Author Topic: New grip workout for shooters  (Read 15602 times)

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Offline SlvrDragon50

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Re: New grip workout for shooters
« Reply #15 on: February 18, 2017, 10:16:49 AM »
Water jugs are a very cheap way to make some weights! I like the water movement and having to hold away from your body as well. :) I just use some pretty fat 45 lb plates and walk a few laps around my gym's track. My hands get super sweaty which makes it a challenging endeavor. I can only got an 1/8 of a mile before I have to drop the weights.

One thing to note when you do the farmer's walk is to make sure you don't round your posture. Stay tall.


Offline Scarlett Pistol

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Re: New grip workout for shooters
« Reply #16 on: February 18, 2017, 02:12:47 PM »
Thanks for sharing all the info and thanks for taking the time go so in depth SlvrDragon50. I'll definitely integrate these suggestions.

I still want to try this work out with my 30 round magazine in one of my CZ's. BUT... Rather than working rotation I'll just go to my normal 2 hand grip and practice dry firing. This is just with the intent of solidifying subconscious grip through trigger pull, recoil and releasing the trigger. I know.... Just go shoot more... But I don't have the luxury of time right now to get out as much as I'd like so this is just an attempt at a supplemental training

Thanks again, I didn't expect such great feedback, but this is a forum where I guess I should expect that in all regards.
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Offline inthevalley

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Re: New grip workout for shooters
« Reply #17 on: February 20, 2017, 07:56:35 PM »
ID,

THANK YOU for that excellent write up. I have been doing my own reading and trying to incorporate handgun-specific exercises into my weekly weightlifting routines.

I have been spending about 20mins 2x/wk doing levering (forearm isolation) with a heavy maul and feel (totally subjectively) that it has improved my ability to control the pistol under recoil. However, Based on your write up forearm work of any kind is not going to make much difference for shooting, is that correct?

Previously I was doing gripper work but found that between grippers and dry firing I was heavily overtraining my trigger finger. This lead to both poor performance on grippers and demotivated me from dry firing, so I stopped doing them.

I replaced the gripper work with pinch grip deadlifts (I grip the plates instead of the bar) and a set of towel pull ups after a few sets of weighted pull ups for crushing strength.

Would love to hear your feedback on my routine.

Offline SlvrDragon50

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Re: New grip workout for shooters
« Reply #18 on: February 20, 2017, 08:52:53 PM »
ID,

THANK YOU for that excellent write up. I have been doing my own reading and trying to incorporate handgun-specific exercises into my weekly weightlifting routines.

I have been spending about 20mins 2x/wk doing levering (forearm isolation) with a heavy maul and feel (totally subjectively) that it has improved my ability to control the pistol under recoil. However, Based on your write up forearm work of any kind is not going to make much difference for shooting, is that correct?

Previously I was doing gripper work but found that between grippers and dry firing I was heavily overtraining my trigger finger. This lead to both poor performance on grippers and demotivated me from dry firing, so I stopped doing them.

I replaced the gripper work with pinch grip deadlifts (I grip the plates instead of the bar) and a set of towel pull ups after a few sets of weighted pull ups for crushing strength.

Would love to hear your feedback on my routine.

A forearm workout will definitely help your ability to shoot, but it shouldn't be a priority since it's more technique than strength.

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Offline IDescribe

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Re: New grip workout for shooters
« Reply #19 on: February 22, 2017, 02:20:26 AM »

A forearm workout will definitely help your ability to shoot, but it shouldn't be a priority since it's more technique than strength.


^^^  Exactly ^^^ 

Greater grip strength is of benefit, and grip strength comes mostly from your forearm, so your shooting can definitely benefit from forearm work.  What I intended was that trying to isolate and work the muscles that adduct the wrist was the wrong way to go about training.  It's not like you're going to actively adduct the wrist against recoil.  Since making a hard fist tightens down the wrist, it's general forearm/grip strength work that you want.

