By Robert Tarvid
Gauntlet Gripz Farmer’s Walk
The Gauntlet Gripz Farmer’s Walk is an incredibly simple, yet very effective exercise for developing deadlift grip strength. All you need are Gauntlet Gripz and some form of implement that you can comfortably carry around in your hands, for example, dumbbells. Hold the weights by your sides and carry them around a path, until failure. Rest and repeat the exercise. This exercise will build tremendous grip strength, and will help psychologically, as the bar you will be gripping for deadlifts will be thinner than the Gauntlet gripz and will therefore be much easier to lift.
Hand Gripper Training
Gripper training needs no introduction, as it is one of the central aspects of grip training. Grippers are used to develop crushing strength, which can then very effectively transfer over into other forms of grip strength, including, but not limited to, support grip, which is the grip used in deadlifts. Both hand grippers and gripper training programs are available in the Grip Gauntlet webstore.
Plate Pinch Farmer’s Walk
This exercise is another variation of the farmer’s walk. In this exercise, you use weight plates. Simply hold them by your side and walk around a certain path, until failure. This variation of the farmer's walk will develop pinch and finger strength, which is also highly beneficial for the support grip used in the deadlift. This exercise is also very good for developing mass in the wrist extensors, which are often overlooked muscles in many athletes.
Wrist Curls & Extensions
Wrist curls and extensions are the most basic wrist exercises. They are highly effective for developing strength in the wrists and muscle mass in the forearms. Both of these effects will transfer very well over to overall grip strength and deadlift grip strength. For wrist curls, the best methods of performing them are to either use a barbell and perform behind the back wrist curls, or to use dumbbells and perform them with the forearms resting on a bench. For wrist extensions, they can be performed in various ways. However, there is one important point with wrist extensions: as recommended by the famous bodybuilder Rich Piana, the thumbs should be over the bar, as this adds difficulty to the exercise and makes it work both grip and wrists. It also improves activation of the wrist extensor muscles on the back of the forearm.
Rack Holds
Rack holds are the simplest grip exercise for deadlifts. Simply place the heaviest weight you can grip in the rack at lockout height, lift it up and hold, using whichever grip you use on your deadlifts. This exercise is guaranteed to improve your grip strength in deadlifts and stop you from dropping those PRs.