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DISCLAIMERThe material contained in this book is for informational purposes only. The author and anyoneelse affiliated with the creation or distribution of this book may NOT be held liable for damagesof any kind whatsoever allegedly caused or resulting from any such claimed reliance. Beforebeginning this workout routine, it is recommended that you consult with your physician forauthorization and clearance. It is always recommended to consult with a physician beforebeginning any new exercise or nutritional program. If you have any problems with your health,you should seek clearance from a qualified medical professional. The information containedherein is not intended to, and never should, substitute for the necessity of seeking the advice ofa qualified medical professional. If at any time you feel pain or discomfort, stop immediately.

This is an advanced training routine, recommended for those with prior training experience.

COPYRIGHT © 2014 ROSS ENAMAIT

All efforts have been made to ensure that this manual is free from error or problems. Althoughwe have worked hard, we do not take responsibility for loss or action to any individual as aresult of the material presented here.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Reproduction or translation of any part of this work by any means, electronic or mechanical,including photocopying, beyond that permitted by Copyright Law, without permission of theauthor, is unlawful.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 4INDIRECT LIFTING 12ODD OBJECTS 26ROPES AND TOWELS 46PINCH GRIP 69THICK GRIP 106

WRIST TRAINING 140FINGER AND CRUSH 188PROGRAMMING 220EXERCISE LIST 243

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INTRODUCTION“Life itself is your teacher, and you are in a constant state of

learning.” – Bruce Lee

To begin this book, I wish to be clear from the onset that I did not create this programwith hopes of you developing the strongest hands, fingers, or wrists in the world. If ithappens, so be it, but it is not my intention. As an athlete, these are not goals of mine.As a trainer, these are not goals of my athletes. I am not a grip competitor or aprofessional strongman. On the contrary, I am a former fighter who now trains fightersfor a living. I say this upfront not to suggest that this book is aimed specifically towardscombat athletes but instead to highlight the true intent of the program.

Working the corner in a professional heavyweight fight

The focus of this book is simple. I want you to develop stronger hands, fingers, andwrists without detracting from the rest of your training. I say this with the assumptionthat you are not reading this book on your first day of exercise. Typically, I am not a fanof assumption, but I have never seen anyone enter the gym on day one whose primary

goal was to develop hand, finger, or wrist strength. Lower arm development is withoutquestion a specialized form of strength training. Those interested in developing lowerarm strength are usually those who recognize its benefits. Unfortunately, many athletesare confused about how to do so without interfering with their primary goals (ex. sporttraining). I will therefore focus on time efficient and effective ways to strengthen thelower arms.

As for lower arm strength and its relevance to athletics, it is not difficult to make a casefor hand, finger, and wrist strength when discussing almost any sport. Whether yougrab or lift an object or opponent, swing a bat or club, catch or throw a ball, tackle or

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wrestle an adversary, or strike with an open hand or fist, lower arm development willoften play a significant role. Stronger hands, fingers, and wrists will improve

performance with these and many other activities, and also create a more durableathlete who is less prone to injury.

You will be hard pressed to find any knowledgeable athlete or trainer who arguesagainst the significance of lower arm development. Unfortunately, recognizing thesignificance does not always translate into adequate development. Many athletes andcoaches unintentionally neglect the lower arms or target them with inferior methods. Isay this based on my observation as a trainer and my own experience as a one-timeyoung and ignorant athlete.

Live and Learn

My younger days as a fighter

As a young fighter, I knew the hands were important as they played an instrumentalrole in my sport. It is impossible to box without them. All fighters know this obviousfact. Unfortunately, I did not know it was possible to strengthen the lower arms toenhance performance and reduce the risk of injury. I just assumed that the lower arms

would be developed adequately from the rest of my training.

As a result, I neglected my hands, fingers, and wrists. I did not perform any direct workfor the lower arms. To no surprise, I eventually paid the price for my neglect. First, Iwas hampered by wrist sprains and throbbing pain throughout my hands. Naggingpains eventually led to fractures. I broke the same bone in my right hand three times ina year. Each time I attempted to return to the ring, I was sidelined by another injury. Itwas not long before I was on a first name basis with several doctors at the local hospital.There was a stretch of time that lasted over a year where I essentially lived in a cast.Whenever one cast came off, it was only a matter of time before I was back at the

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hospital getting another. Between the broken hands, broken arms, and damaged wrists,I eventually had to hang up the gloves. I was told that there were no other options.

At the time, it was a hard pill to swallow that I would not be able to fight again.Looking back however, I truly believe it was a blessing in disguise. When I transitionedfrom fighter to trainer, I became determined to do everything in my power to helpothers from making the same mistakes. It was at that time when hand, finger, and wristtraining became an obsession of mine. The last thing I wanted was for another athlete tosuffer the same frustrations that I endured for so long out of sheer ignorance andneglect.

It may sound cliché, but if I can help even one athlete avoid a shortened career bytraining the lower arms more diligently, I will feel better about having been theignorant guinea pig as a youngster. I know firsthand how frustrating hand injuries canbe. I also now know that it is possible to strengthen the hands, fingers, and wrists tolevels that the average person could not fathom. The strength potential that existsthroughout the lower arms is incredible. Many of the grip and wrist displays from pastand present strongmen competitors are literally awe inspiring. Incredible may even bean understatement.

Unfortunately, despite the potential that exists, the majority of athletes and trainers stillfail to develop the lower arms adequately. I am not the first or last athlete to neglect thelower arms. Understanding why so many athletes neglect the lower arms can help you

from making the same mistakes.

Misconceptions and Neglect

I. Lack of Time

As a trainer, I understand the demanding schedules of competitive athletes. There isonly so much time in a day. It is not as if athletes budget in extra time just in casesomeone informs them that they have been neglecting a particular objective. Trying toconvince an athlete that he needs to add a lower arm routine to what is already a busy

schedule is often a futile effort.

Many athletes do not believe it is possible to add anything to their existing schedule.They are already maxed out in terms of pushing themselves to the limit. For example, Ihave trained professional fighters who run at the crack of dawn, work a full time jobduring the day, and return to the boxing gym at night. It is already a long andphysically demanding day where several objectives must be addressed. There isconditioning, strength training, sparring, bag work, and more. How is an athlete in thissituation going to find time for lower arm development?

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Fortunately, there are several time efficient options that will all but eliminate the lack oftime excuse. For instance, there are several indirect ways to strengthen the lower arms

with variations of movements that you may already perform. You don’t need to addany time to your existing routine to include these variations. Small additions can also bemade that may account for no more than a few minutes at a time. It is quite possible todevelop ample strength throughout the lower arms without eating too much time onthe clock.

II. Lack of Equipment

One of the greatest misconceptions about lower arm development is that only strong-men from previous generations possessed incredible hand strength. This assumptioncould not be further from the truth. Yes, there were tremendous displays from legendssuch as Hermann Görner, Louis Cyr, Charles Vansittart, and more, but never before hasgrip training become such a worldwide industry.

There are now grip competitions held around the world. Grip training has essentiallybecome its own sport. As a result, several high-end tools have been created specificallyfor these athletes and events. Today’s grip competitors have access to equipment thatwas not available in previous generations. Modern grip specialists possess handstrength that would be impressive in any era. Unfortunately, many of the tools used todevelop such strength are expensive for the average Joe.

If grip training is not your primary goal, it is not expected that you will invest severalhundred dollars into grip training tools. The unfortunate compromise is that manyathletes either neglect lower arm training entirely or instead purchase inferior products.Haven’t we all tried a store bought gripper at one time or another? Chances are it wasincredibly easy to close. Regrettably, that does not mean you have developed anylegitimate lower arm strength. You are going to need more than a store bought gripperto adequately train the hands, fingers, and wrists.

Fortunately, you won’t need to break the bank to do so. Yes, there are several high-endtools available today, but you can do just fine with a few do-it-yourself alternatives.

Many will not require any construction. You will see countless examples throughoutthis manual.

III. Inadequate Development from Conventional Training

Another false assumption regarding lower arm development is that conventionalstrength training will adequately develop the hands, fingers, and wrists. As a result,direct lower arm work is rarely performed. Athletes simply assume that the lower armswill be taken care of through traditional exercise. I personally made this mistake as a

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youngster. I was not the first or last athlete to be fooled however. If you look back toprevious generations, there are countless tales of lower arm neglect.

Former strongman George Jowett wrote the following in his 1930 booklet, Molding A

Mighty Grip,

“Of late years strength athletes have mostly confined themselves to the few standard lifts - theold feats and exercises are not practiced, or are forgotten. This, and no other reason, explains whyso few strength athletes, no matter how good they are at overhead lifts, have little better than anordinary grip…”

Similar sentiments were expressed by Edward Aston, who became Britain’s StrongestMan in 1911. He wrote the following in his classic book, How To Develop A Powerful

Grip,

“I have often marveled that weight-lifters, as a rule, do not pay more attention to grip… I am

fully convinced that at least another twenty percent could be added to the poundage of some of

the lifts if the lifter’s grip was more carefully cultivated…”

One of Aston’s early competitors, Thomas Inch, shared similar observations. In 1930, he

wrote the following,

“It is rather strange how many strong men famous for their feats of strength and record breakingability appear to fail when grip comes into play.”

Over thirty years after Inch made such comments, others continued to recognize the

same problem. In 1962, track and field coach Chuck Coker wrote the following,

“One of the most important aspects of athletic conditioning is often overlooked by most athletes.

This important phase of the well trained athlete is hand strength. There are very few sports that

are played in competition in the United States in which the hands don’t play a major factor in

the outcome of the overall performance.”

Now, over fifty years later, athletes continue to make the same mistakes. Many

unintentionally neglect the lower arms by assuming they will be adequately developed

without direct attention. Ultimately, if you have not developed the lower arms, you

don’t know what you are missing. I could be the poster child for this mistake. I had no

idea what I was missing out on. I did not appreciate the true significance of lower arm

development until after the fact. I also did not realize how deficient I was until I began

working with exercises that truly challenged the lower arms. To my surprise, there was

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a treasure chest of hidden strength potential that had lied dormant for years. Hopefully,

you can learn from my former ignorance and avoid traveling the same road of neglect.

IV. Unrealistic Expectations

Another source of neglect often begins with good intentions. Athletes who make thismistake are too ambitious. They understand the benefits of lower arm training yet arefrustrated by previous neglect. To make up for lost time, they attempt to perform morework than they can handle. Consequently, the lower arms become overworked whichultimately impedes the athlete’s overall development.

As with the previous example, I also made this mistake. I was frustrated by years of

neglect so I set out to do everything possible to reverse it. I read everything I couldabout lower arm development. My research eventually led me to witness severalincredible hand and wrist feats that had been performed by past and presentstrongmen. The competitive athlete in me naturally wanted to attempt what I saw.

After failing miserably, I was even more frustrated by my weakness. I began trainingthe lower arms almost every day of the week. I knew that such high frequency did notmake sense, but my frustration caused me to act irrationally. I was obsessed with fixingmy weak link.

Unfortunately, the high frequency and intensity that I dished out to the lower arms wasmore than I could handle. Other parts of my training began to suffer. I was not focusingas much attention to conventional lifts and my lower arms were becoming overworked.The early gains that I had initially acquired began to fade. I also started losing strengthin my primary exercises. I was falling apart all because of my ambition.

It was at that time when I was forced to think rationally. It was either make a change orcontinue to decline. I had to set my ego aside and accept the significance of patience andconsistency. I soon realized that true lower arm strength is not a product of weeks ormonths. There are no shortcuts. Yes, you can make fairly rapid gains early on, but trulyimpressive strength is a product of years. This is particularly true if lower arm

development is not one of your primary goals.

In summary, as a non-grip specialist, do not expect to contend with worldwide gripcompetitors. Ambition is encouraged but not to the point that you set unrealisticexpectations for yourself. As an athlete, lower arm development only makes sense if itis helping you. If lower arm training begins to impede overall development, changesmust be made.

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V. Misunderstanding of Lower Arm Strength

Another common source of neglect originates from a misunderstanding of whatconstitutes lower arm strength. For example, many correlate forearm size with handand wrist strength. The assumption is that if you have developed large forearms youmust possess strong hands and wrists. The reality however is that forearm size oftenmeans very little in regards to true hand and wrist strength. It is quite possible todevelop Popeye forearms yet fail with many low level hand and wrist movements.Even certain exercise names are deceiving. For instance, wrist curls are actually limitedin terms of developing overall wrist strength. If you wish to develop forearm sizethough, wrist curls are one of the better choices.

Similar confusion often exists in regards to hand strength. Many athletes associate handtraining solely with handheld grippers. Lower arm training for these individuals oftenconsists of nothing but squeezing a gripper. The result is that the athlete is focusedentirely on a single type of grip strength (crush grip).

And while crush grip strength is certainly important, there is much more to handdevelopment than closing a gripper. For example, the thumbs are often neglected whentraining crush grip. As for the significance, think about how useful your hands wouldbe if you did not have thumbs. Try picking up a variety of items throughout the daywithout them. It will not take long to develop a newfound appreciation for the thumbs.Many anthropologists actually credit the human thumb as a prime reason for the

superiority of our species. Anything that important deserves some direct attention.

The thumb is responsible for much more than the thumbs up sign

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In summary, true lower arm strength involves much more than any single exercise canprovide. Adequate development means strengthening individual fingers, the wrists, the

forearms, and several grip styles (ex. crush grip, pinch grip, support grip, etc.). If youhave only targeted a single objective in the past, you will quickly see how much morestrength potential exists throughout the lower arms.

VI. Reinventing The Rules

A final source of neglect is similar to the previous two in that athletes begin with goodintentions. They are dead set on training the lower arms. Unfortunately, they fail todevelop any significant strength due to inferior methods. For some reason, many feelthe need to rewrite the rules about strength development when targeting the lowerarms. These individuals are notorious for extremely high rep sets with exercises such aswrist curls and store bought grippers.

The rules don’t change for lower arm training

A similar phenomenon is often observed throughout the core. Haven’t we all seensomeone who regularly performs a few hundred sit-ups or crunches in an attempt tostrengthen the core? Yet, what happens when they attempt a more challenging coreexercise? It is all but guaranteed that they will fail.

The same can be said of the high rep wrist curler or the store bought gripper fanatic

when they attempt more difficult exercises. No matter how many reps you performagainst low level resistance, you are not going to develop true strength that carries overto extremely challenging feats. To develop considerable strength throughout the lowerarms, you must gradually work against more significant forms of resistance.

In summary, the lower arms can be developed just like any other muscle group. Whenstrength is the primary goal, there are better progressions than simply performing moreand more reps. This is not to say that strength endurance cannot be developedthroughout the hands and wrists, but as you will soon see, many of the best lower armexercises are so challenging that high reps are not an option.

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The Deadlift

Opinions may vary, but few will argue against the deadlift as one of the best exercisesfor overall strength development. Lifting a heavy, dead weight from the floor is as truea test of strength as any. The weight either goes up or it does not. There is no cheating.If you want to deadlift heavy weights, you must be strong.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that countless strength athletes include the deadlift asone of their preferred lifts. Unfortunately, many of these athletes perform the exercisewithout any consideration for lower arm development. Instead, they opt for gripassistance even on sets that do not require it. Consequently, these athletes pass up onwhat is essentially a free chance to strengthen the hands. This opportunity does not

require any additional time within the routine.

The opportunity that I am referring to is that of your lighter sets. No one jumps into amaximal effort deadlift without first warming up with lighter loads. It is during thesewarm-up sets that you should lift the bar with a double overhand grip. Also known as apronated grip, the double overhand grip is one where the palms are down and theknuckles are up. Grabbing the bar in this manner will strengthen your support grip asyou simultaneously prepare yourself for the heavier loads to follow. A simplifieddefinition of support grip is your ability to hold on to something (ex. a barbell or pull-up bar).

A double overhand grip used on a warmup set with 405 pounds

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Using myself as an example, I typically begin my deadlift sessions with a light set of 225pounds. I continue with additional warm-up sets using 315 pounds and 405 pounds.

Throughout each of these sets, I use the double overhand grip. All that is used for gripassistance is chalk. As a result, my support grip naturally improves without detractingfrom my strength routine. These warm-up lifts are sets that I need to perform before Iam ready for heavier weights. In other words, I need to perform these sets no matterwhat, so why not benefit from the free opportunity to strengthen the hands.

Once I am ready for heavier loads, I switch to a grip that allows me to lift more weight.The last thing that I want is for my hands to interfere with my ability to lift as muchweight as possible. Therefore, I opt for an alternating grip when performing my heaviersets. The alternating (or mixed) grip consists of one palm facing forward while the otherfaces back. With such a grip, the bar is much less likely to slip from the hands.

Other lifters may prefer to use straps or work with a hook grip. The hook grip involvesholding the bar by gripping the thumb between the barbell and the remaining fingers.This grip is popular with lifters who wish to avoid the stress that is directed towardsthe head of the biceps when using an alternating grip. Personally, I have never had anyproblems with the alternating grip hence my reason for using it. Clearly, individualpreference must be considered however. I am not here to suggest how you shouldperform your heavier deadlifts. My advice pertains to the warm-up sets that do notrequire grip assistance.

585 pounds on the way up with an alternating grip

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As you can see on page 14, my facial expression is entirely different from that of page13. It is much more difficult to lift the heavier load. As a result, I want to focus

everything I have on the pull and not my hands. Grip strength is the last thing on mymind when I am attempting a near maximal deadlift. Yet, if I wish to add a lower armchallenge to the alternating grip, I can simply hold my final lift for several secondsbefore returning the bar to the ground. Five or ten seconds of holding your heaviestdeadlift will eventually result in stronger hands.

Additional Considerations

I am far from a powerlifter. In recent years, I have just grown to love the deadlift. I donot pretend to be an expert on the lift. As a result, I am not here to provide technical

instructions. The specifics of the deadlift go beyond the scope of this book. I simplyencourage you to reap the lower arm benefits that are available during lighter sets.

In addition, the double overhand grip allows me to include more deadlift volumewithout burning myself out. I say this as an athlete who is often too competitive for hisown good. When I deadlift, it is difficult for me to walk away from the bar withoutchallenging myself with a near maximal pull. Unfortunately, doing so on a regular basisis quite fatiguing. As a result, I used to limit myself to one deadlift session per week.More frequency would work against me as it is difficult for me to limit my intensity.

What has worked for me more recently however is to include a second deadlift sessionduring the week where I limit myself to the double overhand grip. For example, I maypull heavy on Wednesday where my heaviest sets are performed with an alternatinggrip. I may then pull again on Saturday where I only use the double overhand grip.Naturally, I do not pull as much weight during this second session. As a result, I canrecover from it much easier and there is the added benefit of lower arm development.The result is a win-win situation where my intense temperament is pleased and myhands are developed as a secondary benefit.

Single Arm Options

Another way to reduce the total load applied to the body is by deadlifting with onearm. The one arm deadlift was once a popular lift performed by many strength legends.There were even formal rules for the lift provided by various weight lifting associations.For instance, the British Amateur Weightlifters Association listed the following in 1948:

“The barbell, which at the commencement of the lift may lie either parallel or at right angles tothe lifter’s front, shall be lifted from the ground to at least the height of the lifter’s knees. Shouldthe bar be brought into contact with the legs during the lift it shall not be counted - cause fordisqualification. At the conclusion of the lift the legs shall be straight and braced at the knees, theheels remaining astride throughout but placed not wider than 15 ¾ inches.”

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Several of the names referenced earlier were known for their single arm lifting prowess.Hermann Görner, Louis Cyr, Thomas Inch, and Edward Aston are just a few of many

past strongmen whose single arm lifts would be admired in any era.

As for single arm options, there are several. As stated in the 1948 rulebook, you canexecute the lift with the bar in front of the body or between the legs. Cambered bars arealso commonly used to assist with balance. Thick handle dumbbells are also ideal forsingle arm deadlifts. I will discuss thick handles in a later section.

Regardless of your preference, you can expect the hands to be challenged with eachsingle arm lift. These variations are ideal when seeking an intense challenge that willnot be as taxing to the rest of your body. Such lifts suit my temperament well as I amable to train with full intensity while minimizing the total poundage that the rest of mybody is forced to handle.

Perhaps my favorite single arm deadlift is that of the suitcase deadlift. This particularvariation is not only taxing to the hands but is also a tremendous core exercise. Theexecution of this lift is relatively straightforward. You sit back on the heels and lift thebar as you would a suitcase. The goal is for the body to rise evenly. You are notperforming a side bend. The opposite is actually true. When lifting the barbell, you areresisting lateral flexion.

As for sets and reps, I typically opt for low to moderate reps (ex. 3 to 5 per side) for 3 to5 sets. I often perform this exercise after I have performed heavier deadlifts. It satisfiesmy desire for more volume while providing the rest of my body a break from trulyheavy loads. For example, although it may not be evident above, I am working hard toexecute this lift. Yet despite the challenge, my body is not forced to deal with nearly asmuch weight as I would use when performing traditional deadlifts.

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Heavy Dumbbells

No single arm discussion would be complete without mentioning dumbbells. As withthe single arm deadlift, many strength legends from the past spent ample time liftingheavy dumbbells. Eugene Sandow, Arthur Saxon, and Louis Cyr are just a few of manyathletes who were known for their dumbbell lifting prowess.

With any heavy dumbbell lift, hand strength will naturally be challenged. The heavysnatch seen below is a perfect example of this concept. If the hands are not adequatelydeveloped, it is impossible to hold, snatch, and control the dumbbell.

Figure 3

Figure 2Figure 1

Figure 4

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Unfortunately, many athletes perform dumbbell snatches solely for high repetitions. Inrecent years, the snatch has become quite popular as a conditioning exercise. It is

certainly nice to see the exercise more widely recognized, but greater strength benefitswill be realized with heavier loads. A power snatch with a heavy dumbbell is atremendous full body movement. In addition to hand strength, heavy snatches willdevelop strength, power, coordination, and agility.

As for variations, the power snatch is tough to beat in terms of strength developmentwith a minimal learning curve. Yet, despite being easy to learn, it is challenging tosnatch serious weight with a dumbbell. I have seen many 500 pound deadlifters unableto snatch a 150 pounder. As for execution, the hands will be challenged by starting theset with the dumbbell in the hang position (Figure 1). From here, you will drop down(Figure 2) before explosively snatching the weight overhead.

When executing the snatch, the hands must grip the dumbbell tightly. Without a securegrip, it will be difficult to control the weight as you drive upwards with the legs andthrust the hips forward. The weight will remain close to the body throughout the pull.As the weight approaches the chest, the legs will be almost fully extended and the hipsforward (Figure 3). From there, you will partially squat beneath the weight to receive it(Figure 4) before standing to complete the lift.

Next, you can either return to the hang position, or perform continuous reps where youmove from Figure 4, back to Figure 2 without stopping. With heavier loads, it may be

necessary to briefly touch the weight to the ground between reps. As hand strengthincreases, your reliance on the floor for a brief rest will diminish. With or withouttouching the weight down, strong hands will be required to lift heavy loads overhead.Low to moderate reps are ideal when performing heavy snatches.

Swings

Whenever discussing the snatch, it is common to discuss the swing. Heavy snatches andswings go hand in hand. Like the snatch, the swing is a full body exercise that willdevelop the hands as a secondary benefit. Swings can be used as a strength movement

with heavier loads or for conditioning with moderate loads. I personally preferswinging heavy loads for moderate reps as either part of a strength workout or as afinisher to a strength routine. With either approach, support grip will be challenged.

For this particular discussion, I have included the swing to highlight the potential ofkettlebells. The kettlebell swing is perhaps the most popular kettlebell exercise of all. Ithas quickly become a mainstream movement. Everyone from soccer moms to seriousdeadlifters have embraced the swing (for good reason). Heavy swings are a tremendousposterior chain developer and the thicker handle of the kettlebell provides additionallower arm benefits.

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As for kettlebells vs. dumbbells, my stance is quite simple. Both tools are effective. Anathlete’s success is rarely based on the tool, but more importantly, how he uses it.

Therefore, while I may be a fan of heavy dumbbells, I am cognizant of the fact thatheavy kettlebells are beneficial as well. Even though I admittedly do not spend a lot oftime with kettlebells, there are swing variations that I enjoy.

Heavy kettlebell swings also provide secondary grip strength benefits

I often use kettlebell swings in a way that is similar to how I use a double overhand gripwhen performing lighter deadlifts. For instance, I may use a kettlebell for single armsets before progressing to heavier two hand swings with a T-handle (as seen below).

Heavy T handle swings are a tremendous full body strengthener

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The T-handle is a homemade device that allows me to perform heavy swings. I mustease my way up with lighter sets to begin however. I cannot jump right into 200 pound

swings without first warming up with lighter loads. Therefore, before using the T-handle, I may perform a few sets with a kettlebell. As with deadlifts, warm-up sets arerequired before proceeding to heavy loads. It only makes sense to perform these setswith a variation that provides secondary lower arm benefits. The thicker handle of thekettlebell is ideal in this regard.

Instructions for the T-handle along with several grip-based modifications will be discussed inmore detail in a later chapter. As you will see, there are several grip variations that can be performed with this inexpensive homemade tool.

Hand to Hand SwingsAnother swing variation that I enjoy involves a release and catch in mid-air. You swingthe kettlebell with one hand and release it into the air towards the top of the swing. InFigure 1, I have just swung the kettlebell with my left hand. The left hand releases thekettlebell into the air. My right hand then catches the kettlebell before continuing withanother swing and release (Figure 2).

I enjoy this variation as the hands are forced to precisely and repeatedly grip a movingweight. Unlike many grip exercises, the hands do not simply squeeze and maintain astatic position. On the contrary, the hands grab what is potentially a significant loadthat moves freely on its own. The relevance to athletes is obvious as few sports requireyou to grab a stationary object or opponent. An athlete’s grip needs are often dynamic.

If this exercise is new to you, be sure to start with a light weight in an area where it is safe todrop it. With regular practice, you will progress quickly.

Figure 1 Figure 2

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Overhead Press

In addition to swings and snatches, theoverhead press is another favorite lift ofmine. Pressing heavy weights overheadis one of the best ways to develop truestrength.

As for options, heavy dumbbells are mypreferred tool for pressing. Yet, unlikethe snatch and swing, pressing heavydumbbells offers few indirect benefits to

the lower arms.

Fortunately, we can once again look tothe kettlebell for assistance. The bottomsup press is an excellent variation thatwill force the lower arms to be engaged.

It is impossible to cheat when pressing a kettlebell overhead from the bottoms upposition. You must crush the handle as you press with a straight wrist and verticalforearm. Therefore, lower arm benefits include crush grip and wrist development. Asfor adding this lift to your routine, I am not suggesting that you discard heavier presses.Instead, it can be useful to include a few sets of low rep bottoms up presses beforecontinuing with heavier work. Naturally, if bottoms up pressing is new to youhowever, you must first become comfortable cleaning the kettlebell in this position. Asis often the case, I suggest starting light and progressing gradually.

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Farmer’s Walk

No discussion about direct or indirect exercises for the lower arms would be completewithout mentioning the farmer’s walk. The specifics of the exercise are quite simple.Grab a pair of heavy weights and begin walking for distance or time. A few sets aretypically all that will be necessary. As a result, this exercise is ideal as a finisher at theconclusion of a strength workout. It does not take long for the hands to become fatiguedwhen performing this exercise with considerable loads.

Homemade dumbbell handles are ideal for heavy farmer’s walks

Hand strength is just one of many benefits of the farmer’s walk. This exercise is truly afull body movement. Perform it regularly and expect to strengthen not just the hands,but also the legs, back, traps, and more.

Unfortunately, despite the obvious benefits of the exercise, it is still one that is rarely

performed by the masses. Many falsely assume that the farmer’s walk is intended solelyfor strongmen as it is often a competitive exercise within their sport. Such athletesperform this exercise with bars that are created specifically for the event. And whilefarmer’s walk handles are certainly nice, they are also expensive. If you do not wish topurchase such handles or weld your own, long handle dumbbells will work well for thenon-competitive strongmen.

In the picture above, I am using 24 inch handles that were made from ¾” galvanizediron pipe. I have used this same pair of handles for many years without any problems.

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Bent Over Rows

Another useful exercise that I perform with homemade handles is the bent over row.Heavy bent over rows are a tremendous strength movement that can provide lower armbenefits as well. Support grip will be enhanced when rowing any heavy load withoutgrip assistance. This is particularly true if you do not allow the dumbbell to touch theground between reps.

When performing this exercise, I prefer to kneel over the side of a bench, with one armand leg to the side. If you do not have a bench, you can support the left arm on the leftleg when pulling with the right arm (and vice versa).

Always perform warmup sets without straps

As you can see above, my hands must hold the heavy load throughout the set. I oftenperform this exercise for 10 reps or more so the hands are strengthened as a result. Insome ways, the lower arm challenge is similar to the farmer’s walk. I believe rows areactually more useful however as you do not just hold the weight, but actively lift it aswell. As mentioned earlier, an athlete’s grip needs are often dynamic as opposed to

static. For instance, grabbing an object in the real world may not be enough. You mayneed to lift it as well. Therefore, it is useful to include dynamic lower arm strengtheningexercises within the routine.

Unfortunately, many athletes miss out on the indirect lower arm benefits of heavy rowsas they use straps for each set. In some ways, straps with heavy rows are similar tousing an alternating grip when deadlifting. The straps allow one to lift more weightwithout being limited by the hands. Lifting more weight is certainly a plus, but usingstraps for sets that do not require them is pointless. Not only do you miss out on thelower arm benefits, you also develop dependency on the straps.

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Yet, while this book is focused on lower arm development, I am actually not against theuse of straps. There is no denying that straps can be useful for certain exercises. I simply

recommend against using them when performing lighter sets. Straps should only beused when absolutely necessary.

I use straps for my heaviest sets when performing Kroc rows

In the images above, I can be seen performing heavier rows with straps. Without straps,I would not be able to perform nearly as many reps with such a load. Therefore, I startby performing a few sets without straps. The lighter sets are used to both strengthen the

hands and prepare me for the more significant loads to follow. I then use straps forheavier Kroc rows (named after Matt Kroczaleski).

The Kroc row is not nearly as strict as a traditional row. It is somewhat of a cheatexercise where you intentionally use more weight than you can row under control. Andwhile some are opposed to the cheating nature of the movement, I have found Krocrows to be quite useful for upper body development. For instance, heavy Kroc rowshave actually provided positive carry over for me when performing both heavy chin-ups and one-arm chin-ups.

In summary, regardless of whether you perform strict rows or Kroc rows, I encourageyou to only use straps for the sets that require them. You will therefore reap the best ofboth worlds. You will be able to move heavier loads with straps while continuing todevelop strong hands without them.

Summary

To summarize this section, it is not expected that all readers will perform each of thelifts from this chapter. That is not my goal. I am not looking to restructure your entire

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routine. My hope is for you to recognize the lower arm possibilities that exist withmany conventional exercises.

In addition, you may already perform certain movements from this chapter. Forexample, the deadlift is obviously a popular lift. By simply altering your hand positionduring warm-up sets, you have an incredible lower arm developer at your disposal.And if you don’t appreciate the significance of bettering your ability to pick up or holdheavy things, grip strength may not be all that is lacking.

Moreover, lower arm work can often be added through small bits and pieces. Thefarmer’s walk is a prime example. The time required to perform a few sets with a heavyload is minimal. Therefore, not only do you have a tremendous full body exercise, youalso have a lower arm developer that requires nothing but a few minutes, no more thana few times per week.

Furthermore, while heavy dumbbells are not nearly as popular as they were in previouseras, their effectiveness has not changed. I encourage athletes to include at least oneheavy dumbbell lift within their program. For instance, heavy snatches have benefittedme and my athletes for many years. The snatch is not only a full body lift withsecondary lower arm benefits, it is also a movement that is naturally limited in terms ofoverall weight. Consequently, this type of lift is often less difficult to recover from whencompared to other lifts that involve more significant loads (ex. the deadlift). As a result,it is not difficult to add such a lift to an existing routine without throwing everything

else out of place. A few sets of heavy dumbbell snatches will not require a lot of timeand will not involve moving too much overall weight.

In summary, while there is obviously more to lower arm training than what can bereceived indirectly, working with a few of the exercises from this chapter is an idealintroduction to someone who has never targeted the lower arms. Small additions mayinitially seem insignificant, but it is often small pieces that eventually accumulate intosomething much more meaningful.

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ODD OBJECTS“We acquire the strength we have overcome.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Another tremendous way to strengthen the lower arms is by lifting heavy odd objects.Such objects are unlike any conventional strength training tool. Whether you lift, carry,or load the object, you can expect to be challenged. Odd objects develop a unique typeof real world strength. Unlike traditional weights, the odd object is not easily gripped orevenly balanced. The best odd objects are heavy, awkward, and difficult to hold. A fewexamples include sandbags, water balls, logs, and stones.

Regardless of the implement, the lower arms will be challenged when lifting and

controlling the object. It is all but impossible to find anyone who regularly lifts heavyodd objects who does not possess strong hands. Lower arm strength is essentially aprerequisite to successful odd object training.

Odd Object Oversight

Unfortunately, despite the benefits, athletes who frequently train with heavy, awkwardobjects are a dying breed. Aside from strongman competitors, it is not every day thatyou find someone who regularly lifts stones, logs, and heavy sandbags. Therefore, the

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obvious question that comes to mind is why do so many athletes neglect odd objects ifthey really are effective? There must be a reason for the widespread oversight within

the industry.

I. Intentional Industry Neglect

Perhaps the most obvious reason for neglect is that many of the better odd objects arefree to acquire. Items that are freely available offer little in return to gym owners andequipment manufacturers. And unfortunately, what is popular in the fitness industry isnot always what is most effective. Trends are often created by those with the financialresources necessary to market their ideas to the masses.

For instance, within this chapter I will demonstrate how heavy stones can be used for avariety of exercises. I own several hundred pounds in stones of all sizes and they wereall free to acquire. Some came from my yard, others from the woods, and others fromthe side of the road. Why would any gym owner or equipment manufacturer promotefree stone lifting to the masses? Naturally, they will instead promote items that they sellor encourage you to use as part of a gym membership.

