I remember something funny my little girl suggested I do a while ago.

"I should glue you to the pull-up bar, Dad! Then you'll hang there forever!"

It was funny.

She was doing some crafts or something, from what I could glean, and it was funny - because, well, I do that sort of "glued" to workout all the time!

People could do and use more of it, to be honest, as opposed to be glued to the Tee Vee, dumb as bricks phones, soap operas and such ...

Try hanging from a chinning bar or a tree branch - NOW, my friend.

How long can you do it?

For most modern day men, it's a struggle to hold on for one second - if they can do it the right way.

Fitness "fanatics" fail after 5-10 seconds.

And even the extreme guys can rarely, if at all, go beyond the patented 20 second or more Gorilla Grip holds!

And add in thick bars, and then ... well, you get the photo.

Which a bank agent couldn't recenty get. Ughhhhhhh. I was on the phone with her for a customer care issue, and she wanted ID, and so forth, and no matter what, "MAdam" couldn't "capture" the phone, claimed it was my dumb phone (it wasn't, because a) it works on other calls b) she can see it - but can't capture; obviously an issue with her software) . . .

But anyway.

Some more glued to workouts - for YOU.

Glue yourself to the floor - literally - in the patented "Rahul Mookerjee" squat I teach you in the book on isometrics, or in the same books, the "downward dog" position - both for at least 30 seconds, if you can get there.

Just do this as a workout.

Really emphasize the isometric, proper form, no flailing about, tell me how you feel then!

Or, another one - the handstand.

Glue yourself to the handstand as long as you can.

Or,the "wall chair" - another great exercise I haven't spoken about before, where you make a chair against the wall with your back against the wall, and thats it - just hold - and if you are advanced, well, you do it without the wall.

OR, so many others!

Every exercise done right can be turned into a glue me to the bar isometric or something.

The bar. Hehe.

Lots of you spent time glued to barstools every night, while that isn't necessarily bad (hey I do it too) - make sure you get a proper WORKOUT IN!

Every day!

And in my case, the bar - both pull-up bar, and the actual bar (given I seem to drink most men triple my size and more under the table with no issues) would fall off first before I do, hehe.

Get on the train - now!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

PS - Remember, down to ONE copy of Fast and Furious Fitness, or two at most. Get in while you can. I ain't gonna print this special Collector's Edition again. No way, Jose! Those that want it - jump on thsi now.

Or grippers, or what not.

Might sound unbelievable, but as I revamped Gorilla Grip a couple of years back, EXACTLY the same thing happened to me.

I wrote about it.

Those that are DOERS got the message, and the Bozos, well, they complained about “not enough information” (along with price shoppers etc).

I increased the price, and they ranted even more. HEHe.

But anyway, I wrote about the subconscious in an email or so prior to this, and this is what is so great about the plans the SUBCONSCIOUS gives you.

Those that get it love you for putting out stuff that is the best, and works!

Just flat out works

And those you DO NOT want near you – they get repelled even more.

Can’t ask for more!

Anyway, during that period, something strange happened.

As you know, when creating 0 Excuses Fitness (Which was actually planned for a change) I didn’t do anything except that workout system.

Nothing.

No hills, no pull-ups, no sprints, no Animal workouts, no nothing.

I just did what is mentioned in the System.

Got in the best shape of my life.

But I noticed something curious.

My GRIP strength, which I thought would SUFFER, had actually increased tremendously!

True, I was doing a few handstands here or there, but nothing special.

No grippers, no grip work …

SO what gives, you ask.

Well, a nutter on the Gorilla Grip page said “I said I did this, but didn’t tell him how in the book”, but I DID.

And it’s two things, maybe more.

PUSHUPS!

And it’s not the regular pushup either.

In Pushup Central, a courses some people have RAVED about as containing “almost impossible to do exercises” - - I give you several types of pushups that by the very positioning of the fingers build the grip and forearm tremendously. No, I ain’t talking just fingertip pushups though yes, those DO help.

Those help a lot, but again, it ain’t that.

And in the book on REVERSE pushups, the best darn exercise and it’s derivatives – well – that is something else I did during that period, and though it’s not mentioned on the sales page, THOSE improved my grip tremendously beyond belief during that period.

