Behind the Whiteboard: Grip Strength

Grip training can be a tough sell. There’s probably nothing less sexy when it comes to functional fitness than telling a room full of people, “Today we’re training the ability to get better at holding things.” Neato. After all, who the hell wants to just hold heavy things for an uncomfortable amount of time?

In reality, it may just be the most functional sneaky thing that we train.

When we call upon the maximum strength of grip, we are asking our body to do things that have a profound immediate and long-term effect.

1. Recruit more muscle fibers (muscular)
2. Recruit more motor units (neural) 

Take farmer walks. From a muscular perspective, holding the heavy bells in a peak isometric state is going to create stress and break down muscle fibers in our arms, chest, shoulders and mid to upper back. This is the superficial benefit. We develop and grow muscle.

From a neural perspective, our nervous system will be forced to recruit more motor units so that we’re capable of creating greater muscle contractions. This is the intrinsic, deeper benefit, and this is the part I want you to pay attention to because this part is global. Whereas a bicep curl may get you bigger biceps locally, training our central nervous system through our grip strength spreads everywhere. Pull-ups, hang cleans, deadlifts, kettlebell swings, snatches, rows, and any movement requires strength through holding stuff.

Global.

If it sounds like black magic, it isn’t. That’s just the power of neural activation and grip strength is our gateway to it. Any opportunity you have to hold onto a heavier weight, take it. Grip training may be uncomfortable, but the stimulus you will get from training it is highly concentrated, and quick to spread.

And at the very least, you’ll definitely be able to make that grocery haul in one trip.

-Dave