Get a grip

June 25, 9:29 PMSF Fitness ExaminerJim Evans

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How’s your grip? No, I don’t mean how hard you can squeeze somebody else’s hand, although there’s certainly nothing wrong with having a good firm handshake. But how’s your grip overall? Think about it.

There are essentially three kinds of grips: the “crush” grip or “grip,” typically known as the handshake; the “pinch” grip where you grip an object between the thumb and the fingers; and the “support” grip where you carry something like a briefcase by a handle or strap. All three “grips” are important – and distinct – functions of the hand.

How to improve your grip? Here a few suggestions of exercises that you can do for each of the specific grip varieties:

• Crush grip – Squeezing a tennis ball or rubber ball has been a popular means of improving the handshake grip, but try this instead: extend your fingers out as far as they will go and then slowly curl the fingers down toward your palm, starting with the little finger, one at a time, as tightly as you can in a rolling fashion proceeding from the little finger to the thumb. Release the grip and repeat for several repetitions until tired. This will strengthen each of the fingers individually, improve your grip, and tone the muscles in the forearm.

• Pinch grip – Grasp a heavy metal skillet by the end of the handle between your fingers and thumb, letting the skillet hang loosely, and walk across the room with it with the full weight of the skillet dangling from your finger tips. When you reach the end of the room, switch to the other hand and walk back to where you started. Repeat several times until tired. This will improve your pinch gripping ability and firm the forearms.

• Support grip – Fill a briefcase or small suitcase with books, papers, or other heavy items around the house. Then, pick up the case by its handle and walk across the room with it. When you reach the end of the room, switch to the other hand and return to where you started. You can gradually add more weight to the case to increase the resistance and develop your support grip.

If you have access to a gym or have weight equipment at home, you can do wrist curls with either a dumbbell or barbell to develop your crush grip strength. You can substitute a barbell plate for the skillet (increasing the size and weight of the plates as you grow stronger) to increase your pinch grip strength, grasping the edge of the plate between the fingers and the thumb. To develop your support grip, you can substitute dumbbells for the briefcase or suitcase and tote them – one in each hand - back and forth across the room (or the gym) to develop your support grip, gradually increasing the weight of the dumbbells as you grow stronger.

Now, get a grip.