March 6th, 2010 
Derek Manuel 
Grip strength is important for many techniques, such as wrist control for setting up submissions
In the sport of mma, fighters need to maximize their strength and conditioning in all areas to the highest level possible. One type of strength that is often overlooked or undeveloped is wrist or grip strength.
Yes, exercises like grappling and weight training exercises such as pull-ups or dead-lifts will certainly help your grip strength, but a supplementary mma workout routine that specializes on wrist and grip strength is needed every so often.
When most people think of grip strength, they think of how well you can squeeze the hell out of someones hand in a handshake. However, this is only one aspect of grip strength, often known as the crushing grip.
Other forms of grip strength are the pinch grip, where you are holding or pulling weight between your thumb and fingers, forearm and grip endurance, how long your forearm muscles can endure a certain grip, and finger strength.
For mma and/or non-gi fighters, though all of these types of grip strength are important, the ones most relevant are the crushing grip and forearm grip endurance.
Besides the types of grip strength, another misconception is that grip and forearm strength is really only important to grappler’s. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
The more solid of forearm strength you have, the more solid and powerful your punches are.
Think about the difference between getting hit with a club with a thick end vs. getting hit with a club with a thinner end. The thicker club will deliver more damage because it is more solid and has more mass.
Strong forearms to back a fist in a punch has the same effect.
On the other hand, (no pun intended) for grappler’s it is not just important to have a strong crushing grip but forearm and grip endurance as well for things like controlling your opponents wrist, submissions like the kimura, defending submissions such as arm-bars, and so on.
Below I have provided a solid mma workout routine specific for the development of grip strength and overall more developed forearms. Try this routine two to three days a week for a couple of weeks with the intent of progressing in weight and time for the appropriate exercises:
MMA Workout Routine for Grip Strength
Captain of Crush Hand Grippers: These are not the ordinary hand grippers you can buy at you local sports store. These were made for one purpose and one purpose only, to build raw crush grip strength. You can get a pair at www.IronMind.com
Barbell Wrist Curls: These are the equavilant to squats for legs, or bench pressing for chest. Work hard and heavy on these and you’ll build up forearm strength like no other exercise.
Towel/Gi Pull-up: Throw a towel or a Gi over the pull-up bar and do traditional pull-ups. These will develop tremendous grip and forearm strength and endurance.
Sledgehammer Twists: Hold a sledgehammer out in front of you with your knuckles facing up and your grip as far from the hammer end as you can while keeping the sledgehammer level. Now slowly turn your wrist clockwise until you do a complete 180 degree turn and your knuckles are facing down. Return to starting postition for one rep.
Wrist Roller: These device a simple rod with a rope tied in the middle with a weight tied on the othe end. You simply hold the rod in front of you at eye level with the weight off the ground and “roll” up the rope by wrapping it around the rod until there is no more slack in the rope. Lower the weight back to the ground for one rep.
Here’s the Routine (2 to 3 days a week):
Captain of Crush Hand Grippers: 5 x 10
Barbell Wrist Curls: 3 x 12
Towel/Gi Pull-ups: 3 x as many as possible
Sledgehammer Twists: 3 x 10 each hand
Wrist Roller: 5 min as many sets as you can
Try this MMA Workout Routine for grip strength and after a couple months of this you’ll have vice grip to which no opponent will be able to escape.
Train hard fellow fighters and fans,
Derek Manuel
MMA Workout Routine
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I Love doing my hiit routine in the afternoon . It gives me energy throughout the day. If my workouts were highly intense, I feel great all day long. Supplements are not really necessary with the proper hiit workout , really good nutrition program and the proper rest.