If you are a wrestler you know the importance of grip strength in your sport. By utilizing towel training in your program you can work both grip strength and strength endurance at the same time. It is important to have a good crushing grip as well as it is important to be able to hold onto something for an extended period of time.
Grip strength is crucial for all positions in wrestling, but is extremely important if you want to be able to ride out opponents from the top position.
If you have ever rode out a good bottom wrestler for a whole period your forearms and hands were probably sore after that period. By implementing various forms of grip training in your program you can help improve both grip strength and grip strength endurance so your hands won’t get tired when third period rolls around.
In order to hold onto a towel the athlete must try to crush it in order to hold onto the implement. By performing towel training exercises for several sets this will also improve the strength endurance of the hands and forearms.
Typically we like to utilize towel training with pulling movements for the upper and lower body. The exercises here are shown with a kettlebell, but many of the exercises can be utilized with a dumbbell as well. We like to use the kettlebell because it is extremely easy to loop the towel through the handle.
For athletes who are already proficient at pull up, towel training is a great logical progression for wrestlers. This is a great bang for your buck exercise because the athlete will develop grip and pulling strength at the same time. If the athlete isn’t strong enough to do pull ups yet or just wants to develop some isometric (static strength) they can also perform a flexed arm hang with the towels as well.
Training this hip extension pattern is crucial for all combat athletes. The towel will give the athlete feedback and let the athlete know if he is using his hips or his arms during the swing. The kettlebell swing will be extremely smooth with the towel if the athlete utilizes the hip hinge properly. If the athlete uses too much arm pull in the swing the kettlebell will drop and not be smooth. Basically the kettlebell should be an extension of the athlete’s hand and with the towel this is extremely easy to see.
There you have it! Total body pulling strength and power from a readily available house hold item. Start implementing these towel training variations and watch your grip strength and endurance sky rocket like never before. These variations will make sure your hands don’t get tired even when you need to ride out your opponent in the late round of your biggest match!
