Why You Should Be Using Different Grips

 How you grip the bar or weights makes a major difference on what muscles are activated during a workout. Changing your grip can work muscles that previously were unengaged, enhancing your workout and building muscle.

CRUSHING:
Crushing is the action of wrapping the fingers around an object that provides resistance to your fingers bending. Your fingers are the primary exertion of force, such as when you shake someone's hand. A crushing grip is used when gripping a bar, pulling a rope, or performing a pull-up.

TRY IT NOW:
Find a small or medium-sized towel and place it in a bucket of water until it is soaked. Stack your fist one on top of the other while gripping the towel with both hands. Now “wring” the towel out by twisting and squeezing the towel as hard as you can. You will know you are done when the water is back to the original height. You can use a thicker towel or fold the one you have in half to increase the resistance.


Pinching:
Pinching is the action of grasping an object between the thumb and fingers. The primary pressure is exerted inward as the thumb and fingers are pulling towards each other. Pinching is not an exercise you naturally use to train in your average workouts and requires specific and intentional practice.

TRY IT NOW:
One of the most common and easiest pinch grip strength exercises is a weight pinch. Simply take two plates and place them back to back. Grip the outermost edge, letting the weight hang below your hand. Hold it for at least 30 seconds.


Support Grip:
The support grip is when you lift with your fingers taking on most of the load— most notably, this grip is used in kettlebell work, rows, and deadlifts. It is important to note that a true support grip means that the fingers should wrap almost entirely around the bar or object in hand. An open hand support grip can be utilized by gripping a bar or object that is large enough to leave a small space between the fingers and the thumb.

TRY IT NOW:
Farmer carries are a great way to increase your support strength. You are probably familiar with these if you have been in CrossFit for a long time. A great way to challenge yourself is to use a towel or a barbell grip wrap to increase the bar size, using an open hand support grip.TRY IT NOW:
Farmer carries are a great way to increase your support strength. You are probably familiar with these if you have been in CrossFit for a long time. A great way to challenge yourself is to use a towel or a barbell grip wrap to increase the bar size, using an open hand support grip.

So, what do you do with this information?

GET A STRONGER GRIP,

THAT'S WHAT YOU DO.