A strong grip is important for athletes who participate in sports such as baseball, weightlifting, wrestling and rock climbing. It is also important when it comes to opening a vacuum-sealed jar or projecting a sign of confidence with a firm handshake. With a strong grip, you are able to crush, pinch, squeeze and hold objects with ease. To improve and strengthen your grip, do a variety of exercises that targets each of these actions.
Towel Squeeze
This exercise improves your crushing-grip strength, similar to the type of grip you would have if you were trying to crush a soda can. To perform this exercise, take a thick bath towel, fold it in half, soak it in water and roll it into a tube-like shape. Grab a hold of each end with your hands to twist and wring out the water. Start with both palms facing down. While your right hand is twisting the towel toward you, your left hand is twisting it away from you. Continue to wring out the towel until no water is left. Soak the towel and repeat with your hands working in opposite directions.
Plate Squeeze
Your pinch-grip strength, your ability to grip and hold objects between your thumb and fingers, may be improved with this exercise. Stand two 10-pound circular plates, or weights, on edge, side by side. Grab both weights with your thumb on one side and your fingers on the other side of the weights. Stand and hold the weight for as long as you can. Lower the weights to the floor and repeat with your other hand. You will want to do this with a rubber mat under the weights in the event you lose your grip and the weights fall to the floor. As your grip gets stronger, increase the amount of weight or the number of weights.
Newspaper Balls
This is a simple exercise that works on your crushing grip. Take a newspaper and tear each double sheet in half. Arrange all the half sheets in a pile; plan to have enough sheets to make 20 balls with each hand. Using only your right hand, pick up a sheet, crush and roll it into the smallest and tightest ball you can. Repeat until you have made 20 balls and then repeat with the left hand. As your grip gets stronger, work your way up to 50 balls with each hand.
Farmer's Walk
To do this exercise you will need a couple of 40-pound hand weights and an unobstructed area where you can walk 100 feet or more. Hold a weight in each hand and walk the distance or until you lose your grip. If you are able to walk the distance and still hold onto the weights, increase your distance or the amount of weight. A variation of this is to thread a towel through the holes of two circular weights and walk the distance holding onto the towel.
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