And when I got back to pull-ups etc?

IT was like I never ever left.

Much like life itself …

And thereeth standeth another FACT.

Pick up the courses NOW.

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

A field day for you GRIP fanatics out there. Including yours truly, the bonafide leader of the pack in that regard I’d say, hehe, though I’m waiting to be toppled from the post! ;)

But really, I spoke about outer forearms and the SWELL you feel (not pump! This is real training!) when you train them right along the outside.

Talk size – strength -e verything!

And now, in tandem with that, as I finish that workout which I interrupted mid way to write to you (and yes this one has been interrupted too!) ...the res tof the forearms.

This one includes THICK gripz – those foam like handles you often see on doorway chinning bars.

They seem simple, but are nothing of the nature. Anything but I was gonna say!

And I have NOT covered those as yet in my courses. Pretty much because you dont need ‘em, but if you have ‘em, they make a very welcome addition indeed to your grip arsenal and indeed pull-up arsenal.

And it’s this.

HANG for time.

Really squeeze those suckers!

I know I mention all this in thick bar work etc in the book.

But these grips work you differently.

You’ll feel the FINGERS really working hard as opposed to the thumb, whereas thick bar works distributes the load evenly.

Which is better?

NEITHER!

I do BOTH, and so should you, but if you had to choose one, the latter.

But if you HAVE thick grips – well – use them!

And pop off handstand pushups post all this.

And stationery handstands, walks, and the works.

Thats the end of the workout then – write back – tell me how you feel afterwards!!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

PS – Off to finish now!

Not just because of the way they make you breathe.

Not just because of how they burn fat all over the entire BODY – especially the upper!

Not just because of how the ygive you a SUPERLATIVE workout in a way very few, if any, workouts CAN!

Not just because ... do you need any more reasons??

Those would be enough for me!

Not just because of the time taken.

I got done with 2000 jumps and 50 pull-ups right now in a workout that lasted about ... oh say 10-15 minutes.

I haven’t stretched.

I am POURING SWEAT and writing to you !

I’m going to go stretch now soon, but for nowm why do I mention this?

BECAUSE OF THE SUPERLATIVE GRIP WORKOUT these workotus give you!

And because of the upper forearm workout – a much neglected area – that this sort of workout will give you.

Believe me, the grip maniac can barely grip now!

And it’ snot the inside of the forearm either that’s burning (which most target).

It’s the OUTSIDES!

And if I did fingertip pushps right now?

Lets just say I wouldn’t even be typing at you right now!

But really, my friend.

TRUE forearm workout, and I’ve included this in Gorilla Grip means you work the forearms BOTH WAYS.

ALL ways.

EVERY which way.

From the inside out!

And thats why this sort of workout.

And rope pull-ups!

And one arm pull-ups!

And thick bar HANGS!

And everything mentione din Gorilla Grip.

Grab this now, my friend. Truly the best training manaul ever on GRIP!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

PS – Don’t forget to pick up Jump Rope MANIA! Right here as well (For more such fat burners of workouts!)

PS #2 – Remember, the simple things are often ignored - - and are also what work the best. In Gorilla Grip, I gave you a very simple exercise that doesnt even gasp! Involve your BODYWEIGHT.

IT’s so simple it requires NOTHING – almost.

But do it after what I mentioned above and then write back and tell me!

I’m out, hehe. Back soon!

When Bozo Scofield sent me that long, rambling rant (about 10 of them from what I recall, or perhaps 15) a while ago, one of the comments he wrote was this.

Mad max comment to be sure …

“There is no way to prove you’ve sold X amount of books! Actually, I take that back. I bought one for my girlfriend and she hated it. (I think he said “didn’t like”, but I’m adding spice on, hehe) Please get a gorilla grip, Rahul and stop writing about me else I’ll “

… and the rest of it descended into such pure insanity that I had to shake my head and marvel.

At the insanity of his entire rant which bounced from one of the email to the other like space in his admittedly “empty” head (he doesn’t seem to have that thing we humans call a brain, or at least not that I know of).

