Thread: Easy Way To Instantly Increase Your Strength On Every Lift

Benefit #1 – It gives you more control over each repetition. By gripping and squeezing the bar, your form remains strict, and works the muscles to the highest capacity. By not “grabbing onto to the weight”, it is controlling you. That leads to poor performance of the exercise, less results, and a greater chance of injury.

No it doesn't...You would expend more energy squeezing the bar harder, thus making the lift more difficult.

Benefit #2 – You generate more strength. To consistently lift heavier weights, you will have to have your strength performing at peak levels. When you consciously make the effort to squeeze the bar, you automatically call up more of your body’s strength, allowing you to lift more.

No you don't...the only strength you should be concerned with is that of the primary movers. And that of the opposing muscles, for reasons I'm not going to get into right now, because they are more than likely over your head...

All that squeezing is just an isometric contraction. There's lots of them in big heavy, compound lifts...this one's no different.

Benefit #3 – You dramatically increase the strength in your hands, grip, and forearms. Think of the workout they are getting when they are being worked day after day, week after week, on every set of every exercise! No-brainer.

It's called tendonitis...and it isn't pretty.

A better way to improve grip strength would be using thumbless or even hook grips on heavy pulling movements...or just not using straps for anything. No need to squeeze till ur blue in the face on a bench press...it's just stupid.


Nice first post by the way....Welcome to IronMagazine.

Originally Posted by spmuscle51

There is an easy trick that you can do right now to increase your strength on all lifts immediately.

Yes, immediately.

I call it the “Bar Crusher Technique”. It is simply a technique where you squeeze the barbell or dumbbells as hard as you can throughout the set. I perform this technique on all sets of all exercises because of the benefits it provides.

Benefit #1 – It gives you more control over each repetition. By gripping and squeezing the bar, your form remains strict, and works the muscles to the highest capacity. By not “grabbing onto to the weight”, it is controlling you. That leads to poor performance of the exercise, less results, and a greater chance of injury.

Benefit #2 – You generate more strength. To consistently lift heavier weights, you will have to have your strength performing at peak levels. When you consciously make the effort to squeeze the bar, you automatically call up more of your body’s strength, allowing you to lift more.

Benefit #3 – You dramatically increase the strength in your hands, grip, and forearms. Think of the workout they are getting when they are being worked day after day, week after week, on every set of every exercise! No-brainer.

Try this technique on the very next set of any exercise you do. You will definitely feel the difference.

lol, click on his signature.

his name is Sean Pighin.

Originally Posted by PWGriffin

No it doesn't...You would expend more energy squeezing the bar harder, thus making the lift more difficult.



No you don't...the only strength you should be concerned with is that of the primary movers. And that of the opposing muscles, for reasons I'm not going to get into right now, because they are more than likely over your head...

All that squeezing is just an isometric contraction. There's lots of them in big heavy, compound lifts...this one's no different.



It's called tendonitis...and it isn't pretty.

A better way to improve grip strength would be using thumbless or even hook grips on heavy pulling movements...or just not using straps for anything. No need to squeeze till ur blue in the face on a bench press...it's just stupid.


Nice first post by the way....Welcome to IronMagazine.

Actually squeezing the bar tightly during benchpress, deads, and other movements does help generate more strength. Ask any powerlifter.

i do this ion on some lifts now that i think about it when i push harder my grip seems to get tighter

Originally Posted by JordanMang

Actually squeezing the bar tightly during benchpress, deads, and other movements does help generate more strength. Ask any powerlifter.

Very true.

Actually squeezing the bar tightly during benchpress, deads, and other movements does help generate more strength. Ask any powerlifter.

Works for me on the bench. Seems to be more about mental preparation than anything else.

works for me on the squat.

Well someone explain to me how squeezing a bar helps you generate more power....cuz I am in the fucking dark...Is it a mental thing?? If I am pushing or pulling hard I am gripping the bar tightly...but have never focused on it.

Are you saying physiologically speaking it allows for a more powerful contraction?? Or that shifting ur focus to grip allows you to push through the anaerobic threshold?

i do this ion on some lifts now that i think about it when i push harder my grip seems to get tighter

Now I could see that...but actually being stronger BECAUSE you squeeze the bar harder??

I'm sure somebody's gotta link to some kind of scientific data on this...I would like to see it.

I don't know man, all I have is anecdotal evidence. Why is it more difficult to lift a bar with a thicker circumference than the standard Olympic bar? Why does it seem harder to pick up a 40 lb bag of dog food than a 40 lb dumbbell? Cause of the grip! If you grab that 40lb bag of dog food like you mean it, it isn't that heavy. If you have a lazy grip on a bench press, you are not maximizing your performance.

Originally Posted by JMininger

I don't know man, all I have is anecdotal evidence. Why is it more difficult to lift a bar with a thicker circumference than the standard Olympic bar? Why does it seem harder to pick up a 40 lb bag of dog food than a 40 lb dumbbell? Cause of the grip! If you grab that 40lb bag of dog food like you mean it, it isn't that heavy. If you have a lazy grip on a bench press, you are not maximizing your performance.

I hear what you're saying. And it's clear that a better grip helps you pick something up. But at what point are you gripping hard enough? A firm grip would be all you need to pick something up....without an intentional focus on squeezing harder than necessary....you see what I mean? I'm not saying there's nothing to it...I just want to know why this may be true.

Interesting point on the bar with a thicker circumference...I have found them a bit harder to lift...for a while I was under the impression that they must be heavier....until I weighed one on a scale heh.

