Training

Hand Strengthening with Pullups

Written by Dave Gluhareff

 

Hand Stengthening doing Pullup variations!

I love doing pullups and lots of them!  I also love to perform various pullup variations each week to hit my lats, posterior delts (rear shoulders), serratus anterior (rib meat), arms, and core! One of the best things about pullups though is working hand strength too!

Notice in these pics I usually choose a wide bar or even wide frame to do mine on. When I am in the woods I find bigger and thicker limbs to grab onto and do my pullups too. I never use gloves, haven't in prob 18 years working out, so that helps my hands to stay rough and calloused yet I do use Gold Bond medicated lotion once to twice daily to keep them smooth but my hands stay alot tougher and i dont get blisters at all.  I believe, and it's my personal opinion, that people who get blisters after a few pullups or even one workout of intense pullups, and they show bleeding hands, well that means there hands weren't ready for that and they are not conditioned. Again that's my personal opinion because my clients and readers who practice these without gloves and build up gradually taking care of their hands rarely get a blister.

In OCR I do not like to compete with gloves on because I lose gripping ability and hands get slippery with gloves so I train with bare hands like I compete. I've never gotten a penalty climbing or doing monkey bars etc in almost 4 years. I train my hands to be as ready to take on any obstacle as can be.

Important: my pullups variations may happen once to twice weekly and they are planned into my weekly workout plans and monthly training goals so I still get a few days off to rest and recover and heal. I may do 60-100 pullups in varying grips and it may only be a 1/4 of that upper body workout.

Later I will show you how I work on my grip and forearm strengthening exercises.

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Keep Your Body Strong and Run!

- Dave