John Brookfield's Grip Tips

By John Brookfield

Author of Mastery of Hand Strength, Revised Edition, Training with
Cables for Strength, The Grip Master’s Manual, and Real-World Conditioning 


A New Twist

In this Grip Tip we will examine a simple exercise that will boost your wrist and forearm strength to new levels. It is perfect for anyone wishing to gain in the strongman game or at the arm wrestling table, or just to pack extra size and strength to the forearms.

To start, you will need a five-gallon bucket full of sand and a round stick or heavy thick bar. The stick will probably work better—a round dowel rod about 1-1/4-inch thick will be your best bet. The length of the rod doesn’t really matter, but it needs to be at least three feet in length. If you buy a dowel rod from a hardware store, it will probably be either four or five feet in length. You can leave the rod at its original length or you can cut it shorter, but be sure to leave it at least three feet in length. Once you have your stick of choice and your bucket full of sand, you are ready to begin.

To start, ram the stick deeply into the sand. You should be able to get the stick into the sand by ramming it and twisting it. If this is difficult, simply tap it lightly with a hammer to the desired depth. From here, you are ready to exercise, and you can either train one hand at a time or both at once. For example, grab the stick with your right hand and twist, turning the stick with force toward the bottom of the bucket. Once you reach the bottom, twist the stick upward toward the top of the sand. You can twist the stick to the bottom using a counterclockwise motion and use a clockwise twisting motion to come to the top. The choice is yours. Be sure to work each hand equally to develop balanced strength. As I mentioned earlier, you can also twist with two hands at a time.

This new twist in your training will without a doubt take your strength to new levels. You will also have a lot of fun with the New Twist, which is one of the keys for making great gains.

 

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Editor's note:  John Brookfield’s books Mastery of Hand Strength, Revised Edition, The Grip Master’s Manual, Training with Cables for Strength, and Real-World Conditioning combine John’s limitless creativity with his friendly, downhome manner. John’s articles are also regularly featured in MILO: A Journal for Serious Strength Athletes. 

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