I have never seen any marketing campaigns directed towards lifting stones that can befound on the side of the road. Fortunately, the lack of public attention is irrelevantwhen considering the benefits that come from lifting these objects.

II. Watered Down Commercialization

The second source of oversight is related to the first. While part of the industry ignoresodd objects, others have attempted to cash in on the niche market. Unfortunately, thebest way to promote widespread use is by making odd objects more comfortable.Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the industry has watered down what was once arugged and effective training style.

For example, many commercial sandbags are now equipped with carefully constructedhandles. The handles make the bags easier to grab. Lighter bags have also become quite

common. Though I don’t deny that smaller objects can be useful at times, it has becomerare to see anyone carrying and hoisting massive sandbags (as was common in thepast).

In summary, reducing the difficulty may appeal to the masses, but doing so negatesmany of the benefits that originally made the tools so useful. Odd objects are supposedto be awkward and difficult to maneuver. Stripping away these key attributes reducesthe odd object to a regular object that offers little in return.

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III. Difficulty

Lastly, based on how difficult it is to lift heavy, awkward objects, it is not surprisingthat many trainers shy away from these tools. In today’s online era, the last thing that aguru trainer wants to do is highlight his inabilities. Large stones, logs, and sandbags areextremely difficult to lift and carry. Such work will never be overly popular in a worldthat constantly seeks the easy road in hopes of instant gratification.

Conversely, many athletes do not appreciate or understand how effective odd objecttraining can be. It is impossible to comprehend how difficult it is to lift odd objects ifyou have not done so before. For instance, an athlete who is already strong may seelittle benefit in lifting an object that weighs less than what he is accustomed to liftingwith a barbell.

I encourage you to avoid making this false assumption. One of the key benefits to oddobject training is the awkwardness associated with each tool. When grabbing an objector opponent in the real world, you will not have a carefully constructed handle to assist.Odd objects are ideal for developing the real world strength that you may somedayneed outside the gym.

Stone Lifting

My grandfather was a brick and stone mason. As a teenager, I vividly remember himcrushing my hand with ease. It became somewhat of a game between us where hewould test my handshake whenever I saw him. No matter what I did, my hand wasn’tgoing anywhere until he released his vice grip. He was certainly my first introduction totruly strong hands. Ironically, my grandfather never spent a day training his hands.What he did instead was lift stones and bricks for long hours each day for most of hislife.

Fortunately, you do not need to be a mason to benefit from my grandfather’s example.What you can do instead is to include stone lifting as part of your odd object training.Regardless of the stone, you can expect the hands to be challenged. Stones are naturally

difficult to grip. Even the same stone can offer countless challenges by simply grabbingit in different places.

And as mentioned previously, perhaps the best part of stone lifting is that stones arefree to acquire. Almost any stone can serve as a valuable odd object. Even smallerstones can prove useful and challenging for many exercises. Over the years, I haveacquired a variety of stones. No two are the same, yet each is challenging for differentreasons. Stones are also ideal as they can be left inside or out. They will not be damagedby rain or snow. These free yet challenging objects will literally last a lifetime and won’tcost you a dollar.

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Clean and Press

One of my favorite odd object lifts is that of the clean and press. Cleaning and pressinga heavy, awkward object is a tremendous real world strength developer. Each objectpresents its own challenges.

For instance, stones are particularly difficult as they are awkward to grab. Therefore, itgoes without saying that pressing a stone overhead is not intended for beginners. Thereare natural risks associated when pressing any awkward object overhead. If stone liftingis new to you, be sure to begin with a light stone that you can comfortably control. Donot expect to lift the same weight in stone that you can with iron. The difficulty ingripping the stone will reduce the amount of weight that can be handled.

Even though lifting less weight may seem disadvantageous, I view it as a plus. Thelighter weight allows one to perform this type of work without disrupting your entirestrength training program. As mentioned earlier, I do not limit my overhead lifting toodd objects. I also enjoy pressing heavy dumbbells. Fortunately, the lighter weight ofthe stone allows me to lift it without disrupting my heavy dumbbell training.

I often perform overhead lifts with odd objects and conventional weights within thesame session. I reap the hand training benefits of the stone while warming up for theheavier dumbbell lifts to follow. Therefore, in this case, the stone lift is similar to the

kettlebell bottoms up press seen earlier. You are not lifting enough weight to interferewith your heavier (conventional) weight training, yet you are receiving secondarylower arm benefits.

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Another benefit to stone lifting is that the same stone can provide numerous challenges.Notice my hand position in the close up pictures below. My right and left hand have

different grips on the stone. Each hand is presented with a unique challenge. I can alsoturn or flip the stone for a new set of challenges. No other fixed weight can providesuch a vast array of grip challenges.

Loading

If you are not comfortable pressing stones overhead, one useful alternative is to load amoderate stone to a raised platform. Begin by cleaning the stone a few feet away fromthe platform. You will then walk with it forward and place it on top. In the imagebelow, I am using a homemade platform that fits within my power rack. Loading astone or sandbag to a platform has long been a favorite finisher of mine. I will often

load the object for reps or time at the conclusion of a strength workout. It does not takelong for the entire body to be challenged with particular attention to the lower arms.

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Clean and Throw

Stones can also be used outside. One of my favorite stone exercises is to clean a largestone and then explosively launch it forward with a chest pass. This exercise will notonly target the hands, but also develop full body strength and power. In terms of all-around (real world) strength, this exercise is tough to beat. It is also convenient as youdon’t need to worry about pressing the stone overhead and you don’t need a platformfor loading.

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Smaller Stones

Smaller stones can also be used for a variety of grip exercises. I have a vast collection ofvarious stones in all shapes and sizes. Each stone is unique so no matter how you grabit, you can expect the hands to be challenged. Many of the smaller stones are also idealfor dynamic hand training. Rather than simply holding a static position, these stonescan be lifted to challenge the lower arms throughout a vast range of motion.

For example, I can perform pinch grip rows with the following stone (with or without abench). The total weight is nowhere near what I can row with a dumbbell as I must holdthe stone with a pinch grip. Pinch grip is the grip between the fingers and thumb. Thefingers are on one side of an object with the thumb on the other. This type of grip is one

of the most important as thumb strength is essential to any pinch grip exercise.

Stones can be particularly useful for pinch grip as even a singlestone may offer multiple opportunities to train various degreesof pinch grip strength. As you can see, this stone varies inthickness so wherever I grab it, I can expect a unique challenge.

And once again, due to the lighter weight of the stone, I canperform a few sets of pinch grip rows without interfering withmy heavier rows. Pinch grip rows could be performed as awarm-up before heavier rows or as a grip based finisherafterward. With either scenario, I am able to train support gripand pinch grip within my strength workout without eating toomuch time on the clock.

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Pinch grip can also be trained with a release and catch drill. As you can see below, I pullupright, release the stone, and then catch it before it touches the ground. This type of

drill is much more challenging than statically holding a single position. Hand-eyecoordination and grip are trained simultaneously.

Smaller stones can also be used to perform continuous circuits with a variety ofexercises. You can get creative with exercise choice (ex. curls, lateral raises, front raises,

rows, clean and press, etc.). The key is to not allow the stones to touch the ground untilthe circuit is complete. You can work for time, reps, or multiple trips through thecircuit. These lightweight complexes are an ideal finisher at the end of a workout. A fewsets of a few minutes in duration and the grip will be taxed considerably.

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Concrete Blocks

As fond as I am of stones for handtraining, I realize that not everyone willhave access to the same materials. Ifstones are unavailable in your area,concrete blocks can be used in a similarfashion for certain exercises. By grippingthe middle of the concrete block, pinchgrip will be trained throughout eachexercise that is used.

Concrete blocks are usually not difficultto find. Many hardware stores sell themfor under $2 each. Perhaps the mostcommon size is 8 x 8 x 16 inches. At thissize, the blocks will typically be in the 40pound range (give or take a few poundsin either direction).

Pinch Grip Rows

As seen below, pinch grip rows can be performed with concrete blocks identically asyou would with a stone. Do not allow the block to touch the ground and challenge yourpinch grip endurance with moderate to high reps.

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Clean and Press

Concrete blocks can also be used for a lighter weight clean and press. This exercisecould be performed on its own or with two blocks as part of a circuit. In either case, youare not working with a considerable amount of weight. As a result, it is not difficult tomake room for this type of movement within a routine. Pinch grip endurance will betaxed while the rest of the body is spared from too much difficulty.

Those who have never trained pinch grip seriously will likely struggle for even singlereps. Fortunately, you can train pinch grip directly without significant loads.

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Farmer’s Walk

Concrete blocks can also be used for a lighter farmer’s walk. For instance, suppose youhave performed a strenuous lifting session. The body is taxed from heavy barbell worksuch as deadlifting. It may not make sense to perform a heavy farmer’s walk. Oneworthwhile alternative would be to instead perform a lighter variation. Concrete blocksare one of many options. Pinch grip endurance will be taxed while the rest of the bodyperforms minimal work. A few minutes will be all that is necessary.

Although a few minutes may seem insignificant, it is often these small additions thatprove most valuable. For instance, when discussing brief finishers or mini-workouts, Ioften reference the following mathematical example.

Suppose you add a five minute finisher to your workout three days per week. The totaladdition to your weekly routine would be 15 minutes. Fifteen extra minutes each weekis a blink of an eye when you consider how much total time is available. Each dayconsists of 1,440 minutes. Each week consists of 10,080 minutes. To add 15 minutes ofwork to a week that has 10,080 minutes isn’t difficult and may even seem pointless. Youmay even wonder how much can be accomplished in an extra 15 minutes. Surprisingly,the answer is plenty. Fifteen minutes each week is 780 minutes a year, which is 13 hoursof work. Can you imagine 13 hours of non-stop lower arm training? That’s a lot of time.And if you bumped up the finisher to 10 minutes instead of 5, now you are looking at26 hours of additional work each year. As you examine the math, it is not difficult to seehow the small additions can accumulate into something much more significant.

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Sandbags

Sandbags are another tremendous odd object. An abbreviated definition of a sandbag isa bag filled with sand or another material such as wood pellets, pea gravel, or rubbermulch. Depending on the materials used, the inner contents are either dumped directlyinto a larger bag (often referred to as the outer shell) or added to filler bags which areplaced inside the outer shell.

For example, sand is a fine material so if it were dumped directly into the outer shell,there is a good chance the small particles would eventually leak. Therefore, filler bagsare used to house the sand. A common do-it-yourself option for filler bags involvesusing tire inner tubes. Tire inner tubes are quite durable and often easy to find.

As you can see to the left, the tire inner tubes arecut into smaller pieces. Start by securing one endwith a zip-tie and duct tape before filling the tubewith sand. Next, you would secure the opposingend with another zip-tie and more duct tape.These filler bags will then be placed within theouter shell.

If you do not wish to use filler bags, be sure to use

a material that will not leak through the outershell. Rubber mulch is one example. While notnearly as dense as sand or gravel, rubber mulchwill last a lifetime and will not leak.

In the pictures that follow, the outer shell is a naval sea bag with seams that have beenreinforced with an industrial strength seam sealant. The end of the bag is closed with azip-tie which is then wrapped in duct tape.

As for the relevance to lower arm development,almost any sandbag lift that is executed without

handles will challenge the hands. As you can see,my hands must grab the actual bag material.Doing so is much more difficult than grabbing acarefully constructed handle. Strong hands andfingers are required to lift and control the heavy,awkward object. Performing lifts with this grip issimilar to grabbing an opponent’s jersey or gi. It isextremely challenging to maintain a proper gripwhen moving or controlling considerable weight.

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Clean and Press

As was the case with stones, cleaning and pressing a sandbag is a tremendous displayof real world strength. Not only must you fight the shifting inner contents within thebag, you must also maintain a solid grip on an object that is not intended for gripping.When grabbing the bag’s material from the top, the hands will be challengedconsiderably during the initial pull. It is from there that you will release and then catchthe bag in a more favorable position to allow for an overhead press.

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An easier way to clean the bag would be by cupping the hands underneath. By starting

from such a position, hand strength will not be challenged as considerably during the

initial pull. If you wish to develop the hands, grab the bag from the top or side. Initially,it may feel awkward or even painful to the fingers. With consistent practice, the lower

arms will adapt to the challenge however. Just be sure that the finger nails are trimmed

short before attempting this variation.

Water Ball Substitute

Before discussing additional sandbag lifts, it is worth noting that a water ball* can beused to perform many of the exact exercises. A water ball is simply an anti-burst

stability ball that has been filled with water. Common sizes include 65cm or 75cm. Eachwill hold more than 100 pounds of water.

In terms of pound for pound difficulty, the water ball is certainly a top contender. Thesloshing nature of the water makes this object incredibly difficult to control. To add tothe challenge, water balls are also extremely awkward to grip. Simply put, there is noconvenient way to grab a water ball. There are no handles. The only way to lift a waterball is by grabbing the ball’s material in a way that is similar to how you would grab asandbag. The water within will slosh much more violently than sand however. It almostfeels as if the water ball is pulling itself from the hands as you attempt to lift the object.

In summary, if you already perform the sandbag exercises from this section, perhapsthe water ball is one object that you have not yet tried. Adding this tool to your arsenalpromises to be both challenging and beneficial.

Shouldering a water ball Loading a water ball to a platform

* Related tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIXvBnOL3Tg

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Sandbag Loading

Previously, I demonstrated how stones could be loaded to a raised platform. Sandbagsand water balls can also be used for loading. In the pictures below, I show how to loadthe sandbag from a sideward position. As you can see, my hands must tightly grip thebag throughout the lift. Therefore, not only do I have a tremendous full body lift, but atremendous lower arm developer as well.

If you opt to load from the position below, be sure to work both sides evenly.

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Sandbag Shouldering

Shouldering is to sandbags what swings are to kettlebells. Anyone who has ever trainedwith a sandbag has likely spent a fair amount of time shouldering. Shouldering a heavysandbag is yet another full body lift with secondary lower arm benefits. The hands musthold on tightly throughout the pull.

As for specifics, shouldering involves what the name implies. You lift the bag from thefloor to the shoulder. Naturally, you will work both sides evenly.

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Lighter Bags

When training with sandbags, there is no denying my preference for heavier bags.Heavy sandbag lifting can be quite strenuous however. As a result, certain athletes maywish to avoid such work. Perhaps they are already busy with an existing free weightroutine and do not have room to add heavy odd object training. If you find yourself inthat position, one alternative may be to work with a lighter bag. You can still experiencesome of the lower arm benefits while minimizing the load placed upon the rest of thebody.

For instance, grab a lighter bag with one hand and rip it into the air. Release the bag andattempt to catch it with the other hand before it touches the ground. This type of drill

could prove particularly useful to an athlete who must quickly grab a jersey or gi. Ifyour hands have the ability to snatch a sandbag in mid-air, they will certainly beeffective at reaching out to grab an opponent.

In many ways, lighter sandbags can be used similarly to the lighter stones seen earlier.Regardless of how the bags are grabbed, held, and lifted, the hands will be challengedwith relatively minimal loads.

And even if you prefer heavy sandbag training, these lighter drills could serve as aviable warm-up or as a brief finisher. Once again, several options exist simply becauseof the lighter load. It is typically more difficult to make room for a heavily weightedexercise. A lighter drill can be included almost anywhere without interruptions.

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Manual Labor

Odd objects may also be hiding as manual labor tools. If you have ever worked with aheavily loaded wheelbarrow, you likely remember the extreme pump experiencedthroughout the forearms. Walking with a heavy wheelbarrow can be a tremendous oddobject finisher. I occasionally include uphill wheelbarrow walks in place of a heavyfarmer’s walk. And once again, the wheelbarrow is by no means a necessity, but it isundoubtedly beneficial. The physical challenge is certainly unique when compared toany of my conventional tools.

A finisher could be as simple as walking up and down the hill for 10 minutes. When Iwalk down the hill, I do so by walking the wheelbarrow backwards under control.

The reinforced wheelbarrow above holds 500 pounds with ease. Unfortunately, it is farfrom easy to walk that load up and down the hill repeatedly.

Additions, Not Overhauls

As you begin to examine the odd object possibilities that exist, it is not difficult tobecome overwhelmed. For instance, suppose you already train with free weights andcalisthenics. How on earth will you make room for sandbags, stones, and water balls?There is only so much time in a week and the body can only handle so much work.

Fortunately, adding odd objects to your schedule does not need to be confusing. I havenot included each of these objects with hopes that you will include them all at once.Less can be more. I have demonstrated multiple objects so that you will have options toconsider as the weeks, months, and years pass.

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Speaking from experience, I have trained consistently with various odd objects for over15 years. Throughout that time, I have experimented with countless strategies. What

has always worked best for me was to include odd object training as an addition, ratherthan developing an entire routine based on the object.

I do not train for the odd object. Instead, I use the odd object to assist with a goal orobjective that is pertinent to me at the time. Therefore, whenever I am asked to list myfavorite odd object workouts, I rarely have a response. Such a question assumes that aroutine has been developed based on the tool. I do not subscribe to an object-basedtraining philosophy.

I strongly believe that odd objects are best used as a supplement to an existing routineor program. For instance, I may include a heavy sandbag exercise within a strengthtraining routine. One example that I have used many times is to shoulder a heavysandbag after deadlifting. The sandbag makes a valuable addition to the routine, butthe entire routine is not based on the sandbag. Another example I often use is toconclude a routine with an odd object finisher. I regularly change which odd objects areused. One day I may load sandbags. Another day may conclude with a lighter stonefinisher. I continually vary my selections as the weeks and months pass.

The cumulative effect is that I have become well versed with a variety of heavy,awkward objects. I am not invested solely in any particular item. Such an approach hasproved to be most effective for me both physically in terms of gains and mentally by

eliminating staleness and monotony.

Availability

And while I certainly enjoy training with a variety of objects, it is worth noting that youcan do well without each of the items that I have presented in this chapter. For example,not everyone lives in an area that is populated with mountains and stones. If you do nothave access to stones, don’t assume that your lower arm development will suffer. Nosingle item should be viewed as a necessity. Once again, view each object as an option ifand when the opportunity presents itself. I simply advise you to remain open minded

when considering odd object possibilities. There are often ample opportunities to liftheavy, awkward objects that the average person would not think twice about.

For instance, suppose you do not wish to make a sandbag or water ball and you cannotlocate stones in your area. There are still possibilities that may be realistic for you.Perhaps you have access to large logs. A heavy log is a tremendous odd object to liftand carry and the free price cannot be beat.

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Below are two examples that I freely acquired last year after a local tree service leftthem on the side of the road. These heavy logs proved to be challenging odd objects that

I used throughout the winter.

Not only is each log challenging for various lifts and carries, notice my hand position inboth pictures. Shouldering the log on the left requires an open-handed position that is

unlike any conventional weight.

Carrying the log on the right also provides a unique lower arm challenge. Notice howmy fingers are positioned underneath the log. It is extremely difficult to maintain thisposition while carrying such a heavy log. Heavy carries have always been a favoritefinisher of mine, but this particular log was unlike anything else I have ever carriedbefore.

Summary

By now it should be clear that there are often ample opportunities to strengthen thelower arms with objects or tools that are inexpensive to acquire and not difficult toinclude within an existing routine. I just caution you against becoming overly ambitiouswith odd object training if it is new to you. Odd object training is unlike anything youwill experience within a conventional gym. It is not uncommon to experience sorenessin small muscle groups that you did not know existed. Give your body time to adapt tosuch work by making the transition gradual. Odd object training must not be rushed. Ittakes time to develop the ability to manhandle heavy, awkward objects.

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ROPES AND TOWELS“When you're at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on”

- Theodore Roosevelt

There is no denying the vast array of equipment that exists for lower arm training.Between high-end commercial products and inexpensive homemade tools, there arecountless options. Fortunately, there may also be useful grip training items that youalready own without realizing it. Two examples include towels and ropes. Both itemsare extremely effective at developing the lower arms and do not require construction.They work as is. You do not need to build or modify anything for a piece of rope ortowel to become a useful grip training tool.

Towels and ropes of all sizes can be used for a variety of challenging exercises. They canbe used to enhance several bodyweight movements and free weight lifts. Towels andshort strips of rope are also lightweight, thus easy to pack. It is always nice to haveportable grip training tools available. Regardless of where you travel or train, it is notdifficult to add a towel or short piece of rope to your gym bag.

As for exercise options, perhaps the most common towel and rope movements occurfrom the pull-up bar. If you perform pull-ups and have access to a towel or rope, youhave a tremendous lower arm developer at your disposal.

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Towel Pull-ups

A basic towel pull-up can be performed with a single towel. If possible, it is best to uselarger towels such as a beach towel or bath towel. Smaller towels are not as difficult togrip. They also may not hang low enough to allow for a full range of motion.

To perform the exercise, start by hanging a towel evenly over the bar. Next, secure agrip that allows for a full range of motion. For instance, notice my hand position in thepictures below. If I gripped the towel higher, my head would hit the bar at the top ofthe movement. I also need to bend at the knees to prevent my legs from touching theground. Initially, it may take you a few reps to determine the ideal hand and legposition, but after a few sets, you will instinctively find it without thought.

Towel pull-ups are quite popular with many Brazilian jiu-jitsu athletes. The lower armstrength that is developed through towel training often proves useful when grapplingwith a gi.

Single towel pull-ups are perhaps the most common of all, but this variation is just thebeginning of countless options. Once you have developed strength with a single towel,you can begin working with more difficult variations. As for placement within aroutine, towel pull-ups can be performed as a substitute for traditional pull-ups. Theupper body pulling demands will be similar with extra attention directed towards thelower arms.

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Two Towel Pull-ups

A more difficult towel pull-up can be performed with two towels. This variation maylook similar to a single towel pull-up, but the grip demands are much more challenging.With a full sized beach towel in each hand, there is much more material that must begripped tightly to successfully pull yourself towards the bar.

If full sized towels are too difficult,smaller hand towels can be used as aprogression. You will not need to worryabout head clearance when working withtwo towels. You can grab the materialmuch closer to the bar.

The smaller towels to the left may notlook considerably different from those

above, but are actually much easier togrip. There is not nearly as much materialthat must be squeezed within the hand.The difference between the two may bedifficult to comprehend until comparingthe various sizes yourself.

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Towel Modifications

If you do not have larger towels to use, one way to increase the difficulty is by wearinggloves that do not provide grip assistance. For example, the fleece gloves below turn arelatively easy exercise into one that is much more challenging.

If you are too tall to perform towel pull-ups from your bar, consider working from theL-sit position. Even taller athletes can use relatively low hanging bars to perform L-pull-ups. An added benefit is that the core will be challenged as well.

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Ropes vs. Towels

A close relative to the towel pull-up is the rope pull-up. One key difference however isthat ropes are available in more sizes. Each size presents a unique challenge.

As for difficulty, the thinnest and thickest ropes tend to be most difficult. The ½ inchand 2 inch ropes above are much more challenging when compared to the 1.25 and 1.5inch ropes.

½ inch 1.25 inch

1.5 inch 2 inch

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The rope’s material can also influence difficulty. For example, the ½ inch rope from theprevious page is a smooth, nylon rope. The nylon material is much more difficult to

securely grip when compared to the more commonly used manila.

As for comparing towels to ropes, I am often asked which tool is more challenging andeffective. Unfortunately, there is not a single answer to these questions. There is nodenying that ropes and towels are similar, but I believe there are enough differencesbetween them to justify training with each. I often switch back and forth betweentowels and ropes and consider both to be extremely effective. And as you will soon see,there are exercises unique to each tool that cannot be easily replicated with the other.

Rope Specifics

If you wish to use ropes of various sizes, four foot strips are typically used for pull-ups.If the rope is less than four feet in length, certain athletes may not have enough headclearance at the top of the pull. Fortunately, many rope suppliers will gladly sell ropeby the foot. Therefore, you will not need to purchase more than you intend to use.

In addition, if you wish to purchase longer lengthsto create multiple pieces, it is not difficult to cutthe rope yourself. You do not need any fancymachinery to cut a manila rope. A basic handsawwill suffice.

Once the rope has been cut to length, burn theedges to prevent fraying and then secure the endswith duct tape.

As for suppliers and price estimates, I have found some of the best deals on eBay. I have

purchased two inch ropes for less than $3 per foot. As the rope gets thinner, the priceswill typically drop. It is not uncommon to pay less than $2 a foot for a 1.5 inch climbingrope.

Contrary to what the fitness industry would like many to believe, you do not need ahigh-end rope to climb or perform pull-ups. A fitness equipment manufacturer is thelast place I would shop for ropes. Manila ropes can be found for much lower rates fromcompanies who market the ropes to boating docks and similar industries.

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Rope Modifications

If you do not wish to purchase multiplesize ropes, the glove modification that wasdemonstrated with towels is a worthyoption. Adding gloves to a 1.5 inch ropewill often increase the difficulty beyondwhat is experienced with a 2 inch rope.

When wearing gloves, the hands mustsqueeze incredibly hard to avoid slippingdown the rope. Athletes who have not

trained the grip regularly will often findthemselves unable to even hold a staticposition with gloves.

Unlike towels, a single rope pull-up is no

different from working with separateropes. The grip demands are identical aseach hand grabs one end of the rope witheither variation. Towels are unique aswhen working with two towels, the handsmust grab both ends to secure a grip. Ifnot, the towel would naturally fall fromthe bar.

Two separate ropes can be useful for tallerathletes however as they allow one to

perform L-pull-ups. By working from theL position, foot clearance is no longer anissue at the bottom of the pull-up. Thisposition is not always possible whenworking from the side (depending on theconfiguration of your bar).

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Double Ropes

Considering that the grip demands are identical when hanging a rope over a bar vs.performing pull-ups with a different rope in each hand, you may be wondering why Ibother to attach separate ropes to my power rack.

The lower arm challenge is identical with each of these pull up variations

Pull-ups are just the beginning of the grip trainingexercises that exist with rope however. Securelyattached ropes can be used for several additionalmovements.

As for requirements, almost any overhead pull-up baror rack can be used to attach the ropes. High ceilingsare not necessary. On the pages that follow, you willsee how I have secured two 1.5 inch thick manila ropesto a power rack. The ropes are attached seven feetoverhead. And while seven feet may not seem like alot, it is all the length you will need to perform severalchallenging exercises.

To attach a rope to a bar or rack, you will need approximately 18 to 24 inches of extrarope. With the extra length, you can securely tie the rope with one of many knots. Twohalf hitches is one of the more commonly used knots for attaching rope to a bar, butseveral options exist. You can find several knot tutorials with a quick search of the web.

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Double Rope Exercises

Climbing from a seated position is perhaps the best double rope exercise.

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There is no denying that rope climbing is atremendous upper body exercise with lower

arm benefits. I have a 25 foot rope outside thatI climb regularly. I often use it as a finisher. Forexample, I will climb up and down as manytimes as possible in a ten minute period.

I realize however that not everyone lives in anarea where it is feasible to securely attach anoutdoor rope. In addition, outdoor climbing isnot always possible due to poor weather. Iwould never have an athlete climb rope in therain. Falling from such a height could be tragic.

Fortunately, climbing two shorter ropes insidewill provide many of the same benefits thatyou would experience by climbing a longerrope outdoors. The shorter distance is not thelimitation that many believe it to be.

As you can see on page 54, I begin from a seated position to extend range of motion. Ithen climb the ropes with my arms only. Upon reaching the top of the ropes, I reach for

the bar and perform either one or a few pull-ups. I then reverse the process by climbingdown the ropes (under control, with one arm at a time). As soon as I am seated again, Iimmediately continue with another climb.

Each climbing sequence is relatively short. Yet, despite the short distance, it does nottake many trips up and down for this exercise to become quite challenging. Difficultywill also increase if you perform pull-ups from the top of the ropes, as opposed to usingthe bar. Between climbing and performing pull-ups at the top, you have a tremendousupper body pulling exercise with particular attention directed towards the lower arms.

If climbing two ropes is initially too challenging, you can also perform this exercisefrom a single rope. With a single rope, the legs can provide assistance. Even without thelegs however, climbing two ropes is more challenging than climbing a single rope.Therefore, I suggest using two ropes when climbing minimal distance. Due to theshorter length, it is useful to make the brief climb as challenging as possible.

As for carry over to outdoor climbing, I have found the shorter indoor climbs to bequite useful. I typically climb indoors throughout most of the winter. As soon as theweather warms, I climb outside to enjoy the scenery and fresh air. A regular dose ofindoor climbing allows me to maintain my outdoor abilities without skipping a beat.

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Rope Suspension Trainer

Ropes can also be used to replicate several exercises that are commonly performed witha suspension trainer. Rope body rows are a prime example. To perform this horizontalpulling exercise, start from a position where the body is just inches above the floor.Only the feet should touch the ground throughout the set. Allowing the upper body totouch down between reps will minimize the grip challenge.

Although body rows are often considered a beginner exercise, there are variations thatwill challenge even advanced athletes. Body rows should not be viewed as an exercisethat you will outgrow or are already beyond simply because you can perform pull-ups.Pull-ups and body rows are both useful and can often be performed within the sameworkout. It is always nice to have quality horizontal and vertical pulling movementswithin a routine.

In many ways, body rows are similar to traditional pull-ups in that once you develop

proficiency with the basics, you should progress towards more challenging options. Forinstance, once an athlete is comfortable performing multiple pull-ups, he will often addweight or begin working towards more difficult variations (ex. one arm chin-ups). Inother words, you don’t leave pull-ups behind simply because you can perform pull-ups.

The same logic can be applied to body rows. Once you are comfortable performingmultiple reps with the feet grounded, you can begin working with more difficultvariations. Even the simple addition of a weighted vest can turn a body row into achallenging strength exercise.

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Elevating the feet from a bar or bench will also increase the challenge of the body row.Add a weighted vest as well and you have an extremely challenging movement. Few

athletes will perform ten reps with the feet elevated while wearing a 50 pound vest.

If you do not have ropes but would like to perform this exercise, you can hang towelsfrom a suspension trainer. Simply loop a large towel through each handle and you have

a new grip challenge at your disposal. It is always nice to have exercises that targetmultiple objectives. This variation provides horizontal pulling with secondary gripbenefits.

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A single arm body row can also be performed with a rope or towel attachment. Hand

strength will be challenged considerably when performing multiple reps without

allowing the body to touch the ground.

A thick towel makes this exercise incredibly difficult. I believe it is more challenging

than a rope. The hands must maintain extreme tension throughout each rep to avoid

slipping down the towel.

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Ropes can also be used for one of my favorite tricep exercises. Using ropes for the

bodyweight tricep extension makes an already difficult exercise even more challenging.

The difficulty of this movement is impossible to comprehend without trying it yourself.

Fortunately, if it is too difficult, you can adjust your starting position on the rope to

make it more manageable. Starting from a higher position will decrease the difficulty.

As strength increases, you can gradually progress towards a lower starting position.

The eventual goal should be to start this exercise with the elbows just above the ground.

If you have never performed this exercise before, you can expect considerable soreness

throughout the triceps. An added benefit is that the hands will also be targeted when

using ropes to perform this movement.

Rope and Towel Hangs

When considering exercises such as rope pull-ups, body rows, and tricep extensions, we

have strength movements that provide secondary lower arm benefits. For example,

when performing a rope pull-up, the hands are challenged, but you are still performing

a pull-up. The exercise is not focused exclusively on lower arm development. With or

without the grip challenge, you have still performed a pull-up.

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Ropes and towels can also be used to target the lower arms directly. Hanging from

either with a single hand is a classic example. Your ability to hang from a towel or rope

will depend almost exclusively on lower arm strength. If the hands are not strongenough, you will not be able to hold on. Many otherwise strong athletes will struggle to

hold on for even a few seconds. Holding yourself for 20 seconds or more will typically

require a considerable amount of training (particularly for larger athletes).

A thick towel and 1.5 inch manila rope are similar in terms of difficulty.

Certain observers may see a one arm hang and wonder if it is all for show or if there are

actual benefits that will prove useful to athletes. Fortunately, I believe one arm hangs of

all varieties can be quite beneficial. There is no denying the grip challenge. It is also nice

to have exercises that challenge the grip without loading the spine. For example,

compare a one arm hang to a heavy farmer’s walk. Both challenge your ability to hold

on, yet the load distributed to the rest of the body is entirely different.

I am obviously a fan of hangs and farmer’s walks, but it is always useful to have

multiple options. For instance, if I am focused heavily on my deadlift, I may not wish to

add a heavy farmer’s walk to my schedule. Shifting gears to one arm hangs instead may

provide my low back with some much needed rest. It is also useful to have challenging

grip exercises that can be performed almost anywhere. If you can find somewhere to

hang a towel, you have instantly created a challenging grip station. And if you don’t

have a towel, just grab the bar directly with your hand. Whether you hang from a bar,

rope, or towel, the lower arms will be challenged considerably.

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As for instructions, hanging from one arm is a relatively straightforward exercise. You

can either hold on or you can’t. I would simply advise you to maintain some tension

throughout the active shoulder and lats. Be aware however that a one arm hang is anadvanced movement. This is not the type of exercise that a beginner should even think

of performing. It is important that you first develop strength and competency with two

arm towel or rope exercises.

When considering progressions for one

arm hangs, there are several approaches.

Many athletes begin with two arm hangs.

One example would be to hold yourself

from two ropes or towels. As your ability

improves, you can eventually add weight

via a weighted vest.

Many athletes also follow progressions that

are similar to those used for one arm chin-

ups. For example, one hand will grab the

towel or rope, while the other provides

assistance by just barely touching the bar.

As strength increases, you become less

dependent on the other hand’s assistance.

Personally, I used very little static work to initially develop my one arm hanging ability.

Instead, I worked with several dynamic movements that drastically improved my static

strength. A few examples include weighted rope pull-ups, weighted rope climbs, and

one arm body rows. Each of these exercises will naturally strengthen the hands. As

strength improves, your ability to grip a towel or rope will also improve.

As I look back to my early training, the bulk of my static work was actually performed

with two hands. I have written training logs from almost ten years ago detailing how I

would perform weighted rope pull-ups and then finish each set with a weighted rope

hang for time. On other days, I would climb rope outdoors (often with a weighted vest).

Clearly, these exercises are not the typical progressions used to achieve one arm hangs,

but I believe it is worth noting the potential that exists with dynamic rope and towel

exercises. Such training proved instrumental for me to eventually achieve these

challenging feats of one arm hanging strength.

