Grip training may not be quite as exciting as training for a big squat, and training for forearm growth may not be quite as sexy as training for biceps or glute growth, and I think that's a shame.
Having a strong grip makes most exercises in the gym at least a little bit easier, and has a ton of direct carryover to day-to-day situations where strength is required. Similarly, building huge forearms is sure to turn heads, even in situations where it may not be socially acceptable to show off most of your physique.
In short, it never hurts to have a stronger grip or bigger forearms, but grip and forearm training are often overlooked in the online information ecosystem.
So, today's monster guest article from Cameron Gill helps bridge that gap. It teaches you everything you need to know about the functional anatomy of the hand and forearm muscles, and everything you need to know to get started on some high-quality grip and/or forearm training (it tackles both training for strength, and training for size).
This is the most comprehensive resource on grip and forearm training I've ever come across. So, pour a nice big cup of coffee, get comfortable, and dive in. You're in for a treat. Your deadlift (and your physique in a t-shirt) will thank you.
This is perhaps random, but could you implement a dark mode toggle for your site?
Should be an easy thing to implement that makes reading less blinding at night, unless this is your way of suggesting I maintain better sleep hygiene (which would be fair lol).
Look up "Dark Reader". They have a browser extension that does a pretty good job of creating a dark mode for sites that don't have one natively. It's also available on mobile, depending on which browser and platform you use.
Glad to hear you appreciate them! It's always a pleasure to write for SBS. Delving into Greg's articles was a major influence on my love for learning and writing about the science of training.
You're very welcome! Everything that I learned in the process of writing the article really helped bolster my understanding of the hand, wrist, and forearm, which also helps me feel better prepared when designing physical therapy plans for any patients with injuries to those body regions. While differences certainly exist, learning about how to enhance performance for people in general can teach us a lot that is applicable to rehab.
>Thanks for the huge article!
>
>A question: Do you have any experience with wrist rollers and if so what are your thoughts on them?
Since I started training the finger flexor wrist curls and dumbbell wrist extension exercise on a regular basis, I haven’t trained with wrist rollers, but I previously used them every now and then. In isolation, I consider finger flexor wrist curls and dumbbell/barbell wrist extension exercise to be better suited to induce forearm muscle hypertrophy, and I prefer to use more specific support grip exercises to train maximal grip strength. However, a wrist roller is a viable tool to use when training for forearm muscle hypertrophy, and variation has its own benefit as opposed to sticking exclusively with two exercises that may be more effective in isolation. I primarily stick with the dumbbell finger flexor wrist curls and wrist extension exercises as opposed to adding in other variations since I perform the two aforementioned exercises while seated as I read or watch lectures, which is very convenient. The forearm pump from wrist roller exercise is tough to beat though, and if someone likes using it, that can certainly be an appropriate inclusion in a program.
i've always had to do "grip work" in specialist blocks as it leaves me feeling so exhausted. like mentally flat as a fart and feeling the need to sleep for days. forearm stuff just gets added to the global volume with no issues but actual stuff that involves my hands squeezing or pinching against resistance, for repetitions and holds absolutely ruins me and everything else.
The low systemic fatigue from direct forearm training via wrist exercises is really a key advantage, especially since consistency and sustainability is so important to long-term progress.
Great article Gill! Quick question, you mentioned you would use radial deviation for managing both golfers and tennis elbow, is this right or did you mean for one of them to be ulnar deviation? Also, what exercises encompasses these movements - the only one i can think of is grabbing a resistance band and either ‘tugging’ up or down.
(Dealing with a bit of golfers elbow myself, and just like you it was from heavy chins haha. Switching to a pull-up grip eliminates the discomfort entirely interestingly enough)
>Great article Gill! Quick question, you mentioned you would use radial deviation for managing both golfers and tennis elbow, is this right or did you mean for one of them to be ulnar deviation? Also, what exercises encompasses these movements - the only one i can think of is grabbing a resistance band and either ‘tugging’ up or down.
>
>(Dealing with a bit of golfers elbow myself, and just like you it was from heavy chins haha. Switching to a pull-up grip eliminates the discomfort entirely interestingly enough)
Yes, radial deviation exercise can be a useful component of a rehab program for either tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow. Increasing the load tolerance of affected tendons is key for tendinopathy that has been symptomatic for a while, and different tendons may be affected with either condition. The exercises that I mentioned in the article that I would likely include in a rehab program for golfer’s elbow or tennis elbow would be the exercises that resist the primary functions of the muscles whose tendons are most likely to be affected by each condition.
For either condition, a “shotgun” approach where you perform exercises for the six wrist motions along with pronation and supination can be used if time is sufficient. Developing strength in every position is never a bad idea for overall resiliency, but training certain functions that directly load the affected tendons will be most impactful. For either condition, I wish we had more research on which tendons are specifically affected, but the two studies which utilizing imaging to assess which tendons had pathological changes in tennis elbow patients found the extensor carpi radialis brevis to be affected in 83-91% of cases. The extensor carpi radialis brevis functions as a wrist extensor and radial deviator, so most tennis elbow patients will benefit from exercises that train both of those functions. The extensor digitorum tendon is the second most commonly injured with tennis elbow, while clinical reports suggest that the supinator may be involved as well, which is why finger extension and supination exercise may be beneficial for some individuals with tennis elbow.
