I’ll be doing a “Quick Tip” about 2x a week as things come to me, or a certain subject or issue is brought to my attention. Feel free to let me know if you have something for me to cover. Thank you!
We all know that your grip is a huge part of being good at the Squat, bench, Dead and strong in general. Struggle with grip strength? Here are a few suggestions to build your grip, and to attack your weak link.
1. Double overhand shrugs: Practice holding onto the bar as long as you can, while shrugging controlled. Play with weights and rep schemes.
2. Mcgill pull-up: Use the “lobster claw” and lock onto the bar for multiple singles and doubles. See video.
3. Suitcase Carry: Use a DB or KB in just one hand and carry for distance. Make sure to stay upright and not lean.
4. Warm-up with a double overhand grip on the deadlift: This is another old school way of building grip. Switch back to over/under when grip starts to fail. This really builds up the flexors and extensors.
5. Utilize fat gripz in your training:Do hammer curls with them, DB presses, or rows. If you want to REALLY up the ante, then do DOH (#1) with the fat gripz once the shrugs become easy.
Brian is a retired world-class powerlifter with over two decades of world-class powerlifting. From 1999 to 2020, Brian Carroll was a competitive powerlifter, one of the most accomplished lifters in the sport's history. Brian started off competing in bench press competitions 'raw,' then, shortly into the journey, he gravitated toward equipped lifting as there were no "raw" categories then. You only had to choose from single-ply (USPF) and Multi-ply (APF/WPC).
Brian went on to total 2730 at 275 and 2651 at 242 with more than ten times his body weight in three different classes (220, 242, 275), and both bench pressed and deadlifted over 800 pounds in two other weight classes. He's totaled 2600 over 20 times in 2 different weight classes in his career. With 60 squats of 1000lbs or more officially, this is the most in powerlifting history, regardless of weight class or federation, by anyone not named David Hoff.
Brian realized many ups and downs during his 20+ years competing. After ten years of high-level powerlifting competition and an all-time World Record squat at 220 with 1030, in 2009, Brian was competing for a Police academy scholarship. On a hot and humid July morning, Brian, hurdling over a barricade at 275lbs, landed on, fell, and hurt his back.
After years of back pain and failed therapy, Brian met with world-renowned back specialist Prof McGill in 2013, which changed his trajectory more than he could have imagined. In 2017, Brian Carroll and Prof McGill authored the best-selling book about Brian's triumphant comeback to powerlifting in Gift of Injury. Most recently (10.3.20) -Brian set the highest squat of all time (regardless of weight class) with 1306 lbs – being the first man to break the 1300lb squat barrier at a bodyweight of 303 lbs.
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