Your levering is a fine idea -- that's recruiting a whole lot of muscles.  Towel pull-ups are awesome (you're a better man than I am).  Grenade pull-ups would be great if you have access to those.   Hammer curls, as SlvrDragon mentioned earlier, as well as farmer's carry.  Your pinch grip deadlifts are doing something, but I personally would do the pinch grip farmers walk Slvr suggested before I did that. You could also stack three smaller plates together and walk around while pinching those, trying to hold that sandwich together without the middle plate sliding out.

Offline inthevalley

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Re: New grip workout for shooters
« Reply #20 on: February 22, 2017, 10:17:29 PM »

A forearm workout will definitely help your ability to shoot, but it shouldn't be a priority since it's more technique than strength.


^^^  Exactly ^^^ 

Greater grip strength is of benefit, and grip strength comes mostly from your forearm, so your shooting can definitely benefit from forearm work.  What I intended was that trying to isolate and work the muscles that adduct the wrist was the wrong way to go about training.  It's not like you're going to actively adduct the wrist against recoil.  Since making a hard fist tightens down the wrist, it's general forearm/grip strength work that you want.

Your levering is a fine idea -- that's recruiting a whole lot of muscles.  Towel pull-ups are awesome (you're a better man than I am).  Grenade pull-ups would be great if you have access to those.   Hammer curls, as SlvrDragon mentioned earlier, as well as farmer's carry.  Your pinch grip deadlifts are doing something, but I personally would do the pinch grip farmers walk Slvr suggested before I did that. You could also stack three smaller plates together and walk around while pinching those, trying to hold that sandwich together without the middle plate sliding out.

Thanks for the reply.

What I'm getting from that last post lt is that you feel timed holds are more useful than heavy lifts?

For farmers walk IMO making it too grip intensive defeats the purpose because then your core/lower body/heart/lungs Don't get any workout, it is effectively the same as just standing in place pinching plates which is simpler to perform

Instead I might try holding the top position of a pinch grip deadlift for time, and also doing holds with levering

Offline Shadow2

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Re: New grip workout for shooters
« Reply #21 on: March 13, 2017, 11:13:22 PM »
grip strength vs wrist strength, you can have a plenty strong enough grip and still limp wrist a shot or visa verse locked wrists and loose grip. It does comes down to technic, a loose gripped and limp wrist shooter can learn to be consistent as long as they repeat the process exactly the same every time. it won't be very fast due to recoil recovery but consistent and accurate none the less. a semimauto may not cycle.

I've seen some old timers who have obviously lost allot of strength, and you see the gun throw them around, but they put them right where they need to go. They learned a technic that works for thier level of strength.

your best shooters ... practice ...
« Last Edit: March 13, 2017, 11:28:28 PM by Shadow2 »

Offline IDescribe

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Re: New grip workout for shooters
« Reply #22 on: March 13, 2017, 11:42:49 PM »
you can have a plenty strong enough grip and still limp wrist a shot or visa verse locked wrists and loose grip.

No, you can't.  You can't lock down your grip and have a loose wrist.   They tighten  together. 

As to limp-wristing shots, limp-wristed shooters are limp-gripped shooters.  They're shooting with a weak or relaxed grip.
« Last Edit: March 14, 2017, 12:16:47 AM by IDescribe »

Offline Scarlett Pistol

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Re: New grip workout for shooters
« Reply #23 on: March 14, 2017, 01:01:30 AM »
you can have a plenty strong enough grip and still limp wrist a shot or visa verse locked wrists and loose grip.

No, you can't.  You can't lock down your grip and have a loose wrist.   They tighten  together. 

As to limp-wristing shots, limp-wristed shooters are limp-gripped shooters.  They're shooting with a weak or relaxed grip.

I agree with both of you, and here is why.

