The deadlift is one of the purest displays of total-body strength. But let’s be honest—if your grip fails, your deadlift fails.

It doesn’t matter how strong your posterior chain is or how dialed in your technique might be. If the bar slips, your set’s over.

And the truth is, your grip strength is probably holding you back more than your legs or back ever will.

Whether you’re stuck pulling with straps or failing heavy attempts due to grip fatigue, these six grip-focused exercises will help you build the kind of hands and forearms that lock the bar in place and let the rest of your body do its job.

1. Barbell Holds (Overhand and Mixed Grip)

What it trains:
Support grip, barbell positioning, mental toughness under load.

How to do it:
Set the barbell on safety pins just below lockout. Load it heavy—heavier than your max deadlift—and hold it for 10–20 seconds at a time. Use double overhand or mixed grip depending on your goals.

Why it works:
This builds tolerance to load and time under tension at the exact position where grip often fails—lockout. Training grip in this context conditions your hands for real-world deadlift intensity.

2. Timed Dead Hangs

What it trains:
Support grip endurance, scapular stability, joint integrity.

How to do it:
Hang from a pull-up bar with a double overhand grip. Keep your body engaged, shoulders active, and go for time. Start with sets of 20–30 seconds and progress from there.

Why it works:
It teaches your body how to manage fatigue and lactic acid in the forearms. This exercise also works well as a finisher or warm-up for grip activation.

3. Farmer’s Carries (Heavy and Long-Distance)

What it trains:
Support grip, core stability, posture under load, mental grit.

How to do it:
Grab a pair of heavy dumbbells, kettlebells, or farmer’s handles and walk for distance or time. Go heavy for short bursts, or moderate for longer walks. Keep shoulders packed and spine neutral.

Why it works:
This mimics the carryover demands of pulling heavy—especially how grip degrades under fatigue. It’s one of the best total-body grip developers in any program.

4. Thick Bar or Fat Grip Deadlifts

What it trains:
Crush grip, thumb activation, wrist stability.

How to do it:
Use Fat Gripz, an axle bar, or wrap a towel around a barbell to increase the diameter. Pull from the floor or rack with light to moderate weight and focus on a clean grip.

Why it works:
The increased thickness challenges the fingers and palm to grip harder, recruiting muscles you typically don’t hit with a standard bar. You’ll feel the difference fast.

5. Towel or Rope Pulls

What it trains:
Dynamic grip strength, finger engagement, lat-to-hand connection.

How to do it:
Loop a towel or rope over a pull-up bar or cable attachment. Perform rows, pulldowns, or pull-ups using the towel as your grip point.

Why it works:
It mimics unstable, dynamic pulling patterns and forces your grip to adapt to shifting resistance—just like you’d experience in a challenging deadlift set.

6. Plate Pinches

What it trains:
Pinch grip, thumb strength, fine motor control.

How to do it:
Hold two smooth-sided plates together (10s, 25s, or even 35s) and lift or carry them with just your fingers and thumbs. Perform timed holds or dynamic lifts.

Why it works:
Pinch grip is often the weakest and least-trained of the grip types. Strengthening your thumbs improves total grip synergy, which pays off on the bar.

How to Use These Exercises in a Deadlift Program

You don’t need to do all six every week. Instead, rotate and pair them based on your current weakness:

Weak Point	Try This Exercise
Grip fails at lockout	Barbell Holds, Fat Grip Deadlifts
Grip gives out during reps	Dead Hangs, Farmer’s Carries
Bar rolls out of your hand	Plate Pinches, Towel Pulls
Hands ache or fatigue early	Light Dead Hangs, Grip Supersets

You can also use one as a primer before pulling, or as a finisher to reinforce grip under fatigue.

Stop Letting Your Hands Limit Your Strength

You wouldn’t skip back or hamstrings when deadlift day rolls around—so why keep skipping grip?

Your deadlift will only be as strong as what your hands can hold. That’s why the top lifters, strongman competitors, and strength athletes train grip with purpose.

And it’s exactly why we built an entire program around it.

Take Control of Your Deadlift and Build Real Grip Strength

The 6-Week Forearm Training Manual is your solution to:

• Crushing grip failure
• Building massive forearms
• Locking in bigger deadlifts
• Improving bar control without straps
• Gaining functional strength from fingertip to forearm

This program was built for lifters like you—people who are strong, but ready to get stronger by eliminating their weakest link.

Download the Forearm Training Manual Now
Your next deadlift PR starts in your hands.

EXERCISES

COMMUNITY