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Weighted pull ups and rope climbs from 2006

In summary, as much as I enjoy one arm hangs, I encourage you to avoid focusing all ofyour attention to static work. As stated previously, the grip demands of an athlete are

dynamic. So while static holds can be valuable, don’t let their value blind you to the

significance of dynamic work as well.

Towels, Ropes, and Weights

Towels and ropes are often viewed solely as supplements to bodyweight movements.

The reality however is that towels and ropes can also be used to enhance several free

weight exercises. You do not need to be a bodyweight enthusiast to include towel or

rope training as a means to enhance lower arm strength.

In fact, one of my favorite rope exercises

involves pulling a weighted sled. Sled pulls

are ideal as you can perform this exercise in

almost any weather. The upper body

demands are similar to rope climbing minus

the risk of falling. Therefore, this exercise

could be particularly useful for those who

have nowhere to climb.

To perform sled pulls, I attach a rope to a

metal sled (the type of sled that kids use in

the snow). Such sleds usually have rope

handles included so it is not difficult to

attach a pulling rope to the handle.

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Another benefit to sled pulling is that it is easy to work with ropes of different sizes.

The rope on page 62 is much thinner than the manila rope seen below. It takes but a

matter of seconds to change ropes. It is much less convenient to change climbing ropesthat are knotted 25 feet overhead.

As for workout options with a sled, I often pull the sled in one direction and then

perform a backwards drag to return the sled to the starting position. It does not take

many trips through this sequence to experience fatigue throughout the upper and lower

body. It truly serves as a full body conditioner or finisher with particular attention to

the lower arms.

If you live in an area where snow sleds are not sold, a similar device could be made

with a small tire. You can find several tutorials online that show how to create a tire

dragging sled. The only downside to the tire sled is that it will not work as well on

grass. If you drag a heavy tire across your lawn, it is all but guaranteed that your grass

will pay the ultimate sacrifice.

The metal snow sled* is much smoother on the bottom so it can be safely dragged on the

grass without damaging the lawn. I have worked with the same snow sled for many

years and it still works as good as new. It flattens out the grass when used but never to

the extent that the lawn is damaged. If you opt to create a tire sled, I suggest using it on

a paved surface such as a large parking lot.

* Related tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76i8yZV0tyU

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Towel Lifts

Continuing with the dynamic theme,another tremendous lower arm exerciseinvolves performing one arm swingswhile gripping a towel. A towel swing canbe performed with a kettlebell or T-handle. Simply loop the towel through thekettlebell handle or around the T-handleas demonstrated.

For this particular exercise, a smaller towel

will be used than what was demonstratedfrom the pull-up bar. When performingtowel swings, the towel cannot be too longor there will not be enough clearance atthe bottom of the swing.

Whether using a kettlebell or T-handle, the working hand will need to squeezeincredibly hard to maintain control of the weight as it swings upward and away. Interms of developing grip strength throughout a vast range of motion, swings are toughto beat. This exercise is deceivingly difficult even with moderate loads. As with the

previously demonstrated swing variations, towel swings are an ideal warm-up beforeswinging heavier loads with a traditional grip.

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More controlled lifts can also be performed with towels. Hammer curls and rows are

two examples. Both will blast the lower arms.

A farmer’s walk can also be performed. Although kettlebells are more convenient togrip with towels, dumbbells can be used as well. Once you get a feel for the balance thatis required, it is not difficult to maintain throughout each walk. As for usefulness, theseexercises are actually similar to the bodyweight movements seen earlier in the chapter.As with those previous examples, these are dynamic strength movements thatundoubtedly target the lower arms. It is even feasible to use these exercises whenprogressing towards static holds from a towel or rope. The strength developed withthese exercises will certainly carry over to those static holds.

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Thick rope can also be used for certain lifts. For example, curling a heavy kettlebell with

a 2 inch thick rope proves to be quite challenging for the hands and forearms. Even

those from the anti-isolation crowd will likely find themselves enjoying this variation.As with many of the towel and rope exercises, thick rope curls are deceivingly difficult.

T-Bar Rope Rows

Ropes can also be used for one of myfavorite rowing exercises. A T-bar row canbe performed with an Olympic barbell usinga short piece of rope as the handle.

You do not need a landmine to perform thisexercise. Simply secure one end of the

barbell with a heavy dumbbell against awall or corner. As seen to the right, I alsoadd a piece of foam insulation to preventdamage to the concrete wall.

Do not perform this exercise without firmlysecuring the non-lifted end. With heavyloads, the barbell can literally fly up the wallif it is not secured. I have seen it happen andit can be dangerous.

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When performing the T-bar row with rope, I am not concerned about ultra-strict form.In some ways, I perform the exercise similar to a Kroc row. My goal is to load as much

weight as my hands can handle.

Rope rows with 1.5 inch manila rope

As a result, this exercise certainly targets the back similarly to a stricter T-bar row, butwith much greater attention directed towards the lower arms. Based on the overall load

that is used, this variation ranks among my favorite rope exercises. And fortunately, allthat you will need is a few feet of rope. Therefore, if you had nowhere to climb, youcould still realize significant lower arm benefits by adding this exercise to your strengthtraining regimen.

As for towels vs. ropes, I prefer ropes forthis particular exercise. The towels that Iown begin to tear if I surpass five 45 poundplates. Manila rope is stronger so canhandle much more weight. I will neveroutgrow the capacity of the ropes.

It is also nice to have different sized ropesavailable. Even an extra half inch can makea considerable difference. It is much morechallenging to perform rope rows with a 2inch rope compared to a 1.5 inch rope. As aresult, I typically integrate multiple sizeswithin a workout. The added varietypromotes all-around development.

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Summary

In summary, there is no denying the versatility and effectiveness of towels and ropesfor lower arm development. Whether you prefer lifting weights, bodyweight exercise,or a combination of both, the addition of a towel or rope is a no-brainer. In terms ofeffectiveness, convenience, and cost, towels and ropes will contend with almost anylower arm tool.

And while many of the variations from this chapter are difficult to perform, don’t let thechallenge discourage you. Many athletes begin training with towels and ropes withgreat ambition, yet soon after put these tools aside to collect dust. The reason for theneglect is simple. It has nothing to do with lack of effectiveness. Instead, the neglect is

based almost entirely on difficulty. Exercises that are challenging will never be overlypopular with the masses. The easy path is the road most often traveled.

Unfortunately, the easy path does not lead anywhere. It is like traveling in a circle. Youkeep moving, but you never get anywhere. If you ever wish to develop true strength, itis inevitable that you will need to become comfortable with the uncomfortable. Thisrealization is particularly true when discussing lower arm development. Many toweland rope exercises won’t feel very good on your hands initially. Developing strengthand competency with these simple implements is not easy. It takes time. Your patiencewill be rewarded however as long as you remain consistent and diligent.

I have worked with towels and ropes for many years and I rank them among myfavorite lower arm developers. The benefits that I have received from these simple toolsare as meaningful as those derived from any other tool I own. And in case you didn’tknow, I own a lot of equipment. Ropes and towels hold their own against any of mycommercial and homemade tools.

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PINCH GRIP

“Unless you try to do something beyond what you have alreadymastered, you will never grow.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Earlier, I demonstrated how odd objects such as stones and concrete blocks can be usedto enhance pinch grip strength. Those exercises only scratched the surface of the pinchgrip possibilities that exist however. There are literally countless exercise options forpinch grip training. And fortunately, despite the numerous options that exist, nonerequire expensive equipment. As you will see, pinch grip training is affordable toanyone interested in developing this often overlooked objective.

As for significance, pinch grip is perhaps the most important grip to target with directattention. The significance of the thumbs cannot be overstated. Only so much handstrength can be developed if the thumbs are neglected. Luckily, since the thumbs oftenreceive such little attention, it does not take much direct work to notice improvements.

Yet, while small additions can lead to improvements, pinch grip must be targeteddirectly. Unlike other grips, pinch grip is not developed through conventional strengthtraining. For instance, earlier we saw how support grip can be developed with deadliftsand rows. These movements will not develop pinch grip. The forceps motion of yourpinch grip is ignored when grasping a bar. Therefore, direct work is required to developthis important aspect of lower arm strength.

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Door Pinch

My introduction to pinch grip training came many years ago after reading EdwardAston’s grip training book. One of the exercises that caught my eye required nothingbut an open door. The instructions were simple. Grab the door at approximately waistheight and sit back with your weight on your heels. As you lean away from the door, itbecomes more difficult to hold on.

Based on the shape of a door, pinch grip is directly targeted with this exercise. Thethumb must work extremely hard to prevent slipping from the door. When I firstattempted this exercise, I was amazed at the difficulty.

It was also nice to have a challenging exercise that could be performed almostanywhere. I began practicing this hold each morning while brushing my teeth. I wouldgrab on with one hand and brush with the other, switching once or twice. The entiretime that I spent with the exercise totaled no more than a minute or two each day.

Within a few weeks, my pinch grip had improved considerably. Now, several yearslater, I still find this exercise useful. It is one that I will never outgrow. Whether you area beginner or advanced, all that it takes is a simple adjustment to alter the difficulty ofthe exercise. As you lean away from the door, it naturally becomes more difficult.Certain doors are also more challenging based on the material and finish. The smoother

the door, the more difficult it is to hold.

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When training pinch grip, you will quickly find that your pinch is strongest at a certainwidth. It is therefore useful to train pinch grip with more than one tool. I prefer to train

at least a few widths to develop all-around strength. One way to apply this idea to thedoor is by pinching a small book or block with the door. Below you can see how I havea 2x4 inch piece of wood that I pinch on both the thumb and finger side. Pinching theblock with the thumb is more difficult as the thumb must fend for itself to keep theblock in place as you also struggle to hold on.

In addition to leaning farther away from

the door, difficulty can also be increased

by holding a weight in the non-working

hand. Weight can be added to each of the

door pinch variations.

You will not need a significant load for a

noticeable increase in difficulty.

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A sturdy door can also be used to perform a bodyweight pinch grip row. Simply grip

the door, lean back under control, and pull yourself to the start position. As with the

previous examples, difficulty can be adjusted by leaning more of your weight awayfrom the door. For instance, by starting with the feet close to the door, you are forced to

hold more of your bodyweight as you lean back.

If the foot position seen below is too difficult, take a step or two away from the door

and start the exercise from there. As you move the feet away from the door, you will

naturally hold less of your weight when performing this exercise. With a little practice,

you will quickly see how even the slightest adjustment in weight distribution can make

these exercises either elementary or extremely challenging.

Resistance BandsOne of the reasons I enjoy pinch grip rows from a door is the dynamic element that theexercise presents. When rowing your bodyweight towards the door, you are not simplyholding a static position. The dynamic element that the pull introduces provides anentirely new challenge. It is easier to pinch and hold an object statically as opposed topinching and pulling simultaneously. Fortunately, we are not limited to door rowswhen considering low-tech pinch grip options. Resistance bands offer yet anotherunique challenge for pinch grip training.

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When training pinch grip with resistancebands, I use one of three attachments. Each

is inexpensive and easy to make. To theright, you can see a 2x4 inch piece of wood,a hockey puck, and a 4x4 inch piece ofwood. The wood pieces are between 6 and7 inches in length.

Each of the three attachments has an eye-hook screwed into it. Carabiner spring-linksthen attach to the eye-hook to connect eachpiece to the resistance bands.

The hockey puck attachment is the easiestto make. Hockey pucks can be purchased ata sporting goods store for a few dollars. Allthat you need is a small eye-hook whichcan be manually screwed into the puck.There is no need to pre-drill the hole or useany machinery.

Training with this hub-style device offers

an entirely unique pinch grip challenge.Many athletes who have developed pinchgrip strength with blocks are shocked at thedifficulty of the hub.

Hub-style training originates from an oldstrength feat where athletes would pinchthe center (hub) of a 45 pound plate and liftit while the plate remained horizontal tothe ground.

The York Barbell Company used to manufacture plates with a prominent hub. Hublifting originated from these early plates. Unfortunately, many plates today are flat andhave no hub to grip. Others have a very shallow hub which makes lifting themincredibly difficult. A novice to grip training will not possess nearly enough strength tolift one of these 45 pound plates by its hub. Training with a hub attachment allows oneto progress gradually. And as you will see later, resistance bands are just one option totrain your hub-style pinch grip.

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The wooden attachments are inexpensive like the hockey puck but will require a fewextra steps. Once you have cut the wooden pieces to approximately 7 inches in length,

you will need to pre-drill a hole for the eye-hook. If you do not pre-drill the hole, thereis a greater chance that the wood will split when screwing in the eye-hook. This isparticularly true when screwing into a thinner piece of wood (ex. 2x4 inch strips).

After the hole has been drilled, begin screwing the eye-hook with just your hand.Continue with your hand until the eye-hook becomes difficult to turn. You can thenslide a wrench through the end and continue turning until the threaded portion is nolonger visible.

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Once you have created the attachments,you can use them with almost any

resistance band. I typically use bands withhandles. I find them more convenient toquickly attach to the spring-links.

When using bands for pinch grip, I preferfor the bands to be securely attached to awall. To attach the bands, I first secure theends to a quick-link connector. The quick-link then attaches to an eye-hook that hasbeen screwed through a stud in the wall.

The bands are attached securely to the wall

Enclosed loop bands can also be used. Tothe right, you can see how I have attacheda 72 inch pallet band by slip-knotting itaround a piece of smooth rope. The pallet

band is 1 ½ inches wide so it fits perfectlyto the spring-clip.

To secure the rope to the wall, I simplyrun it through three eye-hooks which arescrewed into studs. I use rope with thebands as it is non-abrasive. Attaching thebands to the rope does not degrade them.

Although this set-up may appear crude, it

has served me well for several years. It isused daily and has never failed.

This setup may not score any style points, but it remains effective

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Band Rows

Resistance band rows can be performed with each of the pinch grip attachments. Asyou pull away from the wall, the grip challenge increases.

If you are new to pinch grip training, consider spotting yourself by placing the non-

working hand in front of the grip attachment. Below, you can see how my right handprovides a spot. If my grip fails, my right hand will catch the wooden block so it doesnot fly back against the wall.

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A 4x4 inch wooden block and an inexpensive pallet band provide a quality pinch gripchallenge.

Two 2x4 inch attachments can also beused together. Notice the close-uppicture to the right. I am pinching two2x4 inch pieces together. Each has itsown band attached to it.

Therefore, not only is it more difficultto pull both bands at once, I am alsoforced to pinch the two blocks togetherwhile pulling. This variation is clearly

much more difficult.

It is also useful if you do not have athicker block to use. By doubling upthe 2x4s, I have essentially created a4x4 inch attachment.

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Two arm rows can also be performed by more experienced athletes. I would not suggestthis variation to beginners as by using both hands, you lose the ability to spot yourself.

If your grip fails, the attachments could go flying.

I enjoy performing rows with a different grip attachment in each hand. I find the mental

challenge to be more significant, as I cannot focus on a single hand position. Instead,

each hand must fend for itself with a unique challenge. If you opt for this approach, be

sure to work each hand evenly.

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Static Holds

As much as I enjoy pinch grip rows, I also consider resistance bands to be particularlyeffective for static holds. With a band, it is possible to achieve almost an exact level ofresistance. For instance, when using a strong band (two if necessary), there will alwaysbe a point where you cannot pull the band (or bands) any farther without losingcontrol. Even an extra inch will cause your grip to fail. Statically holding a pinch gripattachment just before this failing point is an example of training your maximal pinchgrip strength.

The significance of this quality is that you can train pinch grip to your precise needs andability. Many traditional forms of pinch grip training do not allow for such incremental

steps. For example, suppose you can comfortably pinch two 25 pound plates together.Despite your proficiency with 25 pound plates, you may still struggle to pinch 35 poundplates. There is a huge difference between pinching two 25 pound plates and two 35pound plates.

Training with bands can be a useful progression as regardless of your strength, you canfind and then target your maximal pinch grip ability.

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Sled Training

Earlier, I demonstrated how sled pulls couldbe performed with a rope attachment.Fortunately, the same inexpensive sled canbe used to train pinch grip. All that you willneed are a few pieces of chain and fourcarabiner spring-links (circled in the image).

To the right, you can see how I have a threefoot piece of chain attached to the ropehandle of the sled with a spring-link. At the

other end of the chain, there is anotherspring-link that attaches to the center of ashorter two foot piece of chain.

Each end of that two foot piece connects to apinch grip attachment. Any pinch gripattachment can be used with the sled.

Conventional weights can be loaded on thesled or you can use odd objects such as

stones. I opt for the latter as the stones canalso be used for a variety of additionalexercises (as demonstrated previously).

Backwards Drag

Once the stones are loaded within the sled, Igrab the pinch grip handles and drag the sledbackwards. Heavy loads can be pulled shortdistances to enhance strength or lighter loads

can be pulled longer distances to developendurance.

With either, I prefer dragging the sled on atrail that includes several turns and inclines.The varied terrain provides a superiorchallenge when compared to pulling the sledin a straight line.

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Rows

Sled rows can also be performed with any of the pinch grip attachments. With the feetplanted, you will row the sled towards you. Once you have pulled the sled as far as youcan, step back and continue with another row.

The physical demands of the sled row are similar to the resistance band row. Oneadvantage of the sled however is that if your grip fails, the handles simply fall to theground. There is no risk of the bands snapping the handles back towards the wall.Therefore, the sled is certainly a safer option.

Free Weights

While there are certainly low-tech (ex. stone) and homemade (ex. hockey puck) optionsfor pinch grip training, many of the more popular exercises involve free weights. For

example, it is common to pinch and lift multiple weight plates together. A commonstarting point would be to pinch two or three 10 pound plates. You could then progressto pinching four 10’s or perhaps two 25 pound plates. The next step would be two 35’sand finally two 45’s which is a feat reserved for only the strongest grip specialists.

There is no doubt that pinching heavy plates is as true a test of pinch grip strength asany. Not all plates are constructed in a way that allows for convenient pinch griptraining however. Plates that are to be pinched need a flat surface. When pinching twoplates, the flat surface should be facing outside (where the fingers and thumb grasp).There must not be any indented or protruding edges to assist.

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Unfortunately, smooth sided plates are notnearly as common as they were many

years ago. More and more plates are beingcreated with easy-grip handles.

To the right, you can see three differentpairs of 25 pound plates that I have in thegym. None of these plates are useful forpinch grip training. The easy-grip handlesand protruding edges on each side makethem much easier to lift with a pinch grip.

These plates were affordable however. Ihave owned them for many years and didnot want to purchase another weight setsolely for the purpose of pinch griptraining. As a result, I had to becomecreative with homemade pinch grip tools.

Screw-On Attachments

When I began serious pinch grip training,

the only smooth sided plates that I ownedwere 10 pounds each. Once I was able tocomfortably hold four 10 pound plates, Ineeded a way to progress beyond them. Ieventually created an attachment that wasalmost identical to the width of the fourplates.

I took a 4x4 inch piece of wood andscrewed a ¾” floor flange into the bottom.The floor flange screws into the top of the

T-handle that was seen earlier.

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The T-handle serves primarily for swings,but it also doubles as a grip training tool. It

works almost identically to a loading pin.The difference is that the pipe connectionsscrew together. Pipe nipples are threadedon each end.

To create a T-handle, all that you will needare a few plumbing supplies.

a) One ¾” x 12” pipe nippleb) One ¾” floor flangec) Two ¾” x 3” pipe nipples (handles)d) One ¾” pipe tee fitting

To convert the T-handle into a grip tool,simply unscrew the pipe tee fitting from thetop and replace it with one of severalpossible grip attachments.

To the right, you can see how I haveattached the 4x4 inch block to the T-handle.

The 12 inch pipe nipple from the T-handleattaches directly into the floor flange thathas been screwed into the 4x4.

With this simple attachment, I can nowtrain pinch grip with the same width of thefour 10 pound plates but with additionalweight.

And while it is certainly different to pinch a single block as opposed to multiple plates,

there is undoubtedly a point where the extra weight becomes more challenging than theplates. For example, pinching four 10 pound plates may be more difficult than pinchinga 4x4 inch block with 40 pounds attached, but once I move to 50 pounds and beyond,the added weight becomes more challenging. As a result, I have a convenient andinexpensive way to progress with weighted pinch grip training.

I can also make small adjustments in weight. I am not limited to adding another plate ofthe same size. Instead, I can load a precise amount without changing the width of thepinch block.

b.

a.

d.

c.

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The ability to make small increases inweight may not seem significant, but even

a few pounds can make a considerabledifference when training pinch grip.

If you are limited to pinching plates, youcan only progress by adding another plate.With the T-handle, I can add small platesor single pound wrist weights.

Even though a single pound may seempointless, I have performed many gripexercises where one extra pound causedme to fail. The ability to progress in smallsteps has proved extremely vital to mylower arm development over the years.

Pinch Swings

My favorite grip exercise with the T-handle is a pinch grip swing. I created a 2x4 inchattachment specifically for this movement. As you can see below, all that you will needis a floor flange and two screws. This exercise is extremely difficult. Your pinch grip

will be challenged considerably as the weight swings away from the body. Don’t expectto swing much weight if this variation is new to you. Fortunately, the lighter weightmakes this an ideal warm-up before progressing to heavier (traditional) swings.

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The 2x4 inch attachment can also be used for single or double hand lifts. I enjoy liftingwith the wooden attachments as I find that the smooth finish makes them more difficult

than lifting plates of the same thickness.

Some may see the wooden T-handle attachment

and wonder why not use the attachments seenearlier. All that you would need is a piece ofchain and a spring-link.

Yet, while the two attachments may appearsimilar, there are considerable differences. Forexample, when using chain to attach weight to awooden handle, it is much less convenient tomake small increases. The chain that I own willnot fit through smaller non-Olympic plates.

The weight itself is also not as steady. A weightthat swings from chain is much different from aweight that is secured to a T-handle. The T-handle creates a much more stable connection.

Consequently, I only use the chain attachments with weight when performing farmer’swalks. With a pinch grip farmer’s walk, I am not using a heavy load, so I am not asconcerned about the swaying chains. If however I am attempting a maximal pinch griplift (or swings), I want the weight to remain stationary, rather than swaying underneathme.

This attachment is ideal for farmer's walks

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Hub Lifts

Hub lifts can also be performed with the T-handle attachment. All that you will need isa hockey puck and a floor flange. A screwdriver is all that is necessary to screw into thepuck. You do not need a power drill.

Hub lifts will develop a unique type of finger and thumb strength. It is quite possible todevelop strength with more traditional pinch lifts yet struggle with the hub. And onceagain, the T-handle attachment will allow you to add a precise load based on yourability.

T-Handle Sizing

In the pictures above, you will notice that I am using an Olympic sized plate with the T-handle. On the left side picture, you can see the gap between the ¾ inch pipe and the 2

inch plate. Fortunately, the space between the plate and pipe nipple poses no problemfor short range lifts.

With that said, I typically do not use Olympic sized plates with the T-handle. I haveadequate weight available with 1 inch standard plates. If you only own Olympic sizedplates however, you may wish to construct your T-handle with 1.5 inch diameter pipe.The 1.5 inch pipe is a better fit for Olympic plates if you wish to perform more dynamiclifts such as swings.

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Pinching Plates

For those who do not wish to build any grip training tools, pinching plates is still aviable option (assuming you have smooth sided plates). Pinching two 25 pound platesin one hand is usually beyond the ability of most grip training novices. Yet, with regulartraining, it should not take too long to achieve. Progressing beyond two 25 pound platesmay require a homemade tool however. Fortunately, no construction is required.

As for necessity, once you can pinch two 25 pound plates, the next plate size is 35pounds. Not only is it much more difficult to pinch two 35 pound plates, not everyonehas 35’s available. For example, despite owning well over a thousand pounds in freeweights, I do not own any 35 pound plates. Many home gym owners will find

themselves in a similar predicament. Perhaps you can pinch two 25’s but pinching two45’s in one hand is beyond your ability. Only a competitive grip athlete will be able topinch two 45’s in one hand.

How then will you progress beyond pinching two 25’s in one hand? Jumping from two25’s to two 35’s or 45’s is a huge step.

PVC Pipe Modification

If you are struggling to progress beyond your pinching ability with 25, 35, or 45 pound

plates, a simple piece of PVC pipe can be a valuable addition. All that you will need is a1.5 inch piece of PVC to progressively increase the load without altering the width ofthe implement. Most hardware stores will sell three foot lengths of 1.5 inch PVC. It willonly cost a few dollars. You will not even need to cut the pipe. The three foot length isideal as is.

Using myself as an example, I am unableto pinch two 45’s in one hand. Only a gripspecialist will progress to such a feat.Therefore, two 25’s in one hand is not

enough, but two 45’s in one hand is toomuch. Yet if I use two hands, the two 45’sare not heavy enough.

Fortunately, the PVC allows me to findsome middle ground. I can add weight tothe PVC and pinch progressively heavierloads without altering the width of theimplement.

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As you can see, the PVC allows me tomake much smaller increases in weight. I

could even add the small wrist weightsseen earlier. I am no longer limited to jumping from one large plate to another.Precise loads can be added based onindividual ability. For a few dollars, thePVC pipe truly becomes a valuable griptraining addition.

Thin Pinch

As mentioned previously, it is useful to train pinch grip with various widths. Everyonewill have a sweet spot where they are strongest. Even slight increases or decreases fromthat spot will make pinching significant loads much more challenging.

Although various options exist for thin pinch training, I find standard 1 inch 25 poundplates to be quite useful. I rarely see them sold, but I was fortunate to come across aused pair at a yard sale. Pinching the thinner 25’s is more challenging for me thanpinching two Olympic sized 25’s.

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It becomes even more difficult for me when pinching the width of a single plate.Fortunately, pipe can also be used to allow for smaller increases in weight with single

hand lifts. I can add weight to the pipe without altering the width of the object. If youwish to do the same, all that you will need is an 18 inch piece of ¾” iron pipe.

Below you can see how I center the thin 25 pound plate and add weight to each side. Ikeep the smaller plates in place by securing them with inexpensive hose clamps. Thehose clamps cost less than a dollar each. You will need four (two on each side) to createthe device below. With this device, I can target my weakness (thin pinch) with preciseloads.

Wooden Width Modifications

As you look through the pinch grip implements presented thus far, it should be clearthat no single athlete will need to create or use each of these tools. I have presentednumerous examples not in hopes that you will work with each tool, but instead toprovide options to as many readers as possible. Regardless of what is available to you

in terms of equipment, it should be feasible for you to train pinch grip at variouswidths.

I realize however that there will be readers who do not wish to build anything orpurchase additional weights. For example, you may not own any smooth sided plates. Ido not expect you to go out and purchase a new weight set to train pinch grip. You alsomay not have the tools necessary to drill a hole and screw an eye-bolt into a woodenblock. You also may not have access to stones or cement blocks that can be pinched.Fortunately, there is still hope for you without any construction.

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Scrap wood can often be found or purchased inexpensively at hardware stores such asHome Depot. Below you can see three examples of scrap wood in various widths. I

have a 4x4 inch piece, a 2x4 inch piece, and a ½ inch piece. With these three scrappieces, I can train pinch grip at several widths. I can pinch one of the pieces by itself oreven combine multiple pieces to create unique widths. For example, I can pinch the 2x4and the ½ inch piece together for a 2.5 inch pinch. To add weight, you will simply needa piece of chain and a spring-link.

As a result, the easy-grip plates discussed earlier (which cannot be pinched) suddenlybecome useful as they are easier to attach to the chain.

Block Weights

One limitation of the scrap wood pieces is that they do not allow for many dynamicpinch grip exercises. Instead, they are used primarily for limited range lifts (as seenabove). With that in mind, perhaps the polar opposite to a piece of scrap wood is aniron block weight. Block weights allow for countless dynamic pinch grip exercises. Youcan lift, carry, and throw block weights without any risk of damaging the block. Theyare virtually indestructible.

As for the specifics, a block weight is nothing but the sawed off end of a solid dumbbell.

Perhaps the most popular block weight is that of a blob. Blob lifts are commonly

performed by competitive grip athletes. The term blob is used to describe the end of a

100 pound York dumbbell. York dumbbells have sloped sides which makes them

different from the more commonly seen hexagonal dumbbells. The blob therefore is

essentially a 50 pound cylindrical weight (i.e. one half of a 100 pound dumbbell).

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Unfortunately, due to the increased popularity in recent years, blobs have become quite

expensive to purchase. It is difficult to justify such a pricey investment to a non-grip

athlete. And it is for that reason that I have yet to acquire a true blob. What I have doneinstead is created block weights from some older hexagonal dumbbells that I was no

longer using. The shape of the hex block is naturally different from a true blob but still

presents a tremendous grip challenge.

As for creating the block weight, all that you will need is a hacksaw and time. Just be

sure to start your cut as close to the end of the handle as possible to ensure a non-jagged

edge. Once you have finished the cut, file down any burrs that may be sticking out. You

will then have a tremendous tool to develop pinch grip from a wide, open-handed

position. As you can see below, certain blocks are rather wide which makes them quitechallenging to lift. The thumb, fingers, and wrist will need to work hard to lift any

considerable block.

Cut or Lift

If you are anything like me, your first thought upon seeing a block weight is whywould anyone ruin a perfectly good dumbbell. Those were my exact thoughts when Ifirst saw block weights being used. It was difficult for me to justify hacking one of myweights in half as I spend so much time training with dumbbells. Yet, as I continued tosee so many grip athletes using block weights, I knew they had to be good. It was notby accident that grip specialists from around the world had flocked to blobs and blockweights. The payoff had to be high.

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I still was not ready to hack apart a new dumbbell, but I was willing to sacrifice some ofmy older weights that were not receiving as much use. In the time since, I have sawed

apart several dumbbells. It did not take long for me to appreciate why so many gripspecialists have turned to blocks and blobs. The open-handed pinch grip challenge isboth unique and beneficial.

As for whether you should start sawing dumbbells in half, I would start by consideringindividual needs. Dumbbells are an extremely versatile strength training tool. There isso much that can be accomplished with a simple dumbbell. The decision to cut or liftthe dumbbell as is depends on the interests and goals of the individual. For example, ifyou are a novice to lower arm training, there are certainly other challenges available toyou without ever using a block weight. It is also worth noting that open-handed pinchgrip can be developed with other low-tech tools such as heavy stones (assuming youhave access to such stones).

Perhaps the ideal scenario would be to acquire older dumbbells that are beingdiscarded or inexpensively sold. Below you can see over 800 pounds in dumbbells that Ifreely acquired. These weights had been put out to the garbage so I gladly added themto our gym’s collection.

I have also acquired used dumbbells from local yard sales. One man’s junk is anotherman’s treasure. And while I am not suggesting that you scour the junkyard in search ofblock weights, you may wish to occasionally stop at a local yard sale or browse websitessuch as Craigslist to see if used weights are being disposed of in your area. It certainlymakes the decision to cut a dumbbell much easier when it has been acquired for a

minimal price.

As for an ideal starting weight, it depends on your previous grip training experience. Ihave seen otherwise strong athletes struggle with a 25 pound block (half of a 50 pounddumbbell), just as I have seen others lift 25 pound blocks on their first attempt withease. Unfortunately, there are no formulas to calculate the ideal starting weight. Therewill always be a chance that your block will be too heavy or light to lift. And it is thatuncertainty which leaves many athletes reluctant to cut a dumbbell in half. The lastthing anyone wants to do is waste a dumbbell creating a block weight that will not beused.

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Starting Out

Fortunately, if your new block is too heavy or light to lift, there are still exercises andmodifications that can be made. As for ballpark estimates, a 25 pound block shouldprovide an adequate challenge for most grip training novices. Those with prior lowerarm training will probably wish to start with half of a 60 to 70 pound dumbbell.

Once you have created the block weight, the first exercise to attempt is to simplydeadlift it from the floor with one hand.

This single hand lift is not only an excellent exercise, but it will also provide immediatefeedback as to whether your new block is too heavy or light. Naturally, if you cannotmove the weight, it is too heavy. A block weight that is too heavy is not necessarily abad thing however. It may be too heavy initially, but it provides a challenge that youcan work towards achieving. There are progressions that can be performed that will

help you to eventually lift the block from the floor.

Conversely, if your new block weight feels too light, don’t assume that it will only serveas a paper weight. It can still be a valuable tool. For instance, lighter blocks can be usedfor more dynamic movements. You can also use them for longer duration sets tochallenge strength endurance. You can also change the way that it is lifted. For example,rather than using your entire hand, try lifting it with one finger and thumb. With a littlecreativity, a light block weight can still prove challenging.

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Velcro Additions

It is also possible to modify the block soadditional weight can be attached. To theright, you can see how I have securedindustrial strength velcro to a few blocksand plates. With these velcro strips, I canadd 2.5, 5, or 10 pounds to each block.

To secure the velcro strips to the blocks, Iused a high strength epoxy adhesive. Thevelcro itself has a sticky backside, but it is

not strong enough to keep it in placewhen weight plates are attached. You willneed a strong epoxy product to firmlysecure the velcro.

These velcro attachments allow me to make incremental adjustments in weight.Therefore, lighter blocks remain useful and I can also progress towards heavier blocks.For example, suppose you have a 30 and 40 pound block. Perhaps you can lift the 30pounder but the 40 is beyond your ability. You could attach a 2.5 or 5 pound plate to the30 pound block to help bridge the gap between them.

When attaching velcro strips, I do so in an X pattern so the two strips are perpendicularto each other. Doing so minimizes the chance that one strip will rip the other from theweight when pulling the two apart.

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Band Progression

Resistance bands are also useful in helping one progress towards lifting a block that iscurrently beyond your ability. The bands will be used identically to how they would beused when performing a band-assisted pull-up. Begin by slip-knotting a loop style bandoverhead to a pull-up bar.

In the image below, I am demonstrating a 72 inch pallet band that is 1 ½ inches wide.The extra length of the pallet band makes it quite useful for this progression. Traditionalloop style resistance bands are typically 41 inches long. The shorter length is not asuseful when using the band to assist with an exercise that begins closer to the floor. The72 inch band is much easier to stretch down to the bench that can be seen below.

