Training The Hands



By Ross Enamait - Published in 2004







Over the years, I have learned the importance hand training. As a young
boxer, I broke my right hand three times. Each of the injuries occurred
inside the ring. At the time, I was ignorant to the importance of hand
training. I did not allow sufficient time for the bones to heal between
fractures. My ignorance resulted in many months of frustration.

An old saying states that hindsight is 20/20. Fortunately, I have
learned from past mistakes. Rather than waiting for an injury to occur,
I now preach a proactive approach to hand training. Proactive is
defined as acting in anticipation of future problems, needs, or changes.
This definition is important when considering a hand training routine.
You train the hands to prevent future injuries. All fighters can
benefit from a regular dose of hand training. The routines are brief,
yet highly effective. By training the hands, forearms and wrists, you
become less susceptible to injury. A ground fighter also uses grip
strength to manhandle his opponent.

Forearm and hand training does not require an investment in elaborate
training devices. You can effectively train the hands with several low
budget options. If you wish to compete without injury, I highly
recommend a regular dose of the exercises below…

Low Budget Hand Training Options

Wrist Roller – Hang a weight from a rope and roll the weight up and down. Work the hands forward and backward. This movement is one of the best forearm strengtheners available. You can attach the rope to a dumbbell handle or any wooden dolly (even a broom handle). Choose a thick handle for an even greater challenge.

Rice Grip – Fill a bucket with rice and practice grabbing and twisting the rice in your hand. Forcefully grab the rice with each repetition. You can add a clockwise or counterclockwise twist to the movement to work the wrists.

Knuckle Pushups – Perform pushups from the knuckles. This movement is excellent for wrist stability.

Fingertip Pushups – A personal favorite movement of mine is the fingertip pushup. This movement is excellent for the hands.

Towel Pull-up – Hang two towels (or a rope) over a pull-up bar. Grab each side of the towel with one hand and pull yourself up to the bar. This exercise is deceivingly difficult. It will blast the forearms.

Door Grab – Stand directly in front of an open door. Grab it with one hand. Lean the body backwards toward the floor to generate resistance. Hold the door tightly to develop pinch grip strength. As your strength improves, you can “sit back” until the thighs become parallel to the floor (as illustrated). Work both hands evenly. When this becomes easy, you can hold a dumbbell in your non-working hand to increase the difficulty. You can also remove one or two fingers from the door grip. For example, you can work with simply your thumb and index finger.

Farmer’s Walk – Grab two heavy dumbbells and walk for distance or time. Walk until you are unable to hold the dumbbells. This movement is an excellent finisher to a strength workout.

Sledgehammer – Sledgehammer swinging will blast the forearms, strengthen the core, and improve work capacity. You can purchase a sturdy sledgehammer at any hardware store such as Home Depot. Expect to pay approximately $2 per pound. I recently purchased a new 16-pound sledge for $30. You can swing the sledgehammer for repetitions or time. Many fighters swing the sledge against a tire for timed intervals equivalent to the length of one round (ex. 3-minutes). Alternate between left and right hand dominant swings (right hand one top vs. left hand on top). For example, swing the sledge 10 times from the right side, and then 10 times from the left side. Continue in this fashion. Allow one minute of rest between rounds. Start with three rounds, and work your way up to six.

Sandbag lifting – Sandbag training is excellent for grip strength. There are an infinite number of movements that you can perform with the sandbag. Two of the best include the Sandbag Clean and Press and Sandbag Shouldering. Both movements are sure to develop grip strength and total body power.

Hand Gripper – A quality hand gripper makes an excellent addition to any routine. I have a gripper in my car that I use regularly. When choosing a gripper, stick with a quality provider such as the Captain of Crush grippers from Ironmind.com.

Sample Hand Circuit



The exercises above do not take long to perform. You can always find
time for a few minutes of hand training. I recommend 2 to 4 sessions
per week. One effective option is to perform several movements as a
circuit. These circuits are an excellent conclusion to a strength
training workout. You can perform 1 to 3 complete circuits.

• Towel Pull-ups
  
• Knuckle Pushups
  
• Fingertip Pushups
  
• Wrist roller
  
• Rice grip (each hand)
  

Perform one “quality set” for each exercise. Do not push yourself to
failure or it will be impossible to finish the circuit. I recommend
working to approximately 80% of your 1-set maximum. For example, if you
can perform 50 knuckle pushups, stop at 40 reps.

You can also include 2 to 3 days of sledgehammer and/or sandbag lifting.


I also recommend regular practice with the door grabbing movement. You
can perform this movement sporadically throughout the day. A few
minutes of practice will lead to considerable improvements in pinch
grip strength (pinching together weight plates is another option).


Learn from my mistakes. Make time for hand training.






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About the Author - Ross Enamait is an innovative athlete and
trainer, whose training style is among the most intense that you will
find. Ross is committed to excellence and advancements in high
performance conditioning and functional strength development. He has a
sincere interest in helping today's athlete in their quest for
greatness.

Ross has authored several training manuals, and is available for private training in the New England area. You may contact him directly at





ross@rosstraining.com
http://www.rosstraining.com/articles/trainingthehands.html