Tough Kettlebell Grip Shit
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.
I’ve said for years that Grip Training is one of the most important types of training that most people are NOT doing.
A Strong Grip helps you perform better in sports by being able to hold onto the ball, bat, or your opponent better.
A Strong Grip also helps you improve your numbers on lifts where the hands are involved, especially the all important Bench Press. By having a firm grasp on the bar, it helps you engage your upper body in the lift much better while also increasing your confidence in the lift, knowing you are going to dominate it with no problem.
Finally, Strong Hands and Forearms are Safer Hands and Forearms.
What I mean by that is when you have put in the work to strengthen everything from the elbow down in a balanced fashion, it makes you much more injury-resistent. You are able to take more bumps without having to worry about breaking something and you’re able to give more bumps without having to hold back.
The issue with all this is, how do you get started?
People make Grip Training out to be a lot tougher than it is. In fact, if you have a small kettlebell in the 15- to 30-lb range, you’ve got exactly what you need in order to start training your grip and start reaping all the benefits.
Kettlebell Gut Pops (Full Hand Emphasis)
Forget the fact that the kettlebell has a perfectly good handle on it. Instead, pick it up by the belly or Gut. Next, pop it up into the air and try to grab it with the other hand.
In the pictures above, I am using a 30-lb Kettlebell. However, take note that I am not as much of a bad-ass as I may seem THIS TIME, because this kettlebell has a rubber coating around it. If you have one that is bare iron it is going to be much tougher.
Kettlebell Front Raise (Thumb Emphasis)
Again, Grip the Kettlebell by its round gut with an open hand. Next raise it up in front of you like a front delt raise, making sure to keep the thumb positioned on the bottom of the bell in order to hit it the hardest way possible.
If you are a true tough guy, try holding it up for a pause on each repetition.
Kettlebell Horn Deviations (Wrist Emphasis)
Grip the Kettlebell this time by the “horn,” which is the part of the handle that is generally vertical. From there, lower the bell down into ulnar deviation and then back up into radial deviation.
If you love the pain and torture of this variation, you should also try supinating and pronating the forearm. LOVELY!
There are thee Grip Training movements you can start doing RIGHT NOW in your routine to get the benfits of stronger lower arms and hands.
If you want more ideas on how to be a bad-ass by lifting crazy shit and bending and tearing everything in site, check out The Grip Authority. I’ll tell you how to build the strength to be able to rip phone books, tear cards and bend steel.
Now, go Lift or Destroy something.
All the best in your training.
Jedd Johnson, CSCS, RKC
Captain of Crush | Red Nail Certified
See more on building ridiculous hand strength = > http://www.thegripauthority.com
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