As you can see, I wrap the band around the block weight. The band therefore providesthe most assistance towards the bottom of the lift. It is at that point where the tension onthe band is greatest. As you pull the weight from the bench, tension on the bandreduces with each inch that you lift. The higher you lift the block, the less assistance youreceive.

Some experimentation may be required initially to gauge how far your band will stretchand how much assistance you will need. If necessary, you can use books to elevate thestarting point of the block weight. For example, if your band does not reach the bench,

stack a few books atop the bench and then place the block weight on top of the books.

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Starting From The Bottom

Once you can comfortably lift a block with band assistance, it is time to attempt lifting iton your own. Starting from the knees will limit range of motion and also limit thelikelihood of dropping the weight on your foot.

Once you can lift the weight from your knees, you can begin working from the standingposition. Reducing range of motion by lifting the block from a bench is a usefulprogression if you are unable to lift the block from the floor while standing.

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Eventually, the goal is to lift the heavy block while standing as seen on page 93. Onceyou reach that level, you can progress towards lifting two large blocks simultaneously.

Lifting two block weights at once is more challenging as you cannot concentrate solelyon a single hand.

Mental StrengthThe difference between lifting one heavy block and two is difficult to comprehend untilyou have tried it yourself. With a single block, you can focus every last ounce of energyand determination towards lifting it. The thumb must work particularly hard duringthe block lift. Even a momentary loss of focus could cause the block to come crashingdown. With two heavy blocks, your mind must divvy its attention between two hands.Each thumb must act independently against an equally significant load. Withoutextreme mental strength and focus, you will not complete each lift.

When discussing the significance of the mind and its relevance towards grip strength,perhaps the best advice comes from the previously mentioned Edward Aston.

In his words,

“The greatest factor for the creation of a powerful grip is sheer will power…”

He goes on to explain that it is impossible to develop better than average strengththroughout the lower arms without the mental force necessary to both create and exertit. In my opinion, truer words have never been spoken in regards to lower arm strength.

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My experience has shown that the mind is as significant in grip strength as it is in anyother form of strength training. If you are not 100 percent dialed in with full focus and

intensity, you will never scratch the surface of your lower arm strength potential.

Dynamic Block Training

In addition to simply lifting block weights from the floor, there are several dynamicexercises that can be performed. Bent over rows are one example. This exercise will beperformed identically to the previously seen stone and concrete block rows. Row theweight without allowing it to touch the ground in between sets.

With any moderate to heavy block, do not expect to perform many reps before your

grip fails.

Some may see block weight rows and wonder if they really need so many bent over rowvariations. Does one person really need to perform stone rows, block weight rows, and

concrete block rows?

Unfortunately, there is no single answer to the question. How it is answered today maydiffer from how it is answered as the weeks and months pass. For example, I do notperform rows with all of these tools in a single week. I may focus on block weight rowsfor a certain period of time and eventually transition to something else.

The key for me is to have multiple options available for the long haul. I do not want toperform the same lower arm exercises year after year. I find it beneficial (physically andmentally) to regularly challenge myself with different tools and exercises.

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Snatches

Earlier, I mentioned that heavy snatches provide secondary benefits to the lower arms.Support grip will naturally be challenged when snatching any significant dumbbell orkettlebell. Snatches are not limited to conventional weights however. In the picturebelow, you can see how I snatch a block weight from the floor.

From a dynamic pinch grip perspective, this exercise is tough to beat. Without strongthumbs, the block weight will come crashing down to the floor. Explosively snatching ablock weight is much different from simply lifting it from the floor. If you are notconvinced of the difference, try snatching a heavy block that you can barely lift. Youwill quickly notice the added challenge that accompanies more explosive and dynamic

exercises. Not only is the weight moving faster, it also travels throughout a muchgreater range of motion. The result is a considerable challenge to open-hand pinch grip.

Fortunately, the difficulty of this exercise makes it easy to include within a routine.

When snatching a block, you will not use anywhere near the load that you snatch with a

conventional weight. Interference from the block weight snatch will therefore be non-

existent. Using myself as an example, I have snatched a 150 pound dumbbell but can

only snatch a fraction of that load with a block weight. Mixing in a few lighter sets of

block weight snatches will not be nearly enough weight to detract from my heavier

dumbbell snatches. I may start with a few sets of block weight snatches and then

proceed to my heavier dumbbell work.

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Clean and Press

Block weights can also be used to perform a clean and press. The block weight clean

and press is similar to the snatch in that you will not lift anywhere near as much weight

as you would with a conventional tool. The naturally lighter load of the block weight

clean and press makes it a useful warm-up before pressing heavier dumbbells or

barbells. Regardless of your lower arm strength, you will be working with a relatively

light load in comparision to what you typically press overhead.

Yet, even though you will be pressing what would be considered a light load, you will

still develop considerable strength throughout the lower arms. And fortunately, the

open-hand pinch grip challenge will have little impact on any subsequent lifts to follow.

For instance, cleaning and pressing a heavy dumbbell may challenge support grip, but

any lower arm fatigue from a few block weight warm-up sets will not be enough to

interfere with your heavier lifts.

As a non-grip competitor, it is always nice to have time efficient ways to squeeze in

some lower arm training without disrupting the rest of your routine. Both snatching

and cleaning and pressing a block weight are two excellent options.

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Release and Catch

Perhaps the greatest dynamic exercise that you can perform with block weights is torelease and catch a block repeatedly from one hand to the other. This exercise is muchmore challenging than it appears. Successful execution requires strength and accuracy.You have a split second to grab a freely moving dead weight. Securing a grip that isstrong enough to prevent it from falling requires tremendous lower arm strength.

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Doubling Up

In addition to the single arm lifts seen earlier, you can also work with two blocks at atime. Lifting two blocks is naturally more difficult. Below you can see a combination liftthat involves a curl and press.

Alternating curls can also be performed andare not necessarily easier. When holding twoblocks, even the non-working hand will bechallenged.

For example, when I curl with my right hand(as pictured), my left hand still maintains agrip on the block. The hand that appears to

rest by my side is not actually resting. Thefingers and thumb must work hard to holdthe block while waiting their turn to curl.

You will need extremely strong hands toperform continuous reps of alternating curlswith any moderate block weight. Thisexercise will strengthen both the hands andwrists.

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If you are not convinced at the difficulty of simply holding a block weight, perhaps the

fastest way to become a believer is by grabbing a moderate pair and performing a

farmer’s walk. It will not take long to appreciate the difficulty. Like concrete blocks,block weights are a tremendous option for a lighter farmer’s walk challenge.

Doubling Up – Part 2Doubling up can also be applied to asingle block weight if it is too large to liftwith a single hand. To the right, you cansee a 150 pound dumbbell that broke inhalf while being lifted. If it had notbroken on its own, I would have nevercut this weight in half. It was one of myfavorite dumbbells for many years.

Unfortunately, heavy dumbbells willoccasionally break after years of use.And depending on the size of thedumbbell, the ends may be too heavy tolift with a single hand. All is not losthowever. I found out by accident thatthese massive block weights are actuallyexcellent for two hand lifts. Therefore, if

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one of your larger dumbbells breaks by accident, don’t make the mistake of throwing itout.

The end of my 150 pounder is much wider than my other block weights. It is massive. Ican hardly fit my fingers around it. As you can see, I am forced to lift this weight withmy finger tips and thumbs alone. This hand position is entirely unique when comparedto my other blocks.

Performing a few sets of deadlifts with this wider block provides an entirely differentchallenge. The total weight is not what creates the challenge, but rather the handposition that I am forced to use. As mentioned earlier, we all have a pinch grip sweetspot where we are strongest. Occasionally working well beyond that sweet spotprovides both variety and a challenge that is not easily replicated elsewhere. I do notspend a lot of time lifting this massive block, but a few sets on occasion certainly help todevelop my finger and thumb strength.

Inverted Dumbbell Lift

Lastly, when discussing block weights, I am often asked if a dumbbell can be lifted fromthe top rather than sawing it in half. The answer to that question is yes and no. Manygrip competitors do perform inverted dumbbell lifts. You can see an example below. Toexecute the lift, you essentially claw the top of the dumbbell without allowing yourthumb or fingers to touch any of the imprinted number area. You should only betouching the smooth sides of the dumbbell head.

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Performing an inverted dumbbell lift is much different from working with blockweights however. Not only is the hand position different, but there are fewer exercises

that can be performed. Typically, the extent of training with an inverted dumbbell is topick it up from the ground. Therefore, while inverted lifts are challenging and can be auseful addition, I would not consider them a replacement to block weight training.

Inverted dumbbell lifts are certainly convenient for those who train at commercial gymshowever. Most gyms do not have many options for lower arm training. Consequently,the inverted dumbbell lift comes in handy for those who do not have grip-specificequipment at their disposal.

Summary

As evident throughout this chapter, there are countless options for pinch grip training. I

purposely included so many exercises and tools to remove any remaining excuses as to

why one might neglect pinch grip training. There simply is no valid excuse in terms of

equipment availability. Whether you use free weights, a door, a stone, or a piece of

wood, there is always a convenient way to train pinch grip.

And as you will see, the time required to improve pinch grip is minimal. Small

additions will certainly prove worthwhile. Even simply performing a few pinch grip

sets as a warm-up before progressing towards heavier loads can lead to considerableimprovements. For example, suppose you have never trained pinch grip before. If all

you did was add a few sets of block weight rows before heavier dumbbell rows, you

would still experience noticeable improvements. In fact, if all you took from this book

was to invest more time into pinch grip training, you would still benefit considerably.

Tapping into the strength potential of the fingers and thumb allows one to reach

entirely new levels of lower arm strength.

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THICK GRIP"Every time I worked, I was getting a little better. I kept movingthat limit back and back. Every time I walked out of the gym, I

was a little better than when I walked in." - Dan Gable

Thick grip training is a natural follow up to last chapter’s discussion of pinch grip. Inmany ways, I consider thick grip and pinch grip to be relatives of each other. Whilethere are differences between the two, there are also similarities. For instance, whengripping a thick bar, the hand is partially open. There is no overlap between the fingersand thumb. Therefore, thick bar exercises will naturally challenge the fingers, wrists,and thumbs.

As for athletic relevance, it is not uncommon to grab objects or body parts that arethicker than what we are accustomed to while lifting conventional bars. Consider themixed martial artist who grabs an opponent’s ankle or arm. Chances are that he will notbe able to overlap his fingers and thumb while securing a grip. A regular dose of thickgrip training will certainly prove useful to these athletes.

Thick grip training is also important for athletes who do not have large hands. Usingmyself as an example, my hands are average sized at best. It is rare that my fingers andthumb overlap even a slightly thicker than normal bar. As a result, I have made a

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conscious effort to consistently develop my thick grip strength over many years.Smaller hands may begin at a disadvantage, but can be developed adequately in time.

Hand Size Debates

Unfortunately, I have encountered many athletes who dismiss their ability to performthick grip feats because of hand size. When they first attempt a thick bar exercise, theystruggle and immediately assume it is because of inadequate hand size. They thenabandon thick grip training under the false assumption that it is not meant to be.

Others discredit the feats of certain lifters by claiming that their abilities are based solelyon genetic advantages as opposed to hard earned strength. I couldn’t tell you how

many times I have seen a “yeah but his hands are bigger than mine” excuse from athleteswho are unable to perform certain exercises. These excuses are not new and even dateback to well known strength athletes from the past. For example, Earle Liedermanquestioned the strength of the legendary John Grün (commonly known as John Marx).

In Liederman's 1925 book Secrets of Strength, he wrote the following:

“John Marx had enormous hands with fingers so long that they would lap around a 3-inch bar...So Marx got what was perhaps an undeserved reputation for strength.”

Almost one hundred years later, John Grün is known solely as a strength legend from

the past. No one cares about his hand size. All that is remembered are his amazing featsof strength. Whether he possessed inherent advantages is an afterthought. It is notworth debating.

With or without large hands, thick grip training will be challenging to almost anyonewhen first starting. It is not uncommon to feel as though you have never lifted a weightwhen first attempting to pull a thick bar from the ground. Expect to be challengedregardless of hand size.

Rather than harping on a potential disadvantage, invest that time and energy towards

improving your weakness. There is no point in worrying about whose hands are biggeror smaller whenever witnessing a thick grip feat. There is nothing that we can do abouthand size, but there is plenty that we can do about hand strength.

Fortunately, while thick grip training is challenging, it is quite easy to include within anexisting routine without disrupting what is already in place. For example, you couldreplace an existing exercise from your routine with the identical exercise using a thickgrip. Another option would be to begin with a few thick bar sets before transitioningback to a normal bar. A brief thick bar finisher is also an option. Once again, smalladditions will eventually lead to considerable improvements.

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Exercise Selection Means Everything

To maximize your thick bar training, it is important to choose the right exercises.Training with an open or partially open hand does not guarantee that the lower armswill be challenged. For instance, consider your hand position when performing apushup. The hand is open with no overlap between the fingers and thumb, yet there isno challenge to the lower arms. The same logic applies to certain thick bar exercises. Athicker bar does not always make the exercise more difficult or effective.

For example, two of my favorite exercises are dips and standing abdominal wheelrollouts. Below you can see me perform each exercise with a thick grip.

Unfortunately, adding a thick handle does little to alter these exercises. With eachmovement, my weight is at least partially on top of the handles. I am not struggling tohold on. Therefore, the lower arms receive little attention despite performing theseexercises with fairly thick handles.

To truly benefit from thick bar training, it makes more sense to select exercises whereyou have no choice but to hold on with all of your strength. Most pulling exercises willsatisfy this requirement. Rows, pull-ups, and deadlifts are three classic examples. Thelower arms have no mechanical advantages when pulling a heavy load from a thickerthan normal bar. In other words, if your hands are not strong enough, you will not beable to hold on. Grip is the limiting factor.

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Thick Pull-ups

Thick grip pull-ups are one of the best thick bar exercises that you will ever perform. Athick tree branch is ideal if you have access to one. As you can see below, my hands arealmost entirely open when performing pull-ups from the tree.

Commando pull-ups can also be performed. Grab the branch and alternate betweenpulling yourself up to one side and then the other. Continue back and forth in thisfashion.

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Thick Bar Attachments

I have been fortunate to train from the same tree for several years. I realize howeverthat not everyone has a tree for thick bar training. Fortunately, thick grip attachmentsare inexpensive, effective, and easy to make. You do not need to take my word for ithowever. I am not alone in preaching the effectiveness of thick bar training. In recentyears, several thick bar attachments have been manufactured and sold commercially.

While writing this book, I scanned through several reviews of commercial thick gripattachments. One of the more popular models sells for approximately $40. Thatparticular product has over three hundred five-star reviews on Amazon. It is not everyday that you find an exercise tool in that price range with so many positive reviews.

Thus, while some may label individual reviews as anecdotal evidence, it is impossibleto overlook the positive feedback of so many strength athletes.

Homemade Options

As for the decision to purchase a commercial grip product vs. building your own, it is amatter of personal preference. I am not here to influence you one way or another. Allthat I can do is share my experiences as a do-it-yourselfer. Personally, I opt to build myown grip attachments. There are several options to choose from when building yourown. First, you will see a pair made from a child’s pool noodle (used for flotation in a

swimming pool).

As you can see, these grip attachments can be taken anywhere to convert any bar into athick bar.

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Pool noodles can be purchased for a fewdollars. All that you need to do is cut two

pieces to your desired length. You will thenmake a slit with a razor to create theopening for the attachment to wrap arounda bar. Once you have made the slit, youshould wrap the entire attachment in ducttape. I suggest wrapping the tape tightly tominimize the chance of each attachmentcompressing over time.

As for longevity, I have had this pair ofattachments for a few years and they haveheld up surprisingly well. If there has beenany compression, it is not noticeable.

As for possible alternatives, if you cannot locate a pool noodle, pipe insulation issimilar. I have however noticed that pipe insulation products are not always as thickand are often created from softer foam. If the foam is too soft, it will eventuallycompress thus limiting the effectiveness of the thick grip over time.

Towel Thick Grips

A better, yet equally inexpensive, versioncan be created from cardboard, towel, andduct tape. This model was recommendedto me by an individual* who feared that thepool noodle grips would compress withregular use. There is no risk of compressionwith the towel grips. They will remain thesame thickness indefinitely.

And as you will see, these grips are useful

for much more than pull-ups. They can beapplied to countless exercises to provide aninstant lower arm challenge.

Instructions for the towel grips can befound on the pages that follow.

* Related tutorial provided by this individual: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klq2fS1mDhE

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To create the towel grips, you will actually use two types of towel materials. First, youwill need the cardboard tube from an empty roll of paper towels. You will also need

material from an actual towel (ex. beach towel). You will need 24 to 36 inches ofmaterial (6 inches wide) for each grip. You will also need duct tape.

Step 1

Step 7

Step 3

Step 4Step 5

Step 6

Step 8 Step 9

Step 2

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Instructions

Creating these thick grip attachments is quite simple.

1. First you need to acquire an empty roll of paper towels. This cardboard piecewill be used to shape the grip attachments.

2. You will then cut the cardboard to your desired length. If you plan to use thesegrips with dumbbells, you should first measure the length of your dumbbellhandles. Between five and six inches should suffice.

3. Next you will slice each cardboard piece down the middle.

4. You will then thoroughly cover each side of the cardboard with duct tape. Whatyou are left with is the shell of your future thick grip attachments.

5. Next you will need to determine the opening size of your attachments. To do so,I take the piece from Step 4 and wrap it around a bar (ex. pull-up bar ordumbbell handle). The size of your grips should match the bar that you plan touse. For example, if your dumbbell handle has a 1 inch diameter, you will wantthe thick grips to be around that size. Once I have estimated its size, I add a pieceof tape to prevent the shell from opening.

6. Next you will wrap the shell with a piece of towel that has been cut to the exactwidth. For example, my grips are 5 ½ inches wide. The towel is also 5 ½ incheswide. As for length, you will typically need between 24 and 36 inches dependingon the desired thickness of your grip attachments.

7. Once you have reached your desired thickness, you can then wrap the towelthoroughly in duct tape.

8. You will then need to cut the attachment open.

9. Lastly, you will add another few layers of duct tape around the attachments,particularly where the cut was made.

You will then have a durable pair of thick grip attachments that will never compress. Inaddition, if you ever wish to increase the thickness of the attachments, you can alwaysadd extra layers of duct tape.

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Homemade Advantage

As mentioned previously, there are several thick grip attachments on the market today.Many of the commercial attachments are well constructed and certainly built to last.There is no denying the quality of these products as well as the potential benefits thatcome with their use.

Having used both the commercial and homemade options however, I can say that thereis little difference between the two. You will not be limited because you opt forhomemade grips as opposed to shelling out the cash for the real deal. Furthermore, anadded benefit of the homemade attachments is that you can inexpensively create gripsof different sizes.

For example, consider the two images below.

In each image, I am performing pull-ups from thick grip attachments. If you have notworked with thick grips before, you may casually glance at the two pictures withoutnoticing any considerable differences. The reality however is that while the images mayappear similar, the thicker grip on the right side is much more challenging.

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Upon closer inspection, you can see the difference between the two grips. On the leftside, you can see how the attachment wraps all the way around the bar. My fingers do

not overlap, but I can get much more of my hand around the attachment. On the rightside, my hand is opened considerably wider. In addition, the grip attachment itself doesnot wrap all the way around the bar. Therefore, I need to squeeze the attachment muchharder to hold on without falling.

Towel grip attachment Pool noodle attachment

Bigger Is Bigger

When considering thick grip training, bigger is not necessarily better. Thick bars oftenrange from 2 to 3 inches in diameter. Training with a three inch bar will certainly bemore difficult, but that does not mean you should invest all of your time towards thethickest bar possible.

Naturally, as thickness increases, you will typically move less weight or perform fewerrepetitions. For instance, I can perform more pull-ups while gripping the attachmentpictured on the left side as opposed to the right. Therefore, one benefit to the left side isthat I can accumulate more volume, thus distribute more work towards the rest of mybody. A benefit to the right side is that my hands will be challenged to a greater extent.The downside is that I will not accumulate as much volume, thus the rest of my bodywill not receive as much attention.

Ultimately, when considering the pros and cons of each attachment, we are left withouta definitive answer as far as which attachment is superior. As is often the case,individual needs and goals must be considered. Personally, I prefer to use thick gripattachments of various sizes. There are benefits to accumulating more volume with the2 inch attachments, just as there are benefits to struggling against a 3 inch attachment.Why not reap the best of both worlds?

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Not Just A Towel

Whenever discussing the benefits of thick grip attachments, I am usually counteredwith the following question.

Why not just wrap a towel around the bar?

I have been asked this question so many times that it is worthy of a brief discussion. Forstarters, you certainly can wrap a towel around a bar to perform thick grip pull-ups.

From a performance standpoint, there is nothing wrong with wrapping a towel around

a bar. In the past, I have performed this variation simply because I had no other options.I prefer thick grip attachments however as they are much more convenient to use.Neatly wrapping a towel around a bar takes time. You may also need a step-stooldepending on your height and the height of your bar.

I see no viable reason to waste time wrapping a towel around a bar whenever you wishto perform thick grip pull-ups. Why not instead invest your time once and create a pairof portable attachments? It takes just a second to put them up and begin training. And ifyou are still not convinced, let’s not forget that thick grip attachments can be used formuch more than pull-ups.

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Beyond Pull-ups

Thick grip pull-ups are just the beginning of thick grip training. The portable gripattachments can be applied to countless exercises. As mentioned previously, almost anypulling movement can be instantly converted into a challenging grip exercise.

For example, I have been a fan of trap bar deadlifts for several years. Yet, after workingwith the trap bar consistently, I reached a point where I could not fit any more 45pound plates on my bar. Initially, I thought I had outgrown it. I do not own any 100pound plates and they are not cheap to purchase. Fortunately, adding thick grips to thebar completely changed the exercise.

The image to the left was taken last year. I can be seen joking around with 585 pounds.Yet, when I began performing the exercise with fat grips, I started back with threeplates. Instantly, I had a new challenge. I also have a way to include grip work on mywarm-up sets. For instance, I can perform a few sets of thick grip deadlifts beforeloading the bar to the max.

Another option would be to perform a lighter deadlift day. With thick grips, I can onlygo as heavy as my grip allows. My lower arms will be challenged considerably, whilethe rest of my body is given a break from strenuous loading. This option can be quiteuseful after several weeks of heavy lifting. I may not wish to step entirely away fromthe bar, but my body may need a break from truly heavy lifting. Targeting the lowerarms with inexpensive thick grip attachments is an excellent choice.

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Barbells

Thick grip attachments can also be added to conventional barbells. Doing so is a costeffective alternative to purchasing a thick barbell (known as an axle). Axles are oftenlifted in strongman events. Unfortunately, a seven foot axle (two inches thick) is aconsiderable investment for most. A three inch thick barbell is even more expensive. Ihave seen three inch thick barbells sold for several hundred dollars. And if you cannotfind the bar locally, you can expect to pay a considerable shipping fee as well. Thickbars are heavy and awkward to ship.

It is difficult to justify such a price tag if you are not a competitive strongman. Thus,while I am not suggesting thick grip attachments are identical to axle bars, you can

certainly realize many of the same benefits. This is particularly true for athletes whoseprimary goals are not lower arm based.

Thick grip curls and reverse curls are both excellent for lower arm development

Personally, I do not own any thick barbells. I consider their price to be prohibitive basedon my needs and the needs of my athletes. If I wish to enhance the thickness of abarbell, I opt for a portable attachment.

I also have homemade thick grip dumbbells which are much easier to make and quiteinexpensive. You can see an example on page 121.

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Dumbbells

Before discussing thick dumbbells however, it is worth noting that the portable gripscan also enhance several conventional dumbbell exercises. Perhaps my favorite exampleis the farmer’s walk. These portable attachments are particularly useful as they allowfor a unique challenge that would not otherwise be available.

For instance, grab a moderate dumbbell with your thick grip attachments and beginwalking. Continue until your grip fails. At that time, momentarily put the dumbbellsdown to remove the portable grips. Immediately pick the dumbbells back up andcontinue walking.

Your hands will already be fatigued but you will still be able to lift the dumbbellswithout the thick grips. Continue until your hands fail again. Rest a few minutes andstart from the beginning. After two or three trips through this circuit, you can expectyour lower arms to be fried.

And best of all, despite the lower arm challenge, you will not be working with as muchweight as you would typically use when performing a farmer’s walk with regulardumbbells (ex. page 22). Therefore, the thick grip farmer’s walk is yet another exampleof a challenging lower arm exercise that provides a temporary break to the rest of yourbody.

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Thick Grip Suspension Training

Portable thick grips can also be added to a suspension trainer. Below you can see onearm body rows performed from the same suspension trainer seen on pages 57 and 58.

The suspension trainer is homemade and consists of nothing but a pair of cam-buckle

tie-downs purchased at a local hardware store. The triangular handles that hook to thetie-downs are swing set trapeze rings intended for a child’s playground. Theirtriangular shape is a perfect fit for the thick grips.

The combination of thick grips and thesuspension trainer is useful for athletes of alllevels. For instance, a beginner can start withtwo hand variations. You could begin withthe feet on the ground as seen on page 56.You could then elevate the feet andeventually add a weighted vest. Next, youcould progress to one arm body rows andadd a weighted vest if necessary. Regardlessof your ability, there is a variation availablethat will be challenging. And while the thickgrips target the lower arms, traditional bodyrows are an excellent horizontal pullingexercise. With or without the added gripchallenge, this exercise rarely receives asmuch attention as it deserves. Another inexpensive, homemade lower arm developer

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Permanent Thick Grips

As useful as the portable grip attachments are for so many exercises, it is also nice tohave permanent thick grip handles for lifting. Fortunately, thick grip dumbbells areboth easy and inexpensive to make. All that you need is a piece of pipe, rope, and ducttape. Step by step instructions can be found on the following page.

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3


Step 7 Step 8

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Instructions

1. For standard 1 inch plates, you will use ¾” pipe. Pipe is measured by innerdiameter so a ¾” piece of pipe is a perfect fit for most 1 inch plates. If you areunsure if your plates will fit on the pipe, consider bringing a small plate to thehardware store for testing. It is always useful to try before you buy. As for pipelength, I suggest using a piece that is 18 or 24 inches in length.

2. Once you have acquired the pipe, you will need to measure the gripping area. Icreated my handles with approximately six inches of grip area. I then beganwrapping thin rope around this six inch space. Wrap the rope tightly arounduntil it has covered the entire six inch area with one layer.

3. Once you have wrapped the rope around the grip area, carefully add a piece ofduct tape to one end to keep it in place. You must then make sure the rope istightly wrapped without any slack before cutting the opposing end.

4. Once you have cut the first layer of your thick grip rope handle, you will need towrap it in a few layers of duct tape. Be sure to wrap the tape tightly to avoid anyshifting from the bottom layer of rope.

5. Next you will wrap another layer of rope (assuming that you want to go thicker).

The second layer will be added identically as you did with the first.

6. Be sure to wrap the second layer as tight as possible with duct tape. Once again,you do not want any movement coming from either layer of rope.

7. Once you have reached your desired thickness, you should wrap each end of thethick grip tightly and neatly with duct tape. The goal is to create a flat edge withthe thick grip section so that plates can be uniformly added to each side.

8. When first creating the handle, it can be useful to add plates to each side andsqueeze them inward to help form a flat edge from the thicker rope area. Afterdoing so, you can see on page 121 (step 8) how the plates rest flush against thethick grip section.

Upon completion, you will have a durable thick grip dumbbell that will nevercompress. The total cost to create such a handle will be minimal yet you can expect it tolast a lifetime. I have several thick grip dumbbells that I have owned and used regularlyfor several years.

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Thick Grip Dumbbells

Any thick handle dumbbell discussion would be incomplete without referencing thepreviously mentioned Thomas Inch. The former strongman became famous for liftinghis thick handle dumbbell overhead. The original Inch dumbbell was 172 pounds and 9ounces with a 2.38 inch diameter handle. Inch was known to challenge fellowstrongmen to lifting the dumbbell.

In 1930, he wrote the following:

“The secret of the famous Inch Challenge Dumb Bell is of course that it has a thick handle. Thatand the weight of the bell has defied every famous strong man who has tried the bell... There is no

actual secret as far as the make up of the bell is concerned, the weight and the thickness of thehandle call for a better grip than anyone has yet been able to exert.”

Over 75 years later, the Inch dumbbell remains one of the most famous grip trainingtools in existence. Replicas are even sold commercially. They typically sell for severalhundred dollars. Fortunately, we do not need a true Inch replica to derive the benefitsof thick handle lifting. A homemade thick handle works just as well.

Why Bother?

Some may see the thick handle dumbbell and wonder what’s the point of building oneif you already use thick grip attachments. For instance, if you made the towel gripattachments from page 112, do you really need a thick handle dumbbell as well?

Without question, the short answer is no. Non-strength athletes can adequately developtheir lower arms without lifting a thick handle dumbbell. As already demonstrated,there are several options for thick grip training that do not involve free weights. A fewexamples include climbing a thick rope, performing pull-ups from a thick bar, andtraining with thick grip attachments on a suspension trainer. Each of these options willdevelop thick grip strength without ever using a dumbbell.

With that said, I believe thick handle dumbbells are so effective, inexpensive, and easyto build that they are ideal for anyone interested in strength development.Consequently, I recommend building a thick handle dumbbell whether you use thickgrip attachments or not. At first glance, the two may appear quite similar, but there aredistinct differences. Not only will each tool be unique in terms of thickness, but theactual feel is different as well. Squeezing a thick grip attachment has a much differentfeel from wrapping your hands around a solid dumbbell handle. I say this not tosuggest that the dumbbell is superior, but instead to highlight the uniqueness of eachtool.

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Another difference between the two is that you will have better control of a soliddumbbell handle. If your grip is going to fail on a thick handle, you will know exactly

when you are losing control. Conversely, if you are going to fail with a grip attachment,it is more likely that the weight you are holding will slip away from the attachmentwithout advance notice. There certainly is not a huge difference between the two, butthe attachment adds a second layer to whatever you are lifting. With a solid handle,your hand is in direct contact with the object. As a result, I personally feel that I haveslightly more control and awareness with the solid handle.

In addition, as was the case when discussing pinch grip, it is always useful to haveunique challenges available to you. I consider thick grip training to be so valuable that Iam always interested in new options to target this worthwhile objective. And onceagain, when discussing thick grip attachments and thick handle dumbbells, each ofthese tools is extremely inexpensive. We are not talking about a significant monetaryinvestment. On the contrary, these are valuable tools that will cost but a few dollars toconstruct. The inexpensive price tag and the obvious physical benefits associated witheach makes it a no brainer.

Exercises

When considering exercises with a thick handle dumbbell, perhaps the most commonchoice is to deadlift it from the floor. This can be done with the dumbbell either parallelor perpendicular to the body.

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Although deadlifting a thick handle dumbbell may not appear too beneficial at firstglance, this exercise is surprisingly difficult. One of the quickest ways for me to humble

an athlete who is new to the gym is by asking him to lift one of my thick handledumbbells. Nine out of ten times the athlete is left with a look of shock and confusion.He is not sure if there is a trick to lifting the dumbbell or if it is glued to the floor. Whycan’t he lift it? Unfortunately, there is no trick. Inability to lift the thick handle simplyhighlights inadequate lower arm strength.

It is impossible to appreciate how difficult it is to lift thick handles if you have not doneso yourself. Fortunately, it is not uncommon to make fairly rapid gains when firstworking with thick handles. Even a few sets per week will lead to greater lower armstrength. For instance, you could perform a few sets of thick handle deadlifts on a pull-dominant strength day. The total weight lifted with the thick handle will be minimalwhen compared to traditional lifts such as a barbell deadlift. Therefore, the thick handlework could be performed either before or after barbell deadlifts without interference.

Earlier, I mentioned that I often begin deadlift sessions with double overhand warm-upsets. On certain days, I may bypass these double overhand sets however and insteadperform a few sets of thick handle deadlifts. Once again, the dumbbell weight isminimal in comparison to what I can deadlift, so three or four moderate rep sets willnot interfere with the heavier barbell work to follow.

On another day, I may begin with double overhand grip warm-ups, proceed to heavier

mixed grip deadlifts, and conclude with thick handle work as a finisher. It will onlytake a few sets to tax the lower arms, particularly after I have already deadlifted heavy.Regardless of which option I choose, the total time invested towards lower armdevelopment will be minimal. It does not take a lot of time to strengthen the hands.

Beyond Deadlifts

In addition to deadlifting the thick handle,rows are another tremendous option. Thickhandle rows are extremely difficult toperform with moderate to heavy loads. Youmust literally squeeze the handle as hard aspossible throughout each repetition.

This exercise can be performed on its ownor as a warm-up before progressing toheavier Kroc-style rows where you may optto use straps.

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Various Sizes

Another benefit to homemade thick handles is that it is easy to create handles ofdifferent sizes. It will only cost a few dollars per handle. And while some may wonderif it is necessary to train with multiple thick handles, I believe it is beneficial to workwith at least two sizes. For instance, you could create one handle that is approximately 2inches thick and another between 2.5 and 3 inches. Each would fall under the samecategory as thick handle implements but the difference between the two could not beoverstated. Just as lifting a 2 inch handle is different from a standard bar, anything over2.5 inches is entirely different from a 2 inch handle. This is particularly true if yourhands are not overly large.

Below you can see one of the thicker dumbbells that I own. Like the previous example,this handle was created from rope. As for durability, I created this handle over sevenyears ago. It is still as good as new. The only modification I have ever had to make wasthe addition of another layer of tape. As time passes, some of the old tape mayoccasionally come undone. The rope itself is virtually indestructible and the shape ofthe handle has not changed at all.

Another difference between the handle above and the handle from page 121 is that thishandle was created from an actual dumbbell. I did not use pipe. Instead, I started with a14 inch dumbbell that I had otherwise outgrown. The 14 inch length could not loadenough weight for many of my preferred dumbbell lifts. Rather than discard the shorthandle however, I opted to convert it into a thick handle. Seven years have now passedand I still haven’t outgrown it. I do not expect that to change any time soon.

