Hand Grip Strength: The Foundation for OCR Success

Welcome back to part two of our grip strength blog series! Today, we’re digging deeper into developing grip strength – one of the most essential components for success in OCR, and pretty sweet for many other facets in life. Strong hands and fingers are the foundation of your overall grip, and without them, completing tough obstacles like monkey bars, rope climbs, or rigs becomes nearly impossible. Once we can clear all the obstacles we can worry about becoming faster runners.

Why Hand Grip Strength Matters for OCR

Hand grip strength isn’t just about holding on for dear life; it’s about maintaining control, speed, and efficiency during a race. Research has shown that hand grip strength is a solid indicator of overall muscular endurance and strength, as it’s often developed in exercises which activates many other muscle groups. In OCR, where you need both physical and mental endurance, hand grip strength becomes a key asset.

A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that increased hand grip strength directly correlates with improved performance in endurance-based sports. Like I pointed out in part 1 of the series, stats like these are interesting and easy to misunderstand. The key takeaway should be that athletes with stronger grip strength tend to have more control over obstacles that require both precision and endurance, like rigs or carries. If your grip gives out during a race, not only will it cost you time, but it will also sap your energy for the rest of the event and make you fail obstacles

When it comes to OCR, there are three primary grip types that athletes rely on:

1. Crushing Grip: The ability to close your hand around an object (like a bar or rope) and maintain a firm hold. This grip strength becomes very important when trying to grip somewhat slippery things or difficult grips like nun-chucks. 
2. Pinch Grip: Using your thumb and fingers to hold onto an object without wrapping your hand around it completely. Pinch grip is rarely used by itself in an OCR event, but training it helps build sport-specific grip endurance.
3. Endurance Grip: The ability to hold onto something for an extended period, like hanging from a bar or holding a heavy object like farmer carries. Having a good endurance grip is essential, and luckily not too hard to improve.

The Science of Hand Grip Strength

Grip strength isn’t just a function of your forearm muscles – there’s a whole network of tendons, ligaments, and smaller muscles in your hands and fingers that contribute to your overall strength. When you train your grip, you’re actually working on neuromuscular efficiency, meaning your brain and muscles are learning to communicate better. This leads to improved muscle fiber recruitment and ultimately more power and endurance.

A 2018 study in Sports Medicine found that grip training not only enhances performance but also reduces the risk of injuries like tendinitis or muscle strains, unless of course you’re overtraining. This is particularly important in OCR, where repetitive motions and high grip demands can lead to overuse injuries if you’re not properly conditioned. I always emphasise the importance of regular training sessions and consistency, which my 8-week grip and pull-up program can help you achieve. Overtraining does lead to issues, and that’s why you should listen to your body and be smart in your programming.

 Key Exercises to Build Hand Grip Strength

Now that you understand the importance of hand grip strength for OCR, let’s get into the practical aspect: how to train for it. Here are some of my favorite exercises that specifically target the hand and finger muscles.

• Pull-ups: We’ll learn more about these as we get deeper into the blog series, but pull-ups are the bread and butter for developing the upper body strength you’ll need for any OCR event. And it’s one heck of a forearm exercise as well!

• Dead Hangs: Finger hangs are a simple but highly effective way to develop finger and hand strength. To perform this exercise, hang from a bar using only your fingers—start with four fingers on each hand, and gradually reduce the number as you get stronger. The goal is to hang for as long as possible without losing your grip. Over time, this will build both strength and endurance in your fingers and forearms.

• Pinch Grip Plate Holds: This exercise targets the thumb and fingers, which are essential for holding onto awkwardly shaped objects or walls in OCR. To perform, hold a weight plate between your thumb and fingers, keeping it elevated for as long as possible. Start with a lighter plate and increase the weight as you progress. This exercise also helps develop forearm stability, which is crucial for obstacle transitions. I like walking when I do these.

• Farmer’s Carries: Farmer’s carries are a staple for OCR athletes. This exercise not only improves grip strength but also works on your core stability and overall endurance. Grab a pair of heavy dumbbells or kettlebells and walk a set distance or for a set time, focusing on keeping your grip tight throughout the movement. This is a great way to mimic the kind of grip endurance needed during a race, where you may have to carry heavy objects for extended periods.

• Plate Pinches: This is a specialized exercise that involves gripping two weight plates together with only your fingertips and thumb. The goal is to hold them together for as long as possible. This is especially useful for obstacles that require pinch grip strength, like climbing over walls or handling objects that don’t allow for a full hand grip.

How I Used Hand Grip Strength in My Own Training

When I trained for the 50m rope climb from a hot air balloon in 2019 (watch the documentary here), hand grip strength was a game-changer. The climb required both crushing and endurance grip, and I relied heavily on years of grip-specific training to make it to the top. Without the foundational hand and finger strength I had built, the climb would have been much more difficult. It was after this stunt I started scripting the 8-week get a grip program! This made training for my stunt with Shaping New Tomorrow this summer much easier.

In fact, grip endurance was the most significant factor in completing the climb. Over time, as your forearms fatigue, your hands and fingers start to lose strength – unless you’ve trained them properly and paced your climb. That’s why building hand grip strength is about more than just pulling hard. It’s about maintaining grip efficiency and avoiding fatigue, even under extreme conditions.

Building Hand Grip Strength for OCR Success

To excel in OCR, you need to have confidence in your grip strength. By focusing on the right exercises and targeting the specific grip types needed in OCR, you’ll be able to navigate obstacles more efficiently and with greater ease. It sounds easy, but it isn’t – this takes time.

So, how do you get started? Implement these and other exercises into your training routine at least twice a week, and be mindful of how your grip holds up during races to assess your development. I’d of course recommend you simply buy my programs, they’re quite extensive, but that’s up to you. By consistently building hand grip strength, you’ll notice a big improvement in your overall obstacle proficiency – the rest is tips & tricks, join me on a workshop or bootcamp for all of those.

Stay tuned for part three of this blog series, where we’ll cover how to develop grip endurance for long-distance challenges in OCR!