Strengthening Your Hands for Better Firearm Grip

The Wake-Up Call

About a year ago, I found myself in a Archangel Defense Handgun Dynamics Class with instructor Kerry Dugan. During one of our breaks, Kerry pulled out a grip strength measuring tool and started passing it around. I figured I’d do pretty well—after all, I work out regularly and lift weights. My grip had to be developed, right?

Wrong.

I gave it a shot and thought my numbers were decent. Then I listened to everyone else’s measurements. I was the low man on the totem pole. That moment was humbling, but it was also the push I needed to take grip strength seriously.

Measure the hand strength

That’s when I realized something important: going to the gym and lifting weights doesn’t automatically translate to functional grip strength for shooting. The kind of strength you need to control a firearm under recoil, maintain consistent pressure through multiple magazine changes, and keep your groups tight during extended training sessions requires specific, targeted development.

Why Grip Strength Actually Matters for Shooters

Before that day with Kerry, I never gave much thought to grip strength as a shooting fundamental. I focused on stance, sight alignment, trigger control—all the usual suspects. But grip strength underlies all of these.

Recoil Control: A stronger grip means better muzzle management and faster follow-up shots. When you can firmly control the pistol through the recoil cycle, you’re getting back on target quicker and more consistently.

Trigger Control: Here’s something that surprised me—grip strength allows you to maintain a steady hold while executing a smooth trigger press. A weak grip means your entire hand is working harder just to hold the gun, which interferes with isolating your trigger finger movement.

Consistency Through Fatigue: During longer training sessions or competitions, grip fatigue sets in. A stronger baseline means you maintain performance longer before that fatigue degrades your shooting.

Safety: Perhaps most importantly, maintaining positive control of your firearm in all situations—including stressful ones—requires adequate grip strength.

The difference between general “gym strength” and functional grip strength for shooting became crystal clear to me through this journey. Curling dumbbells builds your biceps, but it doesn’t necessarily prepare your hands and forearms for the specific demands of controlling a firearm.

Understanding the Three Types of Grip Strength

As I started researching, I learned that grip strength isn’t just one thing. There are actually three distinct types, and shooters need all of them:

Crushing Grip: This is whole-hand squeezing power—like a firm handshake or gripping your firearm. This is what most people think of when they think “grip strength,” and it’s crucial for maintaining control of your pistol.

Pinch Grip: This involves your thumb and fingers working in opposition. This was actually my weakest area, and as I discovered, it plays a significant role in overall grip stability and control of the firearm during recoil.

Support Grip: This is your ability to hold weight for extended periods—sustaining your hold during aimed fire without your hands cramping or shaking. This is more about muscular endurance than pure strength.

The key insight here is that you need to develop all three types. Focusing on just one leaves gaps in your functional grip strength.

Understanding Tendon Strength: The Real Foundation

Here’s something critical I learned through my research: tendon strength is hand strength. This was a revelation that changed how I approached my training entirely.

When most people think about getting stronger, they think about building muscle. But grip strength is fundamentally about tendon strength and conditioning. The tendons in your hands, fingers, and forearms are what allow you to generate and maintain force over time.

The research on training hand tendons shows that the best results come from static holds of about 10 seconds, followed by a full minute of rest. You do 3-5 sets, then rest completely. The fascinating part? You can repeat this protocol every 8 hours because tendon adaptation follows different recovery patterns than muscle tissue.

This understanding completely reframed my approach. I wasn’t just building muscle endurance—I was conditioning the connective tissue that would allow me to maintain a vise-like grip on my firearm through recoil, shot after shot.

My Journey: Trial, Error, and Gradual Discovery

Phase 1: Captains of Crush—The False Start

After my disappointing performance in Kerry’s class, I started researching grip strengthening tools. The Captains of Crush grippers kept coming up as the gold standard, so I purchased a set along with a grip measurement tool to track my progress.

