Grip Strength Types: Crushing, Pinching, and Supporting Grip Training Protocols

Grip strength training works best when you split grip into three jobs: supporting (holding a load), crushing (closing the hand) and pinching (holding a smooth object between thumb and fingers). Most lifters who say “my grip is weak” mean supporting grip, the bar slipping out of their hands on deadlifts, rows and pull-ups.

That distinction changes what you should do. This article is part of our complete arm and forearm training guide, and it focuses on the grip side: what each type is, which drills train it, and how to fit it in without wrecking your back training.

One honest caveat before we start. There are very few trials that compare grip programs head to head. What we do have is good evidence on how grip limits pulling lifts, what straps and thick bars do, and which deadlift grips load the forearm most. The rest is coaching logic, and I will flag it when it is.

What are the three types of grip strength?

Supporting grip is holding something for time. The bar in a heavy deadlift, your body weight on a pull-up bar, a suitcase on a long walk. The hand stays mostly still while the finger flexors fight to keep from opening.

Crushing grip is closing the hand against resistance. Hand grippers, a firm handshake, wringing out a towel. It is dynamic, with fingers pressing into the palm.

Pinching grip is holding a smooth object between thumb and fingers with no handle to wrap around. Think of lifting a plate by its edge. It leans on the thumb and the span between thumb and fingers.

These categories are a useful way to think, not separate muscles. They share the same forearm and hand muscles, and real tasks usually blend them. A farmer’s walk, for example, is mostly supporting grip but has crush and pinch in it.

Why does my grip fail before my back on deadlifts and rows?

Your hands and forearms hold the same load your back and legs are lifting, and they are much smaller muscles. On heavy or repeated sets they are the weak link.

Researchers have said exactly this. A 2021 study framed it as a “weak link in the kinetic chain” that can leave prime movers under-stimulated, with grip strength often limiting multiple sets of deadlifts and other pulls (Jukic et al., 2021). A 2015 paper made a similar observation: lifters commonly report forearm fatigue as a barrier on deadlifts (Coswig et al., 2015).

If your back is not sore after rows because your hands quit first, the back did not get the work you wanted. We cover that angle in lifting straps for back hypertrophy.

Do straps cut into grip gains?

This is the standard worry: if you strap up, will your grip stay weak? The short answer is that straps change what a set trains, so use them on purpose.

In the 2021 study, 16 men did 4 sets of 4 deadlifts with and without straps. Grip fatigue was lower with straps, and lifters moved the bar faster and rated the effort lower when they used straps with their no-strap 1RM load (Jukic et al., 2021). In the 2015 study, 11 trained lifters did 3 sets to failure at 90% of 1RM, and straps allowed greater force and more work from the target muscles (Coswig et al., 2015).

Both studies were small and short-term, so I would not stretch them far. But the practical takeaway is sensible: straps on your heaviest back sets, no straps on lighter sets and dedicated grip work. You get the back stimulus and the grip stimulus, instead of one compromised by the other.

Which deadlift grip trains grip the most?

A 2020 study measured forearm muscle activity in 29 resistance-trained athletes (15 men, 14 women) using three grips (double overhand, hook and mixed) at 50%, 70% and 90% of 1RM (Pratt et al., 2020). The mixed grip produced the least brachioradialis and flexor carpi ulnaris activation and was ranked easiest at every load. The authors concluded that athletes aiming to maximise muscle activation and potentially develop grip strength should use a double overhand or hook grip.

Two cautions. This was surface EMG, which measures electrical activity, not long-term growth or strength. And “more activation” does not prove better grip gains over months. It is a reasonable reason to prefer double overhand on warm-up and moderate sets, and to save mixed grip or straps for the top sets. For the wider picture on hand position, see grip width and wrist orientation.

Supporting grip: dead hangs, holds and farmer’s walks

Supporting grip drills are where most lifters should spend their time.

• Dead hang. Hang from a pull-up bar with a full grip and shoulders active, not shrugged to your ears. Time it.
• Heavy hold. Pick up a deadlift weight you can lock out, and hold it. Bar thickness and chalk use change the difficulty.
• Farmer’s walk. Carry heavy dumbbells or trap-bar loads over a set distance. Hands, traps and trunk all work.

A reasonable starting point is 2-3 hard efforts of 20-40 seconds with enough rest to repeat them. That is coaching convention rather than a researched dose, so adjust to how it feels.

Progress by adding seconds first, then load. Stop a few seconds before the hold falls apart. A hold that ends in a violent drop is not a better workout, it is just a worse one.

If you want to see how dead hangs connect to pulling strength, our piece on pull-ups versus chin-ups covers the lat side of it.

Crushing grip: do you actually need grippers?

Crushing grip gets a lot of attention relative to how often it limits a gym lift. Closing a gripper is a fairly specific skill, and I would not expect it to carry over strongly to holding a bar, though no trial I found has tested that directly.

If crushing grip matters to you (handshakes, martial arts, gripper sport, a job with tools), train it directly:

• Hand grippers. Start with a gripper you can close for sets of 5-8 controlled reps, and move up when you can.
• Towel or rope squeezes. Squeeze a towel into a tight ball and hold.

