12 Grip Strength Exercises for Wrestlers

Dominating Grip Strength –> Dominating Hand Control –> Dominating Every Aspect of a Wrestling Match.

If you have COMPLETE CONTROL of your opponents hands and/or wrists, your opponents options to score and counter will be DRASTICALLY Reduced!

Here’s a short List of 12 Grip Strength Exercises for Wrestlers…

1. Rope climbing. Use the thickest diameter of rope you can find and remember to use every available means of safety measures, supervision, etc.

2. One-Hand Assisted Pull-ups. Grip the bar firmly with your left hand, and then firmly grip your left wrist with your right hand. Perform Pull-up repetitions to failure, then alternate to the other hand. Use a spotter if necessary, or if you think you are really tough, add some weight.

3. Hang from a bar. Like a Pull-up, but just hang there. See if you can do it for 5 minutes without letting go. Consider adding weight or hanging from only one hand if you need more of a challenge.

4. Battle Ropes – Alternating Waves and various other movements.

5. Heavy Jumprope

6. Dumbbell Carries. Pick up a heavy dumbbell in each hand and walk with them for a pre-determined distance. Variation of this is to place two 10 lb plates together and hold them together with one hand by squeezing them together. Do the same in the other hand and pick them up and hold for time. Adjust weight and time to match your strength level. 

7. Deadlift (Stand and Hold). Perform a very heavy deadlift with both hands in a pronated grip (palms facing you, and hold as long as you can.

8. Pro-Sup’s. Grab a bar about the size and weight of a baseball bat. Hold it out in front of your body, and slowly (with control) rotate down to the left, then back up and lower it down to the right and return to the upright position. Repeat for a specific number of repetitions then switch hands.

9. Towel Grip Pull-Ups. Throw a sturdy towel over a bar. Firmly grip one side of the towel with your right hand, and the other side of the towel with your left hand. Perform Pull-ups to failure.

10. Towel Grip Free-hang. Throw a sturdy towel over a bar. Firmly grip one side of the towel with your right hand, and the other side of the towel with your left hand and allow your feet to come off ground to hang freely.

11. Over-sized Grip Dumbbells and Barbells. Perform any common free weight exercise with an over-sized grip on your dumbbells and barbells. You can find special “clip-on” adapters or simply wrap a hand towel around the grip area of the bar.

12. Grip Strength Implements. There is a great variety of Grip Strength tools, machines, and gadgets available.

I plan to make a short demonstration video that will be posted here as soon as it is available so come back soon for our Video of the 12 Grip Strength Exercises for Wrestlers.

​*Disclaimer: Use caution and appropriate supervision whenever performing any new exercise.

How to Add Bar Bending Strength in 10 Weeks

10 Week Strength Workout designed by Utah’s High School Wrestling Hall of Famer, Frank Houston. This workout is designed to build strength.

“If you work hard on this workout, I guarantee you will get stronger.”- Frank Houston

1. This workout is designed to build strength not bulk.
2. Aim for 6 to 8 reps on each exercise. If too easy, you need to increase the weight.
3. The bench and arm workout at the end will increase strength and bulk (If you cheat on leg workout, do not expect a lot of gains).
4. All lifts are done to FAILURE. That means the last rep should require help from a spotter.
5. Do this in groups of 2 or 3 (If your group is bigger than 3, your rest periods will be too long).
6. Arm workout at the end – 4 sets of Heavy Curls, 21’s or 20’s.
7. Bench Workout – Should be designed to increase strength. For example: 1st set 10 reps, then 8, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1 (Going up 5 to 10 pounds on each new set).
8. Do not worry about the weight you start with. It is more important that you work hard and improve (If you work hard on this 10 week strength workout, I guarantee you will get stronger).

RULE – Go As Heavy as You Can!

Each week will have a specific workout, and will change each week. The workout of the week is to be done 3 times (ie, Monday, Wednesday, Friday).

Finish each workout with an alternating “Chest” or “Arms” workout.

