Pinch grip is an important aspect that will take your grip strength to the next level! A great way to build pinch grip is by picking up what the grip community calls “blobs,” these “blobs” are simply old dumbbells that have been cut in half leaving just a half behind. The half is thick and is troublesome to pick up which translates to pinch because of the amount of recruitment which is needed from the thumb musculature. Blobs have a few downfalls though. price and no ability to increase or decrease the weight of the implement. Enter the almighty 4×4 piece of wood from the hardware store or from your garage. This piece of wood can be cut to size and have endless possibilities as far as loading, gripping surfaces etc. Pinch grip exercise ideas:

? Pinch grip farmer’s walk
? Pinch grip deadlifts
? Pinch grip drop and pass
? Pinch grip suitcase deadlifts

Honestly the exercises that can be thought up are endless but these are the first ones that came to mind that give you the most “bang for your buck.” The pinch grip farmer’s walk builds not only pinch grip but also addresses endurance which is a huge factor in today’s real world applications such as dropping a large stone on your foot because your grip slipped. nothing says I need to work on my grip more than a trip to the hospital and a few weeks off from total body training.

Pinch grip deadlifts build toughness. You will build strong hands, increase total body conditioning (because you are incorporating in a deadlift variation that still causes you to tense your entire body) and be able to pick up and move heavy, thick objects in RWA (real world application). Load up the weight and pull away; remember, increase the weight, keep it heavy and keep rep ranges in the 6-8 range.

Pinch grip drop and passes are another great exercise that will increase endurance and hand eye coordination which is always important in the real world. I would suggest incorporating these in at the end of the workout to burn out the hands. Aside from using your 4×4 block, you can also use Olympic plates if you are fortunate enough to have some; by placing two plates smooth side out, you create a good pinching apparatus that will keep you entertained while you look for a blob or until you build a 4×4 block implement.

Pinch grip suitcase deadlifts will strengthen that thumb musculature as well as strengthen and stabilize the core musculature, increasing balance and coordination on your next workout for farmer’s work and in RWA.

MORE INFORMATION: The author has many more article on how to train for grip strength and has many more videos showing how to train for hand strength completely free of charge at YouTube.