A solid grip indicates your physical strength and your overall health. You need a firm grip everywhere – whether you are lifting weights or carrying your laptop bag. While some are gifted with a nice grip, some have to work their way to strengthen it. No matter your category, here are five effective hand grip exercises for increased strength.

What is Grip Strength?

Grip strength is essentially the amount of force your hand and forearm can exert to grasp something, like an object, jar, handle, etc.

Grip strength is classified based on the action for which it is used. For example, support grip refers to how long you can hold an object. Thus, it is put to the test while lifting grocery bags and walking long distances or waiting for some time with the bag lifted.

Next is crush grip. It quantifies how hard you can crush something between your palms and fingers. An example could be how forcefully you swing a cricket bat.

The other one is a pinch grip. As the name suggests, a pinch grip indicates how hard you can pinch an object between your thumb and fingertips.

Another one includes the open crush grip and hand extension. So, an open crush grip is like the crush grip but without your fingers touching or overlapping each other.

While we now know a few basics of grip strength, let’s look at some hand grip exercises to help strengthen your grip and enable you to perform activities more efficiently.

5 Hand Grip Exercises to Augment Physical Strength

Here are five hand grip exercises to help you enhance your grip strength.

Note: If you are beginner, perform the below exercises under expert guidance.

1. Squeezing a Tennis Ball

This exercise helps engage your wrist and finger flexors to enhance your crush grip. If a tennis ball is too hard, you may also use a foam stress ball. So, hold the ball in your right hand with your palm facing up and your elbow bent at 90 degrees. Clench the ball as hard as you can with your four fingers. Avoid using the thumb. Keep the ball squeezed for about five seconds. Do around ten repetitions and the same process with the other hand. Repeat the exercise seven to eight times a day.

2. Reverse Wrist Curls

The exercise works your forearm muscles out and increases grip strength. Sit upright on a bench with a barbell in both hands and your palms down in an overhand grip (palms facing away from your body). If you want, you can hold a dumbbell in each hand. Lean forward and keep your forearms on your knees. While maintaining that position of your forearms, lift the weight bending your wrists back. Lower it gradually, allowing your wrists to curl down. Do two to three sets with 10-12 repetitions.

3. Farmer's Carry

Farmer’s carry targets various upper-body muscles, including the biceps, forearms, and triceps. You can perform this exercise with kettlebells or dumbbells. Hold a dumbbell (as heavy as you can lift) in each hand. Stand straight with your shoulders back and core tight. Walk about 25 meters and return. If you feel the exercise is being very easy, you might want to use heavier weights to push your limits. Do three to four repetitions.

4. Dead Hangs

Dead hangs engage the forearm, hand, and wrist flexors to enhance your support grip. Begin under a pull-up bar with a straight back. Raise your arms to hold the pull-up bar a little wider than shoulder-width apart and palms facing away from your body. Hang with your arms straight and your core engaged for 18-20 seconds. Do 5-10 repetitions.

5. Towel Wringing

This is an effective exercise if you want to work your crush grip and strengthen the muscles required for the support grip. Begin with a small hand or face towel and then graduate to a larger one. Wet a towel and hold it horizontally in front of you, grasping every end. Twist each of the towel’s ends in opposite directions to wring out the water. Perform around five repetitions for a better impact.

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