Increase Your Grip Strength Without Forearm Training!

Today I want to share with you 1 tip to help you increase your grip strength across all of the exercises that you’re currently doing in the gym. You’re going to be able to do this WITHOUT having to add OTHER exercises to your routine, like wrist curls, or a specific day where you’re training forearms and grip strength. In my opinion, that’s a waste of time, and I don’t want you wasting time or GAINS when you’re in the gym!

I’m going to focus on demonstrating this one tip on a barbell bent-over row, but just keep in mind this can be applied to ANY exercise where you need grip strength. When you do an exercise like a barbell bent-over row, whether you’re doing and underhand-grip or an overhand grip, there will come a point in time where you’re lifting so much weight, that you’re not able to complete all of your repetitions without the barbell falling out of your hands.

The Problem With Wrist Straps

What do most people do when that barbell starts to slip? Well, they tend to grab their wrist straps, and then it’s game over. It’s game over because most people INSTINCTIVELY switch to wrist straps as soon as their grip gives out, and then start using them every single time they go to the gym. It then becomes a very bad habit where you’re no longer gripping the bar as hard as you can.

Chalk Up!

Am I against using wrist straps? No, but there is a proper way to use them. Before you even get to the point to where you’re going to use wrist straps, what I want you to do first (especially if you’re trying to work on your grip strength), is to chalk up. A little chalk goes a long way, and I know a lot of gyms don’t allow chalk, but you can be sneaky with it, and if you use it right, you really don’t need that much. A tiny bit of chalk on your hands when you reach down a grab that barbell, makes a HUGE difference.

A lot of times, the reason the barbell slips out of your hands isn’t because your grip strength is weak. It might be because the knurling is worn down on the barbell, or maybe the gym is humid and it’s a little slipperier than normal. There are a lot of different factors that come into play. But if you can get just a little bit of chalk on your hands, you’re going to have a much tighter grip and you’ll probably be able to handle more weight.

Should You Use Wrist Straps At All?

Once the chalk doesn’t really help you out anymore because the weight is too heavy, this is your next step. Let’s say you’re on your second set of the exercise. At this point your muscles are getting worked, but your grip strength is starting to give out. Let’s say you’re aiming to do 8 repetitions, and by the time you get to rep 4, the bar slips out of your hands. At that point, you’re going to put your wrist straps on. Once you have them on, you’re going to complete those last 4 repetitions with the help of your wrist straps to hold that barbell. Next is where the big change is going to come.

Most people, once they put their wrist straps on, they immediately start using them for every single repetition. What I want you to do is keep them on your hands, but don’t use them until you absolutely need them. For example, when you go into set 3, you’re going to grab the barbell, and even though you still have your wrist straps on your hands, you’re not going to wrap them around the barbell just yet. You’re still going to rely on your own grip strength and do as many reps as you can, and then once again as soon as that bar slips out of your hands, you’ll wrap your straps around the barbell and complete your set. You’re going to apply this to EVERY SINGLE EXERCISE that you’re doing in the gym. Use your own grip strength and your own power as much as possible, and while you can still have the straps on your wrists, you’ll only apply them to the exercise that you’re doing when your grip strength gives out on every single set.

Conclusion

I hope this opened your mind a bit to how you can train your forearms without having to add a specific day, just to train forearms. Like I said, it’s a waste of time! Don’t fall into the habit of set 1 you’re cool, set 2 your grip strength gives out so you use your straps, and then at the start of each set after that you immediately strap up. You only use them when you need them. If you start doing this, in a matter of weeks your grip strength will go through the roof, you’ll be pretty happy, and you won’t even need your straps half the time!