Now, this isn’t about gorilla grips or non-existent girlfriend. (actually, it IS about the former. But we’ll get to that in a second).

First, why would I WANT to prove I sold X number of books?

Second, why would I care either way?

And third, the “2 followers” chant that this Bozo keeps referring to is actually something I sometimes wish I had (or 20, perhaps) as opposed to the 10 K or so people following me currently.

And growing, from what I can tell.

Why?

Well, I’ll reserve that bit for a marketing related email.

But let me just say that sometimes less is indeed more, and how!

And anyway, on to the main topic for today.

What is the ONE thing that really caused my grip to skyrocket beyond insane levels?

So much so that “mere mortals” ( I know, I know, but bear with me) shy away from gripping my hand and routinely call me out on my grip (in a good way)?

Well, it’s something that is revealed in Pull-ups from Dud to STUD within a matter of weeks. And to be kind and fair (not really, hehe), I put in the advanced book as well.

And no, I’m not going to reveal it for free in this email.

Despite the chorus of chants I’m sure to hear (I know, how dare I!!!) about “not providing value” or the righteous lot getting ticked off at “my fitness information not being helpful at all, since I say just do it!”

But hey.

More fuel to the fire.

This secret is NOT any of the following:

Doing a different type of pull-up. OR chin-up (which I don’t recommend). Or a combo therein.

It ain’t about flexing the intergalactic part of the inner forearm and doing endless curls that way with the pinkly ‘slightly more curled’ until your wrist falls off.

It ain’t about volume.

It ain’t about sets or reps.

It ain’t about mindless bozo like “workouts that last hours”.

It ain’t about pumping, toning, puffing, buffing, preening and posing.

About using thick bars (though that’s a great tip by itself right there).  

It IS this tho –

Something that everyone can do.

If you can do pull-ups, or even try, you can do it.

If you can hang on to a chinning bar, you can do it.

IF you have fingers, youc an do it (no, it’s not about how many fingers etc).

And here’s something it WILL Do –

It WILL SKYROCKET YOUR gains in ALL Exercises (upper body) through the ROOF. And your pull-up numbers too.

Not to mention give you that numbing, “kung fu” like grip I mention so often in Gorilla Grip.

And guess what you don’t have to be a Bozo, or Bozo Scofield, or his brother, or mother, or girlfriend to get it. Or anything related.

You just have to be dead on SERIOUS about grip strength my friend and getting down to brass tacks, and HOW.

HERE is where you can grab the entire compilation my friend. Do so now – truly worth it!

Best,

Rahul Mookerjee

PS – And if you want to get better at pull-ups (and let’s face it, boys, boyo, brah, bruh, bro and everyone in between or not, we ALL Do) – HERE is the course that will get you from “dud” to STUD level very soon indeed (if you stop being lazy and just do what is required ie mentioned in the course) - - https://0excusesfitness.com/pull-ups-from-dud-to-stud-within-a-matter-of-weeks/

PS #2 – There is yet ANOTHER secret I mention in the first book, but NOT the second (As far as I can recall). See if you can find it. It’s something I talk about quite a bit here! ?

Was at it today after my hill climb (done earlier than usual - - and the heat - - well, let's just say it was SOMETHING ELSE - - YOW!), and saw a young, skinny and nattily dressed "whipper snapper" out and about in the workout area where I exercise after climbing the hill.

The entire area was pretty much deserted today, given the extreme heat (and humidity) - excepting for said person and me, that is.

He was sitting on a bench in the shade watching me exercise, but soon started to stretch, and I could tell he wanted to join "the fun" as well.

And soon, he sauntered over to the monkey bars where I was diligently swinging myself across back and forth, two bars at a time (a technique I've been working over the last few days to get down pat - - still haven't got there - - but I will), and attempted to do the same.

Now, lest you think this email is going the "clown" way (as in, this fellow started to fool around, show off, etc), it isn't - - he actually tried pretty hard, and actually did a pretty good job of swinging himself across the bars once before he let go.

And what I found interesting was he didn't do what 99.999% of folks normally do in that situation  - - which is to throw in the towel before they even start i.e. before they even get used to the monkey bars (and believe you me, done right, monkey bars exercises are nothing short of cruel, unrelenting and TOUGH).