Captains of Crush

I started working with them regularly. And here’s the problem: I was breezing through them. I could close the grippers, I was putting in the reps, but when I measured my grip strength after a few weeks, I wasn’t seeing any real improvement.

Looking back now, I understand why. I wasn’t applying progressive overload correctly. I wasn’t spending enough time under tension, I wasn’t challenging my muscles at the edge of their capability, and I wasn’t being systematic about progression. More importantly, I didn’t yet understand the tendon conditioning principle—those 10-second static holds that actually drive adaptation.

The lesson: having the right tools isn’t enough. You need to use them correctly.

Phase 2: FAT Grips—Finally Feeling the Burn

Frustrated with my lack of progress, I kept researching. That’s when I discovered FAT Grips—thick rubber sleeves that fit over dumbbell and barbell handles to increase their diameter.

This was a game-changer.

eXtreme FAT Grips

The first time I tried to do Arnold presses with FAT Grips attached, the weight I could normally handle dropped significantly. But the burn in my hands and forearms was intense and immediate. This was different from the grippers. This was challenging my grip in a functional movement pattern, and the thickness of the grip meant my hands had to work much harder just to maintain control.

The FAT Grips started showing results because they increased my time under tension and provided a different stimulus than the grippers. And here’s the connection to shooting that finally clicked for me: thicker grips more closely simulate the demands of gripping a firearm. Your pistol grip isn’t pencil-thin—it requires your hand to open and apply force across a wider diameter.

Used for every dumbbell exercise....pride out the window

I started incorporating FAT Grips into every dumbbell exercise in my routine: Arnold presses, curls, reverse curls, rolling tricep extensions, and side lateral raises. Every single movement became a grip training opportunity. The difference in my forearm development became noticeable within weeks.

Phase 3: Pinch Plates—Targeting the Weakest Link

As my research continued, I learned something crucial: for most people, pinch grip is the weakest link in their grip strength chain. When your hand is in a pinching motion—thumb opposed to fingers—that’s where you’re most vulnerable.

I purchased a 1/8” pinch plate setup. This is a simple but brutally effective piece of equipment: a thin steel plate that never changes, but you add weight to the bottom using a chain or rope. You pinch the plate between your thumb and fingers and hold the added weight.

Best pieces is last!

This was humbling all over again. These looked easy. They were not.

What I discovered is that pinch grip strength directly contributes to how well you can lock your entire grip onto the firearm. When your thumb and fingers can apply strong, opposed pressure, it creates a more stable platform for controlling the gun through the recoil impulse. This was the missing piece in keeping my red dot from wandering off target between shots.

With the pinch plate, I applied that 10-second static hold protocol: pinch the plate, hold for 10 seconds, rest for a full minute, repeat for 3-5 sets. Because you’re conditioning tendons rather than just fatiguing muscles, I could do this multiple times throughout the day—morning, afternoon, evening—without overtraining.

What Actually Works: My Current Approach

Through trial and error, I’ve developed an approach that actually delivers measurable results. Here’s what I’ve learned works:

Progressive Overload Is Non-Negotiable

You can’t just “breeze through” exercises and expect results. Your muscles and tendons need to be challenged consistently, and that challenge needs to increase over time. Track your measurements and progress. Write down what gripper you’re using, how many reps, how much weight is hanging from your pinch plate. Make the next session slightly harder.

Training All Three Grip Types

Here’s my current rotation:

For Crushing Grip:

∙ Captains of Crush grippers using 10-second static holds at peak contraction, 1-minute rest between sets

∙ 3-5 sets per session

∙ Currently working with the 1.5 gripper

∙ Can be repeated every 8 hours due to tendon adaptation patterns

∙ Dead hangs from a pull-up bar for timed holds

For Pinch Grip:

∙ 1/8” pinch plate with progressively heavier weight attached via chain

∙ 10-second static holds, 1-minute rest between sets

∙ 3-5 sets per session

∙ Multiple sessions throughout the day (every 8 hours)

For Support/Endurance:

∙ FAT Grips on every dumbbell exercise: Arnold presses, curls, reverse curls, rolling tricep extensions, side lateral raises

∙ Extended dead hangs (currently working toward a 90-second hang)

∙ The FAT Grip work provides constant grip challenge throughout my regular workout

My Weekly Protocol

I train grip specifically 2-3 times per week with dedicated grip sessions, but the beauty of the tendon conditioning protocol is that I can do the static hold work (grippers and pinch plate) multiple times per day without interfering with recovery.

