Crush Grip Training 101
With Adriane Wilson
Photo Douglass Sisk
Grip strength is essential in sport and training but is often overlooked in the planning process. Pinching, fat bar or supporting holds, and crushing strength are more than just a strong squeeze. Grip strength in all disciplines can improve hand and elbow health but has also been a method of determining a level of readiness or overtraining.
Metal coiled grippers such as IronMind’s Captain of Crush grippers are calibrated with different levels of increasing difficulty for training and certification.
Determine the correct side up: Each gripper has a round side extending from the handle and on the opposite side is round with a straight portion from the handle. The round side is considered the “top” side and fits in the hand near the thumb.
The set:The placement of the gripper in the hand takes practice. Extend the fingers and thumb straight out in the same direction like a karate chop. Roll the thumb internally so it is parallel with the first finger. Next, slide the thumb forward in line with the first finger. This will create an open space to insert the gripper handle. The angle of the handle may vary depending on the hand size but it should be fairly vertical in the palm. The first, middle, and ring finger pad will align on the other handle and the pinkie finger may or may not touch the handle at this point.
The crush:Crushing grippers is pulling the fingertips straight into the palm versus squeezing and rolling the heel of the palm towards the fingers. Too often new gripsters will place the gripper in the hand and miss the close because they have their fingers wrapped too much around the handle. They simply run out of room. After the proper set, use the thumb of the opposite hand to press the handle into the crushing hand’s palm, then the first finger or first finger knuckle of the opposite hand can secure the edge of the handle on the crushing hand
fingertips. Once the close has been initiated, remove the opposite hand and the pinkie finger on the crushing hand will be in position to finish out the close.
Adriane was the first female to certify with the #2 COC
Gripper training can be taxing for beginners. 1-2 sessions a week is recommended. Start with a few rounds of 3-5 set and reset attempts of an easy gripper to dial in the proper set and crush. Extensor exercises are complementary to crushing grippers. Try a simple rubber band around all straight fingers and thumb with a slow 3 second open and 3 second close for sets of 5-10 reps.
