BOOST YOUR GRIP STRENGTH

Four exercises that will help you to seize the bars without seizing up

Grip strength is important, and not just for a firm handshake. When it comes to mountain biking, if you can’t hold onto the handlebar with adequate grip, the best-case scenario is you’re going to lack the necessary control needed to navigate the trail, but you could also come to with a face full of dirt.

And it makes no difference if you ride a full-suspension bike or a hardtail, we’ve all experienced hand/arm pump to some degree. That burning sensation in your forearms as they swell up to Popeye proportions, or simply lacking the strength in your fingers to pull the brake levers while still holding on to the handlebar, are both tell-tale signs that your grip strength could be lacking.

Fancy grips, handlebars with dedicated flex and even carpal tunnel surgery are some of the increasingly expensive ways riders combat arm pump. The normal fix, however, is to simply pull over, shake your arms out

THE COACH

then continue your ride. And while that’s fine if you’re not racing, a better solution is to target grip strength directly with some dedicated training.

Hangs, holds and pulls all work well for improving grip strength, so this month we’re going to challenge your grip strength specifically with four key exercises. After all, there are few areas in modern day-to-day life where we do just that – wheels on suitcases and home food delivery services have seen to that.

So, developing your grip strength is important for riding, and higher levels of grip strength also correlate with other health outcomes, probably because people that do strength training or have a manual component to their work tend to be more active than average. So while it would be a stretch to assume that adding grip training alone to your daily routine could make you live longer, it will definitely improve your riding.

Here are four exercises to boost your grip strength.

Shake hands with a farmer and you’ll instantly realise that farm-strength is a real thing. So what better way to improve your grip strength than by performing farmers’ carries?

HOW TO…

Grab a set of dumbbells or kettlebells, brace your core, keep your shoulders back and maintain an upright posture. Then simply start walking, it couldn’t be an easier exercise to perform. Keep walking at a slow, steady pace until you feel like you’re about to drop the weights. Stop before you drop them, set the weights down and rest for 30-60 seconds. Repeat the process 5 times. Select weights that you can hold for at least a minute, then as your grip strength improves you can incrementally increase the weights/distance you carry.

Jonny Thompson is head coach for Fit4racing, an online fitness programme for mtb riders. Once a forensic scientist, Jonny has devoted the last 10 years to coaching athletes, from Paralympians to world number one enduro racers. His main focus with the Fit4racing team is developing and delivering fitness programmes to pro and amateur riders. Training the likes of Adam Brayton, Jonny also sends digital programmes to riders all over the world, many of whom ride professionally.