All great videos man! Thanks for sharing your time and knowledge. Gold!!! Grip strength is definitely key and often overlooked in most routines. Here is something I tried awhile back that’s been working for me: while doing reps with dumbbells or kettle bell, hang on to them for the rest period, then continue the reps. Never setting them down. Repeat until the rep set is done. Noticed a big improvement on grip strength and no more arm pump on long descents.
Great tip on combining grip position with other exercises. It's like finding ways to incorporate making your core unstable to force you to work your core at the same time that you target other muscle groups.
Hey Aaron, the gym videos have been really insightful and helped a lot! I would love to have some insight into what you do on the nutrition and diet side of things, is it the same for racing vs training?
Cool info. Keep doing these vids. I really like the dead hang (lots of endurance for me and keeps me strong. Also, I like the "krocs row" (heavy dumbbell rows for 25-50 reps). And of course farmer's walk with heavy kettlebell. These 3 exercises improve my forearm strenght-endurance and grip, plus add vascularity to my forearms. 💪
Thanks so much Aaron for sharing these tips! In various types of sports (and helping friends move I guess) I’ve hit some really annoying limits due to my lack of grip strength when the rest of the muscles involved was totally fine. I’ve been meaning to start doing core exercises using a pull up bar anyway, so that’s a great simple idea right there!
Thanks for doing these videos. Great to hear what you recommend for different exercises. I completely agree with the deadlifts, but haven't tried the hangs or holding a KB like that. Also for grip strength, I would suggest farmers walks carrying plates by the edge.
A great exercise that we do in Olympic lift to develop grip it’s to pinch the edge of a 45# bumper plate and hold to the sides in a tall body position for time. Try that and let me know . I really like your first KB exercise makes total sense.
Definitely agree that grip strength holds me back some days For me though, lower back strength is a big problem while riding aggressively. Is there any good exercises that really helps with that? Thanks great videos
the deadlift will strengthen your lower back, but at great risk of injury if your form is off in the slightest. Start with light weight doing lots of reps
Kettlebell swings (along with the already suggested deadlift) can help with this. Much like deadlifts form is key. Start light and get form sorted then build up
High Rep Air Squats often give me a pretty good pump in the lower back ... also make sure your abs are up to the task as well, oftentimes lower back problems are caused by weak abs
Love the strength and fitness videos Aaron. Great to hear what has worked well for you that's specific to riding. There's tons of grip and forearm exercises out there and it's good to be able to distill it to a handful. I kinda guessed the last 2 but did not expect the kettlebells to be one of your top choices. Great to know. Do you ever do any forearm flexion and extension exercises? I.e. some form of wrist curls/extensions?
I know everyone means well, but I really have to laugh at some of the people suggesting that Gwin - a top level professional athlete for more than a decade (and the winningest DH rider of all time), with access to the best trainers - should try these other methods of grip strengthening that he didn't think to try? Guys, he has tried everything. This video is about the things that have worked best for him.