For the FAT Grips, I use them on every single dumbbell exercise in my regular workout routine. This means my grip is being challenged 4-5 days per week just through my normal training, without adding extra time to my workouts.

For the dedicated 10-second hold sessions with grippers and pinch plates, I typically do them in the morning before work, at lunch, and in the evening. Each session takes maybe 5-10 minutes total, including rest periods.

This is important: I avoid training to complete failure. Going to absolute failure gives diminishing returns and increases injury risk, particularly with grip work where tendonitis can become a real problem.

A Note on Tendonitis Prevention and Treatment

Speaking of tendonitis—if you start feeling those warning signs of overuse (persistent soreness, pain during gripping, inflammation), there’s a specific exercise that can help: Zottman curls.

Zottman curls are performed by curling the weight up with a standard supinated (palms up) grip, then rotating your wrists at the top so your palms face down, and lowering the weight in that pronated position. This exercise specifically targets the forearm extensors and helps balance the development between your flexors and extensors, which is crucial for preventing and treating tendonitis.

If you’re struggling with tendonitis, incorporate Zottman curls into your routine. They’ve been a lifesaver for keeping my forearms healthy while training grip strength hard.

Measuring Progress: Numbers Don’t Lie

One of the best things I did was establish baseline measurements. Yes, my initial numbers were disappointing, but that disappointment gave me valuable data and motivation.

I measure progress in several ways:

Grip Dynamometer Readings: I test my max grip strength every 4-6 weeks. Seeing those numbers climb is incredibly motivating.

Gripper Progression: I track what level Captains of Crush gripper I can close and hold for 10 seconds. When I started (doing it correctly), I could barely close the Guide.

Now I’m working with the 1.5 and making steady progress toward the 2.

Pinch Plate Weight: I track how much weight I can hold on the pinch plate for a full 10 seconds. Starting weight versus current weight shows clear, measurable progress.

Practical Shooting Metrics: This is where it matters most. In defensive shooting, we’re not looking for the smallest group on paper—we’re looking for the balance of speed and precision on a human-sized target.

What I pay attention to now:

∙ How quickly my red dot returns to point of aim after each shot

∙ Whether my red dot stays within the window during recoil or if it’s completely leaving my sight picture

∙ Split times between shots on target

∙ How long I can maintain that speed and precision during extended strings of fire

The gun sitting more solidly in my hands means the red dot is staying visible through the recoil cycle, and it’s returning to my original point of aim much faster. That’s what translates to better defensive shooting performance.

How This Translated to the Range

Here’s what I’ve noticed in my actual shooting performance since taking grip strength seriously:

Recoil management has improved significantly. The gun sits more solidly in my hands, and I’m getting back on target faster between shots. With my red dot, the difference is striking—the dot is staying in the window during recoil instead of completely disappearing, and it’s returning much closer to my original point of aim. That means faster, more accurate follow-up shots on target.

The most dramatic improvement has been in how the gun tracks through recoil. A stronger grip—particularly that pinch strength between thumb and fingers—keeps the gun locked in place in my hands. The entire recoil impulse is more controlled, and the muzzle rise is more consistent and predictable. When you’re shooting for defensive purposes, that consistency is everything.

My split times have improved. When your red dot returns to point of aim faster and stays visible through recoil, you can deliver accurate follow-up shots more quickly. The balance of speed and precision—which is what defensive shooting is all about—has noticeably improved.