Two to three sets after your main lifting is plenty. For deadlifts and pull-ups, I would put crush work well below supporting work.

Pinching grip: plate pinches and thick bars

Pinching grip is useful for awkward objects and for lifters who find smooth, wide handles hard. Plate pinches are the simplest drill: hold two smooth plates flat sides out, thumb on one side and fingers on the other, for time.

There is a related finding on span. A 2002 study of 40 people found lateral pinch strength changed with how wide the thumb-to-finger span was, with strength at the widest functional span about 40% higher than at the smallest (Shivers et al., 2002). That study was about hand-tool design, not training, so use it only as a reminder that span matters.

What about thick bar and fat grip training?

Thick bars (or fat grip attachments) make a pull harder by increasing grip span. The best data we have are acute, not long-term. In 11 resistance-trained men, deadlift 1RM was highest on an Olympic bar, then fell about 28.3% on a 2-inch (5.08 cm) bar and 55.0% on a 3-inch (7.62 cm) bar (Ratamess et al., 2007). Bent-over row fell about 8.9% and 37.3%. The bench press and shoulder press were not different between bars.

The size of the drop correlated with hand size and maximal isometric grip strength. That tells you the thick bar is leaning hard on grip, which is the point if you want grip work. It also tells you not to use a 3-inch bar as your main deadlift bar if your goal is a big back or a big pull. Those results are about a single test day, though. We do not have good trials showing thick-bar training builds more grip than normal training over months.

What does the research say about training finger strength directly?

Most direct finger training research comes from climbing, not lifting. In a 2024 randomized trial, 31 advanced to elite boulderers either added 5 weeks of dynamic finger flexor training to their usual climbing (3 sessions a week, 3-5 sets of 4-10 reps) or just kept climbing as usual (Saeterbakken et al., 2024).

The training group improved dynamic finger strength by about 11.5% (versus 5.3% in the controls) and also improved isometric finger strength. But the differences between groups were not statistically significant, and bouldering performance did not change in either group. The authors noted that increased finger strength did not improve bouldering performance in that window.

What that means for you: finger-specific training can raise finger strength in trained people, but strength numbers do not automatically become performance in a skill sport. Even so, a lifter whose set ends because the bar slips is in a different situation than a climber, since grip is the direct limiter. Test it with a few sessions before assuming it will not help.

How should I program grip work after lifting?

Here is a practical layout. Remember, the set and rep numbers are coaching starting points, not research-derived doses.

Goal	Drill	Starting dose	Where
Hold the bar longer	Dead hang or heavy hold	2-3 efforts, 20-40 s	End of pull day
Carry more	Farmer’s walk	2-3 trips, 20-40 m	End of leg or pull day
Pinch and wide handles	Plate pinch	2-3 holds, 15-30 s	End of any day
Crush (if needed)	Gripper or towel squeeze	2-3 sets, 5-8 reps	Separate short slot

Keep these rules:

1. Grip goes last. Fatigue the hands first and your rows and deadlifts suffer.
2. One to two grip sessions a week is a sensible default. Your forearms already get indirect work from every pull.
3. Use straps or chalk on your heaviest back sets so the grip block does not replace back volume.
4. Add time first, then load. Leave a few seconds in reserve.
5. Skip it on days a finger tendon or elbow feels sore.

For a pull-day layout to slot this into, use our pull day plan. To pick sensible loads for holds and carries, work out a rough top-set weight with the 1RM calculator. For how many sets forearms and arms need overall, see direct vs indirect arm volume. And for muscle size in the forearm itself, see forearm flexor and extensor hypertrophy.

Is grip strength a health marker or just a gym number?

Both, with a limit. A meta-analysis of 38 studies and about 1.9 million apparently healthy people found higher handgrip strength was associated with lower all-cause mortality (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.64-0.74) (Garcia-Hermoso et al., 2018). An umbrella review graded the evidence as highly suggestive for general-population mortality, cardiovascular death and disability, but not convincing for any outcome (Soysal et al., 2021).

These are observational studies, so they show association, not that squeezing a gripper will extend your life. Strong hands tend to belong to people who are generally strong and healthy. Treat grip as a useful signal, and train it for lifting and daily use.

If you notice sudden hand weakness, numbness or tingling, or pain that does not ease with rest, see a doctor. That is not a grip training problem.

Common mistakes with grip training

• Training grip first. Pre-fatigued hands cost you back and leg volume.
• Copying a climber’s finger program. Fingerboard-style loading is hard on tendons, and the studies are in people who climb.
• Doing grippers for a deadlift problem. Crushing grip is not the usual limiter on pulls.
• Never using straps. Your hands then cap the work your back gets.
• Always using straps. Then grip never gets a dedicated stimulus. Keep a short grip block.
• Testing grip max every week. Holds to failure beat up forearms and elbows. Leave some in reserve.

A simple grip plan for a busy lifter

If you only want the minimum: finish your pull day with 2-3 dead hangs or farmer’s walks, add one plate pinch set, and use straps on your heaviest rows and deadlifts. Add 5-10 seconds or a little load every week or two. If your hands stay sore into the next session, cut one drill.

That is not glamorous. It does cover the part of grip that decides most pulling sets, and it leaves your back volume alone.