Improving grip strength (for deadlift)

[Giovonny]

You can also grab some plates and try it with a "pinch" grip where you pinch 45lbs plates with your fingers and thumbs.

This is a very underrated exercise that improves your entire body. After three sets of this walk, your arms will be really burning.

This.

It's basically the same exercise used in Okinawa martial arts. They use jars filled with sand called nigiri game - you hold it by it's 'mouth' with your fingertips, lift it up/down in a slow, controlled manner, and walk up/down in stances. I used to do the same with 25 kg iron plates. They have a bit of a ledge - maybe 5-10 milimeters, enough to get a good pinch grip with your fingertips. Builds grip strength very quickly.

Get some tennis balls and squeeze them whenever you're doing nothing. I popped 2 tennis balls with my crushing man strength ha. I should get back to doing that. Get a bucket and fill it up with 15 pounds of rice and squeeze the hell out of the rice while twisting your hands.

Old school! I love it.

 

[reaper23]

Since the deadlift allows you to lift the most weight, really, deadlifting is the best way to do it.

chalk is the best answer given thus far.

 

[MikeCF]

Also, do above-the-knee rack pulls.

Relative strength (the number of reps you can do relative to your max weight) is always going to be a reflection of maximal strength. If you increase relative strength (your max), you'll increase your relative strength.

So..........Load the bar up with 315. Do rack pulls. Your grip will improve.

Rack pulls will help your deadlift generally, since it gets your body used to handling more weight.

 

[hoops330]

Avoid using lifting straps until your grip absolutely gives out.

 

[WanderingSoul]

RioNomad: Well I don't workout continuously due to travel. Only one month on, one month off sort of thing. I'd say it took me 6 months of staggered gym time to get to 270. Every time I go back to the gym is takes me nearly 2 weeks just to get to my previous level.

It's a real bitch to make progress like that for sure. Had the same troubles with Jiu Jitsu due to moving so frequently. I can for sure recommend Starting Strength for strength training and GripBoard.com for grip training. Great info to be had there.

The beginner program at GripBoard.com consists of wrist curls with a barbell. Reverse wrist curls. Plate pinches, as described above. And the last one is where you hold the barbell in your grip, slowly extend your fingers so that it rolls down to the tips of your fingers, and then you close your grip again bringing the barbell back into your closed fist. Do this 2-3x a week and try to add weight 1-2x a week. But only add a pound or two. You can get big magnets to add 1lb at a time if your gym doesn't have plates in small increments.

 

[Hades]

If you do pistol squats and back bridges while you travel, your deadlift will improve almost continuously until you hit diminishing returns at some value relative to your body weight. For example, I never deadlifted but did do (maybe 3 per leg, 2 sets) pistol squats and back bridges. First day I deadlifted 315 no problem, no where near my max.

My math suggests that at a decent level of proficiency, two sets of ~15 unweighted pistols and two sets of 10 back bridges would correlate to a 3RM deadlift of 2 to 2.5 x bodyweight.

My brother (similar height, weight, and build to me) did not do back bridges or pistols before deadlifting, and had trouble with 250 on the first day.

 

[ElJefe]

Another exercise idea:

Throw a folded towel over a bar (for instance lift the bar for the smith machine to the highest possible level). Use the towel ends as handles, then do pull-ups/chin ups that way. Judo state-champion showed me this one.

This will isolate the forearms, that will do most of the lifting work.

Totally forgot about this one! I'll do it day after tomorrow!

 

[dk902]

What do you guys recommend for improving grip strength?

My deadlifts are going up lockstep each workout since I started deadlifting last year. Just did 5 reps of 270 today. But lately on the last rep my grip is loosening to where today I almost felt like I was going to drop everything. I do mixed grip.

How should I approach this problem?

My number one recommendation is doing heavy dumbell rows that you can manage for between 20-30 reps. These are called Kroc Rows. I cannot emphasise these enough. They build huge lats and a great grip. I've been doing them for 3 years...my grip never fails.

Do your deadlift warm up sets with an overhand grip then switch to an under and over for your work sets. Overtime the overhand warmup sets will improve your grip as your strength goes up.

Of course always use chalk when you pull also.

I've never been a proponent of rack pulls, I don't see much of a carry over to deadlifts. Agree with Mike on the Fat Gripz too, they're great for just about everything.

But honestly, I really wouldn't bother with anything else. Do Kroc Rows and tell me how much better your grip strength is.

 

[Chad Daring]

I've found really heavy weighted pull downs help me. The constant pressure the weighted pull down gives means you're fighting to hold on at all times. I do em twice a week its seems to have helped me a lot.

 

[reaper23]

http://www.roguefitness.com/strongman/hammers-and-grip.php