Grip and forearm strength are as overlooked as your calves. We tend to focus on getting the major muscle groups in while neglecting ancillary muscles thinking that we improve our grip strength while doing the simple, basic but extremely effective lifts such as deadlifts, squats, pull ups etc. This is for the most part true. We do train our forearms every time we lift and its obvious that an improved grip strength gives us a better lift. In reality, if your grip is weak then you are weak. But this doesn't just apply to your typical weightlifting session. The great thing about grip strength is that it is possibly the most applicable form of resistance training. It also comes in handy when you are plumbing, swinging a hammer, doing yard work etc. (I always think about those old guys in their 70s-80s who spent their whole lives working on cars and such who can still shake hands like a gorilla).
One of the most common tools used to improve grip strength are grippers (I know very original name). You can find these online and they come in a variety of resistance levels. The concept is fairly simple just squeeze the gripper, sometimes high resistance with low reps or lighter resistance with higher reps. A good website is www.ironmind.com.
But today lets take a look at a more unorthodox, cheap and fun way to improve your grip. All you need is a 5 gallon bucket and a 20-25 lb. bag of rice. Simply pour the uncooked rice into the bucket and start moving your hands around in the rice. This is an old baseball trick that was used by pitchers, one being Roger Clemens, to develop the hand, grip and forearm strength to grip the ball. Naturally you are going to want to do more than just 'move your hands around' so below are some videos that have actual routines and tips you can follow.
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