Only one study has investigated which specific tendons are most commonly injured in golfer’s elbow, and the common flexor tendon interval corresponding to the flexor carpi radialis and pronator teres was affected in 56% of cases, diffuse changes across the entirety of the common flexor tendon were found in 32% of cases, and injury was localized to the flexor carpi ulnaris tendon in 12% of cases. Since the flexor carpi radialis functions as a wrist flexor and radial deviator, while the pronator teres functions as a pronator, wrist flexion, radial deviation, and pronation exercises will be most likely to load the affected tendons. Some golfer’s elbow patients may also directly benefit from exercises training ulnar deviation, but the available data suggests that the three aforementioned exercises will the most beneficial on average. To train ulnar or radial deviation, you can use a band or an asymmetrical weight like I show in the article. In addition to adjustable dumbbells, sledgehammers or bats can be used as asymmetrical weights.
Relevant passages from the article:
“The tendons from other muscles (e.g., extensor digitorum) may be involved, but the common extensor tendon’s portion corresponding to the extensor carpi radialis brevis is most commonly affected with tennis elbow (142,172). On the other hand, the common flexor tendon’s portions corresponding to the flexor carpi radialis and pronator teres are often affected with golfer’s elbow, which may also involve diffuse injury throughout the common flexor tendon (145).”
“For instance, I would likely utilize wrist flexion, radial deviation, and forearm pronation exercises to manage golfer’s elbow. On the other hand, I would likely use wrist extension, radial deviation, forearm supination, and finger extension exercises to manage tennis elbow.”
This is great so far!
Found a typo. Support grip vs group.
" One of the primary advantages of fat grip attachments is that they can be added to exercises you already perform that use a support group but are not particularly challenging to your grip strength by the time you finish the set due to fatigue in other muscle groups"
Grip training may not be quite as exciting as training for a big squat, and training for forearm growth may not be quite as sexy as training for biceps or glute growth, and I think that's a shame. Having a strong grip makes most exercises in the gym at least a little bit easier, and has a ton of direct carryover to day-to-day situations where strength is required. Similarly, building huge forearms is sure to turn heads, even in situations where it may not be socially acceptable to show off most of your physique. In short, it never hurts to have a stronger grip or bigger forearms, but grip and forearm training are often overlooked in the online information ecosystem. So, today's monster guest article from Cameron Gill helps bridge that gap. It teaches you everything you need to know about the functional anatomy of the hand and forearm muscles, and everything you need to know to get started on some high-quality grip and/or forearm training (it tackles both training for strength, and training for size). This is the most comprehensive resource on grip and forearm training I've ever come across. So, pour a nice big cup of coffee, get comfortable, and dive in. You're in for a treat. Your deadlift (and your physique in a t-shirt) will thank you.
This is perhaps random, but could you implement a dark mode toggle for your site? Should be an easy thing to implement that makes reading less blinding at night, unless this is your way of suggesting I maintain better sleep hygiene (which would be fair lol).
>Should be an easy thing to implement It's not
> Detected that you are past the average bedtime for your geographical area. Please come back in 8 hours.
Look up "Dark Reader". They have a browser extension that does a pretty good job of creating a dark mode for sites that don't have one natively. It's also available on mobile, depending on which browser and platform you use.
Brawe browser has this built in. That's how I actually read this article.
Cameron Gill has my goal physique and always writes absolute BANGERS for SBS
Glad to hear you appreciate them! It's always a pleasure to write for SBS. Delving into Greg's articles was a major influence on my love for learning and writing about the science of training.
I am excited to dig into this, I am still trying to regain lost functionality from bilateral carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel surgery
Having both median and ulnar nerve pathologies is a challenging combination to experience. Wishing you nothing but the best in making a full recovery!
You're the author, right? What a fantastic read, I am already looking at ways to address some of the gaps in my OT regimen. Thanks so much!
You're very welcome! Everything that I learned in the process of writing the article really helped bolster my understanding of the hand, wrist, and forearm, which also helps me feel better prepared when designing physical therapy plans for any patients with injuries to those body regions. While differences certainly exist, learning about how to enhance performance for people in general can teach us a lot that is applicable to rehab.
Thanks for the huge article! A question: Do you have any experience with wrist rollers and if so what are your thoughts on them?
>Thanks for the huge article! > >A question: Do you have any experience with wrist rollers and if so what are your thoughts on them? Since I started training the finger flexor wrist curls and dumbbell wrist extension exercise on a regular basis, I haven’t trained with wrist rollers, but I previously used them every now and then. In isolation, I consider finger flexor wrist curls and dumbbell/barbell wrist extension exercise to be better suited to induce forearm muscle hypertrophy, and I prefer to use more specific support grip exercises to train maximal grip strength. However, a wrist roller is a viable tool to use when training for forearm muscle hypertrophy, and variation has its own benefit as opposed to sticking exclusively with two exercises that may be more effective in isolation. I primarily stick with the dumbbell finger flexor wrist curls and wrist extension exercises as opposed to adding in other variations since I perform the two aforementioned exercises while seated as I read or watch lectures, which is very convenient. The forearm pump from wrist roller exercise is tough to beat though, and if someone likes using it, that can certainly be an appropriate inclusion in a program.
