How to Improve Your Grip Strength & Get Better Cycle Control

Grip strength is not only important for a handshake instead, but it also requires more when it is the aspect of cycling, better grip means better break control of the cycle, is not it? If you are unable to hold the handle of the cycle with a strong grip, you may fall. Therefore, to get better cycle control, you must do a grip-strengthening exercise. In any case of cycling, we have to pump our cycle to some extent. If you feel pain in doing so, it reflects that you have weak grip strength, or you are lacking adequate grip strength.

Riders take some expensive ways like fancy grips, handlebars with dedicated flex, and carpal tunnel surgery to combat the arm pump issues. But one simple way you can add is dedicating yourself towards a grip training exercise instead of racing towards expensive options.

Hangs, pull, hold, and push function well to improve grip strength. In this article, we are going to challenge your grip strength with four basic yet effective exercises. After all, these are the targeted exercises for your forearm, this will help you to strengthen your finger joints and forearm muscles.

Developing grip strength is crucial for any kind of riding, and grip strength is considered the biomarker of your health condition. Therefore, a basic strengthening exercise is important for the rider even for non-rider because they also have to do their daily task. So, don't forget to add grip training to daily activity to live longer, and indirectly it will help you to better bike control.

Four exercises that would help you to increase grip strength

Dead Hang

It sounds pretty morbid right, but do you know dead hang is the greatest way to pump up your grip? It is also the best way to decompress your spine and it is a great way to enhance your pull-up capacity as well. By practising dead hang, you can do more pull-ups in one shot.

How to do a dead hang

Just take a pull-up bar, gymnastic rings, or a solid ledge to hang from it. Then try to stand by in a hollow position, it will make your core tight, and you must be felt slightly out in front of your torso. If the bar is not at an extreme height, achieve a dead hang position with your legs bent behind your body. Then hold on for a while until your grip moves out, and rest in this position for 30 to 60 seconds, then repeat 3-5 times. To make your exercise more challenging, simply hold a dumbbell between your feet.

Bottom-up Kettlebell Press

The stability of the wrist is a major component of grip strength. Flipping the kettlebell ups and down can increase the grip game as it works for both of these aspects simultaneously.

How to perform a bottom-up kettlebell press:

To do a bottom-up kettlebell press, just get in a lunge position with a bending knee on the ground. If your left foot is in a forward direction, just hold the kettlebell in the right hand in the forward direction, then bottom up in a perpendicular direction. From the initial position, just press the kettlebell upward direction with your extreme potential, try to reach your maximum mobility and achieve maximum stability. Press with your full strength, so that you can take control of the kettlebell. Then come back to the initial position and repeat it for 5-20 reps depending on your objectives. Fewer reps for strength, and more reps to get better endurance.

Farmer’s Carry

If you want to understand the power of a farmer's hand, then just shake hands with a farmer, and you can instantly realize the strength of their grip. So, there is no better way to improve your grip strength rather a farmer's carry. Do farmer's carry to improve your grip strength.

How do you perform farmer’s carry?

Grab a set of dumbbells or kettlebells, press the core, push your shoulder back and hold the upright posture. Then walk straight. It is not exercised to perform, instead, just you have to keep walking slowly, and steadily. Then stop just before you drop. Next slowly set the weight down and rest for 60 seconds. Repeat this 5 times.

Deadlift

Deadlift is a highly effective multi-joint exercise you can do to enhance your general strength. It is not designed to target grip strength particularly, instead, your grip will first thing to take heavy pressure during weight lifting. That's why lifters use thick straps, or mixed grips where the hand simultaneously moves forward and backward direction.

How do you perform deadlifts?

The key step to effectively do a deadlift is to engage your core throughout the movement. You can do it with a loaded barbell on the ground, or you can slightly raise the barbell off to the ground. Try to pick it up without bending your back.

All these exercises are great for bike riders. But if you are a person who is looking for some isometric exercise, then a hand grip strengthener ball is going to be a good option for you. You can also try out hand grip strengthening for targeted grip-strengthening exercises.