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Exercise Options

When considering exercise options for your thickest handle, the general rules stillapply. The best exercises will be those performed without mechanical advantages. Insimplified terms, you should select exercises where you struggle to hold on. Deadliftsand rows remain two of my favorites.

One exercise that is somewhat unique however is the curl. Previously, I mentioned thatcurls are often performed with thick handles. Yet, if the handle is only moderately thick,you may notice that you can curl almost as much weight as you can with a conventionalbar. While the forearms will certainly be challenged to a greater extent, the concentricportion of the exercise is not all that different when compared to curling a conventional

bar.

Everything changes once you reach a certain thickness though. As you approach threeinches in thickness, the curl becomes much more difficult. This is particularly trueduring the eccentric portion of the exercise. It is at that time when the thumb willstruggle to hold on as you lower the weight towards your thigh. As a result, it becomeschallenging to perform continuous reps of heavy curls with an extremely thick handle.

Therefore, while curls are often mocked within the fitness industry, you will not findanyone laughing while attempting a truly thick handle curl. The lower arm challenge is

considerable. Don’t knock it until you have tried it.

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Additional Tools

Continuing with the theme of variety, we can build yet another effective andinexpensive thick grip device with PVC pipe and chain. It can be used as a bodyweightexercise tool or in conjunction with free weights. I first saw a variation of this deviceposted to my website’s forum a few years ago and I have made a few modificationssince. The end result will be similar to a Rolling Thunder handle.

A true Rolling Thunder is a revolving deadlift handle that was created by IronMind in1993. If you are not familiar with IronMind, it is a company that specializes in creatinghigh quality strength training equipment. They sell some of the best equipment on themarket. Their Rolling Thunder handle is 2.375 inches in diameter. What makes it so

difficult to grab is not just its thickness however, but rather the bearings that allow it tofreely rotate. In other words, you are not grabbing a fixed handle with the RollingThunder. It will move on you. The difficulty of the Rolling Thunder is impossible tofathom without trying it yourself. It is no surprise that the tool has become so popularwith strongmen and grip specialists. It provides a tremendous challenge.

Fortunately, those who are not competitive strength athletes can perform a similarchallenge with a homemade alternative. Rotating thick grips can be made from PVCpipe. To do so, you will need a piece of 2 inch PVC pipe along with another piece of 1.5inch PVC. Most hardware stores sell 1.5 and 2 inch pieces in three foot lengths for a few

dollars each. Three feet of PVC will be more than enough length for this project. Twovariations can be seen below.

Option A Option B

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Handle Instructions

1. Both variations from page 128 use the bottom of the T-handle from page 83. Inother words, you are attaching the rotating handle to the same ¾ inch x 12 inchpipe nipple, which is screwed into a ¾ inch floor flange.

2. The rotating handle consists of two piecesof PVC. You are essentially inserting a 1.5inch piece inside a 2 inch piece. Cut the1.5 inch piece approximately ½ inchlonger than the 2 inch piece. By cuttingthe 1.5 inch piece longer, it is easier for

the 2 inch piece to rotate around itwithout touching the chain.

a. 2 inch PVC x 6 inchesb. 1.5 inch PVC x 6.5 inches

3. Once you have cut the PVC to length, you can wrap duct tape around the 2 inch

handle until reaching your desired diameter. This is an optional step if you want

the handle to have a diameter that is greater than 2 inches.

4. You will then run approximately 22 inches of chain through the PVC. The chain

will connect to itself with a quick-link connector. What you will be left with is a

rotating handle that can be attached to several exercise tools.

Attachment Options

There are two ways to attach the rotating handle

to the 12 inch pipe nipple from the T-handle.

Option A from page 128 uses a pipe tee fitting. Itis not the same fitting used when swinging the T-

handle however. There is a larger opening on top

where the chain feeds through. I use a 1 ¼ x ¾

inch tee fitting. Therefore, the bottom of the tee

(¾ inch side) still screws onto the 12 inch pipe

nipple. The larger 1 ¼ inch opening is adequate

for the chain to feed through.

a.

b.

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A second option is to create a loading pin attachment. Loading pins are commonly used

by grip competitors. Creating a loading pin involves more work than the first option. To

create a loading pin, you will need a pipe cap that fits the pipe nipple from the T-handle(¾ inch in my case). If you were using Olympic plates, you would use a 1.5 inch pipe

nipple and cap.

You will then need to drill a hole in the cap that is large enough for an eye-bolt to fit

through. A power drill will obviously be needed. Once the hole has been drilled, run

the eye-bolt through and secure it tightly with a nut.

To attach the rotating handle to this loading pin, you will use the same quick-link

connector that connects each end of the chain (which runs through the PVC). Refer tothe picture of Option B from 128 to see an example.

As for comparing the two attachments, I prefer using a tee fitting that attaches directly

to the pipe nipple. Once attached, the tee fitting and pipe nipple merge to become asingle, stationary unit. There is no movement between the two pieces. The same cannotbe said for the quick-link connector that attaches to the eye-bolt. There will naturally besome swaying between the two pieces. Even though the difference is not significant, Imuch prefer the immobile connection between the tee fitting and pipe nipple.

The tee fitting attachment also entails less work. You do not need to drill any holes.Simply run the chain through the opening and you are ready to go. Clearly, personalpreference must be considered, but I much prefer the tee fitting attachment.

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Exercises

The most common exercise performed with a rotating handle is a one hand deadlift.The instructions are quite simple. Grab the handle and lift. This exercise is typicallyperformed for low reps. It is also common to work towards a single rep with a maximalload. Anyone who approaches 200 pounds in this exercise is well ahead of most.

These rotating handles can be used formuch more than deadlifts however. Forexample, the chain attachment can beeasily connected to a kettlebell handle.

Bent over rows with a rotating handle area tremendous lower arm exercise. Thisexercise becomes quite challenging with

any considerable amount of weight.

The kettlebell works better than the T-handle for rows as it does not hang aslow. The shorter length allows for agreater range of motion. If you wanted touse the T-handle for rows, you may wishto use a shorter pipe nipple attachment(ex. 8 or 10 inches as opposed to 12).

These rows could also be performed from a bench if you prefer

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Kettlebell swings can also be performed with rotating handles. This exercise is muchmore challenging than a bent over row. The exercise is more dynamic with a faster

moving load. Expect to be humbled when attempting this variation for the first time.

As the weight swings away from you, it becomes extremely difficult to control. In thepicture below, you will notice the open position of my hand towards the top of theswing. My thumb must work extremely hard to hold on. If not, the kettlebell willliterally fly out of your hands.

And once again, despite the considerable lower arm challenge, the overall weight isminimal compared to what you could swing with a traditional grip. Therefore, rotatinggrip swings are yet another ideal choice as a warm-up before heavier sets. You will notneed to accumulate too much volume before the grip is taxed.

Double Up

Many hardware stores do not sell PVC in lengths under three feet. With that in mind,even if you only intended to create one handle, you would still have extra PVC pipe leftover. Rather than discarding the excess, it makes more sense to create a second handle.The cost of two rotating handles is virtually identical to one aside from some extra chainand a second quick-link connector. By adding another handle, your exercise optionswill increase considerably. This is particularly true if you prefer a bodyweight basedlower arm challenge. Rotating grips are an ideal addition to the pull-up bar. They aremuch more challenging than the previously seen thick grip attachments.

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Attaching the rotating handles to a pull-upbar is relatively straightforward. Simply

loop the chain around the bar and attach itto itself with the quick-link connector.

Notice how one link of the chain restsevenly on top of the bar however. As aresult, you will naturally need to grip thehandles dead center. If not, the handles willshift in the direction of your bodyweight. Itmay take a few reps for you to get a feel forthe balance that is required. It will thenbecome second nature.

Performing pull-ups from rotating thick grips is much more difficult than it appears. I

have had many otherwise strong athletes who struggled to perform even a single

repetition. The challenge then increases exponentially when performing multiple reps

without touching your feet to the ground. Multiple reps are naturally more difficult as

even the negative portion of the exercise is taxing to the lower arms. There is no option

to rest when holding your bodyweight from thick, rotating grips.

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Based on the difficulty of the rotating grips, it is not unusual for athletes to needassistance when attempting continuous reps from the pull-up bar. I have seen many

athletes who are quite strong with weighted pull-ups who lack the lower arm strengthto perform continuous reps from these grips. If you find yourself in a similar position,band assisted reps can be useful. Simply slip-knot a resistance band around the bar andhook it around your knee. From there, you can perform pull-ups with the assistanceprovided by the band. Even with the band, the lower arms will often be challenged withten or less reps.

In addition, just because you may be able to perform a few unassisted reps does notmean that band assisted reps are entirely useless. If lower arm training is new to you, itis important that you leave your ego at the door. Working with a light band may allowyou to concentrate more volume towards the lower arms.

For instance, suppose you are proficient with traditional pull-ups, but you can onlyperform three unassisted reps with the rotating grips. You may wish to begin with threesets of three reps. Upon completion of the unassisted reps, you could then attach a lightresistance band. Finish with a few band-assisted sets of 8 to 10 reps. Considering thatyou are already strong with traditional pull-ups, it is safe to assume that your upperbody will not be challenged with these band assisted reps. The challenge will befocused almost exclusively towards the lower arms.

In summary, you have an effective lower arm exercise that spares the rest of your body.

As a result, you can include it almost anywhere within a routine without interference.

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Shifting gears, once you become proficient with unassisted reps, a weighed vest will

extend the challenge further. It will not take much weight for you to realize that these

rotating grips are a tool that you will never outgrow. Whether you are a beginner,advanced, or somewhere in between, there is a variation worthy of your time.

Additional Options

Furthermore, the rotating grips quicklyattach to the same homemade suspensiontrainer seen earlier. The hooks from eachend of the cam-buckle tie-downs fit easilythrough the chain that runs through thePVC handles.

With this simple connection, you instantlyhave several additional thick grip optionsto choose from. For example, body rowscan be performed just as discussed onpage 120. Once again, there is a variationavailable for athletes of all abilities.

Several body row variations can be performed with these rotating grips

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These inexpensive thick grips can even be added to a barbell. By attaching these grips toa bar, you will have an exercise that is similar to a thick handle trap bar deadlift (as seen

on page 117). This variation is unique however as it not only entails a thicker grip, butalso the rotating handles.

As for placement within a routine, this exercise can be useful for beginners or advancedstrength athletes. For instance, suppose you are a beginner to lower arm training, thusare unable to perform pull-ups from the rotating thick grips. You may wish to use therotating grips, but you do not have resistance bands to perform assisted pull-ups. Youalso may not have a T-handle or kettlebell to perform one arm lifts. If you find yourselfin this position (which is not uncommon), the barbell is an ideal solution. With abarbell, you can load the precise amount of weight that you can lift.

And once again, the overall weight that you will be lifting is minimal compared to whatyou can handle with a traditional grip. Therefore, you can target the lower armswithout disrupting the rest of your routine. A few sets as a warm-up or finisher willeventually lead to considerable results.

More advanced strength athletes may also find the rotating thick grip deadlift useful.For instance, you may not own a weighted vest that is heavy enough to adequatelychallenge you on the pull-up bar. Heavy weighted vests are quite expensive. If you findyourself in this position, it is much more convenient to add weight to a barbell. It is alsomore convenient to progressively increase the weight of a barbell. In summary,attaching these inexpensive grips to the barbell creates an effective grip challenge thatyou will never outgrow.

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Ball Grips

Another inexpensive thick grip tool can becreated from softballs. Although I have seencommercial versions sold for over $80, you cancreate your own for approximately $10.

To begin, you will need two softballs. Alongwith each ball, you will need an eye-bolt, anut, and a washer. The eye-bolts that I use are6 inches long and thick.

First, you will need to drill a hole through eachsoftball. Use a drill bit that is smaller than to ensure a tight fit. You will then screw theeye-bolt through the hole. Next, secure the boltin place with a nut and washer. Add a smallpiece of chain and a quick-link connector andyou can attach these balls to any bar.

Performing pull-ups from the softball grips will provide a unique lower arm challenge.The open hand position is different from what you may be used to while training with a

thick bar.

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And as was the case with the rotating thick grips, these ball attachments can be addedto almost anything. For example, you can perform body rows from a suspension trainer.

Just be sure to keep your hands on the actual softball, as opposed to latching on to (oraround) the eye-bolt.

As for necessity, I am not suggesting that everyone must train with softball grips inaddition to thick grips. Once again however, it is always useful to have multiple optionsavailable as the weeks, months, and years pass. Working with a new tool not onlyprovides a unique physical challenge, but can also provide a mental spark to preventstaleness and monotony.

Summary

As was the case throughout the pinch grip section, I have intentionally included several

inexpensive thick grip tools within this chapter. My hope is to remove any excuses thatyou may have used previously to overlook thick grip training. As you can see, thick

grip can be developed with inexpensive tools that are readily available to all.

It is rare that so many benefits can be realized from such an inexpensive source oftraining. Many of the best tools for thick grip training will cost less than $10 toconstruct. To overlook such an inexpensive, yet effective means of training isinexcusable. Simply adding a few thick grip and pinch grip sets to your existing routinewill lead to considerable lower arm gains.

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In summary, whether you swap out a traditional exercise in place of a thick gripmovement (ex. thick grip pull-ups), or instead target thick grip via warm-up sets or as a

finisher (ex. thick grip deadlifts), you are guaranteed to improve lower arm strength.And perhaps most importantly, the time required to include such work will not disruptan existing routine. Therefore, not only is the monetary investment minimal, but yourinvestment in time will be minimal as well. Don’t mistake a minimal investment forminimal gains however. Thick grip training provides some of the highest payoff forlower arm strength development. In other words, make room for thick grip training andenjoy the guaranteed strength gains that develop as a result of your work.

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WRIST TRAINING

"Strong wrists are such an advantage that it is impossible tospend too much time at improving their shape and power."

– Earle Liederman

Thus far, I have started each chapter with a single quote. For this chapter, I will startwith two. In addition to what is listed above, Earle Liederman continued with thefollowing.

Strong wrists are indispensable to strength. In most ordinary feats of strength the object to bemoved or lifted, swung or broken, is gripped by the hands; and those hands must be strongly

coupled to the arms, so that there will be no break in the delivery of power. A famous veteran,advising a new-comer in the professional ranks said, “Young man, you will never be anystronger than your hands and wrists.”

I have this quote printed on my office wall. That is how much I believe in it. I do not just believe in wrist development for strength athletes however. It is perhaps even moreimportant for combat athletes to actively train the wrists. Unfortunately, it took a longtime for me to truly understand and appreciate the relevance of wrist training. As ayoung fighter, I had my share of wrist injuries but they were always overshadowed byhand fractures. My once feeble wrists were likely spared further damage because of my

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hand problems. When my hands were injured, I could not strike effectively, so mywrists remained weak, but also rested. It was not until I began training other fighters

that I began noticing how common and debilitating wrist injuries could be.

I have seen wrist fractures occur during professional bouts where the injured fighterdid nothing but land a meaningful punch. Ultimately, the impact of the punch wasmore than the wrist could handle despite being wrapped thoroughly with tape andgauze. One of the professional fighters I train missed an entire year of his career (duringhis prime) because of a wrist fracture that occurred during a bout. He began workingwith me afterward. In discussing his past, he was quick to point out that he had neverspent any time training the lower arms. Therefore, it was lower arm neglect that almostended a promising career simply because he landed an effective punch.

The Basics

While dedicated wrist training is uncommon, those who train the wrists usually focustheir attention towards one or two exercises. Wrist curls and reverse wrist curls arecertainly among the most popular wrist exercises performed by the masses. Yet, despitethe name, most people who perform wrist curls do so with little concern for the actualwrists. Wrist curls are typically performed by those wishing to build larger forearms.

Wrist curls are commonly performed with a dumbbell, barbell, or EZ curl bar. Theforearms will rest on your thighs (as illustrated) or on a bench. You will then lower thebar by bending at the wrist (forearms remain stationary), before reversing themovement and curling the weight up. This exercise targets wrist flexion.

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Wrist curls can also be performed behind the back. This variation is more convenientwhen performing heavier reps as you can back yourself up to a power rack and grasp

the bar to begin the set. I prefer this style over all others.

Reverse wrist curls are often paired with wrist curls. The reverse wrist curl trainsextension as you begin with the palms down. Aside from hand position, execution ofthis exercise is identical to a wrist curl. Don’t expect to move as much weight however.

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Both wrist curls and reverse wrist curls can also be trained with thick grip attachments.

A few sets of each could be an ideal finisher at the conclusion of a strength workout.

Thick grip reverse wrist curls are particularly challenging. It is quite difficult to hold

and curl any meaningful weight with this exercise.

Thick grip wrist curls and reverse wrist curls are advanced movements. Do notunderestimate their difficulty. If you are new to wrist training, it is important to startlight. Many athletes have extremely weak wrists due to prior neglect. As a result, it isnot uncommon for these athletes to injure themselves when first training the wrists.Therefore, start light and proceed with caution. Wrist strength takes time to develop.

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Yes or No?

Whenever discussing wrist curls or reverse wrist curls, I typically encounter conflictingviewpoints. There are those who swear by these movements and others who believethey are a complete waste of time. Personally, I am not entirely for or against either ofthese exercises. There are certainly other options available if forearm size is yourprimary goal. With that said, it is important to perform at least some wrist flexion andextension for complete lower arm development.

Be aware however that there is much more to wrist training than performing high repwrist curls and reverse wrist curls. To make the most of these movements, the goalshould be to eventually progress towards heavier weights. Yet, even when you are

capable of wrist curling heavy loads, there is still much more to complete wristdevelopment. Dynamic flexion and extension are just the beginning.

Before we look at other forms of wristtraining though, let’s first examine myfavorite exercise for wrist flexion andextension. I can also use myself as anexample to highlight a common mistakethat is made during wrist training.

The image to the right was taken aroundten years ago. You can see me working witha homemade wrist roller. The wrist rollerconsisted of nothing but a wooden doweland a piece of rope.

To perform a wrist roll with this device, Iwould roll the weight up in one direction,lower it to the ground, and continue byrolling the weight up in the opposingdirection. I would continue to alternate the

direction with each rep, thus targeting bothflexion and extension.

The limitation to this device is that you can only roll as much weight as you can hold.As a result, you are naturally limited in terms of how much weight can be used.Therefore, while this exercise will challenge the forearms, the primary target is strengthendurance as opposed to maximal strength. High rep wrist rolling is not much differentfrom performing high rep wrist curls. In each case, you will certainly experience a pump throughout the forearms, but don’t expect to develop much in terms of actual strength.To develop strength, you must challenge yourself with more significant loads.

A homemade wrist roller in 2005

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Mounted Wrist Rollers

Mounted wrist rollers are far superior to the handheld design. With a mounted roller,you can focus all of your attention to the lower arms without actively holding theweight above the floor. As for creating a mounted wrist roller, it will only cost a fewdollars and there are options for almost anyone.

The first option is to create a wrist roller that will fit inside of a power rack. The actualroller will fit over a safety bar within the rack.

Instructions

1. First, you need to measure the bars from your power rack. The roller will be cutslightly shorter. For example, I have 24 inches between the bars on my rack so Icut the PVC to approximately 23 inches.

2. The roller itself is made from 1.5 inch PVC pipe. You can likely use the samepiece that you used for the rotating thick grips from page 129. A three foot lengthwill give you enough for two rotating handles and one rack mounted roller.

3. You will then attach a strong piece of rope to the PVC by securing it with a hoseclamp. Approximately five feet of rope should suffice.

4. Next, wrap the hose clamp thoroughly with duct tape. The tape is added toprevent the jagged edge of the clamp from digging into the rope.

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5. Lastly, you will attach a carabiner or quick-link connector to the end of the rope.This connector will be used to attach weight to the roller. Simply feed it through

the weight plates and then attach it back around the rope (as seen on page 145).

6. An optional step is to wrap the roller in athletic tape. The athletic tape will allowyou to get a better grip when rolling significant loads.

As for using the rack mounted roller, I position it at approximately chest level. You mayneed to experiment but somewhere around chest level is typically where you will bestrongest. With regular use, you can eventually progress towards rolling several platesat a time. Heavy wrist rolling is perhaps the greatest forearm developer you will everfind. Just be sure to work both directions evenly.

No Rack? No Problem

If you do not own a power rack, you can stillcreate a mounted wrist roller. All that youwill need is a homemade suspension trainer(see page 120).

The suspended wrist roller is actually moredifficult than the rack mounted roller. With asuspended roller, you cannot lean against itthe way that you can when working within apower rack. The suspended roller will simplymove forward if you lean your bodyweightagainst it.

Therefore, there is no way to cheat with asuspended wrist roller. Forearm and wriststrength alone will be responsible for rollingsignificant loads up and down.

As for creating a suspended wrist roller, theparts list is similar to the rack mounted rollerwith the addition of a few items. Refer topage 147 for a complete list.

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Parts List

a) Two cam-buckle tie-downsb) Two small pieces of pool noodle

foam (wrapped in duct tape)c) One ½” or ¾” x 24” iron piped) One 1.5” wrist roller (PVC, rope,

and carabiner)

Instructions

1. First you need two cam-buckle tie-downs and somewhere to hang themoverhead. The cam-buckles that I use can be hooked over a pull-up bar (as seenon page 120) or hung to an overhead ceiling attachment. I personally use

overhead swing hangers to attach the cam-buckles to the ceiling. The swinghangers have been drilled into the overhead beams within the ceiling. A swinghanger is the hardware used to secure a child’s swing set.

2. Once you have the cam-buckles secured overhead, you need a piece of pipe thatwill fit inside of the cam-buckle hooks. Depending on the size of the hooks, youwill typically need to use ½” or ¾” pipe (24 inches in length).

3. The pipe will serve the same role that the bar did within the power rack. It iswhere the roller will be mounted. The suspended roller is not as long as the

power rack model. I cut the PVC pipe to 16 inches for the suspended roller.

4. When attaching rope to your PVC roller, you will use a hose clamp. The hoseclamp should be secured off center however. Due to the shorter length of thePVC pipe (16 inches), you will need more room on one side for the rope to wraparound the PVC. Therefore, I secure the hose clamp six inches in from one side.

5. To keep the suspended roller in place, I use two small pieces of foam poolnoodles. The pool noodles are wrapped in duct tape and will fit over the end ofthe iron pipe.

a.

b.

d.

c.

Hose clamp secured off center (6 inches in from one side)

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Visual Demonstration

1. Notice in Figure 1 how the iron pipe rests within the hooks from the cam-buckletie-downs. Once again, just be sure that the pipe you purchase fits within thehooks from your cam-buckles.

2. Also, notice how the 16 inch piece of 1.5” PVC fits over the pipe (inside of thehooks from the cam-buckle tie-downs). You can also see again how the hoseclamp is off center (where the duct tape has been wrapped on the roller). As aresult, there is enough room for the red rope to wrap around the roller.

3. Lastly, you can see how the two pieces of foam attach to each end of the pipe.

The foam is added to prevent the roller from sliding to either side when in use.

Rolling and Curling

Wrist curls, reverse wrist curls, and heavy wrist rolling are all potentially useful. If

forearm size is your primary goal, these are viable options. It is also nice that these

movements can be performed fairly often without negative results. I have always been

able to train wrist flexion and extension with more frequency and volume than other

forms of lower arm training. For instance, my forearms can tolerate much more work

than my thumbs. If I begin to train pinch grip too frequently, it is only a matter of time

before I stall. Conversely, I can perform wrist curls and wrist rolls several times a week

without losing any strength. And while my own experience is merely anecdotal

evidence, the forearms are often quite resilient when compared to other muscle groups.

Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3

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Be aware however that as you build forearm size, overall wrist strength could still belimited. As mentioned previously, there is much more to wrist development than

performing exercises such as wrist curls and wrist rolling. Large forearms do notguarantee wrist strength. Furthermore, wrist strength is highly specific. For example,many athletes who have only trained wrist flexion and extension may struggleconsiderably when first training radial and ulnar deviation of the wrist. In other words, just because you can wrist roll or wrist curl heavy loads does not mean you won’t behumbled when attempting to lever even insignificant weights. The anatomy of the wrist joint is extremely complex so do not expect adequate wrist development with a singleexercise or two.

Plate Curls

While discussing the potential limitations of wrist curls and wrist rolling, anotherexercise that often proves humbling is the plate curl. It is not uncommon for athletes towrist curl heavy loads yet struggle considerably when attempting a plate curl or platewrist curl. Switching from a bar to a plate changes everything.

Plate curls are challenging to the wrist, fingers, and thumb. The movement is somewhatof a mix between a wrist and pinch grip exercise. As for execution, plate curls are bestperformed with a plate that has a flat side. To perform the movement, spread your fourfingers on the flat side of the plate while pinching the thumb over the front. From thisposition, you will execute a curl as if you were performing a strict bicep curl. Thereshould be no swinging and the wrist must remain flat (no bending). If this exercise isnew to you, I suggest starting with a 10 pound plate.

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Assuming that 10 pounds is not toodifficult, the next step is to pinch another

plate on top. For example, you could curla 10 and 5 pound plate together. Whencurling multiple plates, you can eitherpinch them manually between yourfingers and thumb, or clamp themtogether if you wish to focus solely on thecurl.

Once you are comfortable with a 10 and 5pound plate, you should progress to two10 pound plates. Most athletes who haveregularly trained the lower arms will beable to handle two 10 pound plates formoderate reps.

It is more common to see athletes fail when they first attempt to curl a 25 pound plate.They typically underestimate the difficulty. Many of these athletes can plate curl two 10pounders with relative ease, yet struggle with a 25 pound plate. The reason for theadded difficulty is not just the extra weight, but also the added length of the plate. Asplate size increases, the leverage challenge increases as well. More of the weight isfarther away from your hand.

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The majority of non-grip specialists willbe adequately challenged with a 25 pound

plate. If however you can plate curl the 25pounder for moderate reps (ex. 5 to 8),you may wish to eventually progresstowards heavier loads. To do so, you canonce again add a second plate.

While pinching two plates, you will execute the plate curl under control without anybend in the wrist. Even the addition of an extra 2.5 or 5 pounds will make the plate curlmuch more challenging.

Once you are comfortable with a 25 pounder plus another plate, the next progressionwould be a 35 pound plate. As mentioned previously however, not everyone owns 35pound plates. And to plate curl a 45 pounder is an extremely challenging feat that islimited to a select number of dedicated grip specialists.

Start position for plate curling two plates

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Homemade Alternative

The plate curl is a tremendous exercise that does notreceive as much attention as it deserves. One reason forthe oversight is likely the inability to conveniently makeincremental adjustments in weight. For instance, youmay plate curl two 10 pounders, yet struggle with a 25.Another athlete may plate curl a 25 pounder, yetstruggle to pinch another plate on top when attemptingto increase weight. I have seen many athletes in thesesituations who eventually abandoned the exercise andinstead selected movements that can be more easily

modified.

To prevent this from happening with my own athletes, I eventually created ahomemade alternative. It was back around 2009 when I was regularly curling multipleplates. I did not own a 35 pound plate and could not curl a 45 pounder. I didn’t mindpinching weights on top of a 25 pound plate, but I wanted a more convenient way tomake smaller increases. An extra pound or two can make a world of difference withmany hand and wrist exercises.

With that in mind, I built an extremely simple tool that can be used by beginners and

advanced athletes. It can be loaded to precise amounts regardless of your ability. As forspecifics, all that you need is a short piece of 2x10 inch wood. I cut mine to 11 inches. Ithen attached a ¾” floor flange and a 4 inch pipe nipple (to load the weights). I use ahose clamp as a collar to prevent the weights from sliding down the pipe nipple.

Demoing a plate curl with two plates in 2009

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This simple device was inexpensive and easy to build. I used an old piece of scrap woodand purchased the plumbing supplies for a few dollars. Yet despite the low-tech

configuration, this tool has allowed several athletes to progress considerably with oneof the most effective wrist exercises available. Now that I have this tool, it is rare that Iever plate curl an actual plate. I much prefer this homemade alternative. And as can beseen on page 152, this tool can be adjusted to exact amounts. In that image, you will seea 10 pound plate, a 2.5 pounder, and 1 pound wrist weight. Without this tool, it wouldbe difficult to load such a precise amount when performing plate curls.

In addition to the weight, you must also factor in the weight and size of the tool itself.For instance, the weights are secured farther away from the hand, thus making this toolmore difficult when compared to holding an actual plate. I also prefer this tool as thegrip surface never changes. Regardless of how much weight is added, you are alwayspinching and curling the same piece of wood. You do not need to adjust your gripbased on the size or load of the plates being curled.

Earlier, I mentioned that plate curls are somewhat of a mix between a pinch grip andwrist exercise. The leftmost picture above highlights this combination. You will noticethat my start position is similar to the hand position seen in many of the previouslyillustrated pinch grip exercises. Without adequate thumb strength, I would be unable tohold on (thus unable to perform the exercise). With that in mind, if you find yourselfstruggling with a particular load, it may be useful to position yourself in front of abench when performing this exercise. You can rest the weight down on the benchmomentarily to avoid losing control at the bottom of each rep.

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Plate Curls

In addition to plate curls, another tremendous lower arm exercise is to instead wristcurl a plate. This variation is naturally more difficult than performing a standing plate

curl. Do not expect to use as much weight. Ten pounds is typically a good starting

point.

As for execution, perform this exercise exactly as you would a traditional wrist curl

except that you will be grasping a plate instead. Your hand position will be identical to

how it is when performing a plate curl. The four fingers will be spread on the flat side

of the plate while the thumb pinches the opposing side. From here, you will lower the

weight under control over your knee (or a bench) before curling it back up with your

wrist alone.

Be sure that you ease into this exercise with light loads if you have not tried it before.Any challenging wrist exercise carries the potential for injury when attempted by thosewith inadequate wrist strength and flexibility.

Therefore, you may find that this exercise is best performed with the same homemadetool that I demonstrated for plate curls. With such a tool, you will not be forced to makelarge increases in weight. You can literally add a single pound at a time. The ability tomake smaller increases allows for seamless progressions.

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This homemade tool is also useful for more advanced lifters. For instance, wrist curlinga 25 pound plate will prove challenging for most non-grip specialists. Not only is the

exercise difficult, but progress is often delayed for those athletes who can only addweight by pinching multiple plates. Such an approach will never prove as convenient asadding the exact amount that you can handle.

Levering

Levering is yet another challenging and beneficial type of wrist training. There arelevering variations that will allow you to train ulnar deviation and radial deviation, aswell as pronation and supination. Unfortunately, these are movements that are oftenentirely ignored. Speaking as a boxing trainer, I strongly believe that levering is one ofthe best ways to develop strong and resilient wrists that are less prone to injury. If morefighters implemented a regular dose of levering, wrist injuries would be reduced

dramatically.

It is worth noting however that many levering exercises are quite challenging. If youattempt to use too much weight too soon, you are asking for injury. Even light weightscan prove difficult depending on the location of the weight and the exercise performed.Furthermore, do not expect much carry over from the more popular wrist exercises (ex.wrist curls and wrist rolling). If you wish to develop levering strength, you will needdirect work with levering exercises. Legitimate strength takes time though, so don’texpect any overnight miracles.

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Side Levering

Side levering is a personal favorite of mine. By levering to each side, we are able to trainpronation and supination. Supination involves rotating the lower arm so that the palmis facing up. Pronation involves rotating the lower arm so that the palm is facing down.Without direct work, these are motions that would otherwise receive minimal attention.

As for equipment options, there are several low-tech tools that can be used for levering.Perhaps the most common tool is a sledgehammer (ex. 6 to 10 pounds). Yet, while I willdemonstrate a sledge, I personally use a few homemade devices for most leveringexercises.

When levering to each side, you will begin in a neutral position with the elbow tuckedin by your waist. You should be holding the sledge straight in the air. From thisposition, begin working from side to side with the elbow remaining stationary. Yoursole focus should be wrist action.

A moderate rep range will typically be used when levering to the side. I do not adviseworking with near maximal loads as the stress to the wrist can be excessive. As forprogressions with a sledgehammer, simply alter your hand position. As you work yourhand towards the bottom of the handle, the exercise becomes increasingly difficult. Anextra inch or two can make a world of difference. To monitor progress, label your startposition on the handle with a strip of tape. As your strength increases, you willgradually work yourself down the handle (farther away from the head of the sledge).

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Another common side levering tool is a basic dumbbell handle. Simply load weight onone end and you have a levering tool. Below you can see a 14 inch handle that has a 10

pound plate attached on one end.

Homemade Option #1

Personally, I prefer a slightly longer handleand a thicker grip when side levering with astraight bar. Fortunately, creating a bar thatsuits these needs is inexpensive and easy. Tothe right, you can see a homemade leveringtool that I have had for many years. It is an18 inch piece of ¾” galvanized iron pipe. Thethick handle at the bottom was created from

rope (just as you saw in the thick handlechapter).

Towards the top of the handle, you will seetwo hose clamps. The hose clamps serve ascollars to keep the weights in place.

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As can be seen below, the weight is farther away from my hand when compared to the14 inch dumbbell handle. As a result, this longer device is naturally more difficult.

Progression

What I also enjoy about this homemadetool is that I can load precise amounts.Unlike the sledgehammer, you do notprogress by altering hand position. Withthis tool, your hand always grips the samearea. Therefore, you progress by addingweight.

For instance, you can see to the right how

I have added a single pound by attachinga small wrist weight. And while a singlepound may seem insignificant, I have seenmany athletes work with 10 pounds, yetfail with 11. As mentioned previously,small increases often make a world ofdifference.

In summary, wrist weights in conjunction with a few 2.5, 5, and 10 pound plates allowme to load precise amounts regardless of an individual’s ability.

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Homemade Option #2

Yet another homemade levering tool can beconstructed from basic plumbing supplies.This model is my favorite for side levering. Itwill only cost a few dollars to acquire thenecessary parts.

a) One ¾” x 8” pipe nippleb) One 90-degree elbow fitting (¾“)c) One 4.5” pipe nippled) Rope and duct tape

e) Hose clamp

Putting the pieces together is as simple as acquiring them. The 8 inch pipe nipple willfirst attach to one end of the 90-degree elbow fitting. The 4.5 inch nipple will attach tothe other end of the elbow fitting. One piece simply screws inside of the other. You do

not need any tools to put the pieces together.