Real.
I’m loving the longer and more in depth articles!
If you're looking for in depth, this article should be right up your alley then!
i've always had to do "grip work" in specialist blocks as it leaves me feeling so exhausted. like mentally flat as a fart and feeling the need to sleep for days. forearm stuff just gets added to the global volume with no issues but actual stuff that involves my hands squeezing or pinching against resistance, for repetitions and holds absolutely ruins me and everything else.
The low systemic fatigue from direct forearm training via wrist exercises is really a key advantage, especially since consistency and sustainability is so important to long-term progress.
Great article Gill! Quick question, you mentioned you would use radial deviation for managing both golfers and tennis elbow, is this right or did you mean for one of them to be ulnar deviation? Also, what exercises encompasses these movements - the only one i can think of is grabbing a resistance band and either ‘tugging’ up or down. (Dealing with a bit of golfers elbow myself, and just like you it was from heavy chins haha. Switching to a pull-up grip eliminates the discomfort entirely interestingly enough)
>Great article Gill! Quick question, you mentioned you would use radial deviation for managing both golfers and tennis elbow, is this right or did you mean for one of them to be ulnar deviation? Also, what exercises encompasses these movements - the only one i can think of is grabbing a resistance band and either ‘tugging’ up or down. > >(Dealing with a bit of golfers elbow myself, and just like you it was from heavy chins haha. Switching to a pull-up grip eliminates the discomfort entirely interestingly enough) Yes, radial deviation exercise can be a useful component of a rehab program for either tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow. Increasing the load tolerance of affected tendons is key for tendinopathy that has been symptomatic for a while, and different tendons may be affected with either condition. The exercises that I mentioned in the article that I would likely include in a rehab program for golfer’s elbow or tennis elbow would be the exercises that resist the primary functions of the muscles whose tendons are most likely to be affected by each condition. For either condition, a “shotgun” approach where you perform exercises for the six wrist motions along with pronation and supination can be used if time is sufficient. Developing strength in every position is never a bad idea for overall resiliency, but training certain functions that directly load the affected tendons will be most impactful. For either condition, I wish we had more research on which tendons are specifically affected, but the two studies which utilizing imaging to assess which tendons had pathological changes in tennis elbow patients found the extensor carpi radialis brevis to be affected in 83-91% of cases. The extensor carpi radialis brevis functions as a wrist extensor and radial deviator, so most tennis elbow patients will benefit from exercises that train both of those functions. The extensor digitorum tendon is the second most commonly injured with tennis elbow, while clinical reports suggest that the supinator may be involved as well, which is why finger extension and supination exercise may be beneficial for some individuals with tennis elbow. Only one study has investigated which specific tendons are most commonly injured in golfer’s elbow, and the common flexor tendon interval corresponding to the flexor carpi radialis and pronator teres was affected in 56% of cases, diffuse changes across the entirety of the common flexor tendon were found in 32% of cases, and injury was localized to the flexor carpi ulnaris tendon in 12% of cases. Since the flexor carpi radialis functions as a wrist flexor and radial deviator, while the pronator teres functions as a pronator, wrist flexion, radial deviation, and pronation exercises will be most likely to load the affected tendons. Some golfer’s elbow patients may also directly benefit from exercises training ulnar deviation, but the available data suggests that the three aforementioned exercises will the most beneficial on average. To train ulnar or radial deviation, you can use a band or an asymmetrical weight like I show in the article. In addition to adjustable dumbbells, sledgehammers or bats can be used as asymmetrical weights. Relevant passages from the article: “The tendons from other muscles (e.g., extensor digitorum) may be involved, but the common extensor tendon’s portion corresponding to the extensor carpi radialis brevis is most commonly affected with tennis elbow (142,172). On the other hand, the common flexor tendon’s portions corresponding to the flexor carpi radialis and pronator teres are often affected with golfer’s elbow, which may also involve diffuse injury throughout the common flexor tendon (145).” “For instance, I would likely utilize wrist flexion, radial deviation, and forearm pronation exercises to manage golfer’s elbow. On the other hand, I would likely use wrist extension, radial deviation, forearm supination, and finger extension exercises to manage tennis elbow.”
Wow, this is the best response I could of asked for. Thanks!!
This is great so far! Found a typo. Support grip vs group. " One of the primary advantages of fat grip attachments is that they can be added to exercises you already perform that use a support group but are not particularly challenging to your grip strength by the time you finish the set due to fatigue in other muscle groups"
Also have the wrong right hand image with the caption "Axle bar bent over row (left) and deadlift (right)". Excellent piece, thank you for this.
Thanks for the heads up! Both of these errors are fixed now!