Example: Week 1 – “Arms” on Monday, “Chest” on Wednesday, “Arms” on Friday
Week 2 – “Chest” on Monday, “Arms” on Wednesday, “Chest” on Friday

Week #1 Workout
Leg Extensions
Leg Curls
Power Cleans
Front Squat
Leg Press
Calf Raises
Lateral Raises
Overhead Press
Pull Ups
Lateral Pulldowns
Bench Press
Incline Dumbbell Bench
Tricep Extensions
Bicep Curls
Push Ups (Max Reps)
Leg Raises
Glute/Ham Raises
Windshield Wipers

Week #2 Workout
Leg Extensions–>Leg Curl (Superset)
Shoulder shrugs–>Upright Rows
Power Cleans–>Front Squats–>Calf Raises
Lateral Raises
Overhead Press
Bench Press
Incline Bench
Dips
Tricep Extensions
Bicep Curls
Leg Raises
Glute/Ham Raises
Ab Wheely or Ab Rollers

Week #3 Workout
Power Cleans–>Leg Extension–>Front Squat
Glute/Ham Raises–>Leg Curls–>Leg Press
Upright Rows–>Bent Rows–>Overhead Press–>Pull Overs
Bench Press
Bicep Curls
Tricep Extensions
Pull Ups
Dips
Windshield Wipers

Week #4 Workout
Calf Raises–>Leg Curls–>Leg Extensions
Calf Raises–>Leg Curls–>Power Cleans–>Front Squats
Overhead Press–>Pull ups
Bench Press
Lat Pulldowns
Incline Press
Shoulder Shrugs
Windshield Wipers
Leg Raises
Glute/Ham Raises

Week #5 Workout
Lateral Raises–>Overhead Press–>Bent Rows–>Overhead Press–>Shrugs–>Upright Rows
Leg Extensions–>Leg Curls–>Hang Cleans–>Squats–>Calf Raises–>Glute/Ham Raises
Bench Press
Bicep Curls
Tricep Extensions
Windshield Wipers
Leg Raises

Week #6 Workout
Superset following:
Bent Rows
Pull Overs
Pull Ups (Negatives Only)
Pull Downs
Pull Overs
Chin Ups (Negatives Only)
Bent Rows
Superset following:
Leg Extensions
Leg Curls
Squats
Calf Raises
Glute/Ham Raises
Power Cleans
Superset following:
Overhead Press
Shrugs
Bicep Curls
Tricep Extensions
Bench Press
Ab Wheely/Ab Rollers

Week #7 Workout
Bench Press–>Incline Dumbbell Bench–>Dips
Bench Press–>Incline Dumbbell–>Dips–>Push Ups
Power Cleans–>Leg Curl–>Leg Extensions–>Front Squat
Lat Pulldowns–>Bicep Curls–>Tricep Extensions–>Ab Wheely/Ab Rollers–>Leg Raises

Week #8 Workout
Hanging Leg Raises–>Windshield Wipers–>Crunches
Pullups (Negatives only)–>Pull Overs–>Pull Ups (Negatives Only)
Clean and Press
Box Squats
Leg Extensions–>Leg Curls–>Calf Raises
Overhead Press–>Bench Press–>Bicep Curls–>Tricep Extensions–>Lat Pulldowns
Trunk Curls
(Bench workout on Monday & Friday, Arms on Wednesday)

Week #9 Workout
60 second pull up–>Bicep Curls
60 second Dips–>Tricep Extensions
Leg Extensions
Leg Curls
Dead Lift
Box Squat
Upright Rows
Power Cleans
Lat Pulldowns
Bench Press
Bench Flys
Incline Press
Decline Press
Trunk Curls
Leg Raises
(Arm Workout Mon & Fri, Bench on Wed)

Week #10 Workout
Power Cleans
Hang Cleans
Dead Lifts (2 sets)
Front Squat
Box Squat
Bench Press (3 sets)
Bent Rows
Upright rows
Pull Ups
Dips
Push Ups
Lat Pulldowns
Trunk Curls
Leg Raises
(After this do 3 sets of 21’s or 20’s)

​“If you work hard on this workout, I guarantee you will get stronger.”- Frank Houston


*Consult with your medical professional before beginning a new workout routine.