No.

He did one more set. Then one more. And then another. And so did I, each of us taking a break during the other's set.

But he was doing one thing wrong - - he was not gripping the bar correctly - - and that is something I've seen many, many people do - - even folks who've been exercising for a LONG time.

Being that he was actually trying to learn the exercise and get better at it, I showed him a simple tip - - a tip that I speak of a LOT in both the pull-up and grip manuals I've authored - - a tip that makes your pulling exercises easier and harder at the same time, if that makes sense.

Easier to grip - - yet harder to grip - - and for those of you that think I'm speaking Latin - - well, I'm not - - but the reason I'm telling you this is not so much because of the actual tip itself, but because of the "root" issue - - and here, that root issue was this dude was not GRIPPING the bar correctly.

I speak a LOT about gripping the bar correctly in my courses, and with good reason.

Grip the bar HARD. Grip the bar LIKE YOU MEAN IT. Grip with PASSION. In fact, the right grip can literally cause your forearm strength to skyrocket in very little time - - and yours truly is an example of this.

Other hand, grip the bar the wrong way, and though you might be able to pound out reps or otherwise do OK at an exercise, it's a recipe for disaster in the long-term. And neither are you getting the benefits you should in terms of wrist and forearm development if you just sort of "struggle" to hang on to the bar, or if you just "limply" hang on.

Worse, a poor - - or incorrect - - grip can actually  lead to other problems - - like, elbow tendonitis for instance - - and again, thats something yours truly can bear testament to - - since I'm been dealing with a dodgy elbow for the last couple of days myself.

How did you end up getting a case of tendonitis, you might ask?

Well, dear reader, though I do ALL my exercises in right form, I do end up goofing sometimes. And thinking back to a couple of days ago, I believe I goofed while exercising on the monkey bars after rain a while ago.

The bars were slippery, and not easy to hold at all, and while you might think that makes for a better workout it doesn't for these exercises, and before I knew it, I ended up pulling an elbow and not even knowing it at the time - - though I sure did the next morning. OUCH!

And today, I thought I wouldn't be able to exercise at all on the monkey bars - - but funnily enough, a strange thing happened.

I decided I'd give it a try anyway and see how it were. After all, I can always stop if it hurts too bad, eh?

And what I also did was to focus EVEN MORE on my grip, and gripping style - - I literally tried to "be" my forearms during the sets if that makes any sense.

And I ended up getting through a pretty darn good workout (albeit without the variety of pull-ups I normally do - - I stuck to regular pull-ups today) - - which might seen strange considering I just said I had a case of tendonitis - - a painful one, at that.

But what will sound REALLY strange is that I hardly feel any pain at all in the elbow now.

That's right. Four hours or so after my workout and other activities, the pain is FAR LESS - - and this after a hard workout!

Sure, I still have a bit of pain, but it's nothing compared to what was there before.

Perhaps this was my body's way of telling me that I goofed a couple of days ago? To - - maybe - - CONCENTRATE - - EVEN HARDER- - while working out?

I think it was, and I'm glad my body told me - - now that I think about it, yes, I do end up ignoring my grip at times (though nothing like what most people tend to do) when I'm extremely tired, or towards the end of a set - - not good, and something to keep in mind for me for sure.

So that's the tale for today - - tendonitis seemingly "banished" by doing pulling exercises the RIGHT way (that, and training the young whipper snapper of course, who by the way was still at when I left - - good on you, my friend).

Now, please note that I'm not recommending hard exercise to cure tennis elbows or other cases of tendonitis - - far from it. I'm all for heeding my doctor's advice - - but sometimes, just sometimes - - the unconventional is what works best, and this certainly was the case for me this afternoon!

All for now -- back again soon!

Best Regards,
Rahul

P.S: - Again, grip training is one of the MOST IMPORTANT parts of your workout- - BAR NONE (or very few)! And the ultimate in grip training can be found right HERE: - http://rahulmookerjee.com/index.php/products/8-gorilla-grip/

I've been getting a ton of questions as of late about grip training (one of my favorite things to do, by the way).

