Not everyone understands how and why you need to swing your hands, because when we mention arms, we first of all think about biceps and triceps. As a result, the training process does not affect the wrists, they become a lagging muscle group and inhibit progress, making it impossible to work out the hands with the full task. Strong hands; this is a strong grip that is necessary for both training with your own weight and for working with weights. From this material, you will learn what grip strength depends on and how to develop it.
Your palms represent one of the most complex systems in the body, even in traumatology they are distinguished into a separate group. The hand is formed into three sections: fingers, pasterns and wrists. The structure of the wrist includes eight bones, the metacarpals have five bones, as well as the fingers on the hands. Each of the fingers has three phalanges, with the exception of the thumbs, they have two phalanges.
This entire structure is set in motion by muscles, they are located on the side of the palm, they are divided into the muscles of the little finger, middle section and the thumb. The fingers do not move by themselves, as it might seem, most of the muscles that move them are located in the forearm. These muscles are connected to each finger by tendons.
The fingers are like puppets, it turns out that their movements are controlled by the tendons in the forearm.
Table of Contents
Why Strengthen Your Hands and Wrists?
A beautiful and strong body should be developed evenly. If you only swing your legs or abs, then the result will not be as we would like. You need to remember even the smallest muscles, because they can play an important role in sports development. In most training programs, grip strength is important, especially if you are wrestling or working with weights. It may seem that grip strength is not important for bodybuilders, because they are focused exclusively on muscle volume and effective appearance. But with a weak grip, they will not be able to work with heavy weights to achieve this appearance.
People say that the grip depends on the size of the forearm, this comparison has become winged, however, it is not true. There is a connection, but not direct, but indirect. When performing exercises for the forearms, you will use your fingers and wrists, but this will not be enough for a quality study. Special exercises will be required, which should be performed regularly, they should be included in the main program. You can work on finger strength right at home, most exercises are performed without equipment and the equipment required for other techniques is simple and affordable for everyone.
What is the Grip?
Before you start swinging your hands at home, you need to understand how they work. With their help, several types of strength are provided:
- Squeezing: This is used when shaking hands, an expander will become a good simulator for its development;
- Plucked: Thanks to this, we can hold objects between the index and thumb, it is also often called the power of the thumb;
- Holding: This allows you to hold something in your hands for a certain period. In training, you use this strength when doing straight-legged deadlifts and similar actions;
- Wrist: Try to hold a sufficiently large object on an outstretched arm, if possible, then only thanks to this force. It forms the strength of the entire forearm.
14 Best Hand & Wrist Strengthening Exercises
1. Fists Rotation
The movement is used as an articular warm-up before class. Clench your fists and rotate them intensively, make the amplitude of rotation maximum. Rotate your fists in one direction for a minute, then the same amount in the other direction. After that, feel free to move on to the next elements.
2. Fist Clenching
Simple, yet a powerful movement, this requires no equipment and is therefore ideal for home use. Clench your fists with force and hold the maximum tension for a few moments, then straighten your palm and repeat immediately. Do in two sets for a couple of minutes with a pause in between for complete relaxation.
3. Pressure
Fold your palms at chest level, press them together to create a strong static tension throughout the entire area, from the base of the palm to the fingertips.
Maintain tension for two minutes, then rest for a minute and repeat two more times.
4. Unilateral Pressure
Leave your hands in the same position and work with each palm separately, press it firmly into the second, so that it bends back. Alternate exposure for 5 seconds on each side, do this for five to ten cycles in a row.
5. Pulling Fingers Back
The starting position is the same, without lifting your palms from each other, alternately pull your fingers back strongly so that they bend. It is performed at a fairly high pace, 20-30 repetitions in three approaches. Focus on tensing and relaxing your muscles, including your forearms.
6. Squeeze Index Fingers
Connect your thumb and forefinger on each hand so that they close in the area of the pads. Squeeze them hard, maintain tension for a few moments, then repeat the same not with the index, but with the middle, and so on in order, then in reverse order. Perform this for at least five rounds.
7. Flexion and Extension without Weights
Place your forearms parallel and clench your fists. Bend your wrists inward and then unbend outward as much as possible. The amplitude should be full and the execution should last a couple of minutes without pauses.
8. Squeezing the Ball
It is not necessary to use a special expander ball, an ordinary tennis ball or any other ball of the same size will do. Grasp it firmly and squeeze for five seconds, then relax and repeat, do 5-10 repetitions. It is better to perform the action not with two balls, but alternately with one, then you can better concentrate on the sensations.
9. Holding an Item
You will need a flat, but weighty object, for example, a small weight plate or “pancake” from a barbell. Lift it up in the air and hold it for as long as you can, then lower it, rest a little and repeat 3-4 more times. With each exercise, the muscles must be loaded to failure.
10. Push-Ups
With this type of push-ups, the muscles of interest to us will receive the maximum load, since the entire body weight will act as resistance. It is better to take a position in which your feet rest on the floor not with your socks, but with your knees. The muscles of the hand will get tired faster than the larger ones, in this case you should focus on them and perform these to failure.
11. Bar Hang
Used as a preparation for pull-ups to develop grip strength. You need to hang on the horizontal bar, while you have enough strength, on two hands, then alternately on one. Perform three to four approaches.
12. Hand Grip Strengthener
You can use both a spring and a rubber expander, the main thing is that it is stiff enough, but at the same time you can perform at least ten repetitions. Squeeze the shell with each hand for one and a half minutes, do 3-4 circles for each.
13. Dumbbell or Barbell Curls for Biceps
Aimed primarily at the forearms, but also affect grip strength. Use a barbell or dumbbell, depending on your fitness level. In the starting position, the forearms should be on the hips and the apparatus should be gripped from below. Bend your wrists to bring them closer to your shoulders. 3-4 repetitions of 6-12 times are enough.
14. Reverse Barbell Curl
It is performed with a reverse grip from above, in the initial position, the forearms are on the hips and relaxed. Lower the bar to the floor, then pull it as close to you as you can. Do 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps.
Conclusion
Regardless of whether you use weights or not, do the lesson no more than three times a week. Each should last from half an hour to an hour, starting with a good warm-up for muscles and joints. Knowing how to train your hands and following all the recommendations, you will strengthen your grip, this will make any workout more productive and also give you an advantage in solving everyday tasks. If the complex is carried out without burdening, then it will be an excellent measure for the prevention of Osteoporosis and Arthritis.
