Hand grip exercises can really help improve your hand strength. You might be wondering, “How long will it take to see results?” Well, that’s not easy to answer. It depends on factors such as the number of reps you can do, and the specific type of exercises you’re doing.
There are two main approaches to hand grip training:
1. Doing a lot of reps in a short time.
2. Doing fewer reps but stretching them over an extended time.
Experts suggest starting with less and slowly increasing. As a beginner, you can start with sets of five, repeating seven times for 10 seconds for each hand. As you get more comfortable, gradually increase your time to one or two minutes.
To see significant improvements in muscle and hand strength, a general guideline is spending a total of 24 hours on these exercises over 15 days. This means about two hours of grip strength exercises per day, which might sound daunting.
Here’s a simpler approach: just spend five to seven minutes on these exercises each day for six months. Don’t rush and suddenly add too much resistance. Slowly increase your load over weeks or months – this is known as progressive overload. It’s a safe and effective way to strengthen your hands without causing injuries.
Remember, your journey to stronger hand grips should be slow and steady. The key ingredients are consistency, patience and the right methods.
Wondering how to use a hand gripper for the best results? Hand grip strength is built through three types of strength:
1. Crush strength: The ability to squeeze your hand together.
2. Support strength: The ability to hold a heavy object for a long time.
3. Pinch strength: Essentially your thumb’s strength, or the ability to pinch something between all your fingers and thumb.
Grip strength exercises or squeeze balls mainly improve your crush and support grip. Pinch grip strength is improved through specific exercises and playing with putty.
To use a grip strengthener properly:
First, hold it correctly. Hold it at a 45-degree angle in your palm. Be careful not to let the handles point completely sideways as this can make it harder for your little finger to reach the end of the handle.
Next, place the gripper just above your thumb and stabilize the base of your thumb.
Now, position your fingers below the device as much as possible. Try to keep your fingers close together to generate more strength.
Finally, ensure your other fingers are positioned correctly to avoid slipping.
If using a hand gripper is not your thing, you might consider trying hand grip strengthening balls. They’re made of silicon, designed to be easily squeezed and are fun to use!