Those that read my daily emails/newsletters know the emphasis I place on grip work - - developing a rugged, powerful grip being one of the very, very best things you can do for your overall levels of strength and muscular development.

And I've had many an email on this topic as of late - - to many to even address in my daily communications, to be honest.

Questions such as "How on earth do you do those thick bar "walks" you keep referring to"?

Or, "how exactly do handstand pushups build the grip?" (a very common one, by the way)

And most recently, feedback from a reader in Turkey who states that he wants to build a strong grip, but that he's been unable to reach the levels of development he's wanted to despite spending MONTHS working out on the machines in the gym.

And so I've finally finished a project of mine (one amongst way too many - - that sound familiar??) that I've been working upon for a while now - - namely, "Gorilla Grip", a concise, NO FRILLS, NO FLUFF, and NO NONSENSE forty three page training manual detailing SIXTEEN exercises that if done correctly and regularly will give you a pair of forearms that "Farmer Joe" (or even Popeye, if you so prefer) would be proud of - - but more importantly, STRENGTH and ENDURANCE to match.

Yes - forty three pages of hard hitting, no-sense training information for all you grip fanatics out there (and there seem to be a lot!) - - exercises that have been forgotten by the "muscle media" for the most part.

Exercises that are HARD, and are NOT, I repeat, NOT done sitting down or lying on a bench.

Exercises that will make you SWEAT. Exercise that make you HUFF and PUFF like a runaway locomotive.

Exercises that make you develop those nasty calluses on your palms.

But most of all, exercises that FLAT OUT WORK - - and my own experience and comments about having a ferocious grip are proof enough.

Of course, you'll never ever develop a grip like a real gorilla no matter how hard you try - - but this course WILL get you to near superhuman levels of gripping power that most folks will never ever attain.

Click on over to http://rahulmookerjee.com/index.php/products/89-gorilla-grip/, and order NOW - - you'll be glad you did!

I look forward to hearing about your succes!

Best regards,
Rahul

P.S.: - Our facebook page is a great place to discuss all things fitness related - - you can find us on Facebook right HERE: - https://www.facebook.com/fastandfuriousfitness . . .   

P.S #2: - That link again is http://rahulmookerjee.com/index.php/products/89-gorilla-grip/. Order now, and get started on the road to superior forearm strength, power and development.

Despite the importance of a strong and reliable grip, training the grip is usually the last thing on most trainee's minds. Most folks would rather train their chest, back, and other larger muscles and not really focus on grip work except for whatever work the forearms and fingers get from performing exercises for these larger body parts.

And I'm not saying that's necessarily a bad thing - training the larger muscles of the body is always good, and yes, the grip does get worked quite a bit on exercises that target the chest and back - but always remember, a chain is only as strongest as it's weakest link, and if your grip is that link, well, some focused grip work won't hurt.

Anyhow, I discuss that in detail in Fast and Furious Fitness, but today's email is about balanced grip training, so lets get back on topic for now.
 
When we talk about "grip training", most folks instantly associate it with training the fingers to "close" powerfully around a said object. So you could be training for a firm/crushing handshake, or perhaps to improve your pull-ups by gripping the bar firmer. Those are great, but there's a missing link here - that being the muscles that do the opposite i.e. "open" your fingers.

To put this in perspective (of sorts), a crocodile has one of the most powerful bites in the entire animal kingdom. More than a grizzly bear, more than a hyena, or even shark - but tie a croc up and hold it's closed mouth with a normal grip - and it won't be able to open that massive jaw until you let it.

Sounds amazing, but it's true, the croc's jaw muscles bite down with immense force, but are unable to exert any tangible force the other way around.

Now, how does this relate to humans? I'm certainly not asking you to mess around with wild crocodiles, but what I'm saying is that we have something similar going on with our "gripping" muscles as well - those being the muscles (and tendons) in our forearms, fingers, wrist and even palm.

And the way you train these muscles is by focusing on training the FINGERS, rather than grip. One way is to do fingertip pushups - I did these at the end of my pull-up routine today, and I'm feeling a "sore to the bone" feeling in my forearms - different from what pull-ups or other tough grip work feels like.

