Introduction
One of the most overlooked aspects of Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) is grip strength. Forearm and hand strength is critical to perform weighted carries, climb ropes, and navigate obstacle courses. In this article, we’ll outline the best exercises to build grip strength for SFAS.
Why is Grip Strength Important for SFAS?
Often, candidates’ limiting factor in selection is not their conditioning or aerobic capacity, it is their grip strength. A typical day at SFAS will involves hours of runs, rucks, and speed walks with heavy jerry cans. Oh, and the weighted carries are team events – so if the group needs to start and stop because a candidate can’t grip their cans, good luck to them on peer evaluations!
After hours in the heat with cramped, tight forearms, candidates will run obstacle courses with rope climbs. It is at this point everyone realizes it does not matter how fast they run, how heavy they lift, or how many push ups they do if they can’t grip the rope or hold their jerry can. Everyone wishes they trained more grip strength for SFAS.
Top Exercises to Improve Grip Strength
Before diving into the top exercises to improve grip strength, remember that 80% of the required grip strength for special forces selection can be achieved with a well-designed weight lifting program. And all of the dedicated forearm training in the world will not replace the foundational back, leg, and core strength given from a regimented weight lifting program which includes heavy deadlifts, weighted pull ups, and barbell rows. In this article, we’ll focus on the other 20% of dedicated grip training to take a candidate’s forearm strength to the next level.
Dedicated grip training should not require more than 30 minutes of focused training per week. In our 1:1 coaching, we integrate grip strength and weighted carries into short circuits with calisthenics exercises.
How to Train Grip
Heavy DB Farmer Carries
Heavy DB farmer walks are a phenomenal full body exercise to train the demands of special forces training. Farmer carries should be performed at least once per week. Candidates should work up to walking with 100lb DBs for multiple sets of 100 yards. Although many will use a trap bar for farmer walks, we prefer using dumbells to mimic the carrying of jerry cans in selection. Candidates who want to mimic selection, can also purchase jerry cans and fill them with water.
Wrist roller (Forearm blaster)
The wrist roller is a phenomenal (and cheap) piece of equipment to isolate the forearm extensors (the top of the forearm), which are rarely trained. When we do deadlifts, farmer carries, or pull ups, we mainly train the forearm flexors. Completing a few sets on the wrist roller with the palms facing down is a great way to strengthen the forearm extensors, prevent muscle imbalances, and avoid overuse injuries such as tennis and golfer’s elbow.
Thick Bars or Fat Gripz
If candidates already train with a regimented weight lifting program like the one outlined in a previous article and integrate heavy DB farmer walks and wrist rollers into a calisthenics circuit, then they will have all the tools at their disposal to develop strong forearms and grip strength.
Candidates often ask us about gym accessories like Fat Gripz, Iron Bull Gripz, or Snake Gripz. Candidates should not add thickness on heavy barbell movements like deadlifts. We do not want to make barbell exercises more difficult by making the bar bigger. If a candidate is dead set on using Fat Gripz, we recommend using them on light, accessory movements like DB curls or DB lateral raises.
Conclusion
Grip strength is one of the most overlooked aspects of Special Forces training. To be prepared for the demands placed on the forearms and hands, candidates should complete a regimented weight lifting program to develop general strength and circuit workouts to directly target grip strength.
Read More
How Important is Rucking for SFAS?
How to Join Special Forces as a Civilian
Resources to Train for Special Forces