Re: Grip strength training

[Guest guest]

I don't know their technical names but the two (relatively) large

muscles towards the base of the palm that are responsible for rotating

the thumb and the outside of the palm inwards. These will be involved

very heavily during almost all grip work. The ironic thing is they will

probably be more involved with grip work than while holding the actual

bar but they will certainly get in the way.

You don't see how this worsens one's gripping capabilities? Isn't it

blatantly obvious? Take a 2 cubic inch sand bag and strap it on top of

the bar where it will come in contact with the bottom half of the palm.

See now? It has the same effect as chopping one's fingers down to size.

Most grip problems are due to small/fat hands and this will only make it

worse.

[i have seen many lifters with small and large hands, with prominent thenar

development, with large forearms and skinny forearms all lifting extremely

impressive loads. There does not necessarily seem to be any correlation of

gripping strength

with such superficial measures of gripping capabilities. It is apparent that

individuals

with definite deficits of hand structure can compensate for these deficiencies.

The use of a hook grip also helps a great deal in this respect. I also know a

few powerlifters

who prefer to deadlift with only the fingers and not with a fuller grip, because

it shortens

the distance through which the pull has to be made. I also know workers with a

few missing

fingers who have very powerful grips. I also have not come across any research

which supports

your theory - have you? Mel Siff]

Dmitry Voronov

Toronto, Ontario

---------------

Dmitry Voronov wrote:

> Just one tip from me. Whatever grip work you do, make sure it's " heavy "

> (hard) and thus for low reps. A lot of times people train their grip

> and do

> improve their strength but the muscles of the palm hypertrophy and negate

> the strength gain or sometimes worsen the situation.

>

> [To which muscles of the palm are you referring which can undergo marked

> hypertrophy and compromise one's grip? Most structures in the hand,

> other than the interossei, are tendons and ligaments. Most of the

> gripping of

> the hands is carried out by muscles in the forearms, not the palms -

> and hypertrophy

> of these structures never worsens one's gripping capabilities. Mel Siff]

>

> Dmitry Voronov

> Toronto, Ontario

>

> --------

>

> Dennis Heimer:

>

> I recently bought a hard rubber " donut " for training grip strength. Does

> anyone have any tips for training with one of these? I already use

> " Captains of

> Crush " grippers. I'd mostly like to hear about routines others use.

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