How to build grip strength: squeeze the bar, thicken the handle, hang longer
In short
You can build grip strength inside your normal routine: squeeze the bar as hard as possible every time you pick up a weight, do pulling work on handles about twice the thickness of a standard bar (or a towel-wrapped bar), and once a week alternate one pull-up with a 30-second hang until your grip fails. Rotating towels, ropes, and PVC pipe for at least three sets a week trains the 30-plus muscles that control the hand. For lifters whose deadlift fails at the hands first, it is the cheapest fix available.
Building grip strength does not need its own arm day. It comes down to four habits: squeeze the bar, thicken the handle, hang, and vary what you grip. As five-time North American Grip Sport champion Jedd Johnson puts it, your hands are often what limits you on heavy lifts.
What should you change in your normal workouts to build grip?
- Crush the bar — squeeze as hard as you can every time you pick up a weight. On single-arm moves like dumbbell rows, squeeze the free hand too.
- Thicken the handle — handles roughly twice the thickness of a standard bar, or a towel wrapped around one, force a harder squeeze, so lighter weights feel heavier.
- Weekly hang ladder — do one pull-up, then hang for 30 seconds. Without letting go, repeat until your grip fails or you cannot complete a pull-up. Ten rounds means more than five minutes on the bar.
- Vary your grip — more than 30 muscles control the hand. Each week, do at least three sets of towel pull-ups, PVC drags or carries, or rope pulls.
Which accessory exercises build grip?
- Towel inverted row hold — feet up on a bench, grip a towel looped over the bar, pull up, and hold a straight body line. 3 sets of 30 seconds.
- Bottoms-up kettlebell press — hold the kettlebell upside down and press it overhead without letting it tip. 3 sets of 8–10.
- Farmer's carry — walk with a weight in each hand, squeezing the handles hard. 4 rounds of 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off.
How does grip strength affect your deadlift?
If your deadlift 1RM stalls at the hands, your big-three total and Muscle Index stall there too. A lift that ends because the bar slipped — with back and legs still in reserve — measures grip more than strength. Because thick handles make the same weight feel heavier, they fit rows and accessory pulls better than your top deadlift sets. Grip strength has also been linked to cardiovascular disease and early death, and researchers have proposed using it as a clinical vital sign. For a grip accessory, see the reverse curl is a grip exercise; for deadlift setup, see the deadlift setup checklist.
Frequently asked questions
How do you build grip strength?
Squeeze the bar as hard as you can every time you pick up a weight, do pulling work with thick or towel-wrapped handles, and once a week alternate a pull-up with a 30-second hang. Rotating towels, ropes, and PVC pipe for at least three sets a week also helps.
Do thick bars (fat grips) build grip strength?
Yes. Handles about twice the thickness of a standard bar require a harder squeeze to hold, so lighter weights feel heavier. Without a fat bar, wrap a towel around a standard bar.
What accessory exercises build grip strength?
A solid base is the towel inverted row hold for 3 sets of 30 seconds, the bottoms-up kettlebell press for 3 sets of 8–10, and the farmer's carry for 4 rounds of 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off.
Does weak grip limit your deadlift?
Yes. On heavy deadlifts the hands often lose the bar before the back or legs give out, so weak grip makes your 1RM read lower than your actual strength.
Source: Men's Health