The art of establishing a firm, solid grip is something most MMA aspirants fail to get right in the first few months. We, at MMA Matrix, have seen numerous first-timers and even intermediate fighters struggle with proper grips.
Combat athletes focus immensely on grips since a strong grip could be the key differentiator in winning or losing a fight. Besides, how respectable is it to calmly yet successfully execute a submission move on your opponent? Every MMA fighter digs such match-winning moves.
In this article, let’s divert our focus from bodybuilding and hop onto the secrets of grip training. The goal is to establish a commendable grip that can reflect in your handshakes and everyday heavy-lifting as well.
Here are 4 globally tried and tested suggestions to strengthen your grip and begin nailing MMA fights.
Practice The Farmers Walk Exercise
As the term suggests, this exercise trains you to walk like farmers would, with the addition of heavy weights in either hand, which resembles the struggle they underwent while trying to achieve balance.
Feel free to use kettlebells, dumbbells, or even trap bars. Most importantly, consider wrapping a thick towel around whatever material you use. This trains you to handle grips with varying intensities.
Also, work with several variations to understand what positively affects your grip the most.
In short, aim for longer walking durations with lesser weights, shorter walking durations with heavier weights, or intermediate walking durations with intermediate weights – shifting your focus to speed. Based on your grip building goals, focus on the following parameters one at a time – speed, distance, time, and weight.
Squeeze Equipment Harder Than Ever
This is a tip you can continually apply during most exercises while practising MMA. Simply squeeze the bar, rope, or whatever holdable equipment with maximum force. In the long run, this tweak brings about stability during lifts, enables fighters to generate more power, and drastically reduces the chances of weight-induced injuries.
In biological terms, this extra squeezing enhances your inter-muscular coordination, and your body will collectively perform better during MMA practice and fights.
Give this a shot during the next bench press session you indulge in. Slowly increase the strength of your grip and observe your knuckles turn white. This means you are on the right path, and your grip is receiving the training it requires.
Purchase A Hand Exercising Gripper
With a hand exercising gripper, you can work on your grip even when not in our centres. Whether you’re travelling, walking, reading, or lazing around at home, these grippers act as a great resource to enhance your grip.
We suggest avoiding low-strength and low-resistance grippers. Rather, opt for a high-resistance, heavy-duty gripper that poses a challenge each time you attempt to bring its two ends together.
This is the best option if you do not want to shift your focus solely to grip building during MMA classes. You could literally use it while on the couch or while in a conversation over the phone. Go on, try crushing the hand exercising gripper – we guarantee a stronger grip within a month or two.
Bonus Tip: Look for a gripper that requires you to apply anything between 50 lbs to 300 lbs of force to make the two handles meet.
Bottom-Up Kettlebell Press
More of a 2 step weight-lifting exercise, this variation may sound simple but can get really exhausting.
Hold the kettlebell handle within your grip and lift your hand vertically upwards. Make sure the surface of the kettlebell is facing the ceiling. Now, slowly bend your arm while keeping your forearm in the same vertical position, and then push upwards again.
Use a 12 kg kettlebell and perform 3 to 4 sets of 10 repetitions. The force with which the kettlebell brings your arms down, and the force you use to push it back up, is what works your grip to become stronger.
Hang And Climb
Start climbing ropes more often than you do. Start by hanging and stay attentive to how your grip changes while you slowly climb up and down. The more mindful you are of the grip, the more stress you can put onto it, and the quicker you learn the art of establishing a firm grip.
Look out for thicker ropes and wrap your palms entirely around the circumference of these ropes. However old school this sounds, it’s one of the most effective grip building exercises for MMA fighters.
Verdict
If you want more grip-enhancing variations, then try clawing dumbbells, squeezing a wet cloth, dragging tires, or work with palm-centric power resistance bands.
Being an MMA student, there’s no way you want to miss out on the benefits of getting into combat mode with a steadfast grip.
“Let’s get a good grip.” – Alan Fenandes, (Director Operations – MMA Matrix)
Bonus Read: Did you know that MMA fighting also contributes to an improvement in mental health?