Plate Carries to Strengthen Grip

[woodswise]

Do you suffer from a weak grip?

You can strengthen it with plate carries.

Take a pair of weight plates and carry one in each hand walking back and forth over a good distance, until you can't carry it any further.

We used 45# bumper plates the other day. The width of the bumper plate was perfect for these.

My coach said you could use two 10# plates in each hand, placing the smooth sides out, and carry them in your fingers for a more challenging workout.

We did several sets of the 45# bumper plate carries. I started out carrying for 150' and stopped when I couldn't hold the weights for longer than 50'.

 

[Lizard King]

You cut and stack your own wood, grab some larger pieces and walk with them. The awkward size and weight really strains your grip after a while.

 

[Rein]

Sounds like a regular farmers walk but you do it with plates. I know a different technique in which you actually pinch two 45's and hold them for as long as you can for at least 30". My grip is strong but not strong enough to handle the deadlift loads my body can handle and it's extremely annoying.

 

[woodswise]

You cut and stack your own wood, grab some larger pieces and walk with them. The awkward size and weight really strains your grip after a while.

I do this daily when I am cutting wood and in winter when I am loading it into my wood furnace. My grip has gotten very strong over the past few years.

Sounds like a regular farmers walk but you do it with plates. I know a different technique in which you actually pinch two 45's and hold them for as long as you can for at least 30". My grip is strong but not strong enough to handle the deadlift loads my body can handle and it's extremely annoying.

Yes, like a farmer's walk. Two 45's sounds insane!!! A year ago my grip failed before anything else on deadlifts. Now my grip hardly ever fails on them.

 

[rawdeal]

google "sorin pinch grips two 45s photo" and you'll get this and related stuff. Richard Sorin is a baby boomer who grew up as an all-around strength fan, but esp. of grip strength. Made his living as owner of sorinex.com, which he runs today with his son Bert. He was the first to close those Captain Crush "official" #3 grippers, although many have joined him since the 1980's, and one or more have since done #4 grippers. Loves odd lifts, thick handle lifts, etc. The trick with the 45's in the pic is that those were the old (1960's and earlier?) wider York plates, about the same width as today's bumpers. He turned them inward on each other so all he was holding was 2 flat surfaces, no rims. He did not farmers walk them, just lifting and holding was good for bragging rights back in the day.

 

[Mike_RN]

I like to try plate flips too. It makes for a challenge as the grip is different each catch. I can use a 35lber pretty good...seen Wesley Inman (Strongman) flipping 45s and he's about the same size as me.

 

[HGH]

I need this. My grip strength blows.

I went to a Gold's in Spokane once that had a great machine for grip; but I've never seen it at any other gym since.

 

[rawdeal]

I need this. My grip strength blows.

I went to a Gold's in Spokane once that had a great machine for grip; but I've never seen it at any other gym since.

I mentioned Sorin above as an individual who has a way above average interest in grip. As businesses go, Iron Mind Enterprises occupies that same place for grip enthusiasts. Their site offers a way above sane variety of grip devices. They tend to be small and could easily be carried with you to the gym, if the gym allows that. If not, they would take up little space at home, although you'd need a few plates of your own too. Would recommend buying much cheaper plates from any sporting goods place if you were gonna go that route, no need for Eleiko or other pricy stuff from the hard core lifting websites.

 

[HGH]

I mentioned Sorin above as an individual who has a way above average interest in grip. As businesses go, Iron Mind Enterprises occupies that same place for grip enthusiasts. Their site offers a way above sane variety of grip devices. They tend to be small and could easily be carried with you to the gym, if the gym allows that. If not, they would take up little space at home, although you'd need a few plates of your own too. Would recommend buying much cheaper plates from any sporting goods place if you were gonna go that route, no need for Eleiko or other pricy stuff from the hard core lifting websites.

i'll check that out! I already have some plates at home. Thank you.

 

[BrotherIron]

google "sorin pinch grips two 45s photo" and you'll get this and related stuff. Richard Sorin is a baby boomer who grew up as an all-around strength fan, but esp. of grip strength. Made his living as owner of sorinex.com, which he runs today with his son Bert. He was the first to close those Captain Crush "official" #3 grippers, although many have joined him since the 1980's, and one or more have since done #4 grippers. Loves odd lifts, thick handle lifts, etc. The trick with the 45's in the pic is that those were the old (1960's and earlier?) wider York plates, about the same width as today's bumpers. He turned them inward on each other so all he was holding was 2 flat surfaces, no rims. He did not farmers walk them, just lifting and holding was good for bragging rights back in the day.

That is an awesome gym... Sorinex. I've trained at his gym a handful of times. Not to get off subject but he has a lifting history museum in it (it's pretty cool).

There are vid's out there of elite Oly lifters back in the day doing pinch flips with 25kg bumpers. It's crazy to think someone can flip, catch, flip catch, etc with each hand a 55lbs bumper. John Coffee has seen some athletes flipping one in each hand at the same time back in the day.

 

[rawdeal]

I used to see him now and then, but time and geography have changed that. Told me an OL story that might amuse you . . . . back in the day, or maybe it was back in the day before lol, he was in an OL contest when the Press was still part of the Total. Rules said to Clean the BB and not begin Pressing till the head ref had clapped his hands to begin. Trouble was, ol' beginning-to-lose-it Bob Hoffman was the head ref, and he had dozed off at just the wrong time. Young Sorin waited for the clap, waited, waited, finally someone in the audience did the clap, Hoffman woke up, and gave him a white light.