IMPROVE YOUR GRIP STRENGTH

Reduce hand fatigue and arm pump, and improve your riding experience

Having ‘grip strength’ means more than just being able to apply maximum muscle and maximum force. Perhaps better described as ‘grip dexterity’, it’s about how capable you are at holding onto your handlebar and controlling your bike, trail position, braking and weight distribution, regardless of the trail conditions or duration. Here are three areas to work on and corresponding exercises that can be done off the bike to help reduce hand fatigue and arm pump, and improve your riding experience.

CAPACITY

Simply, get stronger! Grip strength starts with your core and shoulders. So deadlifts, farmer’s walks and pull-ups are fantastic strength exercises to use. Go as heavy as your form, posture and mobility allow. Do 3 5 sets for 3 6 reps. For the farmer’s walks, try a igure of eight and count your laps. Aim to increase each week.

CONTROL

Having strong hand, arm and inger muscles isn’t enough. Training to develop that innate feeling of how hard to grip and when is key. In the gym, try kettlebell swings, working in a series from heavy to light, starting double-handed and progressing to single. Start with a 24kg or 18kg bell, working down to a 6kg, performing 6 reps of each. Learn how your grip affects power transfer from the loor to your hips to the bell.

CONNECTION

Training the body as one, with exercises that demand strength transfer from your toes to the tips of your ingers, is often the missing link. A go-to exercise for this is the reverse lunge to shoulder press. One side at a time, take a dumb-bell that you can comfortably press overhead. Lunge back, with the DB in the opposite hand to the working leg. As you drive up from the lunge, press the DB overhead. Repeat for 8 to 12 reps, both sides.