Something I noticed recently was that when I finally focused on my grip through the trigger breaking and releasing. Suddenly recoil was diminished a ton... I didn't limp wrist until the exact moment I pulled the trigger and my grip would lessen. My guess is that many shooters do this when they are new to pistol shooting. So, to limp wrist entirely I think someone with a strong grip potential would have to lessen their grip.

Now... I can lock my wrist and still move my fingers and also move my wrist while griping something. But those take some focus, and now that I have learned to focus and insure I am gripping through the trigger breaking and even through releasing the trigger I don't ever see my wrist go limp. Is it possible... sure... But I think for 95% of people they won't limp wrist if they have a solid group through the whole firing process.
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Offline streets ahead

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Re: New grip workout for shooters
« Reply #24 on: March 25, 2017, 02:31:22 PM »
you can have a plenty strong enough grip and still limp wrist a shot or visa verse locked wrists and loose grip.

No, you can't.  You can't lock down your grip and have a loose wrist.   They tighten  together. 

As to limp-wristing shots, limp-wristed shooters are limp-gripped shooters.  They're shooting with a weak or relaxed grip.

I didn't read Shadow2's post as "you can squeeze with all your might and still be limp wristing."  My interpretation, and my observations are: All the strength in the world won't prevent someone from limp wristing a gun. Lots of newer shooters have no clue how hard they're supposed to grip the gun. They're perfectly  capable, but they just don't grip tightly enough.
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Offline IDescribe

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Re: New grip workout for shooters
« Reply #25 on: March 25, 2017, 03:16:43 PM »
I didn't read Shadow2's post as "you can squeeze with all your might and still be limp wristing." 

You are misinterpreting.  If it were a statement about grip strength in general, he wouldn't have added the second part of your quote:

Quote
or visa verse locked wrists and loose grip.

THAT second part makes clear that his statement was about act of gripping strong and being able to have a limp wrist while gripping strong, not the condition of having high grip strength in general, and that suggests that the locking of wrists and gripping are discrete operations, when in fact they are not.  That is was I wanted to make clear.  That is why I directly contradicted the statement. 

Offline rhart

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Re: New grip workout for shooters
« Reply #26 on: March 25, 2017, 07:15:07 PM »
I'm confused. I can clinch my fist and move it around every which way. I can also lock my wrist and open and close my fingers. What am I missing here?
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Offline SlvrDragon50

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Re: New grip workout for shooters
« Reply #27 on: March 25, 2017, 07:58:15 PM »
I'm confused. I can clinch my fist and move it around every which way. I can also lock my wrist and open and close my fingers. What am I missing here?

Being able to clench your fist while moving your wrist isn't the same as a limp wrist though. You're just changing your contractions to allow for wrist movement.

What you can't do is lock your wrist without activating your forearm muscles which will inherently result in gripping.

Offline IDescribe

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Re: New grip workout for shooters
« Reply #28 on: March 25, 2017, 09:53:37 PM »
I'm confused. I can clinch my fist and move it around every which way. I can also lock my wrist and open and close my fingers. What am I missing here?

What Silverdragon said.  ;)

You're describing voluntary movement of your wrist through muscle contraction. There's no actual  slack or sloppiness in the wrist in that situation.  That's YOU actively moving your wrist.  You can't make a tight, hard fist in such a way, for example, where your wrist is relaxed, where someone else could grab your fist and bend you wrist around like it was limp.  Your wrist is tight when your fist is tight.  It takes active muscle contraction to move your wrist when your fist is tight.

Offline 1SOW

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Re: New grip workout for shooters
« Reply #29 on: March 25, 2017, 10:42:39 PM »
 5# hammer, 9"handle,  strong hand grip rotate arm slowly to raise and lower hammer head without changing the grip angle with the arm or wrist.  Weak hand grip same. Tightens my forearm,  so I  ass u me  it should increase the grip and forearm strength.  ?????  I also have an 8# hand weight if weight is better than reps.

If it helps,  it's convenient and cheap.