Next, you can thicken the gripping area of the handle with rope and duct tape. I use theexact method that was demonstrated on page 121. I thickened the first five inches of theeight inch pipe nipple. Clearly, this step is not necessary, but I prefer the feel of a thickerhandle when performing side levering exercises.

Lastly, I use a hose clamp to secure the levering plates in place. Traditional collars couldalso be used but an inexpensive hose clamp is more than adequate based on the lightloads that will be used with this tool. Most athletes will not work with anywhere near20 pounds when using this device. A flat head screwdriver is all that you will need to

manually tighten the hose clamp to secure your weight.

The result of these parts is an inexpensive, yet highly effective tool for trainingpronation and supination. This tool is unique from the previously demonstratedsledgehammer, dumbbell handle, and homemade handle. Although it is noticeablyshorter in length, the more significant difference between this tool and the others is thelocation of the load. The 90 degree angle creates an entirely unique levering challengewhen compared to a straight bar or sledge.

a.

b.

d.

c.

e.

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Personally, I find this particular tool to be the most comfortable and effective option fortargeting pronation and supination. Unlike a straight bar however, you will not target

both at the same time. With this homemade tool, you will target pronation with one set,and then turn the handle to target supination with a separate set.

Pronation: Rotating the lower arm so that the palm faces downward.

Supination: Rotating the lower arm so that the palm faces up.

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This tool can also be used while seated (my personal preference). It is naturally more

suitable for seated use when compared to a longer handle such as a sledge.

Pronation:

Supination:

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It is also worth noting that while training pronation and supination with this tool, I stop

at approximately the upright position. For instance, observe the two pictures at the

bottom of page 161 (supination from a seated position). The left side picture shows thestarting position, while the right side shows my ending position. Notice that I do not

continue until the palm is facing completely up. I instead stop where the challenge

ends. The active portion of the exercise ends at approximately the upright position. If I

continued farther, gravity would eventually take over. By stopping at around the

upright position (or slightly beyond), more of my time is spent actively training

supination.

In summary, there are clearly several options available for training pronation and

supination. As mentioned already, I personally prefer the 90 degree device but Iencourage you to come to your own conclusion. Whether you choose a homemade tool,

sledgehammer, or dumbbell handle, the results will be similar as long as you are

consistent. What you use will matter less than your decision to actively train these often

overlooked movements.

Ulnar Deviation and Radial Deviation

In addition to pronation and supination, levering exercises can also be used to target

ulnar deviation and radial deviation. Ulnar deviation involves the movement of

bending the wrist towards the pinky. In other words, the wrist bends towards the ulnar

bone. Radial deviation involves the movement of bending the wrist towards the thumb.

The wrist essentially bends towards the radial bone.

As was the case with supination and pronation, both radial deviation and ulnar

deviation typically receive little attention without direct work. It is therefore worth

restating that if these exercises are new to you, it is imperative that you start light. I

have seen many athletes with massive arms and otherwise impressive strength who

crumbled under light loads when first attempting to lever weights overhead. It is also

worth noting that non-strength athletes should not expect to replicate the levering feats

of competitive strongmen. I believe it is important to make this statement based on my

own observations as a trainer. I once had a boxer almost knock his teeth out by

attempting an overhead lever with a sledgehammer after witnessing a strength athlete

perform the feat with ease. I am still not sure how I would have explained that accident

to his promoter. Fortunately, the fighter was able to move his head out of the way a

split second before the head of the hammer came crashing down.

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Equipment

It is quite common for strength athletes to lever sledgehammers when training ulnar

deviation and radial deviation. For example, perhaps the most common levering

variation is an overhead lever. Levering a sledgehammer overhead will instantly

capture the attention of onlookers. It is certainly impressive to see someone lever a

heavy sledgehammer to their nose. Unfortunately, it is also dangerous to those who are

not physically prepared. Overhead levering is quite difficult, particularly for those who

do not specialize in lower arm development.

With that in mind, I prefer for my athletes to use slightly shorter implements when

levering overhead. The previous example of my fighter was all that I needed to see

before transitioning to shorter levering tools. A typical sledgehammer handle is over 30

inches long. When you add the head of the hammer to the handle, many

sledgehammers will approach 36 inches in total length. Such length will typically

surpass the distance from your fist to your shoulder. Therefore, when levering a sledge

overhead, the head of the hammer will reach your face.

To avoid potential disasters with non-

strength athletes, I use a 24 inch piece of

pipe for overhead levering. The 24 inch

length is not enough to reach your face if

you ever lose control of the load. As you can

see in the picture, the load would simply

drop down to my shoulder.

As for creating a levering tool, all that is

needed is a piece of 24” x ¾” galvanized

pipe. To secure the weights in place, I usetwo hose clamps (one on each side).

Although serious strength athletes may frown at this modification, it can be loaded as

heavy as needed. Another benefit of this tool is that it can be loaded precisely with

smaller plates. Sledgehammer levering typically requires larger jumps in weight. For

instance, common sledgehammer sizes include 8, 10, 12, 16, and 20 pounds. A two or

four pound increase in weight is often significant. You would also need to purchase a

new hammer each time you wish to progress to heavier loads.

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Overhead Lever

Whether you opt for a homemade device or sledgehammer, the overhead lever is an

excellent exercise to train ulnar deviation. To perform this exercise, begin by holding

your levering device upright to the side of your body. Your arm should be parallel to

the floor. From here, lower the weight under control towards the shoulder. The arm

should remain straight as you focus on wrist action. Once the weight has been lowered

as far as you can control it, reverse the movement solely with the wrist until the

levering device is returned to the upright position.

When performing this exercise, I prefer to work with a few sets of moderate reps (ex. 3

sets of 5 reps per side).

If this exercise is new to you, I encourage you to start light. Even five pounds may bechallenging to someone who has never performed any levering exercises before. Just

because you are using a shorter device (pipe vs. sledge) does not free you from the risk

of injury. Attempting to lever too much weight without the adequate foundation can

lead to wrist strain and injury. Therefore, while this exercise is undoubtedly one of the

best for wrist development, it must be performed with caution. Put your ego aside and

progress gradually.

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As for progressions, you can naturally adjust the load, but you can also choke up on the

handle to reduce difficulty. Whenever you shorten the distance between your hand and

the weight, the object becomes easier to lever.

Choking up can also be useful for final sets within a workout once fatigue has set in

An overhead lever can also be performed from a bench. This variation can be useful if

you struggle to hold the levering device in place while working from the standing

position. The wrist action is identical whether working from the bench or standing.

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Levering To The Rear

Ulnar deviation can also be trained by levering weight to the rear. This variation isuseful if you do not wish to lower any weights towards the head. A sledgehammer orhomemade device can be used for this exercise. Length is irrelevant in regards to safetyas the weight would simply fall to the floor rather than towards your shoulder or head.

As for execution, begin by grabbing your levering device from the end so the weight isfacing down. From this position, use only your wrist to raise the weight up until thehandle is above parallel from the floor. The arm should remain relatively straightthroughout the exercise. Lower the weight under control and continue for a moderaterep range.

A sledgehammer will naturally be more difficult with this exercise based on the longerhandle. Therefore, if you perform this exercise with a sledge, choke up as needed toallow for a full range of motion.

If you are using a homemade device, it will be useful to have small plates available. Onepound wrist weights and 2.5 pound plates are particularly useful when progressingwith levering exercises. I cannot overstate just how much of a difference a single poundor two can make when performing these exercises.

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Levering To The Front

Radial deviation can be trained by levering a weight in front. This levering style is quitechallenging so do not expect to use as much weight as you can with other variations. Asfor execution, the instructions are almost identical to the previously seen rear lever. Thedifference is that you will be levering the weight in front rather than behind you. Onceagain, the arm should remain straight and by your side as you use the wrist to raise theweight up until the handle is at or above parallel with the floor. Lower the weightunder control and continue for a moderate rep range.

As for front levering tools, I once again prefer a homemade device as you are not goingto need a lot of weight. It is nice to be able to load an exact amount with an exercise thatis so challenging. If you opt for a full length sledgehammer, there is a good chance thatyou will need to initially choke up on the handle.

Another option to consider is a smaller sledgehammer. A 4pound sledge will only cost a few dollars and is noticeablyshorter than a full sized hammer. Most 4 pounders are lessthan 16 inches in total length. The light weight and shortlength make this a useful hammer for beginners who havenever levered weight in front. This hammer can also be usedto warm up before levering heavier loads with othervariations (ex. overhead levering).

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The shorter handle also makes this sledgehammer useful for seated levering. Below you

can see how I lever this light hammer to the front while seated on a bench. And even

though this hammer is not challenging for me, I find it useful to get the blood flowingwith a set or two of higher reps before working with a heavier tool.

Another low-tech levering option involves nothing but a chair. Grab a chair by the frontlegs and hold it out in front of you with straight arms. From this position, use the wrists

only to lift the chair towards you (thus training radial deviation).

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Static Holds

While levering is certainly an excellentway to strengthen the wrists, it can also beuseful to statically hold certain positions.One useful tool to facilitate such anexercise is a wooden broom handle. Pipecould also be used, but a lighter handlewill allow you to work with a heavierplate. The broom handle has virtually noweight which in this rare instance makes itpreferable over iron pipe.

To perform the exercise, simply add asmall weight plate to the broom handleand hold it out in front of you. The fartherthe plate is from your hand, the moredifficult it is to hold. As fatigue sets infrom this exercise, simply grab the platewith your free hand and slide it closer tothe working hand.

I often perform this exercise as a finisherafter levering. I start with the plate at theend of the handle and hold it until failure. Ithen slide it in closer and once again holdthe position as long as I can. It does nottake long to fail which makes this exercisea challenging, yet time efficient way toclose out a lower arm session.

This exercise is similar to the Weaver Stickchallenge that was popular with strength

athletes from previous eras.

The Weaver Stick* lift is essentially a leverage deadlift from a wooden broom handle (42inches total) where a small weight hangs 36 inches from the gripping hand. This lift hashumbled many athletes over the years. If you give it a try, don’t expect to lift anysignificant loads. John Grimek is said to hold the record with 11 ¾ pounds from a stickthat was 2 inches shorter than regulation.

* Weaver Stick Lift http://www.usawa.com/the weaverstick 2/

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Household Items

Continuing with the low-tech theme, we can use a push broom for another wristchallenge. Grab the broom by the end and lift it straight from the floor. As your strength

increases, you can rest an object on the end. Strength athletes from the past often

performed this feat by placing a brick (or bricks) atop the end of a broom. At first

glance, this feat may look easy but it is much more difficult than it appears.

A similar challenge can be performed with a chair. This old time lift has also humbledmany athletes over the years. Simply grasp a chair leg as close to the ground as possibleand lift the chair straight into the air.

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To increase the challenge of the chair lift, grab one of the front legs so that the weight is

not balanced over the hand. This modification makes the lift much more difficult. I have

seen many strong athletes fail miserably when attempting to lift a basic chair in thismanner.

Stunt vs. Lift

Some may see the chair and broom lifts and wonder if these are exercises or party tricks.The reality though is that these are challenging movements regardless of how you labelthem. And while I am not suggesting that you limit your lower arm training to chairand broom lifts, it is always nice to have multiple options available. For instance, theseexercises are surely convenient for those who do not have access to a fully equippedgym.

Using myself as an example, I obviously have several lower arm training aids at mydisposal. With that said, it is not as if I can pack all of my gear with me when I travel. IfI am on the road, it is nice to have exercise options available that I can perform withordinary objects such as a chair.

I also find it useful to be occasionally humbled by regular household items. Few thingsbring an overconfident athlete back to reality faster than having him struggle to lift achair or broom from the ground. As I often say, no matter how strong you are, you canalways get stronger. Failing to lift a chair from the ground will solidify this statement tothose athletes who may initially disagree.

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Sledgehammer Training

Although I have focused primarily on homemade options for levering, there is nodenying that a sledgehammer is a viable wrist training tool. The sledge is not onlyuseful for levering, but can also be used for certain wrist dominant lifts.

Perhaps the most common sledgehammer lift is to deadlift a moderate sledge from theground while keeping the handle in a horizontal position. Most non-strength athleteswill be adequately challenged with an 8 or 10 pound hammer. To perform this exercise,start from a kneeling position with a sledgehammer on one side. Grasp the handletightly and slowly stand up. Do not allow the head of the hammer to tilt towards thefloor. The handle must remain level throughout the lift.

Upon completion, you can either return the hammer to the floor and continue for reps,or hold the upright position for time. If you perform multiple reps, you may need to

alter your hand position as fatigue sets in. It is naturally easier to perform this lift as thehand inches closer to the head of the hammer. One brief, but challenging finisher is tobegin by executing this lift as far down the handle as possible. Hold the uprightposition until failure. Return the sledge to the ground and repeat the exact sequencewith the hand one inch closer to the head of the hammer. Continue in this fashion untilyour hand is just inches away from the head.

If you have never performed this exercise, you will soon realize that even one inch canmake a huge difference. It is therefore useful to label the handle to monitor progress. Asmentioned previously, use thin strips of tape to mark various points on the handle.

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A sledgehammer can also be deadlifted with the head of the hammer in front of thebody. You may even wish to place a coin on the head of the hammer to ensure that it

remains level throughout the lift. If the coin falls off, you will know that the head of thehammer is starting to tilt.

Sledgehammer ConditioningAlthough the sledgehammer is clearly a useful wrist strengthener, there is more tosledge training than lifting and levering. Repeatedly swinging a sledge into a tire haslong been a tremendous power and conditioning exercise for combat athletes. Whilefitness gimmicks come and go, the sledgehammer has stood the test of time for goodreason. Plain and simple, it works. World champion fighters would not waste time withthe sledge if it was not providing results.

Don’t just take my word for it however. One of my favorite quotes can be seen below

courtesy of former heavyweight boxer Earnie Shavers. Shavers was one of the hardestpunchers in the history of the sport.

“Archie Moore showed all his old tricks to me when he trained me. He got me chopping trees toimprove my explosive power in my legs, back, shoulders and arms which are all places where punching power comes from. And when we trained where there were no trees to chop he broughtin huge truck tires and got me hitting them with a sledge-hammer over and over.

I chopped trees or hit the tires before every single fight. Archie was the hardest hitting lightheavyweight who ever lived and so he knew exactly what he was talking about.”

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To swing the sledge, begin in a staggered stance with one foot slightly in front of theother. Notice how my right foot is closest to the tire while swinging from the left side.

This stance allows me to generate more hip action during the swing. The hammer startson one side, and comes across the body diagonally. Throughout the swing, one handremains stationary at the bottom of the handle. To begin (Figure 1), my left hand slidesdown the sledge, away from the stationary hand, as it is loaded behind my leftshoulder. The hand then slides back towards the stationary hand during the downwardmotion (Figure 2 and 3). When swinging in this style, I switch sides every 5 to 10 reps.

Figure 1 Figure 2

Figure 3 Figure 4

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Anyone who has ever swung a sledgehammer has surely felt their share of forearm

fatigue. It is important not to confuse such fatigue with wrist development however.

While the forearms are certainly taxed when swinging a sledge, wrist strength will onlyimprove to an extent. I have seen many athletes who can swing a heavy sledgehammer

quite efficiently who still struggle to lever even light loads. I make this statement not to

minimize the effectiveness of swinging a sledgehammer, but to instead remind you that

specific work is required to develop true wrist strength.

To focus more attention to the wrists, swing the sledge with both hands stationary at

the bottom of the handle. When performing this variation, the feet will remain parallel

as the hammer is swung vertically. Alternate hand position every 5 to 10 swings.

A sample sledgehammer workout could begin with a few sets of vertical swings as seenabove, before transitioning to the more traditional style from the previous page. Youcould then finish off with a few of the sledge lifts seen earlier. Such an approach willsurely hit the forearms and wrists adequately.

Yet another variation could be performed that includes a swing, but does not involveany contact with a tire. You will essentially perform a partial swing before halting thesledgehammer in mid-air. A few sets of this variation could be performed beforestriking the tire with the sledge.

Page 176 includes a demonstration.

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As you can see, I begin as if I was swinging the sledge vertically with both handsstationary at the bottom of the handle. Wrist strength is then required to halt the

sledgehammer out in front of the body. If you are unable to stop the descendinghammer, you are either swinging too fast (based on your ability) or swinging too largeof a hammer.

From a wrist strength perspective, this variation is much more challenging than strikingthe sledge into a tire. Do not underestimate its difficulty. I recommend using a lightsledgehammer to avoid any injuries or potential accidents. A 6 or 8 pound hammer willsuffice in most cases. Remember, you are not just stopping a dead weight, but ratherone that is traveling quickly towards the ground. Even those athletes with considerablelower arm strength can be challenged with a light hammer. To increase the difficulty,simply swing the sledge harder. Eight pounds on a 30+ inch handle is not easy tocontrol when it is moving fast.

Bodyweight Options

While much of the book has featured low-tech equipment options, no tool is asconvenient or portable as your own body. Fortunately, there are bodyweight exercisesthat we can perform to target the wrists. It is worth noting however that some of theseexercises are quite challenging, thus are not intended for beginners. It is also worthmentioning that some of the movements may not be necessary for the typical fitnessenthusiast.

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One of the easier lower arm pushup variations is the knuckle pushup. Knuckle pushupswill improve wrist stability. Those who lack wrist strength and control will often find

their wrists buckling after performing continuous reps. Knuckle pushups will alsocondition the hands for striking, particularly when performed on a harder floor surface.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of the knuckle pushup however is that you can eventually

progress towards one arm knuckle pushups. I prefer the one arm knuckle pushup overany other one arm pushup variation.

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One arm pushups are a favorite exercise of many bodyweight enthusiasts. It is alwaysnice to have quality strength exercises that can be performed anywhere without

equipment. Unfortunately, many athletes struggle to find the ideal hand position andbalance when performing traditional one arm pushups.

In my opinion, performing a one arm pushup from the knuckles is in many ways self-correcting. It is much easier to align yourself properly for balanced pressing. Thedrawback is that many athletes lack the wrist strength and stability to successfullyperform this variation. If more time was spent developing the wrists, knuckle pushupscould be performed easily from a wrist strength perspective.

Regrettably, many athletes overlook knuckle pushups as they assume the exercise isonly intended for wrist or knuckle conditioning. Yet, when I perform one arm knucklepushups, I do so primarily for the pressing benefits. It just happens that working fromthe knuckles provides the best alignment for pressing. As for wrist strength, therecertainly are prerequisites to perform this exercise. With that said, an athlete who haswell developed wrists can perform one arm knuckle pushups with a minimal challengeto the lower arms. In summary, I believe it is useful to develop the wrist strength andstability to perform knuckle pushups so that you can eventually reap the benefits of thishand position for more challenging variations.

Wrist Pushups

For true wrist conditioning, a more difficult exercise is the wrist pushup. This pushupvariation is performed from the back of your hands. You will essentially perform apushup while your bodyweight rests on your wrists.

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Depending on flexibility, wrist pushups can also be performed at various angles. Thehand position below requires much more flexibility than what is shown on the previous

page.

Why Bother?Before discussing the progressions necessary to achieve the wrist pushup, it is worthdiscussing why on earth anyone would want to perform pushups from this position.Whenever I perform these variations, it is all but guaranteed that someone will eitherask what the point is or comment that these pushups appear dangerous.

For starters, wrist pushups are certainly not required for general health. It is morecommon to see gymnasts and martial artists perform these pushups. Such athletesrequire strong and flexible wrists. As for potential dangers, almost any exercise can be

dangerous to someone who is not physically prepared for it. The wrist pushup is noexception. With the appropriate progressions however, these pushups are much lesschallenging than they may initially appear.

As for benefits, the strength and flexibility that is developed can be quite useful forcombat athletes. For instance, almost every fighter has at one time jammed his wristwhile either striking a bag or opponent. Learning to throw a left hook is a classicexample. Many novice fighters will jam their wrists regularly when first hookingagainst a heavy bag. In fact, the angle of the wrist when jammed is similar to what wasseen on page 178. If you misfire with a hook, your wrist will bend in a similar fashion.

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Progressions

The first step to performing the wrist pushup is to develop comfort with minimalweight resting down on the back of your hands. Working from the position seen belowis an ideal starting point. The more you bend at the waist, the easier it is to performpartial pushups from this position. Distribute your bodyweight accordingly based onhow you feel from this position.

Eventually, you will be able to perform wrist pushups from the knees (without bendingat the waist).

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Once you are comfortable performing at least 10 reps from the knees, you may wish toprogress towards full range pushups. If you are still hesitant or uncertain, consider

working from a soft piece of foam. A cushioned floor surface makes the wrist pushupmuch less intimidating.

It can also be useful to train one hand at a time. Distribute your bodyweight accordinglybased on your comfort level.

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Once you are comfortable working from the back of the hand, you can begin to performa more dynamic variation. Start from the fists (Figure 1) and gradually bend the wrists

outward as you lower yourself towards the ground (Figure 2). You will then reverse themotion as you ascend from the bottom position. You will essentially straighten thewrists until you are back on the fists in the upright position (Figure 3). Continue backand forth in this fashion.

How Long?

When discussing the progressions necessary to achieve wrist pushups, I am often askedhow long it will take. Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict in advance. Physicalability is just one piece of the puzzle. What is often a greater barrier is the inherent fearof performing pushups from this position. It is not unusual to feel uncomfortable whenworking from the back of the hands.

With that said, I have seen certain athletes perform these pushups in a matter of days. Isay this not to suggest that you should rush through the progressions, but instead tohighlight a specific point. Many athletes who have spent ample time training the lowerarms already possess the physical attributes necessary to perform these pushups. Theysimply need time to develop comfort and confidence from this position.

In summary, certain athletes may need days, others weeks, and others months toperform these pushups. Do not set specific time limits on your own development.Listen to your body and advance when you feel comfortable. Training should never beviewed as a race, but rather a continuous journey of improvement.

Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3

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No Limits

Most athletes will never need to perform one hand wrist pushups, but I believe it isuseful to include this variation to highlight the body’s potential. As a young fighter, mywrists were feeble and weak. Many years later, I can comfortably perform one armpushups from the back of my hand. Unfortunately, many spectators will naturally labelthis exercise as dangerous. The real danger for me however was when I neglected tostrengthen my lower arms.

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As for progressing to one arm wrist pushups, it is worth restating that most athleteswill never need to perform this variation. With that said, there will certainly be those

who wish to push the envelope further and progress towards this movement. First, youwill obviously need to be comfortable with two hands. You can then begin workingwith a light weighted vest or attempt one hand wrist pushups from the knees. If the fullrange of motion is too challenging, start with a static hold. Try to hold the uprightposition on the back of one hand. As your strength and confidence improves, you cangradually begin working towards full range pushups. Just be sure to take your timewith this movement.

More Wrist Strength

As for additional pushup options, the variation seen below is perhaps the closestbodyweight substitute for levering. With this movement, you will be rolling the wrists

forward and then backward, thus working from pinky to thumb.

In Figure 1, notice how my bodyweight is essentially resting on the pinky side of my

hands. From this position, I roll my bodyweight forward as my arms extend. I continue

to roll my bodyweight forward until my thumbs approach the ground (Figure 2). Upon

reaching Figure 2, I then reverse the motion, thus bending the wrist back to Figure 1.

The wrist continues to roll forward and then backward with each repetition.

Figure 1 Figure 2

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As for progressions, those who are comfortable levering moderate loads with a pipe orsledgehammer will likely perform this pushup variation without too much difficulty. If

you are new to wrist training however, I suggest starting from the knees. You couldeven bend at the waist as was demonstrated on page 180. By bending at the knees andwaist, you can fine tune exactly how much of your weight bears down on the wrists. Asyour strength improves, you can gradually progress to full range reps as seen on theprevious page.

Turning and Twisting

Any wrist strength discussion would be incomplete without addressing the simple actof turning and twisting. For instance, if you look back to the previously referenced grip

training manual by Edward Aston, you will find a page dedicated to opening tightlysealed jar tops. He suggested using a long jar with a screw-on lid. The instructions werestraightforward. Turn and twist the lid open and closed with each hand.

Unfortunately, opening a jar is not going to be too difficult for anyone who regularlytrains the lower arms. The solution therefore is to replicate the movement with greaterresistance. As for options, one of the better ideas that I have seen involves turning andtwisting a dumbbell that is buried within a bucket of sand or rice.

To perform this variation, you will need alarge bucket. Most hardware stores sellfive gallon buckets for a few dollars. Youwill then fill the bucket approximately ¾full with rice or sand. In the illustration, Iam using rice. I will demonstrate someadditional exercises that can be used witha rice filled bucket in the next chapter.

For this particular exercise however, youwill need a moderate sized dumbbell (ex.45 pounds). You will then essentially

screw the dumbbell into the bucket until itis almost fully submerged. For optimalresults, continue all the way until thedumbbell touches the bottom of yourbucket. That is the starting position for thisexercise.

With the dumbbell almost fully buried, you will then grip the top as was demonstratedon page 104. From this position, you will turn and twist the dumbbell fully in eachdirection as if you were opening and closing a jar. Strive to maximize range of motion

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both towards the pinky and then towards the thumb. Expect to be stronger workingtowards the pinky, but work each direction equally.

Punching

Last but not least, one remaining topicthat is worthy of a discussion is whether afighter should strike a heavy bag withbare hands. There are many martial artistswho consider bare knuckle striking to bean effective wrist developer. They believethat many wrist injuries could be avoidedif more fighters took the time to graduallydevelop their wrists by striking the bagwithout hand wraps or gloves.

Naturally, novice fighters would initiallybe advised to hit the bag lightly. In time,their wrists would adapt to the striking.As the wrists become stronger and moreresilient, the fighters would graduallybegin to strike the bag harder.

The ultimate goal of this conditioning process is to create a durable pair of wrists thatcan strike without fear of injury. Clearly, such development takes time. The wrists are

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often slow to adapt. Fighters who strike the bag without protection must be extremelypatient with their development. There are no shortcuts.

Consequently, there are many trainers who strongly oppose the idea of striking withoutprotection. They believe that bare knuckle striking puts too much strain on the wrists,thus should be entirely avoided. Instead, they suggest alternative methods for wriststrengthening (ex. weight training). When striking the bag, these trainers advocateprotecting the hands and wrists thoroughly with gloves and wraps.

Personally, I land somewhere in the middle when discussing the pros and cons ofstriking a bag bare handed. When training a pro fighter, I am extremely careful withtheir hands and wrists. I do not allow them to strike the bag without protection. Afighter’s hands and wrists are his livelihood. I cannot allow the fighter to risk injury. Iwrap each hand carefully and then strengthen the lower arms separately.

With that said, I enjoy striking the bag without gloves. I do not perform all of my bagwork without gloves, but I do enjoy bare handed work on occasion. Perhaps one reasonwhy is because I never could before with my once feeble wrists. It is finally nice to hitthe bag without fear of injury. More importantly however, I strike the bag withoutgloves as that is how I would use my hands if I had to protect myself. There is no betterway to prepare the wrists for impact than through impact. I simply do not advise suchan approach to an athlete who makes a living out of striking with his hands. There aresafer ways to strengthen the lower arms.

If I was still fighting competitively, I would wrap my hands each time I struck the bag.As a trainer though, I have different goals than my fighters. I can take on greater risk asI no longer enter the ring to fight. If I accidentally injure myself on the bag, it does nothinder my career the way it would a competitive fighter.

Summary

As is evident throughout the chapter, there are countless options for wrist development.Whether you train with bodyweight exercise, free weights, homemade devices,

household items, or a combination of each, there are ample opportunities to train thewrists without expensive or elaborate tools.

It is my hope that more athletes (particularly combat athletes) invest the time that isnecessary to properly strengthen the wrists. A fighter’s wrists can literally make orbreak his career. I hate to see any aspiring athlete unable to perform the sport he or sheloves due to an injury born of neglect. Most wrist injuries could be avoided if more timewas spent actively training the wrists. Do not wait for injuries to occur before you begintraining this valuable portion of the lower arms.

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FINGERS AND CRUSH“A chain is no stronger than its weakest link, and life is after all

a chain.” - William James

If you asked the average person to define grip strength, most would describe thestrength displayed or felt when shaking someone’s hand. After all, it takes just a secondto recognize the lower arm strength of a man who shakes your hand with a vice grip.This handshake-type strength is known as crush grip.

Crush grip involves gripping an object that rests against the palm and fingers. Crushgrip is undoubtedly the most commonly trained type of grip strength. In fact, many

athletes who train the hands do little outside of training crush grip. The bulk of theirwork is directed towards this single gripping style. There are even certifications thathave been created solely around crush grip strength feats.

With that in mind, you may be wondering why on earth I waited so long within thisbook to address the most popular form of lower arm training. What may be even moresurprising is that I have grouped crush grip with another lower arm category (fingertraining). I did not even have the decency to give crush grip its own section.

Have I lost my mind?

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Crush Grip

For starters, I will remind you that I am not a grip strength competitor. I also have nopersonal vendettas against crush grip or those who specialize in this lower arm strengthquality. I actually have several friends who have competed in grip events and spend aconsiderable amount of time developing crush grip. I have a ton of respect for thosewho have demonstrated world class crush grip strength.

As for crush grip feats, it goes without saying that the most common displays includeclosing high tension grippers. And while several brands have been developed in recentyears, there is no denying that Ironmind’s Captain of Crush grippers are the mostrecognized in the world. In other words, if you are serious about crush grip, there is a

good chance that you own several Captain of Crush grippers.

Therefore, it may come as a surprise that I do not own many grippers. I am far from acrush grip specialist. Yes, I do believe that most athletes will benefit by developingcrush grip to an extent, but I also have seen many athletes overemphasize crush grip atthe expense of other lower arm needs.

I own two Captain of Crush grippers. I have owned the #1 and #2 for several years. Ipurchased both grippers together when I first started focusing seriously on lower armtraining. Unfortunately, after I became proficient closing the #2, I developed a falsesense of my own lower arm strength. I was eventually shocked to see how limited I waswhen I began training other grip qualities. For example, I struggled considerably with

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pinch grip and thick bar lifting. My wrists were also weak. I was essentially a one-trickpony. I had developed respectable crush grip strength, while struggling with almost

every other lower arm task.

I share these stories not to suggest that crush grip lacks relevance, but instead to remindathletes that there is much more to lower arm development. At this stage in my life, I donot focus a lot of time on the grippers. I occasionally use the #1 as a warm-up and thendo a few sets of moderate reps with the #2. The bulk of my gripper training takes placein my truck. I keep both grippers in the center console and use them on long rides orwhen I am stuck in traffic.

In terms of benefits, crush grip certainly constitutes a portion of lower arm strength. I just remind you to not expect too much carry over from crush grip strength to othergrip feats. As for athletic relevance, a strong crush grip can prove useful for athleteswho regularly grasp a piece of clothing. For instance, if you are involved in jiu-jitsu, astrong crush grip could help when grasping a gi. The same could be said of a footballplayer who grasps a jersey in the fingers and palm when attempting to make a tackle.

As for closing a gripper, the instructionsare straightforward. Typically speaking,you can either close it or you cannot.There is not a whole lot of techniqueinvolved. Although grip specialists may

debate various certification standards (ex.credit card set), the average person doesnot need to concern himself with suchnuances.

In terms of specifics, all that I have everdone is to set the gripper within myfingers and hand so that I am in an idealposition to squeeze (as illustrated). I willthen continue the set from this position.

As for workouts, most specialists suggest working with three grippers. The first is forwarm-up sets. The second is for working sets. The third would then serve as a challengegripper. It will be one level higher than what you can currently close, thus useful forvariations such as negatives, forced reps, and partials. Unfortunately, high qualitygrippers are much more expensive than the minimally challenging grippers sold atmost sporting goods stores. To develop true crush strength, you need quality grippersthat provide a legitimate challenge. Such grippers typically cost between $20 and $25each. Therefore, purchasing three grippers is a fairly considerable investment for manyathletes. Not everyone is willing to invest $75 to train a single grip style.

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Yet, despite the cost, there is no denying that high tension grippers are perhaps the besttool for developing crush grip strength. The lack of attention that I have directed

towards these grippers is by no means a knock against them. On the contrary, hightension grippers have become so popular that few people need additional informationabout closing them. Even though there are advanced techniques that grip specialistsmay use, most non-strength athletes need nothing more than consistency and time toeventually close higher level grippers.

Grip Machines

It is worth noting that while grippers are a tremendous crush grip tool, there are otheroptions available. Perhaps my favorite crush grip device is a homemade tool that was

inspired by an old Bruce Lee photo. Several years ago I came across a picture of BruceLee training with what was described as a grip machine. In fact, if you search the webfor a Bruce Lee grip machine, you will likely come across the same photograph.

As a long time Bruce Lee fan, I naturally wanted to try a similar device. Unfortunately,the plate loaded grip machines that I found commercially were quite expensive. Certainmodels were selling for a few hundred dollars. To no surprise, I eventually decided tobuild my own. Below you can see the low-tech model that I constructed. One keydifference between my model and the more expensive commercial models is that thesides are not enclosed within a tracking frame. As a result, the load must be lifted aswell as balanced.

The grip machine can be used within a power rack or on its own with a separate homemade platform

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To build this grip machine, you must firstdetermine where it will be used. As seen

on the previous page, this tool can be usedwithin a power rack or atop a platform. Ifyou already own a power rack, a safetybar within the rack can form the topportion of the grip machine. Your handwill rest on this bar when using thisdevice.

All that you will need are the following:

a) Two ¾” x ½” 90-degree elbowsb) One ½” x 12” pipe nipplec) Two ¾” x 12” pipe nipplesd) One ¾” x 10” pipe nipplee) Three ¾” floor flangesf) One 2x10" cut to 18”

Putting the pieces together is quite simple. Please note however that the top pipe nippleis only a ½” in diameter. The smaller size makes it easier for your finger tips to wraparound the bar. As a result, the 90-degree elbow fittings are ¾” by ½”. The bottomportion connects to a ¾” pipe nipple, while the top connects to the ½” nipple. The floor

flanges are manually screwed into the 2x10 inch piece of wood which has been cut to 18inches.

If you do not have a power rack to formthe top portion of the grip machine, youcan easily construct your own platform.

