Train Your Grip and Get Conditioned Too
This is a guest post by Jedd Johnson, from the Diesel Crew. Jedd’s passion is Grip training, he readily competes in grip strength contests, and has produced multiple resources on building world class hand strength. He is THE Grip Authority.
When most people think of Grip Training, they do not associate it with Conditioning. This is a big mistake, because these two essential aspects of strength training go “hand in hand.”
The Best Way to Train the Grip
One of the best ways to train the hands forkiller Grip Strength is by using implements that force you to train with your hand in more of an open position.
The principle behind this is simple. When your hand is partially open, you can’t lock your fingers around the implement and you have to work your fingertips, thumbs, and wrists harder in order to keep a Grip on the device.
The Best Way to Train for Conditioning
One of the best ways to train for superior conditioning is by performing Sled Dragging. Sled Dragging is awesome because it puts a demand on your entire body, causing a large amount of musculature to work at the same time, especially the glutes and legs.
This increased muscle recruitment also makes the lungs and heart work harder, and you rapidly increase your conditioning level.
Combine them for the Ultimate One-Two Punch
Although people understand that they must train their Grip and they must perform conditioning, they often miss one of these two accessory training requirements.
When training for Grip Strength, coaches and athletes often use only Grip Isolation movements like lifts and holds. Another mistake often made is by pulling the sled by way of a pulling harness only. While this is beneficial, you are missing the opportunity to use your hands.
Combining Grip Strength Training with Sled Dragging is one of the easiest ways to implement both of these facets of strength training without having to double training time.
The only question left to address is how to combine them. Here are three examples of how to combine Grip Training and Sled Dragging for Killer Conditioning.
PVC Handle:
Go to the Hardware Store and buy a 14-inch length of PVC pipe that is 2 or 2.5-inches in diameter. Connect a cable from the sled to the pipe and you instantly have a thick bar handle that will make sled dragging twice as beneficial for you and your athletes.
Kettlebell:
You haven’t felt a challenging Grip Strength lift until you have attached a kettlebell handle to the sled strap and then gripped the kettlebell by the bell and pulled backwards. You feel this one from the fingertips to the wrists and all the way up the forearms. Start out with a lighter kettlebell to get the feel for it and then gradually increase the size to make this awesome pull even more vicious.
Towel:
Loop a nice thick towel through the sled pulling handle and you instantly have a thicker and more dynamic gripper surface. This allows for quick changes between one-handed and two-handed pulls. This is a great training method for MMA athletes as well as Football Players because it mimics gripping onto gi’s, uniforms, and wrists and ankles on the mat.
These are just a handful of ways that you can combine Grip Training with Sled Dragging to develop levels of strength and conditioning. They won’t be fun by any means. In fact, they are pure evil, but you didn’t start training for a day of fun anyway. You wanted results and these methods will give you just that.
For more information on how to make Sled Dragging the most evil type of training you have ever experienced, check out the Ultimate Sled Dragging Manual. This ebook is packed with exercise variations for note only developing Grip Strength, but also core strength, shoulder strength, and more. Get it today = > Ultimate Sled Dragging Manual.
For more Grip Training articles, check out the following links:
Rope Training for Serious Strength Gains
The Crushing Addiction – Gripper Training
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