Don't really know. Could come up with some theories ... like getting your forearm more involved ... or eliminating entirely any bar movement other than the direction your pushing or pulling .... or just getting your head into it ... but it would all be conjecture. BTW, I don't focus on gripping the bar during the lift, I focus on the movement. However, when I get myself ready on the bench, for example ... I'm paying attention to the tension I'm creating ... meaning my shoulder blades are squeezed together on the bench, my back has a slight arch, my feet are placed in a position to assist and stabilize, my butt is not coming off the bench and I've got a HARD, squeezing grip with my palm in just the right place on the bar ... and I just maintain that through the lift because once that bar is over my head I'm just thinking about pushing it straight back up and nothing else. I do that routine and grip regardless of the weight I'm using (even on warmups) so that it is simply second nature. Ever play golf and start thinking about all the little techniques you've read or heard and start making adjustments ... all of a sudden you're not thinking about getting the ball in the hole and it screws up your game until your adjustments become second nature and you can start focusing on getting the ball in the hole again.

I went to the 2005 Arnold and some them do the Apollon Wheel lift during the powerlifting competition. The bar is intentionally thick enough so that they can't get a good grip on it, part of what makes it such a difficult lift.

Actually my last post may have had my best theory yet and I didn't even recognize it. The grip and getting your forearms involved simply contributes to the tension you create to assist in lifting the bar. And of course that tension you create is similar to a degree to what a shirt does for you ... for those that use one. The grip by itself is not what is important. And of course, there are all sorts of articles out there that talk about how to get yourself setup properly and maintain form throughout the lift. A lot of them seem to focus on doing it so you don't hurt yourself ... which is true, but a few certainly talk about it within the context of giving you extra power.

I think gripping objects larger than a bar is simply more difficult because they're larger. The hands are used to gripping a normal bar and are developing the most strenth in that position. Furthermore, as your hand opens more and more, you are forced to make less and less use of your opposable thumbs, thereby weakening your grip significantly.

I have also tried gripping the bar tightly, but find that it takes a lot of energy out of me, or at least enough that I no longer grip the bar much harder than is necessary unless I'm mentally preparing myself or getting into the mindset that the next lift will be much harder than it actually is.

Mainly it makes a strong connection between the muscles. It's like when you're squatting, and you take a big breath during the duration of the movement to stablize your back and chest. It helps to stabilize, keep good form, and thus as the first poster said "make maximum use" of the muscles invovled.

I read somewhere that squeezing hard can potentially excite your nervous system more, but I don't remember the source. I don't even know if it's credible, but it's just a thought as to why it may work if it does.

Originally Posted by CowPimp

I read somewhere that squeezing hard can potentially excite your nervous system more, but I don't remember the source. I don't even know if it's credible, but it's just a thought as to why it may work if it does.

Would you recommend this? I'm thinking about doing it.

Originally Posted by 911=InsideJob

Would you recommend this? I'm thinking about doing it.

Give it a try. I have always subconciously gripped my weights pretty good anyway. I've never liked using a thumbless grip because I enjoy gripping iron, for whatever reason.

I don't want to definitively say it's good one way or the other.

Originally Posted by CowPimp

Give it a try. I have always subconciously gripped my weights pretty good anyway. I've never liked using a thumbless grip because I enjoy gripping iron, for whatever reason.

I don't want to definitively say it's good one way or the other.

Thanks, I'll try it. I've always had a fairly light grip on weights and focus on movement.

lol...squeezing the bar harder makes you stronger?

Does making intent faces in the gym make you stronger to? or could it potentially be a waste of energy?

Saying an excited nervous system may make sense...but at the same time it could have the opposite effect, be a distraction, make you lose mental focus. It could go either way...

Originally Posted by Duncans Donuts

l
Does making intent faces in the gym make you stronger to?

works for me during squats.

Originally Posted by P-funk

works for me during squats.

lol

I actually meant intense and arduous, not intent. I'm a fag. I actually have been trying to control my facial contortions. When the face contorts, you can cause hiccups in your breathing pattern, especially when you start grunting and groaning.

I've been doing a really crappy job of it though. Haha..by the time I'm done with squats my face and sounds makes me seem like i'm getting raped in the ass.

Originally Posted by JordanMang

Actually squeezing the bar tightly during benchpress, deads, and other movements does help generate more strength. Ask any powerlifter.

It helped my leg curls immensely.

Originally Posted by Duncans Donuts

lol...squeezing the bar harder makes you stronger?

Does making intent faces in the gym make you stronger to? or could it potentially be a waste of energy?

Saying an excited nervous system may make sense...but at the same time it could have the opposite effect, be a distraction, make you lose mental focus. It could go either way...

That's why I didn't want to say one way or the other. I always grip hard subconciously though, for whatever reason.

Originally Posted by Dale Mabry

It helped my leg curls immensely.

Post of the day!

OK well I'm gonna give this a go on Monday - I'm a student of the school of regular poundage progression (that maybe a good or a bad thing ) but I've been stuck on my Benchpress weight now for 4 weeks so I will see whether gripping the bar like a fury makes any difference.

And I shall report back - presuming I can type...

Hey guys - well I gave this a try on Monday - and I cant say it really helped. I progressed a little (one extra rep) but I have been eating and resting properly since the last session so I would have expected a little progress.

I found the whole gripping thing kinda distracting - so all things considered I would have to say that this didnt help me. It didnt appear to help my training partner either!

Man I need some chalk. My oly bar at home is so slippery that when doing a bench press 1RM yesterday my hands were 2-4 inches wider than when I started the lift.