Not necessarily "better" or "more effective" - but definitely DIFFERENT - and definitely another way of training your gripping muscles in another direction. You don't want to have a weak link anywhere, and balancing your grip training out is important for this very reason.

Additionally, strengthening yourself in one direction will automatically lead to strength gains in your other grip work - try it out yourself if you don't believe me! This holds true for other body parts as well, and the grip muscles are no different in this regard.  

So thats the tip for today - back again later.  

Best Regards,
Rahul

P.S.: If your looking to develop gorialla like claws and gripping power, the first thing you need to lay your mitts on is Fast and Furious Fitness: - http://rahulmookerjee.com/index.php/articles/83-fast-and-furious-fitness-the-book

It's funny, but true. A lot of the folks I meet these days just dont want to shake my hand any longer. 

Take, for example, this incident that occured the other day. I was walking down the hallway, while a slightly older (and seemingly well built) guy that I know came down the hall. We shook hands as men normally do - or at least, as I think men SHOULD shake hands, and the next thing I know this guy is offering me a limp fish handshake, and asking me to "let go".

"I'm an old man, leave me alone", he whines.

Now being that he's not really that much older than I am, and also, being that I did nothing out of the ordinary, other than shake his hand, this left me bemused - even more so when he proceeded to complain later that I "crush" his hand every time I see him.

Or, take the case of a colleague of mine, who I see every morning. I walk up to him to shake hands, and what do I get but an even limper, two finger "handshake" if you can call it that. Why? Well, as he himself said once, "I don't have a very strong grip, and I don't think it's important". Hmm, OK. . .no problems at my end.  .  .

Then there are those who instead of shaking my hand, attempt to wrench the entire arm out of it's socket by vigorously shaking the entire arm up and down as if it were a tubewell (or elephant's trunk). And some of these folks look at me in a nasty manner when I actually GRIP the other hand - puts a wrench in their heaving, hehe.

Laugh all you like, but odds are if you train hard and regular, you've had similar experiences as well.

Anyway, limp fish handshakes, tubewells and sundry aside, there are FAR more benefits to a strong grip than simply delivering bonecrushers (and no, thats not what I set out to do every time I shake hands with someone). I speak at length about training the grip in Fast and Furious Fitness - there's an entire chapter devoted to it, and with very good reason.

Here are but a few of the reasons why YOU should be training your grip as hard as any other body part: -

- A strong grip makes it easier to perform, and improve tough exercises. Pull-ups being a case in a point - how many folks shy away from pullups because they simply dont have the power to hold on to the bar, let along pull in an organized manner?

- Strong fingers, tendons and wrists reduce the chances of injury when performing exercises that demand a LOT from the hands.

- A strong grip makes it easier to perform DAY to DAY tasks, such as lugging heavy sofas up and down stairs. Try pinch gripping a mammoth old sofa - or Grandma's piano - and transporting it up and down three flights of stairs. It ain't easy, and its just not possible if you have weak wrists and fingers.

And in case your wondering what latest gizmo you'll need to purchase the train the grip like it should be, relax - you don't need very much at all in terms of equipment - or time, for that matter. No need for heavy weights. No need to labor over endless sets of "concentration" curls while making sure the "thumb points towards the bicep". No need for wrist rollers (though those can be great). No rubber balls, no squeezing newspapers, none of that.

So, without further ado, how exactly DO I train my grip?

Well - there are plenty of ways - but I'll list a few of them off the top of my head: -

- Pull-ups (done in PROPER form) - one of the best ways to develop a bone crushing grip. Note: You have to do the exercise correctly to get the most out of it - no kipping, no cheating, no swinging - just good proper pull-ups!

- Standing on my hands - a tremendous forearm builder.

- Timed holds from a tree trunk, doorway chinning bar, or just about anything you can hang from safely - another killer.

- Fingertip pushups (again, done CORRECTLY!); these are an all but forgotten exercises, but one that will give you fingers and tendons that feel like pliable steel.

And those barely scratch the surface.  .  .there is SO MUCH MORE where those came from.