All that you will need are the following:

a) One ¾” x 24” pipe nipple

b) Two ¾” 90-degree elbowsc) Two ¾” x 18” pipe nipplesd) Two ¾” floor flangese) One 2x10" cut to 36”

The device seen at the top of this page would then rest inside this larger platform.Depending on hand size, you can also place a plate or book on this platform to vary therange of motion. A demonstration of this concept can be seen on the following page.

a.

f.

c.

d.

b.

e.

b.

c.

d.e.

a.

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Below you can see how I have placed a 25 pound plate between the two pieces of wood.Doing so allows me to work through a range of motion that is comfortable based on my

hand size. If you have larger hands, you may not need to choke up. Also notice how thetop bar is thicker (¾”) than the bottom bar (½”) where my finger tips grasp. If thebottom bar was thicker, it would be more difficult to grasp and range of motion wouldbe slightly reduced.

As for technique, the goal is to squeeze the two bars together using nothing but handstrength. Do not pull the bottom bar up to the top bar. This is a hand strength exercise,not a deadlift. Focus solely on the lower arms. You are essentially crushing the two barstogether.

In addition, you will notice the difference between this homemade device and thosethat are sold commercially. As mentioned previously, the homemade version does nothave a tracking frame on each side where the 12 inch pipe nipples would slide up anddown. Instead, the plate loaded portion of this tool is free to move. You must thereforealign your hands properly so that the load is balanced. I also find it useful to stand onthe platform. Positioning one foot on each side helps to keep the platform stable whenperforming continuous reps.

Furthermore, you can alter the range of motion by varying the number of plates that arestacked atop the bottom platform. For instance, suppose you are struggling at the lastinch of your crush grip. You can choke up to that point and focus your effortsspecifically towards that weak link.

½“

¾“

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The grip machine can also be used totrain one hand at a time. When training

one side, I shift the bottom loading piecetowards the working hand. For instance,in the image to the right, you can see howthe weights sit directly underneath myleft hand. By shifting the weights to oneside, it becomes easier to balance the loadduring the exercise.

When first attempting one hand work, itmay take a few tries to get a feel for thebalance. Once you have performed a fewsets, you will instinctively know where tograsp the bar so that it remains balancedthroughout each repetition.

It goes without saying that one or twohands can also be used when trainingwithin a power rack. I personally preferto use one hand inside the rack howeveras the safety bars have a tendency to spin.Therefore, I use my non-working hand to

keep the safety bar in place.

Another difference between the powerrack and the homemade platform is theability to adjust the height of the safetybars. As a result, I do not need to place aweight or book underneath the gripmachine. I can instead alter the height ofthe bars. You could still place a weightatop the rack (under the grip machine) if

you wanted to target a more preciserange of motion however.

As for ideal rep ranges with the grip machine, I prefer some variety. After a warm-upset or two, I typically start with heavier work to focus on strength. During these sets, Iperform between one and five reps using one hand at a time. Following the heavierwork, I finish with a few two hand sets. When working with two hands, I increase therep range (ex. 10 to 20 reps). Performing higher reps against a moderate load provides atremendous hand and forearm pump. This variation makes for an excellent strengthendurance challenge.

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Apples and Oranges

Almost each time that I show a new athlete my grip machine, I am asked about thedifferences between training with it and closing a gripper. Unfortunately, there is nosingle answer. In many ways, it boils down to apples and oranges. One tool is notnecessarily better or worse than the other.

Both the grip machine and grippers are valuable tools for developing crush gripstrength. As for specific differences, there are pros and cons to each. For instance, ahandheld gripper is obviously more convenient to use when traveling. The gripmachine takes up more room and also requires additional weight. If you don’t have anyweight to load, the grip machine is worthless.

Assuming you do have plates however, one benefit of the grip machine is that it can beused by athletes of all abilities. I have had beginners use my grip machine, just as I havehad serious strength athletes use it. I have yet to find anyone who was too weak or toostrong for the grip machine. I also like the fact that I can make small increases in weightwithout the need for an entirely new gripper. I can add or remove a few pounds toincrease or decrease the challenge whenever necessary.

In summary, lower arm strength is not developed by focusing all of your attentiontowards a single tool. It is useful to have multiple options available for each grip style.

Crush grip is no exception. Both handheld grippers and a grip machine are viableoptions to develop a vice grip.

Spring Clamps

Yet another low-tech lower arm tool canbe found at your local hardware store fora few dollars. Heavy duty spring clamps(also known as Pony clamps) are aninexpensive addition to finger and thumb

training.

Spring clamps come in a variety of sizes.Pictured to the right, you can see how a 1inch, 2 inch, and 3 inch clamp compare insize next to a Caption of Crush gripper.All three of these spring clamps werepurchased together. The total bill wasapproximately six dollars.

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As for use, spring clamps are most commonly used to target thumb strength. Individual(or multiple) fingers can also be targeted however. With a little creativity, these spring

clamps can be used for several variations. As for difficulty, many athletes are shocked athow much tension certain spring clamps provide. Surprisingly, the 3 inch clamp fromthe previous page is the easiest to close.

Above, you can see how I target thumbstrength with the 3 inch clamp. Initially, Ineed to set the clamp in my hand as itwould otherwise be too wide. Once theclamp is set within my fingers andthumb, I focus on thumb strength whileclosing the ends.

Yet, while I can close the 3 inch clampwith relative ease, the smaller clamps aremuch more difficult. For instance, noticehow I am unable to close the 1 inchclamp.

Few things will humble you as fast asbeing unable to close a clamp that waspurchased for less than a dollar.

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If it is too difficult to close the clamp with

one thumb, you can use both instead.

Simply hold the clamp in front of thebody with each thumb resting on top. Use

thumb strength to repeatedly close the

clamp for reps.

You can also vary the position of the clamp so that the closed end begins towards thebody. You would then close the clamp with the finger tips and thumbs in contact asseen below.

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Band Modification

If a spring clamp is not difficult enough for a particular exercise, it will only cost a fewcents to increase the challenge. Wrap rubber bands around the end of the spring clampand it becomes much more challenging. I suggest using multiple thin rubber bands (ex.size #32) to allow for slight increases in resistance. It will not take many bands beforethe spring clamp becomes quite difficult to close.

The clamp + band gripper can be used as seen above or below. This modification might

not attract the attention of grip competitors, but it will provide an adequate challenge

for many athletes at a price that is less expensive than most store bought grippers.

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Finger Exerciser

If you would like to complement the inexpensive spring clamp grippers with another

low-tech tool, you can build a homemade finger and thumb exerciser. All that you will

need are the following parts:

a) One ¾” x 6” pipe nipple

b) One 2x4” piece of wood (24 inches in length)

c) One ¾” floor flange

To create this tool, simply cut the 2x4 to 24 inches in length. You will then attach a ¾”

floor flange to one end with a 6” pipe nipple screwed into the flange.

Next, I suggest mitering one end of the

2x4 to approximately a 45 degree angle.

Doing so will extend the range of motion

available with this device.

You will then need to cut two small strips

of wood (d.) that will be nailed into the

bottom of the device. These two strips will

keep the device in place. When in use, thistool will rest atop a dumbbell handle. The

two small strips of wood will keep the

tool positioned properly over the handle.

Two additional strips of wood (e.) can also be attached to the sides of this device. These

small strips are optional, but will prevent the tool from sliding sideways atop the

dumbbell handle.

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

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Ultimately, the end of this unit will rest

atop a dumbbell when being used. The

dumbbell serves solely to house the uniton top. It is not lifted. Therefore, size and

weight are irrelevant.

The dumbbell rests on top of a thin piece

of wood or hard cover book. Pictured to

the right, you can see how an old cutting

board works well. My fingers or thumb

wrap around this thin piece of wood when

performing reps.

Exercises

Below you can see how the unit rests atop the dumbbell. The dumbbell sits on top of the

cutting board. The cutting board hangs slightly off the bench so that the fingers have

room to hook underneath. From this position, you will train the thumb. Do not use

your bodyweight to push the device towards the bench. Focus solely on thumb

strength. It is easy to cheat with this exercise, but doing so offers nothing in return.

This simple device allows me to perform what I consider to be one of the best thumb

exercises of all. You will not need a lot of weight for a considerable challenge.

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You can also train the fingers with this tool. Target one hand at a time or individual

fingers. Just be sure that you do not lean down. Let your fingers perform the work.

It is also possible to simultaneously target fingers from each hand. For example, below

you can see how I target my two pointer fingers.

In summary, this simple tool will cost only a few dollars to construct yet will provide an

endless challenge to the fingers and thumbs.*

* Related tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3bwx1JDqw8

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Extensors

Any discussion that includes crush grip and individual finger training should extend toinclude extensor training as well. Unfortunately, the extensors are often forgotten whenconsidering lower arm training. For instance, earlier I mentioned that the averageperson defines grip strength as their crush grip ability. In other words, how hard canthey close each hand? Flexion naturally generates more interest as our hands are meantto grasp and hold various items. It is not surprising that little attention is directedtowards the opposite motion (i.e. opening the hand).

Extensor training is still important however. If you wish to maintain overall handhealth and balance between flexor and extensor strength, you need to train the

extensors. Fortunately, extensor training will not require a significant investment intime or equipment. You will only need a few minutes at most and can perform theexercises with little or nothing.

Perhaps the most obvious choice for extensor training is to simply open the hand. Makea light fist and then rapidly open and close the hand as fast as possible. If you havenever trained the extensors before, it will not take long to experience an extreme burnthroughout the forearms.

Try to open and close the hand as many times as possible during a thirty second period.

You could perform a few sets within a matter of minutes without ever getting up fromyour desk. And while the forearm burn may seem significant, the amount of resistancethat you are working against is minimal. Therefore, such work can be performed fairlyfrequently without concerns of overuse.

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If you would like some variety, start with the fingers pinched rather than in a fist. Oneor two sets of each variation will be all that is necessary for most beginners.

To add resistance to your extensor training, consider opening the hand repeatedlyagainst a moderate sized rubber band. For this exercise, use a larger rubber band thanwhat was demonstrated with the spring clamp grippers. Smaller bands are not asconvenient for extensor training as they are more likely to slide up your fingers while inuse. I prefer to use size #84 rubber bands (3 ½” x ½”).

Once you can comfortably perform 25 or more reps, you can add another band. You

may also wish to discard older bands occasionally if they appear to be stretched out. An

entire bag of bands will only cost a few dollars so they are inexpensive to replace.

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Another option for extensor traininginvolves using the same bucket that was

seen on page 185. You will essentially openthe hand against the resistance provided bythe rice or sand. To do so, make a fistoutside of the bucket and forcefully insert itdeep into the rice or sand. You will thenopen the hand quickly against the rice orsand.

Next, remove your hand, make a fist in theair, and drive it back to the bottom of thebucket before opening the hand again.Continue briskly for moderate to high reps.

Therefore, deep within the bucket, your hand will perform the following action.

I photographed my hand above the bucket to help illustrate what should be happening within

In addition to training extension within the bucket, you can also forcefully grasp andcrush handfuls of sand or rice. For this variation, you will start with an open hand asopposed to a clenched fist. Reach down quickly and crush whatever you can grabwithin your hand. Continue rapidly and repeatedly.

It is also possible to grasp handfuls of rice or sand while twisting the wrist in eachdirection. For example, grasp and twist towards the pinky, and then grasp and twisttowards the thumb. Continue rapidly, alternating direction with each repetition.

The combination of flexing and extending within the rice or sand provides a usefulstrength endurance challenge. A few sets of each variation will not take long tocomplete yet can be quite useful for the lower arms.

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Isometrics

The extensors can also be trained isometrically.The equipment requirements are minimal. Allthat you will need is a short strip of velcro.Industrial strength velcro is inexpensive andeasy to find at most hardware or fabric stores.

Creating the isometric velcro device is quitesimple. Each box of velcro includes two strips.One strip has a soft side, while the other stripis abrasive. Each has a sticky back. Cut the soft

and abrasive strips to 12 inches each and affixthe sticky sides. That’s it.

Once you have the velcro affixed and cut to length, pinch the fingers together and

secure the velcro strip around them. From this position, you should attempt to open the

hand. Naturally, the strong velcro will not move so you will be forced to work

isometrically against it. Exert yourself maximally for 5 to 10 seconds.

Once you have performed a few sets, open the velcro to a wider position and continue

with a few more sets. It will only take a matter of seconds to adjust the velcro strip to

provide a unique isometric challenge. Below you can see two different positions.

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Weighted Isometrics

The extensors can also be trained isometrically with light weights. All that you willneed are the following:

One small eye-bolt with an accompanying nut Three inch PVC cap 18 to 24 inches of chain One carabiner spring-link

Building this simple, yet effective device will take a fewminutes at most. All that you need to do is drill a small hole

in the center of a three inch PVC end cap. These caps can befound at any hardware store. Expect to pay a few dollars forthe cap. Once you have drilled a hole through the cap, youwill then screw and attach a small eye-bolt through theopening.

Next, you will attach an 18 to 24 inch piece of chain to theeye-bolt with a carabiner spring-link. The chain and link willbe used to attach small weights.

To use this device, place your fingers and thumb inside the cap and open the hand (thuspressing the fingers and thumb against the inside walls of the cap). As you extendisometrically, attempt to hold or lift weight that is attached from the chain.

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If you have never attempted to hold or lift weights isometrically in this fashion, prepareyourself to be humbled. This is not the type of exercise where you will ever move

massive loads. In addition, PVC is naturally smooth which makes the exercise morechallenging. The extensors must not only work hard to hold the weight, but also toprevent the fingers and thumb from slipping within the PVC. Some athletes actuallyprefer to wear rubber gloves when performing this exercise to prevent slippage. I preferto use bare hands as it is more challenging and I do not need as much weight. I do nottrain the extensors with the goal of developing brute strength throughout. I target theextensors to ensure muscular balance and lower arm health.

More Than Strength

When considering crush grip potential and the limited strength of our extensors, youcould say that our hands are in some ways comparable to an alligator’s jaw. Thealligator bites down with tremendous force yet is quite weak in the opposing direction(opening the mouth). Human hands are similar in that they have naturally evolved tograsp and hold various items. We are much stronger when closing the hand as opposedto opening it.

Unfortunately, the lack of maximal strength throughout the extensors is one reason whymany athletes ignore them. In their eyes, why waste time with a group of exercises thatwill not develop brute strength. They would much rather focus their time and efforttowards more challenging and intense movements.

I encourage you to avoid making this mistake. Just because you are not developingsuper strength throughout the extensors does not diminish their importance. Lowerarm health may not be an athlete’s primary concern today, but that opinion will likelychange as the years pass. Proactively training the extensors will not only preventinjuries down the road, but will also help with overall hand strength. You will neverreach your lower arm strength potential if you neglect the extensors.

In addition, don’t discount extensor training simply because the exercises are not thatintense. The limited intensity of most extensor exercises is advantageous in my opinion.

Less intensity allows for more frequency. Therefore, you can train the extensors a fewdays per week without interfering with the rest of your training. For example, I haverubber bands at my desk that I use regularly. I randomly perform a few sets of extensorwork whenever the mood strikes me. Such work is over within a few minutes andrequires even less time for recovery.

I may also perform a more intense extensor exercise once or twice per week (ex.weighted isometrics, rice bucket exercises, etc.). I mix it up from week to week to avoidboredom. Extensor work certainly is not the most exciting form of lower arm training,so some variety is helpful as the weeks and months pass.

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Finger Strength

Thus far, I have demonstrated several inexpensive options for crush grip and fingertraining. Yet, as I mentioned before, nothing compares to training with your own body.Bodyweight exercise is undeniably the most convenient and cost effective form oftraining available.

When considering bodyweight based finger exercises, one of the obvious choices is toperform pushups from the fingers. Such pushups are commonly performed by martialartists and competitive combat athletes. Athletes from more conventional sports mayalso find these pushups useful however. For example, legendary baseball player TedWilliams was known to perform pushups from the fingers on a daily basis. Many

basketball and volleyball players also find these pushups useful.

As for execution, some athletes may need to begin from the knees. Pushups from thefingers are much more challenging than they appear. I have seen many strong athleteswith powerful grips who struggle to perform ten consecutive finger pushups. Suchstruggles are not surprising however as many lower arm exercises have minimal carryover to individual fingers. Strong fingers require specific work.

To perform finger pushups, start with your bodyweight resting on the fingers andthumb without the palms touching the ground. You will not be on the actual tips of the

fingers, but rather the pads at the end of each finger and thumb. From this position, youwill perform full range pushups exactly as you would a regular pushup. To maximizecomfort, I suggest working from a matted floor surface if possible.

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If you wish to progress beyond regular finger pushups, one option is to add a weightedvest.

Another common progression is to perform pushups from fewer fingers. For instance,you could remove one, two, or three fingers from the floor. One commonly seen

example came from the legendary Bruce Lee. Old photos of his classic two fingerpushup (forefinger and thumb) can be easily found online.

I used to perform similar variations largelybecause of Lee’s influence. I eventuallyreverted back to training each of my fingersequally however after injuring my 4th and5th fingers repeatedly (ring finger andpinky). These lesser used fingers were notreceiving adequate attention. I mistakenlyfocused too much attention to the fingersthat were already stronger (ex. index andmiddle finger).

As a result, my left pinky is permanentlydamaged but I have regained strength andmobility in this finger by training itregularly. Finger pushups have made asignificant difference. My pinky has a mind of its own and bends backwards after a boxing

injury many years ago

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Clearly, my own experiences are unique so I am certainly not against pushups fromfewer fingers. I simply urge you to focus equal attention towards each of the fingers. It

is easy to become distracted and only focus on your strong points. Unfortunately, it isoften our weaker links that are eventually injured.

As for more difficult finger pushup variations, you can eventually progress towards onearm pushups. A one arm pushup from the fingers is quite challenging however so donot rush in your attempts to perform this exercise. First, you would need to developstrength from both hands. You could then begin adding weight with a weighted vest.As your strength continues to improve, you can eventually begin working with onehand at a time.

As for safety, I am often asked about the risks of performing finger pushups. Although

opinions certainly vary, I can only share my own experience. I have performed finger

pushups for many years and have never had any problems. On the contrary, my hands

have benefited tremendously from these pushups.

With that said, I will certainly make a changeif I ever experience discomfort from thisexercise. Therefore, my advice is simple.Listen to your body and make adjustments ifand when necessary. In addition, don’t justperform an exercise because it looks cool. Doso because there are specific benefits that willaid you as an athlete.

Finger pushups in 2005

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Finger Pull-ups

Continuing with the bodyweight theme,pull-ups are another tremendous exerciseto strengthen the fingers. For instance,many rock climbers perform pull-ups fromcustom fingerboards. The fingerboardchallenges the fingers in unique positionsthat the athlete may encounter whileclimbing outdoors. As a result, it is nosurprise that rock climbers often possessthe strongest fingers of all athletes.

Fortunately, if you are not a rock climber,you can still strengthen the fingers withoutexpensive equipment. One of the moreconvenient options would be to performpull-ups from a bar with just the fingers(no assistance from the thumb).

A similar variation could be performed from a wooden deck. Notice below how mythumb is unable to assist. I must grasp the wood with the tips of my fingers andperform pull-ups from this position. I prefer this variation over the pull-up bar as mypalms cannot swing forward in an attempt to improve the grip that my fingertips haveon top. I am naturally limited in terms of how much each finger is able to grasp.

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Unfortunately, not everyone has access to such a deck (including myself). I was awayfrom home when I had the chance to train from this deck. I had no trouble with these

pull-ups though as I train with homemade finger straps that allow me to target eachfinger in a similar fashion. My inexpensive straps can be seen below.

Homemade Finger Straps

The finger straps that I created are not only effective, butwere essentially free to construct. When I created thestraps, I simply used excess material that I already hadfrom an earlier project.

I had previously created homemade gymnastic rings

from a pair of nylon straps. Each ring (pictured on theright) consists of a one inch flat nylon strap. I initiallyused 15 foot straps to create the rings. Fifteen feet provedto be more than enough length however. Therefore, I cut45 inches from each nylon strap and used that excessmaterial to create each finger strap.

If you need to purchase nylon straps, you can expect topay a few dollars each.

Homemade gymnastic rings

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Instructions

Creating the finger straps is quite simple.

1. First you must plan the length for each finger. I made each strap approximately4.5 inches long. I then marked the top of each finger by driving a nail through thestraps. This hole marks the spot where the straps will eventually be connected.Be sure to leave excess material on one end of the strap however as you will needit to make your final connection at the end of the project.


Step 4 Step 5

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2. I then used an eye-hook with a pointed end to bore out each of the nail holes.These holes must be wide enough for the connecting bolt to fit.

3. You must then check that the holes are wide enough for the bolt. The bolt mustbe quite snug within each hole.

4. You will then line up your holes. The excess material that was left from step onewill then fold over the top to create a separate loop. You will eventually runchain through this loop to connect the finger straps to an overhead pull-up bar(as seen on page 212).

5. Lastly, you will run a bolt through each hole and secure it tightly by crimping a

nut on the end.

Progressions

Performing pull-ups from the finger straps is self-explanatory. Hook each of your fourfingers through a strap and perform pull-ups as seen on page 212. The questiontherefore is not how to perform pull-ups from the straps, but rather how one shouldprogress beyond basic pull-ups. For example, if you are able to perform 10+ pull-upsfrom the straps, you may wish to advance to more difficult variations. As for options,you can either add weight or begin targeting individual fingers (as was the case with

finger pushups).

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Personally, I prefer to add weight with a vest as seen on the previous page. With suchan approach, each of my fingers is targeted with equal attention. Another common

approach however would be to train fewer fingers at a time. Below you can see how Iperform pull-ups from my middle fingers.

Yet, while working from a single finger is certainly challenging, I believe most athletes

will benefit by training each of the fingers together. For example, the middle finger is

typically the strongest finger when comparing single finger pulling strength. If you

have never performed pull-ups from a single finger, I can almost guarantee that you

will instinctively choose the middle finger when attempting your first repetition.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the majority of single finger lifts

performed by competitive strength athletes are executed with the middle finger. The

previously mentioned Louis Cyr offers a classic example. His single finger lift in 1892 of

over 500 pounds is still heralded by strength athletes today.

You will not see as much attention directed towards lifts that are performed with

naturally weaker fingers. More weight will always attract more attention. As a result, it

is not uncommon for strength athletes to focus their attention towards the fingers that

can execute the most impressive lifts. Consequently, the already strongest finger

becomes even stronger. The other fingers may still be trained, but typically receive less

attention.

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Surprisingly, even the index finger is often not nearly as strong as the middle finger. I

have seen many athletes develop the ability to perform pull-ups from the middle finger,

yet struggle to do the same with any other finger. The frequency of this observationconfirms two points for me. First, the middle finger is typically strongest. Second, few

people develop better than average strength in any of the other fingers.

Ultimately, just because the middle finger is your strongest finger does not mean it is

more significant in other athletic events. On the contrary, if your sport requires finger

strength, there is a good chance that you will need to strengthen each finger. Therefore,

while I am not against training individual fingers, I urge you to target each finger with

equal attention.

Fortunately, we can use the same finger straps to safelystrengthen individual fingers. Rather than attaching thestraps from a pull-up bar, we can use them separatelyto perform lighter finger lifts.

All that you will need is a short piece of chain and acarabiner spring-link. You can actually use the samechain and link that was used for the PVC cap extensortool. The chain and link can be used interchangeablybetween the two devices.

Even the index finger is not nearly as strong as the middle finger

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Lifting weights with finger straps will resemble a finger based bicep curl. The fingerswill essentially curl the weight up and down as seen below. Beginners may opt to

perform this exercise with all four fingers initially. More advanced athletes can begin totarget the fingers in pairs. For example, you could perform a set with the index fingerand middle finger. Next, you could perform a set with the middle finger and ringfinger. Lastly, you could train the ring finger and pinky finger. High level athletes suchas rock climbers could even begin to isolate single fingers.

Athletes of all levels can safely perform this exercise. Unlike finger pull-ups, there areno prerequisites. You can start as light as necessary. This variation is also useful sinceyou are working through a full range of motion. Curling the weight up is muchdifferent from performing pull-ups from the fingers. Both exercises are useful fordifferent reasons.

Strength and Dexterity

In addition to improving finger strength, it is also useful to improve dexterity. Strengthis obviously beneficial, but strong fingers become even more useful as you enhance finemotor skills. Unfortunately, many athletes fail to appreciate the value of dexterity untilthey are faced with a challenge where it is required.

The two exercises seen on the following page are prime examples. Even athletes withstrong fingers and thumbs may find themselves struggling. The struggles often havenothing to do with strength, but rather inadequate dexterity. If you lack fine motor skillin the hands, these exercises will be difficult even with minimal loads.

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For the first exercise, grab a sledge by the end with your arm extended. Withoutmoving the arm, walk the handle up with your fingers and thumb. Continue until you

have walked the entire handle up. You will then reverse the movement by walking itback down. Continue briskly for a few trips up and down until the hands and forearmsexperience an intense pump throughout. Work both sides evenly.

Another variation can be performed in front of the body with just the fingers. I was

shocked at the difficulty of this exercise when it was first recommended to me. Toperform this movement, the thumbs will stay together as you walk the sledge up anddown with the fingers. The arms should stay bent at approximately a 90 degree anglewith the elbows tucked by your side.

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Walking a sledge in front of the body with just thefingers is quite challenging. Even a 6 or 8 pound sledge

may be too difficult for beginners. Therefore, if yoursmallest sledge is too heavy for this exercise, considerpracticing with a lighter tool such as a broom handle orbaseball bat. Practicing with one of these lighter itemswill help you to get a feel for the necessary coordination.

Eventually, you can turn a broom handle into a loadabletool. Simply attach a collar to the end and start with asmall plate. 2.5 pound plates are particularly useful forthis exercise. You will never need a lot of weight, and thesmaller plates allow for incremental progressions.

Regardless of ability, this is an exercise that you willnever outgrow. A few trips up and down are all that youwill need to improve lower arm strength and dexterity.

Summary

To conclude this chapter, it is worth noting that most athletes will not need to developextreme finger strength. Most athletes would fare well by simply developing the ability

to perform traditional finger pushups and pull-ups. Those who are more experiencedwith lower arm training may eventually wish to tackle more difficult challengeshowever. If you are interested in such challenges, I remind you to be patient with yourprogress. Finger strength takes time to develop and there is always a risk of injury.Patience and consistency are perhaps the best injury deterrents.

Furthermore, the lack of attention that I have focused towards crush grip is by nomeans a knock against it. Crush grip will always be the most popular form of griptraining. By no means am I dismissing the benefits of crush grip strength. Instead, I amurging you to not put all of your eggs into one basket. Do not make the commonmistake of assuming that crush grip strength equates to complete lower arm

development. There is much more to lower arm strength than your ability to crush anobject that rests between the fingers and palm. Even the simple addition of extensortraining to a program that previously lacked it can make a huge difference goingforward. Adding some dexterity training to your extensor work is even better.

In summary, I encourage athletes to develop respectable crush grip strength. Just besure that crush grip training does not become your sole focus. Crush grip isundoubtedly an important piece to the lower arm puzzle, but remains just one of manyintegral components. Complete lower arm development goes far beyond any single gripstyle.

A loadable handle can be used by beginners or advanced athletes

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THE PUZZLE

“Knowledge is a process of piling up facts; wisdom lies in their

simplification.” - Martin H. Fischer

Thus far, a few things should be abundantly clear. First and foremost, there are

countless exercise possibilities that exist below the elbow. If you have not trained the

lower arms before, you are likely shocked at the volume of exercises that target this

region. Between wrist strength, finger strength, thumb strength, and an assortment of

grip styles, lower arm training often entails much more than what the casual fitness

enthusiast initially imagined. And to make matters worse, you must not only sortthrough an extensive list of exercises, but also several equipment options.

At this time, there is a good chance that you are wondering how on earth you will ever

perform each of the exercises. You may also be wondering how you will find time to

build all of the equipment. There is only so much time in each day and you certainly

have other objectives to train outside of the lower arms.

How can you put the pieces together without throwing everything else out of whack?

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Fortunately, these questions and concerns are easily addressed. Throughout this

chapter, I will detail a simplified approach to training the lower arms in a way that is

time efficient, effective, and specific to you. I am not here to rewrite your entire trainingplan. I am also not here to suggest that you train identically to me or my athletes. We

are all unique, so the uniqueness of each athlete must be considered when adopting

new material. Despite what the marketing gurus suggest, there is no one-size-fits-all

approach and there never will be. How you train the lower arms will depend on several

factors that are specific to you.

Words of Advice

Before discussing the specifics, let me first share some important words of advice.

I. Patience, Consistency, and Time

Perhaps most importantly, significant lower arm strength takes time to development.There are no shortcuts. As much as the fitness industry likes to market overnightmiracles, you will never find a 30 day program that develops any meaningful lowerarm strength. Thirty days is literally a blink of an eye when considering true strengthdevelopment.

Furthermore, patience, consistency, and time are even more important for the athletewhose primary goals are not lower arm based. For example, if you are a mixed martialartist, you certainly have goals and objectives outside of lower arm training. The diverseneeds of your sport will naturally limit the time that can be dedicated below the elbows.

As stated earlier, lower arm strength is only useful if it can be developed in a way thatwill assist, not impede, your athletic performance. Ultimately, that means you will needpatience, consistency, and time if you ever wish to develop significant lower armstrength.

II. Options vs. Necessities

If you are confused as to how you will perform each of the exercises from this book, letme ease your mind. The short answer is that you won’t. Perhaps the fastest way to failis by spreading yourself too thin and trying to accomplish everything at once. It wouldbe absurd to perform each of the exercises from this book within a single routine. Youwould hardly have time to eat, never mind train the rest of your body. Your lower armswould be overworked to the point that even waving to a neighbor would become adifficult task.

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As stated throughout the text, I did not include so many exercises with hopes that youwould view each as a necessity. On the contrary, I intentionally included more exercises

than you would need at any given time. I wanted to include enough variety so that youwill never run out of ideas and challenges. Therefore, you could say that this reminderis related to the first. It is impossible to progress through the vast array of exerciseswithout patience, consistency, and time.

The same logic can be applied to the equipment ideas presented throughout. I don’texpect you to run to the hardware store and begin building every last tool. Once again,my goal is to provide as many options to as many readers as possible. There is no rushto build anything. Before you choose any exercises or tools, you must analyze yourcurrent program and future needs. Building or purchasing a tool that does not matchthe job offers little in return. First, you need to know what you are trying to developand how you will go about developing it. Once the blueprint is in place, you can beginto organize your tools.

III. Pick Your Battles

As a follow up to the previous reminder, it is also important to understand that youcannot simultaneously target each lower arm objective with maximal intensity. If youtry to significantly improve in every direction at once, you will typically find yourselfmaking minimal gains in each of those directions. Therefore, if you are new to lowerarm training, now is not the time to become a pinch grip, thick grip, support grip, and

crush grip specialist. You cannot expect to make considerable progress by attempting tobecome an expert at everything at the same time. Long before you even dream ofspecializing in one of these areas, you must first develop an adequate foundation. Inother words, first develop some all-around lower arm strength over a period of severalmonths. Once you have a solid foundation in place, you can begin to consider targetingmore specialized exercises or goals.

Even more advanced athletes must be careful not to spread themselves too thinhowever. Just because your lower arm work capacity may have improved does not giveyou a green light to simultaneously attack every lower arm feat you desire. Regardless

of ability, it is important to pick your battles. Speaking from experience, there is no wayI could have progressed with so many exercises if I had attempted to do everything atonce. Instead, I have patiently progressed through a variety of exercises over manyyears of consistent work.

Even after all these years, my goals continually change as the weeks and months pass.For instance, there may be a time when I am working extremely hard with blockweights. If I focus extra attention and intensity towards the blocks, I may need to backoff some of my other lower arm work. Perhaps my thick grip training will need to betemporarily reduced to allow my thumbs a chance to recover from the higher volume of

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block weight training. Ultimately, whatever makes sense for me at a given timedepends on the goals that I am targeting at that time. I pick my battles and adjust my

workload and focus accordingly.

IV. The Mental Aspect

Earlier in the book, I shared a powerful quote from the legendary Edward Aston. Hiswords are so relevant that I will restate them again:

“The greatest factor for the creation of a powerful grip is sheer will power…”

Aston hit the nail on the head. It is virtually impossible to develop significant lower armstrength if you are not mentally strong. Many lower arm feats require so much physicalexertion that casual execution is all but impossible. Therefore, to progress beyond thenorm, there will be times when you truly need maximal effort and intensity. If youcannot focus 100 percent of your being into certain exercises, you will never performthem. There is absolutely no room for distractions or half assed attempts.

Moreover, mental strength is not just about maximal exertion. Short term exertion willnever amount to much if you lack persistence. Successful training is not a sprint, butrather an endless journey that is filled with ups and downs. To prevail, you will needwhat I often describe as stick-to-itiveness. You can’t give up when things get difficult orgains begin to plateau. Remember, beginners gain strength much faster than athletes

who are already strong. If you are strong and you want to get stronger, you mustprepare yourself for the long haul.

Mark my words; there will be lower arm feats that are quite challenging for you. Weeksmay pass when you hardly make any gains at all. If you lack the mental tenacity andfocus to push through such plateaus, you will never accomplish anything worthwhile.

One thing that all successful strength athletes have in common is that they see thingsthrough. They keep working until the job is done. They don’t bounce from one programto the next whenever they hit a bump in the road. Instead, they keep trucking along.

Strength athletes possess a unique brand of stubbornness where they absolutely refuseto be deterred from their goals. And it is that relentless determination that leads toinevitable success.

If you wish to achieve similar success with your lower arm training, you will need toadopt a similar mentality.

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V. Small Additions

If you have never trained a day in your life, lower arm development probably shouldnot be your primary concern. I would actually be shocked if anyone reading this bookhas never exercised before. I have yet to meet anyone who woke up from a life ofinactivity with a sudden urge to develop the lower arms. Thus, I will go out on a limband assume that you are currently involved with some type of exercise or sport.

