Issue 063
June 2010
By Barry Gibson, strength and conditioning trainer to some of the UK’s top MMA fighters (including TUF 9 winner Ross Pearson). Here, Barry looks at how you can develop killer combat-grip strength, beginning with a little information on grip and why it’s important for fighters.
For the MMA athlete it should be obvious that strong hands provide a distinct advantage. For one thing, it means that the strength you develop in the gym can be used upon your opponent when you grab them. Also, for the strikers, it means you can effectively ‘injury-proof’ your mitts! Stronger hands literally do equal stronger fighters.
There are several types of grip to consider, but for this article we’re looking at specific crush grip. Do not neglect pinch grip, extension movements or wrist work in the form of levering exercises.
The other side to this coin is that while strong grips can spell trouble for your opposition, there needs to be an element of endurance there too. To give an example of what I’m getting at, think about the following. Take a man who is capable of a 600lb deadlift. Would you agree this man is strong? If you said yes, would you also agree he could make a terrifying fighter if he were to get his hands on you? Possibly. But let me clarify this even further: this strong man could be great, but what he has in terms of strength is only one part of the puzzle. He would need to be able to perform his feats over and over in order to compete in MMA.
The point I’m making is that grip strength is great in terms of bending horseshoes, nails and frying pans, but for combat, the ability to do it over a sustained period is what is required. So there needs to be a balance of both, that is what we’re going to look at specifically today.
Currently I’m enjoying all aspects of grip work and feats of grip strength. This doesn’t mean that I’ll wreak havoc on people when I make my Frank Sinatra-type comeback to judo and wrestling; I’ll need to add in some specifics other than tearing decks of cards in half. It is this ‘repeated effort’ training that is essential here.
Give these mini-grip complexes a try after your main workout, as a finisher, and you should see some great results:
CIRCUIT ONE
- Sledgehammer swings 5 x 10 each side
- Hang from a chin-up bar 5 x as long as possible
- Hanging Thai clinch, knees to elbows 10 each side
CIRCUIT TWO
- Thick bar rack pulls 3 x 5
- Gi / thin rope chin-ups 3 x 5–10
- Tire tug of war 3 x max effort
Try going through that after a session; rest after the knees to elbows for approx 45 seconds before repeating. This mini-circuit will hit your grip massively, and there are some fight-specific movements in there too.
But ensure that you hit some balance for total hand health too. Get some rubber bands, (charity bands work well here), wrap them around your fingers and force your fingers open against the resistance. This drill hits your extensors, whereas crushing movements hit the flexors. Too much flexor work can result in medial (inside) elbow pain, which is known as ‘wrestler’s elbow’ here, and more commonly as ‘golfer’s elbow’ in the UK. This can be very painful and takes a while to heal – trust me on this!
Barry Gibson is a kettlebell and fitness instructor as well as a 3rd dan black belt in judo. He is available for seminars and workshops upon request. For details or to contact him with any questions or queries, email [email protected]
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