It’s surprising to know that not a lot of people utilizes grip training. In fact, it is considered as one of the most uncommon workout routines. Nevertheless, it is still a game changer when it comes to effectively building strength in the body.
It’s a good thing that more and more people are now becoming aware of the importance of maintaining a healthy and fit body. However, it’s troubling that there are those who follow training exercises that are either not meant for their body or are not aligned with what they want to achieve.
A good example of this would be grip strength. Believe it or not, a stronger grip can definitely change the game. Even athletes, from weekend warriors to professionals, train their grip strength.
If there is still confusion as to why grip training should be part of every individual’s daily workout routine, read on. This article will talk about the many reasons as to why incorporating this strength building exercise into one’s daily routine is beneficial.
So, what is grip strength?
Well, grip strength is a category under the umbrella of hand strength. In dealing with one’s grip strength, it is important to note that grip is associated with everything from the musculature on the elbow down to the ones in the fingertips. Moreover, grip strength also affects the forearms and the wrists, as well as the hands, including the thumbs and fingers.
The beauty with trying to identify the benefits of grip strength is that one would realize how there is a great number of movement patterns that are affected when you train your grip strength. On another note, failing to train one’s grip strength would lead to inflammation-related forearm pain. Some of these would include epicondylitis, and tendonitis.
Remember, one is as strong as their grip.
Experts from all around the world have commented as to how players with no proper training in grip strength rarely manage to do additional reps or max their weight up. Furthermore, hand fatigue during exercises gets in the way of a good workout. As the fitness adage goes, “you’re only as strong as your grip.”
What’s more interesting is that a powerful grip can affect one’s core. One of the most intense abdominal exercises – the hanging leg exercise – would require the person to have great grip strength. Without a strong grip, it would be almost impossible to properly perform the handing leg exercise.
The truth is that the fingers, hands, wrists, and forearms are some of the most used muscles in our entire lives. Even those that do not play professionally would agree that a powerful grip can definitely be a great addition to anyone’s arsenal.
Reasons Why You Should Start Training Grip Strength
Here are some of the reasons why grip strength training is much more capable of completing anyone’s workout routine.
1. Opening jars
Okay, let’s start with something that most people need – the strength to open jars. When it comes to this simple but difficult task, a powerful grip can definitely come in handy. A firm grip can lessen the frustration felt when one is not able to open jars because they will be able to open them.
Furthermore, the feeling one gets after being able to open a jar is amazing. If one traces the movements involved in opening a jar, one would realize that the hands are not the only parts involved in grip strength training. Even the simple act of opening jars is defined by so many movement patterns, including that of the wrists and forearms.
2. Stronger and a much more firm handshake
A strong and firm handshake makes for a good first impression. While most people tend to neglect the importance of a firm handshake, there are those that showcase their level of strength with how strong their handshake is.
3. Bigger and heavier lifts
Since grip strength is affected by hand strength training, talks about having the ability to lift heavier weights is not necessarily far from the topic. In fact, someone who has a strong grip can lift heavier weights at the gym; thus, paving the way to better fitness results.
Any pulling movement would be too easy for someone who does grip strength training. Whether it is deadlifts, chin-ups, or pull-ups, one can rest assured that a solid grip can increase training results.
4. Preventing injuries
Since there are a number of training exercises that rely on the grip’s level of strength, a weak grip can potentially lead to various injuries. In fact, even with mundane daily chores, grip training can prevent any kind of discomfort to the individual. Furthermore, it prevents severe conditions from the basic carpal tunnel syndrome to the more serious tennis elbow.
Let’s talk more about this training’s ability to prevent injuries. Think of it this way – the stronger the muscles that an individual has, the stronger their connective tissues are. The prevention of an injury can easily be achieved if one’s connective tissues are more than capable.
The lack of properly conditioning one’s grip can lead to chronic repetitive motion injuries. Any person would need a powerful grip, as well as forearm muscles, for the purpose of endurance, strength, and mobility.
Furthermore, grip strength training can also increase the bone density in the body, especially in the elbow joints and wrists. These also play an important role in the prevention of injuries.
5. Being better at sports
As explained earlier, grip strength is connected to the other capabilities of our body. Thus, if one is involved with some kind of sport, there is a high chance that that person relies on their grip to perform well in the game.
In today’s times, sports is more than just a recreational activity. Furthermore, it is more than just a means to get fit. Sports have become a source of entertainment and inspiration for many. If there is someone who is interested in playing a sport, sooner or later, that person would need to train their grip strength.
Don’t worry, any individual who has a powerful grip would be great at bowling, tennis, softball, golf, and let’s not forget rock climbing!
In the end, it seems that most people tend to neglect the importance of a good grip. The stronger one’s grip is, the better their life quality would be in the later life. In fact, there has been a study concluding that the hand grip strength of subjects age 45 to 68 was highly predictive of various functional limitations. They incurred disabilities 25 years later.
Final Thoughts
It is important to remember neural inhibition. This typically happens when the brain senses a body part’s lack of strength and inability to perform an action. In an attempt to provide support, it will cause the other muscles to shut down so that the individual can avoid incurring an injury.
By building strength and training your hands for stability, you get to eliminate chances of neural inhibition. Start by investing in deep tissue work, proper grip strength training, massage, as well as other anti-inflammatory remedies that are known to mankind.
Furthermore, it is important to educate oneself with common grip training exercises. Some of these include the use of grippers, which is also known as crush grip, plate pinching, block weights, and so much more. Remember that it is best to start out light and move up slowly. Pay attention to the volume and try to always train with extensors.
The last tip would be to ensure that one has the proper trainer, as well as the proper workout equipment, on hand. In this case, a good set of workout grips or grip builders would be a nice addition to any workout bag.
If you are on the lookout for an amazing set of workout grips, you can check out Gainzsportsgear for their list of high-quality training products.
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