Whether you lift weights, perform calisthenics, train with odd objects, or all of theabove, you are likely accustomed to working against resistance. Therefore, consideringthat you already train, you must be careful not to add too much lower arm work to yourschedule. One of the biggest mistakes that an athlete can make is to add heaps of new ordifferent work to an existing routine. It is a recipe for disaster, particularly when thatwork involves the lower arms.

In some way, the lower arms will be involved in almost every exercise you perform.Each time you grab, lift, or hold a weight, the lower arms are engaged. And if yourcurrent routine does not involve you grabbing any weights, bars, or odd objects, youmay need more help than this book can provide. Assuming that is not the case, I willremind you again that small additions will often accumulate into something much moresignificant.

I am not here to swing a wrecking ball at your existing routine. There is a good chance

that you enjoy the work you currently perform and/or enjoy the results that it provides.I don’t want to change that. My goal is to help you seamlessly enhance your currentroutine in a way that is beneficial. The best way to do that is through small additions. Afew minutes here and there will eventually add up as long as you remain consistent.

Furthermore, these small additions can be included without excessive fatigue. The lastthing you want to do is fatigue the lower arms to the extent that they detract from yourperformance in other areas (ex. sport training or other lifts). We must be consistent overthe long haul, yet patient with our progress. There is nothing rapid about lower armdevelopment. Small additions must be made gradually over time.

VI. Rest When Needed

While my lower arm philosophy is clearly rooted in patience and consistency, such an

approach does not free one from the need for rest. Even subtle additions that are made

to an existing program can eventually become physically and mentally taxing. As a

result, it can be useful for certain athletes to include scheduled periods of deloading.

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A deload phase (also known as a back-off period) typically lasts a week and comes after

three or four weeks of intense training. Deloading is common among high level strength

athletes. Beginners rarely need to deload as they lack the neural efficiency and workcapacity to accumulate enough work to truly wear down the body. Higher level lifters

however work against much more significant loads, thus have a greater need for rest.

For instance, a power lifter may engage in three weeks of extremely heavy lifting, thus

need a back-off week to facilitate recovery and growth. During the deload phase, he

will cut back on variables such as intensity and volume.

The theory behind the back-off week is simple. You don’t instantly become stronger by

lifting weights, but rather by recovering from the act of lifting weights. When you

continually train hard, a deficit eventually builds that cannot be repaid by simplysleeping well or resting on Sunday. To truly benefit from an extended period of

strenuous training, you need a dedicated period of less intense work. That is the goal of

the back-off week.

Unfortunately, back-off periods are often forgotten when considering lower arm

training. Many people assume that the lower arms can handle more work than the rest

of the body, thus are free from the need to deload. The reality however is that if your

lower arm training is intense, the time will eventually come when rest is required.

As for specifics, my approach to deloading is quite simple. I train hard for three to four

weeks and then schedule a lighter week. That is essentially it. During the lighter week, I

cut back on heavy lifting and only work with lighter lower arm exercises. I remove all

strenuous pinch grip and thick grip lifts as those exercises are most taxing for me. I

instead perform less strenuous movements such as sledgehammer handle walks, spring

clamp closing, and rice bucket work.

When I return to more strenuous training the following week, I almost always come

back stronger. If I skip the deload period, I tend to run myself into the ground. Mytemperament is built around intensity so I need to control it through scheduled rest. If

you train with similar intensity, I encourage you to experiment with deloading.

Generic Programming Flaws

Before analyzing your programming options, it is useful to discuss a few common flawsthat exist within many generic routines. By understanding these common mistakes, youwill be less likely to make them yourself.

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I. Frequency Generalizations

Everyone wants to know how often they should train the lower arms. If I had a nickelfor each time someone asked this question, I would be a rich man. As for commonresponses to this inquiry, I am sure we have all heard the same. It is not unusual for thisquestion to be answered with a generic two or three days per week recommendation.

Unfortunately, this recommendation does not provide the necessary details for anathlete to maximize his lower arm training. I say this not to insult anyone who hasmade this suggestion, but rather to highlight the limitation of focusing solely ontraining frequency. It is impossible to determine ideal frequency without considerationsfor intensity and volume. In other words, how often we train (frequency) depends onhow hard we train (intensity) and how much work we perform (volume).

As one variable increases, you will need to reduce at least one of the others. If not, it isonly a matter of time before you burn yourself out. For instance, if you train extremelyhard (intensity), it becomes difficult to maintain high frequency and volume. Somethingneeds to give if you wish to continue working with such intensity. You will either needto cut back on frequency or perform less volume per session. All three variables cannotbe sky high without an inevitable crash.

Even most high level athletes can only raise two of the three variables. For example,many strength athletes train with high intensity and frequency, yet minimal volume.Others may prefer to train with high intensity and volume, yet minimal frequency.Endurance athletes often opt for high frequency and volume, yet minimal intensity.

As for relevance to lower arm training, the same general rules apply. If you are workingwith an extremely challenging lower arm exercise, intensity is naturally high. Therefore,it will be impossible to maintain high frequency and volume. Using myself as anexample, my pinch grip training tends to be quite intense. I prefer to go heavy as the

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intensity suits my temperament. Consequently, I am not able to train pinch grip toooften. Once or twice per week will typically suffice for me.

There are other exercises however where my intensity remains fairly low. For example,I am able to perform finger and wrist pushups with relative ease. I have performedthese exercises for so many years that they no longer provide a considerable challenge.The reduced intensity naturally allows me to perform these exercises more frequently.

With that in mind, it is important for you to take note of the exercises that tend to bemore intense for you. Such movements will usually require less frequency than othersthat you can perform with less difficulty. Moreover, you may actually find that two orthree days per week is the ideal frequency for your lower arm training. I am notarguing against this recommendation. On the contrary, I am simply encouraging you toconsider more than just frequency. Reading two or three days per week on paper does nottell the full story. What matters more are the specifics that take place within thoseindividual days. In other words, how hard are you training each day and how muchvolume are you accumulating? These are the types of questions that must be consideredfor successful programming of any kind (not just the lower arms).

II. Remaining Workload

Another generic programming flaw that is common in many lower arm routines is afailure to consider the rest of your weekly training. These routines are created without

consideration for anything else. Essentially, the lower arm routine solely targets thelower arms. That alone is not the issue. Problems can arise however when athletes whoare already busy with existing routines try to add that lower arm program on top ofwhat they already do.

For example, suppose you lift weights four days per week and perform two additionalconditioning workouts as well. You essentially train six out of every seven days, yet youfeel that lower arm strength is a weak point that needs improvement. Perhaps you cameto this conclusion after stalling on an exercise or lift where insufficient hand or wriststrength appeared to be the bottleneck.

Your ambitious disposition naturally leads you to begin searching online for lower armroutines. Your google-fu is powerful so it doesn’t take long for you to find a completeroutine. The program calls for three days of lower arm training. You begin following itimmediately. Initially, you may experience some lower arm gains, but it is usually just amatter of time before problems arise. You then find yourself scratching your head,wondering what was wrong with the program.

The reality though is that you may have been using an excellent lower arm routine. Theproblem was that you were trying to add a dedicated lower arm program to an already

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busy schedule. For example, I have seen certain lower arm routines that included 8 to 10exercises. Working through so many exercises requires significant energy expenditure

and time. Whoever created these routines obviously did so without considerations foran athlete’s present workload.

If you are a competitive athlete, you are already busy training several days per week.Adding pieces to an existing puzzle must be done with care. You cannot just stackseveral new pieces on top and expect them to magically fall into place. Whatever youadd must be done with consideration for what you already do.

There is a good chance that you already grab various weights and pull from variousbars. You may also perform exercises like swinging a sledge and lifting odd objects. Allof this work is relevant when considering what modifications or additions should bemade. The body can only handle so much work at a time, and no one knows your abilityto recover better than you. And even if you doubt your knowledge, you still know moreabout yourself than the person who created the generic routine without consideringyour past abilities and present goals.

In summary, if there was ever a rule for lower arm programming, it should state thatlower arm training must be added in a way that does not interfere with your existingroutine. To no surprise, this simple rule negates the vast majority of generic programs.

III. Athletic Considerations

Lastly, another programming flaw that is common with lower arm routines is a failureto consider the competitive requirements of the athlete. In many ways, this flaw is quitesimilar to the previous. Just as generic routines do not consider the remaining workloadof an individual, they also fail to consider the skill training requirements of the athlete.

Speaking as a boxing trainer, I have seen many grip routines targeted towards combatathletes that failed miserably at addressing the actual needs of a fighter. Many of theseroutines are created by individuals who do not understand the already busy scheduleof competitive combat athletes.

For instance, a mixed martial artist already has countless objectives that require timeand attention. He is busy training stand up, jiu-jitsu, wrestling, takedowns, takedowndefense, etc. He also has conditioning needs, strength training, core training, necktraining, and more. Adding a full lower arm program on top of this busy schedule caneventually lead to overuse. Once again, the body can only handle so much work at anygiven time. Adding new work to an already hard working athlete must be done withextreme care.

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Consequently, my advice to competitive athletes is to add lower arm work in a waywhere the additions are subtle. I would rather have the athlete hardly notice the initial

additions, rather than waking up the next day with extreme soreness. One of the biggestmistakes that a competitive athlete can make is trying to train like a grip specialist. Griptraining has essentially become its own sport. High level grip competitors train for theirsport. They must prepare for specific tasks that they will encounter during competition.The grip specialist certainly does not train for your sport with equal attention. You mustdo the same. Train for your sport first, and then add bits and pieces to your schedule in away that benefits your ultimate goal.

Before Starting

Now that I have thoroughly beaten the mere thought of most generic programs into theground, you might be wondering what I suggest for a lower arm routine. Personally, Ido not follow a lower arm program however. It is also incredibly rare for me to everprescribe a set lower arm routine to any of my athletes. I strongly believe that the bestlower arm training takes place without a defined program. In other words, the bulk ofan athlete’s lower arm training can take place without a separate routine.

Fortunately, adding lower arm training to an existing schedule is not nearly ascomplicated as many imagine. As evident throughout much of this book, there arecountless opportunities to develop the lower arms through indirect lifts, warm-up sets,odd object training, finisher sets, and mini-workouts.

To successfully add lower arm training to an existing routine, it is important that youdo the following.

I. Write It Down

First and foremost, it is useful to map out your existing routine. Whether you opt for aspreadsheet or a piece of paper, it is helpful to write down the exercises or lifts that youalready perform throughout a typical week. You don’t need too much detail in terms ofsets and reps, but rather a general overview of your primary routine. For instance, how

many days per week are you focused on strength training? What type of split do youfollow? What are your primary exercises? What do you do for conditioning? Are youinvolved in a sport, and if so, how often do you practice?

Once you have outlined this information, it becomes easier to identify possible locationsfor lower arm additions or modifications. For example, suppose you have a goal toimprove thick grip strength. As you look through your weekly plan, you identify twodays that include pull-ups. One of those days is an ideal candidate for a lower armmodification (ex. rotating thick grip pull-ups). Without a written plan, it is much moredifficult to accurately identify these potential opportunities.

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II. Weak Links and Athletic Needs

Next, it is important to identify any potential weak links in your armor. A nagginglower arm injury is a prime example. Suppose you are a boxer who has had wristproblems in the past. Clearly, wrist strength is a weak link, thus requires immediateattention. You will need to address the weak link with direct work. Therefore, wristtraining should take precedence over other lower arm goals. It would not make sense tofollow a program that emphasizes another lower arm skill (ex. crush grip) if that skilloffers little assistance to the weak link.

Athletic needs must also be considered. For example, if you are a rock climber, fingerstrength is essential to your sport. Much of your lower arm training will likely target thefingers. You have sport specific needs that require direct work. It is important toidentify these needs so that they can be accounted for within your weekly routine.

Furthermore, if you don’t have any glaring weak links or athletic needs, that is okay.You can focus on a broader range of exercises that align with personal preferences andgoals. For instance, perhaps you want to increase forearm size. To satisfy this objective,you would naturally include more direct forearm work. Wrist curls and wrist rollingwould be ideal choices. Once again, identify what is important to you and then planaccordingly.

III. Equipment

It may sound obvious, but you also need to consider lower arm equipment availability.For instance, do you train at a commercial gym? If so, there is a good chance that youwill not have access to some of the homemade devices demonstrated within this book.

Or perhaps you train solely with calisthenics? If so, you may not have access to theweights necessary for certain lower arms exercises. Support grip for you may meanhanging from a bar, while support grip for a lifter may mean heavy farmer’s walks.There isn’t a right or wrong choice. Ultimately, the ideal answer depends on equipmentavailability and personal preference.

Nine Possible Modifications

Once you have written down your existing schedule, identified weak links and needs,and thought about equipment availability, you can begin to put some pieces into play.If you are brand new to lower arm training, you will not need more than a few initial

modifications. Naturally, if you are more experienced, you can handle more workbelow the elbow. Regardless of ability however, be sure to proceed with caution

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whenever adding new or different work to your current routine. You are not expectedto include each of the suggestions that follow on the pages ahead.

I. Indirect Lifting

My advice is to develop at least one lower arm strength quality through traditionalstrength training. Support grip is an ideal candidate to target through indirect lifting.

An abbreviated list of exercises to develop support grip include the following:

Double overhand grip deadlifts Suitcase deadlifts

Dumbbell snatches Kettlebell swings Farmer’s walks Bent over rows T-bar rope rows Shrugs

If you perform any of these exercises within your routine, include at least a few setswhere support grip is challenged. Performing even one or two of these exercises eachweek will develop adequate support grip strength for most athletes.

II. Warm-up Lifts

Another theme that I emphasized throughout this manual was the opportunity to targetthe lower arms through warm-up sets. These sets would be performed before heavier(traditional) lifts. For instance, if you are scheduled for overhead lifting today, it is notas if you will begin the session with a maximal effort attempt. Lighter, warm-up sets arenaturally required. It is during these sets that we can target the lower arms with arelated lift. Therefore, we essentially target two objectives. We prepare the body withlighter weight while challenging the lower arms.

A few examples include the following:

Bottoms up kettlebell press before heavier overhead pressing Pinch grip clean and press with concrete blocks before heavier overhead pressing Block weight clean and press before heavier overhead pressing Pinch grip rows before bent over rows Towel rows before bent over rows Block weight rows before bent over rows Pinch grip swings before heavier T-handle or kettlebell swings

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Towel swings before heavier T-handle or kettlebell swings

Performing just one or two of these exercises via warm-up sets each week caneventually lead to considerable lower arm development. Two or three warm-up sets perexercise will typically suffice before proceeding to the heavier (traditional) lift.

III. Replacement Lifts

If you wish to focus more attention to the lower arms than what a few warm-up setsprovide, you can replace the traditional lift entirely. Training with a thick handle is anexcellent substitute for a traditional lift. In fact, I believe most athletes would benefitsignificantly by performing one thick grip exercise per week.

A few examples that were seen within the book include the following:

Thick handle deadlifts Thick handle pull-ups Thick handle rows Thick handle farmer’s walks Thick handle curls

Swapping a conventional bar for a thick handle could not be any more straightforward.

Simply look through your weekly plan and find one of the above listed exercises. Onone day, perform all sets of that exercise with a thick handle. This single modificationwill lead to significantly stronger lower arms.

IV. Odd Objects

Lifting, loading, and carrying heavy odd objects all but guarantees improved lower armstrength. In other words, if you add an odd object lift to your schedule, you can expectlower arm strength to improve.

As for placement within a routine, I generally perform at least one odd object lift as partof my weekly strength training. Odd objects are also useful as a finisher. Finishers willbe discussed later in this chapter. Any of the exercises below could be used within astrength workout or at the end of a session as a finisher:

Stone clean and press Stone loading Stone clean and throw Sandbag clean and press Sandbag loading

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Sandbag shouldering Water ball lifting

Heavy carries (with any odd object)

Please note that odd object training requires a unique blend of strength. I would notsuggest these lifts to beginners. Heavy odd object training is typically reserved for moreadvanced athletes.

V. Bodyweight Considerations

Thus far, most of the suggestions have been modifications to weight lifting exercises. Ifyou are a bodyweight enthusiast, you may be feeling left out. Fortunately, you can

apply many of the ideas to your bodyweight training. For instance, traditional pull-upscan be modified with variations such as the following:

Rope pull-ups Rope climbing Towel pull-ups Thick handle pull-ups Rotating thick grip pull-ups Finger pull-ups

Any of these exercises could be included as a replacement or in conjunction withtraditional bar training via warm-up sets. Similar modifications could also be made tobodyweight rows. In other words, whenever you perform a pulling exercise, there is anopportunity to challenge the lower arms.

Bodyweight opportunities also exist during push dominant sessions. A few examplesinclude the following:

Finger pushups Knuckle pushups Wrist pushups

One arm variations could also be performed if you wish to focus more attention tostrength. For example, refer back to the one arm knuckle pushup discussion. One armpushups from the fingers, knuckles, or wrist will develop upper body pressing strengthwith secondary lower arm benefits.

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VI. Mini-Workouts

The lower arms can also be targeted through mini-workouts. A mini-workout is a briefsession that is performed separately from your primary workout. For instance, supposeyou perform your main workout each morning. A mini-workout could be a ten tofifteen minute session that you add to the end of the day. These sessions are naturallybrief so excessive volume is usually not a concern. The brief nature certainly does notlimit the potential of these sessions however. Refer back to the discussion on page 36 fora reminder about the accumulative nature of such work.

I have successfully performed mini-workouts for many years. I strongly believe thatthese brief, separate sessions have allowed me to accomplish much more than whatwould have otherwise been possible. In fact, it is rare for a day to pass without meperforming a mini-session. As for options, I target several objectives through mini-workouts. These sessions are not limited to lower arm training. For instance, if Iperform six mini-workouts per week, two might target the lower arms, two mighttarget the neck and core, and two might be dedicated to a unique modality such asisometric training. The specifics of each mini-session will vary based on whatever goalsI am targeting at the time.

As for lower arm options, individual needs must be considered. For example, you maywish to target finger strength separately during a mini-session. What makes sense foryou depends on what you need extra time developing. Personally, I tend to favor wrist

training during these sessions. Wrist strength is quite important to me as a boxingcoach. I also do not need much time to warm my wrists before performing work sets.Clearly, warm-up needs vary between individual athletes, but I prefer to perform mini-workouts that do not require much time for warming up. I typically begin my mini-sessions with a few pushup variations* and then proceed to target the wrists directly.

I target the wrists with exercises such as side levering, overhead levering, and frontlevering. Depending on available time, I perform a few sets of each variation. I thenfinish with an exercise such as wrist rolling. The session does not require a lot of time,thus does not interfere with my primary training.

In summary, if you opt to perform a lower arm mini-workout, I suggest the following:

1. Isolate an area that is relevant to your goals and needs2. Choose exercises that do not require extensive warm-ups3. Consider your remaining workload so that the mini-workout does not interfere

* A sample warmup set: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyiVF2253yc

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VII. Finishers

A relative to the mini-workout is the finisher. A finisher is performed at the conclusionof a workout. It is a brief addition that will typically last between five and ten minutes.The finisher is short like the mini-workout, but often more intense as you are alreadywarm from the primary session.

For instance, suppose you have just worked through a dedicated strength workout.Your primary session is over, but you want to squeeze out a few last benefits. Theaddition of a brief finisher can prove useful. As for options, the list is literally endless.What you target with the finisher will depend on your needs. The finisher certainlydoes not need to be lower arm based. It is actually more common for the finisher toinclude a conditioning component. A classic example would be to swing a moderatesized sledgehammer for time or reps. Such work provides one last physical and mentalchallenge.

I typically tack on a few finishers throughout my week, with at least one targeting thelower arms. A few examples of lower arm finishers include the following:

Farmer's walk Odd object lifts or carries One arm hangs Sled pulling Thick handle lifts Rice bucket training Sledgehammer handle walking

Another option for a finisher is to target one specific grip style. Therefore, rather thanperforming a single exercise, you may perform a few movements that target one of yourdesired objectives. Personally, I like to target pinch grip with this approach. At theconclusion of a strength workout, I may set aside ten minutes to train pinch grip.During this time, I may work with block weights, hub lifts, and/or one of myhomemade pinch grip tools. The specifics will vary depending on my goals and

available time, but I always keep the finisher brief, yet intense. I attack the session witha goal of accomplishing as much work as possible in the short block of time.

Therefore, it is worth noting that these finishers should be added with considerationsfor your remaining workload. Using myself as an example, I always spread out mythick grip and pinch grip training. I do not have large hands so thick grip training isquite taxing to my thumbs. I prefer to leave a few days between training thick grip andpinch grip. For instance, if I target thick grip during a strength workout on Monday, Imay wait until Thursday to perform a pinch grip finisher. Leaving a few days betweenthese sessions gives my thumbs time to recover. In summary, just because a finisher is

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brief does not mean it should be performed without conscious planning. Intense workshould always be planned in advance.

VIII. Spare Time

Unlike an intense finisher, it is often possible to target less challenging movements inyour spare time. Such work could certainly classify as another mini-workout. I considerthis work to be unique however as it is rarely planned in advance. It is usually just arandom set or two at various times throughout the day or week.

Bruce Lee is actually one of my inspirations for this idea. Many years ago I recallreading about how he would keep a dumbbell in his office for forearm training. He wassaid to randomly train the forearms in his office whenever the mood struck him. Thiswork was performed in addition to his primary lower arm training. It was not plannedin advance.

If you opt for spare time training, I urge you to minimize intensity. You certainly wouldnot want to perform an extremely strenuous exercise at various points throughout theday. Personally, I prefer working with exercises such as rubber band extensions. Iperform this work randomly at my desk. I will perform a few sets and also manuallystretch my fingers and wrists. Doing so allows me to knock off one of my objectives(extensor training) and also gives me a reason to stretch out my lower arms. This workis done without eating up any gym time.

Another spare time example would be to keep a handheld gripper in your vehicle. Asmentioned previously, the bulk of my gripper training takes place in my truck. If youopt for a similar approach, I suggest working with a gripper that is not extremelychallenging for you to close. This is particularly true if you are the type of person whohas a hard time putting down the grippers. Volume must be kept to a minimum. Forexample, I may perform three sets of 3 to 5 reps per hand. That is only 9 to 15 attemptsper side. Such low volume allows me to perform this work somewhat randomly withlittle premeditated planning.

Clearly, if crush grip was more pertinent to you, it would not make sense to target thisobjective in your spare time. Your crush grip training would naturally be more intense,thus would require more planning. In summary, if you opt for spare time work, focusyour attention towards less intense movements.

IX. Idle Time

Yet another option for lower arm training is during what I consider to be idle time. Forinstance, suppose you are performing a heavy lower body workout. The upper bodywill be minimally involved during this session. You will also need ample rest between

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sets of exercises such as barbell squats. It is during that time when I may target a singlelower arm objective.

In other words, rather than sitting idle in between sets, I kill two birds with one stone.While resting the lower body, I am also performing a lower arm exercise. I typically optfor an exercise that is not extremely intense as I do not want to distract from the lowerbody routine. One example for me would be to target finger strength and dexterity (ex.sledgehammer handle walks).

Once again, I always consider my remaining workload. I am careful that the idle workdoes not interrupt my current session and future sessions as well. For instance, I wouldnot perform an intense lower arm exercise during idle sets today if there was a chancethat it would interfere with the work I have planned for tomorrow. As a result, I targetfinger strength and dexterity as I am able to recover from this work quickly withouthindering any follow up sessions.

Summary

As you can see, there are ample opportunities to include lower arm training withoutever following a dedicated program. Do not confuse lack of a program with lack ofintensity however. The lower arms can receive a significant amount of work byincluding even just a few of the suggestions discussed on the previous pages. Lack of adedicated lower arm routine does not free you from the possibility of overuse.

As highlighted throughout this manual, I encourage you to make subtle additions toyour existing routines. Do not feel as though you need to accomplish everything atonce. You can always add more work in the future. Start conservatively and then add tothe puzzle if or when necessary. Realistically, most athletes will not need more than afew of the previously listed suggestions.

Advanced Athletes

Naturally, as you become more advanced with your lower arm training, you will beable to handle more intensity and volume. For example, there was a time when I onlyincluded two or three of the following nine options.

1. Indirect Lifting2. Warm-up Lifts3. Replacement Lifts4. Odd Objects5. Bodyweight Considerations6. Mini-Workouts

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7. Finishers8. Spare Time

9. Idle Time

At this stage in my life however, it is not unusual for me to include each of theseoptions within a week. And not only do I perform more frequent lower arm work, I canalso direct more intensity towards individual exercises. My work capacity specific tolower arm training has slowly, yet significantly increased over many years. I can handlemuch more work today than I could in years past.

As a result, there are times when I occasionally expand upon some of these individualmodifications. For example, rather than targeting a single objective during a mini-workout, I may instead expand the brief session to target multiple attributes. Thesession still remains relatively brief, but the focus expands beyond a single quality. Thisoption may be worthy of your consideration if you are not interested in including asmany of the nine suggestions from above.

Extended Mini-Workouts

Next, you will find four examples of extended mini-workouts that I have used in thepast. Please note that the specifics of your own mini-workouts should depend onindividual goals. I am not listing these samples with hopes that you perform them

exactly as is. On the contrary, I am providing these samples to simply illustrate a few ofthe countless options that exist for mini-workouts.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Extended Mini-Workout #11. Pinch grip + finger pushups (3 to 5 sets of each)2. Grip machine (3 to 5 sets)3. Wrist roller (3 sets)

For this brief workout, perform any pinch grip exercise (ex. plate pinch lifts) followed

by a set of finger pushups. Keep the rep range low for the pinch grip lift if you prefercontinuous reps or simply hold a near maximal lift for time. You will then superset thepinch grip exercise with a set of finger pushups. Perform three to five sets of each.

Next, you will shift gears to the grip machine. Perform three to five sets per hand (lessor more depending on individual goals, available time, and work capacity).

Lastly, finish with three sets of wrist rolling. Work both directions evenly, rolling theweight all the way up 3 to 5 times in each direction.

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+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Extended Mini-Workout #21. Block weight lift (3 to 5 sets of 3 to 5 reps per hand)2. Plate curls (3 sets of 5 per hand)3. One hand sledgehammer handle walking (3 sets per hand)

For this brief workout, you will begin with one hand deadlifts using a heavy blockweight. Perform three sets of approximately three to five reps per hand.

Next, you will perform plate curls with an actual plate or the homemade device seenearlier. Perform three sets of five curls per hand.

Lastly, finish with three sets of sledgehammer handle walking. Stop each set just shortof failure.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Extended Mini-Workout #31. One hand rotating thick grip deadlift (3 to 5 sets of 1 to 3 reps per hand)2. Finger curls using finger straps (3 sets of 10)3. Towel pull-ups (3 sets)

For this brief workout, you will begin with one hand deadlifts using the rotating thickgrip handles. Perform three to five sets of approximately one to three reps per hand.

Next, you will perform finger curls using all four fingers within the homemade strapsseen earlier. Perform three sets of ten reps per side.

Lastly, finish with three sets of towel pull-ups. Stop just short of failure on the first twosets, while performing as many reps as possible during the third.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Extended Mini-Workout #41. One arm hangs (3 sets)2. Pinch grip door rows (3 sets of 5)3. Finger pushups + wrist pushups (3 sets of each)

For this brief workout, you will begin with one arm hangs from a bar, towel, or rope.Stop each set just short of failure.

Next, you will perform pinch grip door rows for three sets of five.

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Lastly, you will perform three sets of finger and wrist pushups (from the back of yourhands). Superset these final two exercises stopping each set just short of failure.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Clearly, these samples only scratch the surface of the options that exist for extendedmini-workouts. If you opt to create your own, be sure that you do so with carefulconsideration of your remaining workload. Just because you may have experience withlower arm training does not free you from the potential of overuse.

Regardless of experience and ability, meticulous planning is always worthwhile.Randomly performing intense work will never reap continuous results without injury.Therefore, if I am to perform an extended mini-workout, I typically do so on a day

where I have not included one of the previously suggested modifications. I may alsoneed to exclude modifications that would have otherwise been made on the day beforeor after the extended mini-workout.

For example, it would not make sense to perform an extended mini-workout thatincludes thick grip training if I have just finished performing a replacement lift with athick handle. I also would not want to perform a thick grip mini-workout on Monday ifI have plans to perform a thick grip replacement lift on Tuesday. Instead, I must planthe extended mini-workout for a time when I am not compromised from previouswork, and with considerations for future work.

Speaking from experience, I have had the best success performing extended mini-workouts at the conclusion of one of the following:

1. Conditioning workout2. Lower body strength workout3. Push dominant strength workout

I have found that these sessions leave me in a position where I am warm from theprevious work, yet still able to train my lower arms with maximal intensity. The same

could not be said if I had just performed a heavy pulling session with exercises such asdeadlifts, rows, or pull-ups. With the latter examples, my lower arms would havealready been challenged during the primary session. As a result, I would not get asmuch out of the extended mini-workout.

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Failure To Plan Is Planning To Fail

My performance of an extended mini-workout comes with consequences that must beconsidered in advance. If I blast my lower arms today, I will likely need to reduce someof the lower arm modifications that I may have otherwise included throughout the restof the week. For example, I may need to cut back on some of the indirect lifts or warm-up lifts that I often perform. And it is for this reason that I only perform extended mini-workouts on occasion. While I enjoy the dedicated lower arm work these sessions allow,I prefer to perform the bulk of my lower arm training through the nine previously listedmodifications. I find such modifications to be more convenient for athletes who arealready busy training multiple objectives. Once again though, it is always nice to havemultiple options available. There is no single right or wrong approach. Ultimately,

whatever you choose for lower arm training must align with your interests, goals, andexisting schedule.

And while budgeting lower arm workload may initially seem like a daunting task, itremains relatively straightforward as long as you are patient with your progress, yetcalculated with your planning. By making small, subtle additions, you give your bodyan opportunity to adapt and a fair chance to provide accurate feedback regarding thework. You are never in a position where you are overwhelmed with new or differentforms of training. Instead, you can carefully analyze the feedback that your bodyprovides regarding the subtle additions that you have made over time. It is through this

feedback that you eventually learn what is ideal for your body. You slowly gain anunderstanding of how much work and what type of work is best for your development.

Regrettably, there are no shortcuts to acquiring such knowledge and experience. Youmust roll up your sleeves and consistently get your hands dirty over a long period oftime. Fortunately, if you are willing to pay the price, your hard work in the trencheswill eventually reward you with strength and knowledge. And it is that type ofexperience that is truly worthwhile. It cannot be purchased or acquired any other way.It must be earned one day at a time.

Sadly, many athletes fail to ever uncover this treasure chest of wisdom and strength asthey are not willing to consistently put in the work that is necessary. It is my sincerehope that you do not fall into this trap and instead remain persistent and diligent as theweeks, months, and years pass.

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Final Thoughts

To conclude, whether you opt to add lower arm work through some of my suggestionsor instead follow a more dedicated program, be sure that you remain patient andconsistent with your training. Development of the small muscles and tendons of thelower arms cannot be rushed. Rome was not built in a day, and true lower arm strengthis not either. It will take time for you to develop considerable strength, but the fruits ofyour labor will be savored for years to come. Speaking as an athlete who once hadfeeble hands and wrists, I only wish I had begun training the lower arms earlier.

I truly hope that this book will help you to avoid making the same mistakes that I madeas a young athlete. Recognize the potential of the lower arms and capitalize on this

powerful, yet often hidden source of untapped strength.

Lastly, if you ever have any questions regarding the material presented within the manual, feel free to contact me directly at [email protected].

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EXERCIS LISTIndirect Lifting

Deadlift 13-15Suitcase deadlift 16Dumbbell snatch 17-18Swings 18-19Hand to hand swings 20Bottoms up press 21Farmer’s walk 22Bent over rows 23-24

Odd Objects

Stone clean and press 29Stone loading 30Stone clean and throw 31Stone pinch grip rows 32Stone catch and release 33Stone curls 33Concrete pinch grip rows 34Concrete clean and press 35Concrete farmer’s walk 36Sandbag clean and press 38Water ball substitute 39Sandbag loading 40

Sandbag shouldering 41Sandbag catch and release 42Wheelbarrow finisher 43Log shouldering 45Log carries 45

Ropes and TowelsTowel pull-ups 47Two towel pull-ups 48Towel pull-up modifications 49Rope pull-ups 50Rope modifications 52Double rope climb 54

Rope climbing 55Rope body rows 56-57Towel body rows 57One arm rope body row 58One arm towel body row 58Rope tricep extension 59Rope and towel hangs 59-62Rope sled pulls 62-63Towel swings 64Towel curls 65Towel rows 65

Towel farmer’s walk 65Rope curls 66T-Bar rope rows 66-67

Pinch GripDoor pinch 70-71Door body rows 72Pinch grip band rows 76-78Band resisted static holds 79Pinch grip sled drag 80Pinch grip sled row 81

T-handle 4x4 lift 83Pinch grip swings 84T-handle 2x4 lift 85T-handle hub lift 86Plate pinching 87-88Thin plate pinching 88-89Scrap wood lifts 89-90Block weight deadlift 93Block weight velcro addition 94Block weight band assistance 95Block weight partial lifts 96Double block weight lift 97

Block weight rows 98Block weight snatch 99Block weight clean and press 100Block weight release and catch 101Block weight curl and press 102Block weight farmer’s walk 103Two hand block weight lift 103Inverted dumbbell lift 104

Thick GripThick grip pull-ups 109Commando pull-ups 109Thick grip attachment pull-ups 114-115Towel thick grip pull-ups 116Thick grip trap bar deadlift 117Thick grip farmer’s walk 119Thick grip body rows 120Thick handle dumbbell deadlift 124Thick handle dumbbell rows 125Thick handle dumbbell curls 127Rotating thick grip deadlift 131Rotating thick grip rows 131Rotating thick grip swings 132Rotating thick grip pull-ups 133-135

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Rotating thick grip body rows 135Rotating thick grip deadlift 136Ball grip pull-ups 137

Ball grip body rows 138

Wrist TrainingWrist curls 141-142Reverse wrist curls 142Th k l 143

Sledge lifts 172-173Sledge swings 174-175Sledge swing and halt 176

Knuckle pushups 177One arm knuckle pushups 177Wrist pushups 178-184Rice bucket wrist training 185-186

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