Healthy Grip Strengthening

[Wendell]

I waited until after I was injured to see a PT. Not only was she able to correct the injury in short order, she also taught me how to prevent it from happening again.

My advice? See a PT; don't wait until you're injured.

[Hambo]

1) For those that shoot a lot, I think there are two groups of shooters. Those that have elbow pain, and those that will develop elbow pain. Right now, my elbow pain has gone away, but see #2 below.

2) I am a believer in two things to deal with elbow pain -- using the Thera Band, and regularly doing the elbow exercises recommended by Robbie Leatham's PT.

https://www.absolutept.com/shooters-elbow/

3) I have concluded that for me, personally, I would rather build grip strength by dry and live firing. That allows me to build grip strength while practicing with the pistol. While I want to be stronger, at the end of the day, I really just want to shoot better.

I'm not a PT but I think there is a lot of truth here. I did the CoC things while I was lifting, but I treated them like any other workout. Most people don't do sets of 50 reps on the bench, so why do them with your hands? I also think Pablo is right on. The guys I've know with killer grip strength were all guys who worked hard but didn't do any grip training. Think brick layer, carpet cleaner (fighting that vac all day), etc. So now I'd either do real work, exercise simulating real work, or go with GJM's plan and train on the gun.

[Irelander]

The original shooting grip strength trainer:

[John Hearne]

The other consideration is - how much do you really need? When Karl Rehn examined this, he concluded that 80-100 lbs of crush grip strength was sufficient for males. Karl is a USPSA Grand Master and this is where his strength measures out. I'd measure to see where my current grip strength is and determine if I need to build or sustain.

One of the research pieces I read found that grip strength improved shooting scores up to a certain point but found drops in performance beyond a certain level. I suspect strong weight lifters who never learned to isolate the trigger finger from the rest of the hand.

I realize that Vogel has some crazy grip strength but most of us are not Vogel and we can find more efficient ways to improve our performance.

[wtturn]

Largely, that worked well. Until I eventually started leg pressing just too much weight (even in a set of ten) and I believe quite honestly that's what caused my two inguinal hernias.

So, I figured avoid the same pitfalls with grip strengthening; go with something moderate but still challenging emphasis on high repetitions.

A couple of years back; I bought one of these (http://www.rei.com/product/784301/gr...-heavy-tension) and I used it fairly regularly for a few years. I figured I'd do 50 complete compression's with one hand (say my right) then switch to my left and complete another 50 compressions; then I'd hold the grip strengthener closed for a minute with the first hand and alternate to the next. I finally go to the point of doing 5-sets of that most days; so 5 minutes and 250 compressions with each hand daily.

I noticed I started having pains in the outer side of my elbows and I think attributed that to working with a keyboard predominantly (could still be a factor), but I stopped doing grip strengthening for awhile (honestly work just got too busy to do this 10-15 minute routine on lunch breaks, etc.). I noticed the pain returned pretty badly later on when resuming even just 3 sets a day and 3 minutes per hand.

Don't take this the wrong way, but from your description you have no idea how to program a physical activity routine in such a way as to not injure yourself.

Especially the high rep fixation.

Look, grip strength is dead simple. It will come as a pleasant side effect of any structured, comprehensive weight lifting program (which IMO, every able-bodied man should be doing SOME weightlifting). It can be supplemented, if necessary, by isolation exercises such as grippers or bands. It can be targeted by more pullups, farmer's walks, deadlifts, etc. Basically any time one wraps his hands around a bar.

The surest way to injure one's self is to do high volume grip isolation work by itself.

The best rehab for tennis elbow IME is to start working out again. Curls, pullups, bench press, etc.

[wtturn]

The other consideration is - how much do you really need? When Karl Rehn examined this, he concluded that 80-100 lbs of crush grip strength was sufficient for males. Karl is a USPSA Grand Master and this is where his strength measures out. I'd measure to see where my current grip strength is and determine if I need to build or sustain.

One of the research pieces I read found that grip strength improved shooting scores up to a certain point but found drops in performance beyond a certain level. I suspect strong weight lifters who never learned to isolate the trigger finger from the rest of the hand.

I realize that Vogel has some crazy grip strength but most of us are not Vogel and we can find more efficient ways to improve our performance.

I want all the grip strength I can get.

One doesn't use maximal grip strength while shooting (hopefully). So talking about how much maximal grip strength is sufficient for shooting is missing the point.

Let's say for the sake of argument that it takes 50# of grip strength to effectively manage recoil. If my maximal Grip strength is 50#, then I'm using 100% of my available grip to control the gun. Obviously that's unsustainable. If I train up my grip and get it to 60# max grip, then while shooting I only have to use 83% of my max grip. Better, but not optimal. I'm still going to get tired. Let's suppose then I train diligently and get my max grip to 100#. When I to the range, I only have to use 50% of my potential grip strength to control the gun. Now we're in a good place.

Since gripping a gun requires sub-maximal grip exertion, I still want my grip to be a beastly as possible and drive that percentage lower and lower. The lower is gets, the less energy I have to exert to get the same effect on the gun and the more endurance I will have.

[JV_]

Since gripping a gun requires sub-maximal grip exertion, I still want my grip to be a beastly as possible and drive that percentage lower and lower.

Agreed.

The lower is gets, the less energy I have to exert to get the same effect on the gun and the more endurance I will have.

The energy required to exert (for example) 50# of grip force should be nearly the same regardless of your maximum capability. If you replaced "energy" with "perceived effort" then I'd agree with you.

[wtturn]

The energy required to exert (for example) 50# of grip force should be nearly the same regardless of your maximum capability. If you replaced "energy" with "perceived effort" then I'd agree with you.

You're right, of course. Thanks for the correction.

[pablo]

Let's say for the sake of argument that it takes 50# of grip strength to effectively manage recoil. If my maximal Grip strength is 50#, then I'm using 100% of my available grip to control the gun. Obviously that's unsustainable. If I train up my grip and get it to 60# max grip, then while shooting I only have to use 83% of my max grip. Better, but not optimal. I'm still going to get tired. Let's suppose then I train diligently and get my max grip to 100#. When I to the range, I only have to use 50% of my potential grip strength to control the gun. Now we're in a good place.

I went down the same path and found that the theory works out better on paper than in real life. I don't think it has any actual relevance to shooting. It took me a long time to figure out that I can't out muscle a pistol. Once you get to the point that the pistol not moving in around in your hand under recoil, what are the actual benefits of a stronger grip versus the muscular tension that created through the upper body by gripping hard? I think it's the latter, not that I have the scientific background to back it up, there are better ways to develop than focusing on grip strength.

[Kevin B.]

I went down the same path and found that the theory works out better on paper than in real life. I don't think it has any actual relevance to shooting. It took me a long time to figure out that I can't out muscle a pistol. Once you get to the point that the pistol not moving in around in your hand under recoil, what are the actual benefits of a stronger grip versus the muscular tension that created through the upper body by gripping hard? I think it's the latter, not that I have the scientific background to back it up, there are better ways to develop than focusing on grip strength.

Totally agree. I have significantly compromised grip strength in my right hand and it does not impact my shooting significantly.