So, let's see. Getting a full body workout within 45 minutes or less (in some cases less than half an hour), great cardio and strength workout rolled into one, exercises designed to give you the grip of an African gorilla - and, best of all, the moans about bone crushers from the limp fish crowd, hehe - I'll take that anyday over lengthy, drawn out gym sessions and 100 sets of what-not for the biceps, and 15 sets "just to train the other forearms", and so forth.

OK - I'm joking about the "limp fish crowd" - but jokes aside, my friend, as you can see - if you train as I teach you in Fast and Furious Fitness; you'll realize that your getting a superb grip workout in WHILE doing your other exercises - without spending extra time on specifically working the grip. Don't get me wrong - you CAN specialize on grip work, if you do it correctly - you just dont HAVE to.

Grab the book today, and give these exercises a try - and let me know how you do!

Best regards,

Rahul

PS: If you train today, make it a great one!!

Training on (or with) thick bars is something that I've always enjoyed. This could mean doing pull-ups on thick iron bars, swinging across the monkey bars in the playground, or simply lifting odd objects that have a thick handled grip. I enjoy training this way whenever I have the time, and believe you me, this type of training is one of the toughest you can do,especially when it comes to lifting, pulling and carrying movements.

Note that when I'm referring to thick bars, I'm not referring to your usual chinning bar or dumbell handle - I'm referring to bars which have a diameter of at least 2 inches, preferably more. I personally do my pull-ups and other related pulling movements out in the park - not on a pull-up bar - I use the thick, cast iron bars which make up the swing set, or the sides of the monkey bars.

And whats so special about thick bar work?

Well, for one, you build your grip without even thinking about it. Look, doing sets of 5 good pull-ups on a THICK bar is WAY different from doing them on a regular bar. First, you have to struggle to hold on during the entire set - which builds immense forearm and finger strength and power. Try completing that last pull-up when your fingers are struggling to just hold on to the bar - it's not easy.

Second, you build up the ligaments and tendons of your wrist and fingers to an amazing degree when you work with thick bars. The very act of gripping on to a thick bar (2.5" diameter or more) ensures that you build the gripping muscles - but more importantly, the ligaments and tendons that are the driving force behind the muscles. And it's nigh impossible to do well on thick bar exercises without strengthening everything. You may be able to  curl impressive poundages in the gym, but chances are that you'll be able to curl less than half that if you work with thick bars (and the same weight) - and the reason will likely be weak connecting ligaments and tendons.

Third, working with thick bars ensures that you a) minimize the chances of wrist or finger injury in the future and b) the added blood flow to the fingers, wrist and forearms ensures that you recuperate faster from previous such injuries. I should know - I injured my thumb (and the ligaments in the palm as well) pretty badly a few days ago while doing fingertip pushups, but I could do pushups with minimum pain the next day, and a few days later - the thumb is almost back to normal. And part of the reason I've recovered so quickly is the thick bar work that I do.

Last, and by no means the last, your performance will improve tremendously on all your regular exercises once you begin doing them with thick bars. Stuck at a max of 5 reps for the pull-up? Well, find some THICK bars - and work up to doing sets of 5 reps on those for a couple of weeks, or however long it takes you. Then go back and test your self on pull-ups on the regular bar - I think your going to be amazed. And this doesn't just go for pull-ups; it applies to other exercises as well.

There are more reasons, but these three should give you enough motivation to get started with some thick bar work. I personally did 25 pull-ups along with assorted grip exercises out in the park today AFTER my regular workout - and my forearms are feeling it for sure at this point.

And lest you think that bodyweight exercises are the ONLY thing you can do when it comes to thick bar work, well, think again, my friend. You can incorporate this type of training into your routine even if you prefer lifting weights - or you can combine lifting odd objects with bodyweight work - which by the way is something I highly recommend.

Either way, make sure you DO incorporate some sort of thick bar work into your routine - you won't believe the gains you make!

Best regards,

Rahul

PS: Thick bar work is something I talk about in detail in Fast and Furious Fitness. I also show you various exercises you can do on thick bars in the book. Grab your copy ASAP and get started on the road to astounding levels of gripping power.