Build a death grip: use mixed martial arts grip training to develop forearms and a tight hold.(TRAINER: THE MMA WORKOUT).

Forgive the pun, but if you don't have a strong grip, you'll never get a handle on your training. That's because grip strength affects your ability to transfer force into the bar during weight training, which influences how much weight you can lift, and how much muscle and strength you can build. Mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters need a strong grip to wrestle their opponents to the mat, yank their limbs into position to apply submission holds, and free themselves from holds. No wonder they're the masters of grip training. Here's how they do it--and you how you can too.

In the pages that follow, we've put together two grip workouts--each taken directly from the routines of some of the world's best fighters. Since the hands and forearms are often among the weakest links in an athlete's body, it's not enough to simply hold heavy dumbbells or hang from a chinup bar to train grip. Instead, our workouts will help you comprehensively train every muscle group from the elbow down, particularly the forearm extensors--the muscles that open your fingers. Strengthening these muscles alone will improve your grip. The normal gripping you do holding barbells and dumbbells trains the muscles that close your hand, and as these muscles become more out of balance with the extensors, your nervous system will shut down their development to prevent any greater imbalance. Simply opening your fingers against the resistance of a few rubber bands can help counteract this. You'll also perform a forearm stretch at the end of each workout to improve the mobility of your gripping muscles.

DIRECTIONS

FREQUENCY: Both of the workouts (A and B) focus on forearm and grip strength only and were designed to be clone before your regular training. Complete all the exercises in the workout as prescribed below and then go on to your normal workout. Alternate between workouts A and B for a total of three sessions per week, resting at least a day between each. So you'll do Workout A twice the first week and Workout B once, and then Workout B twice the second week and A once, and so on.

HOW TO DO IT: Perform the exercises marked lowercase a, b, c, and d as a modified circuit, performing one set of each exercise in succession and resting 30 seconds between each set. After you've completed a set of exercise d, rest 60 seconds and repeat the process for three total circuits (three sets for each exercise). Then move on to exercise 2 (the stretch), which you'll perform as straight sets, completing one set after another with rest in between.

WEIGHT: Use the heaviest weight that allows you to complete all the prescribed reps for each set.

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1a FOREARM PRONATION

Set a cable pulley at waist height and attach the rope handle. Stand with the pulley to your left side. Bend your left arm 90 degrees and grab the end of the rope with your palm facing up [1]. Twist your wrist toward you, turning your forearm while keeping your elbow tucked to your side (the rope will wrap around the back of your hand as you pronate) [2]. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position. That's one rep. Complete all your reps, and then turn around and repeat on the opposite arm.

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1b FOREARM SUPINATION Set up as you did for the forearm pronation above, only with your palm facing down and the rope running across your body [1]. Twist your wrist away from you, turning your forearm while keeping your elbow tucked (the rope will wrap around your hand) [2]. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position. That's one rep. Complete all your reps and then turn around and repeat on the opposite arm.

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1c TOWEL PULLUP

Drape a towel over a pullup bar, grab an end in each hand, and hang [1]. Pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar [2], and then lower yourself back to the starting position. That's one rep.

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1d EZ-BAR REVERSE CURL

Grab an EZ-curl bar at shoulder width with a palms-down grip and let your arms hang straight down [1]. Keeping your elbows tucked at your sides, curl the bar up [21. Lower the bar back to the starting position. That's one rep.

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2 REVERSE PRAYER STRETCH

Place your hands behind your lower back with your fingers touching one another and pointed up. Push your palms together and hold. It's OK if your hands have to be low on your back in order to do it--it's more important to make sure your palms touch.

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1a WRIST EXTENSION

Sit on the edge of a bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Rest your forearms on your thighs with your palms facing down [1]. Now extend your wrists, raising the weights as high as possible [2]. Lower them back to the starting position. That's one rep.

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1b WRIST FLEXION

Set up as you did for the wrist extension in la but rest the backs of your forearms on your thighs so that your palms face up [1]. Flex your wrists, raising the weights as high as possible [2], and then lower them back down. That's one rep.

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1c FINGER EXTENSION WJ BAND Make a loose fist with your right hand and wrap a light resistance band or a few rubber bands around the outside of your fingers [1]. Extend your fingers and open your hand against the resistance [2]. Close your hand again. That's one rep. Complete all your reps and then switch hands and repeat.

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1d PLATE PINCH CURL

Pinch two or more small weight plates together between your fingers, smooth side out, and let your arms hang at your sides [1]. Keeping your elbows tucked to your sides, squeeze the weights and curl them [2]. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position. That's one rep.

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2 REVERSE PRAYER STRETCH

Place your hands behind your lower back with your fingers touching one another and pointed up. Push your palms together and hold. It's OK if your hands have to be low on your back in order to do it--it's more important to make sure your palms touch.

Source Citation
Waterbury, Chad. "Build a death grip: use mixed martial arts grip training to develop forearms and a tight hold." Men's Fitness Oct. 2008: 127+. Academic OneFile. Web. 14 Dec. 2009. .

Gale Document Number:A186269389

Disclaimer:This information is not a tool for self-diagnosis or a substitute for professional care.