Fat gripz.
They're the piece of rubber that wraps around a barbell (such as an ez-bar) making the barbell thicker.
This makes the bar harder to grip and increases the work the forearm muscle has to do.
In a few previous articles (click here for our favourite), we have explained intensity techniques (also known as intensity methods).
Intensity techniques include the use of equipment to change the dynamics of certain exercises, to make them more difficult and to improve the effectiveness of the exercise.
Fat grips are a form of intensity technique, they increase the thickness of a barbell, increasing the work the forearm muscle needs to do.
What Are the Benefits of Fat-Gripz?
Fat-grip training can increase your grip strength significantly if it's done properly.
Since grip strength is prevalent in almost every exercise you do, an increase in grip strength is often the key for unlocking strength gains in other non-forearm exercises.
For example, do you struggle on your deadlift? If you do, improving your grip strength may help you improve your deadlift.
Not only this, but utilising forearm exercises may increase forearm muscle hypertrophy, leading to larger forearms.
Larger forearms is usually what bodybuilders want. Am i right?
Which Exercises Improve Grip Strength?
It's all well and good knowing that grip strength is useful, but what exercises will actually improve this?
These exercises can be made harder and more effective by using fat grips on the barbell or dumbbell.
Below is a list of our top 3 best forearm and grip-strength exercises:
Forearm Curls.
Farmers Walk.
Pronated Curls.
To utilise fat grips, wrap the grips around the bar in which your gripping, such as the bar on a dumbbell or the top of the kettlebell.
Keep up to date on our exercise database for more detailed exercise guides.
Forearm Curls
Forearm curls are also known as wrist curls, they are similar to the bicep curl in movement but instead is the wrist curling instead of the forearm.
This is a great exercise for improving grip strength and forearm size.
This exercise can also be made more effective and harder with the addition of fat gripz.
The wrist curl is great for developing the wrist flexor muscles of the forearm.
It can also be done in combination with the "reverse wrist curl" which is the opposite of this exercise, this will promote equal growth and development of the wrist flexor and wrist extensor muscles.
Wrist curls can be performed with a dumbbell.
To perform a seated wrist curl, follow the instructions below:
You should be seated on a bench with your forearm resting on your thigh or another flat surface.
Your palm should be facing upwards.
At the starting point, your wrist should be bent back so that your fingers are pointing down at the floor.
You should raise the dumbbell by using your forearm muscles to bring the hand up as far as possible.
Your forearm should remain resting on your thigh or another surface.
The weight should be slowly lowered back down to the starting position.
This should be repeated for your desired amount of repetitions.
Source: Wikipedia
Farmers Walks
Farmers walks are another great forearm exercise, they are used widely in strongman competitions.
This is a great exercise for improving grip strength specifically, this can be a good way to improve your deadlift.
This exercise can also be made much more effective with the addition of fat gripz on each dumbbell or kettlebell.
The farmers walk can also be done with a variety of other equipment, some of which specially designed for this exercise.
To perform the farmers walk exercise, follow the instructions below:
Begin by standing between two dumbbells, kettlebells or other equipment.
Then carefully pick them up in each hand.
Grip the bar of the dumbbells, kettlebell etc hard and tense your forearms.
Either walk around with them in each hand, or alternatively stand in one position and hold them for as long as possible.
Lower the weights down carefully, rest for your desired time and repeat this as many times as you desire.
Source: T-Nation
Pronated Curls
Pronated curls are basically bicep curls but with your hands the opposite way around, overhand instead of underhand, known as a pronated grip.
This exercise places more emphasis on certain forearm muscles rather than the biceps, especially the brachioradialis, one of the larger forearm muscles.
Meaning this is a good exercise to go along with the two exercises above, targeting most if not all of the forearm muscle fibres.
This exercise can also be done with fat gripz (similar to the thicker bar on the image below), again further improving the grip strength aspect of this exercise.
To perform the pronated curls, follow the instructions below:
To begin, grab a barbell, preferably an ez-bar, and place onto a bench.
Then stand in front of the bench and acquire an overhand (pronated) grip on the bar.
Pick the bar up and begin to start the repetition in the same way as a normal bicep curl.
Carefully return the barbell back down to the bench or the floor.
Repeat this for as many reps and sets as you desire.
Source: Healthline
Conclusion
So, you have learnt the benefits of grip strength, fat gripz and also know our best forearm and grip-strength exercises.
Below we will summarise this article.
Benefits of Grip Strength:
Increased strength in other exercises.
Larger forearm muscles.
Stronger forearms.
Benefits of Fat-Grips:
Improved dynamics of current forearm exercises.
More variation of exercises.
Improved grip strength and related benefits.
Top 3 Forearm Exercises:
Forearm curls.
Farmers walks.
Pronated curls.
You can incorporate fat grips into many different forearm and also non-forearm exercises.
For example, adding fat grips to a deadlift overtime may help increase your grip strength, leading to increased deadlift strength.
You can see more exercises here.