problem with grip and i was wondering if i have small hands or what???? like i KNOW i can do the moves, i just cant get the grip down....thank you for making this thread and thank you everyone for suggesting tips!
deetron · 11/29/2009
thanks from me too - I'm gonna get that disco ball-looking one!!
LittleC · 11/29/2009
Yes, thanks for this thread - I have really little hands and was worrying that I was going to have to get a 45mm pole instead of my 50mm. I just need to make my grip supersonic! 👽
yogabeachbabe · 12/18/2009
OK, so I JUST discovered (after 7 years of living down in Miami Beach, and 16 months of living in the Las Vegas desert) that the best grip strengthener is shoveling snow!!!!! ...my hands are trembling as I type...LOL!