Fatigue sets in much later during training sessions. I used to notice my performance degrading after a couple hundred rounds. The red dot would start wandering more, my splits would slow down, my grip would start to feel loose. Now I can maintain consistency significantly longer. When your grip is tired, you lose that firm control, and the gun starts moving around in your hands. Stronger grip endurance means maintaining performance through longer strings of fire.

One-handed shooting has improved dramatically. This is where grip strength really shows itself. Controlling recoil with just your strong hand requires serious grip strength and endurance. The red dot staying in the window during one-handed shooting is a direct result of improved grip strength.

Common Mistakes I Made (So You Don’t Have To)

Assuming General Fitness Equals Grip Strength: This was my first mistake. Just because you work out doesn’t mean your grip is developed for the specific demands of shooting.

Not Understanding Tendon vs. Muscle Training: I wasted months doing high-rep, low-intensity grip work when I should have been doing static holds to condition my tendons. Once I understood that tendon strength is hand strength, everything changed.

Not Tracking Progress: For my first few months with the grippers, I wasn’t measuring anything systematically. I was just “doing reps.” Track everything—gripper level, pinch plate weight, dynamometer readings.

Inconsistent Training: Grip strength, like any other strength quality, requires consistent, progressive stimulus. Training sporadically won’t cut it.

Only Training One Type of Grip: I spent too long just doing crushing grip work. You need all three types—crushing, pinch, and support.

Ignoring Tendonitis Warning Signs: I learned this the hard way when I started feeling tendonitis symptoms in my forearms. The beauty of the 10-second hold protocol with full rest periods is that it prevents this, but you still need to listen to your body. And if you do start feeling it, Zottman curls are the cure.

Neglecting Warm-Up: Jumping straight into heavy grip work cold is a recipe for injury. I now spend 5-10 minutes on light grip exercises and forearm stretches before heavy training.

Practical Tips for Limited Equipment and Budget

I mentioned earlier that I’m limited in what I can do and have limited equipment. Here’s what I’ve learned about making progress without a full gym:

When you work, you get results. Think out of the box.

Budget-Friendly Options:

∙ A single Captains of Crush gripper (start with the Guide or Trainer): $25-30

∙ 1/8” steel plate, chain, and loading pin for pinch grip work: $30-50

∙ FAT Grips (one pair): $30-40

∙ Grip dynamometer for measuring progress: $25-40

∙ A pull-up bar for dead hangs: $25-40

∙ Tennis balls for squeezing: $3

∙ Thick rope or towels for grip work: Free if you have them

The 10-Second Hold Protocol (Can Be Done Anywhere):

∙ Grippers: 10-second hold, 1-minute rest, 3-5 sets

∙ Pinch plate: 10-second hold, 1-minute rest, 3-5 sets

∙ Repeat every 8 hours for optimal tendon conditioning

∙ Total time commitment per session: 5-10 minutes

Exercises You Can Do Anywhere:

∙ Tennis ball squeezes using the 10-second protocol

∙ Dead hangs from anything sturdy (playground equipment works)

∙ Carrying heavy objects (grocery bags, buckets)

∙ Zottman curls for tendonitis prevention and treatment

Integration Without Adding Hours:

∙ Do gripper holds while watching TV (10 seconds on, 1 minute rest)

∙ Pinch plate work during breaks throughout the day

∙ FAT Grips on exercises you’re already doing—Arnold presses, curls, reverse curls, tricep extensions, lateral raises

∙ Dead hangs at the end of any workout

The key is consistency and understanding the science. The 10-second static hold protocol for tendon conditioning is what makes the difference. I’ve made more progress with a few specific tools used correctly—focusing on tendon strength—than I did with access to everything but no real plan.

The Bottom Line

From being the low man on the totem pole in Kerry Dugan’s class to where I am now, the journey has been eye-opening. Grip strength was an often-overlooked aspect of shooting fundamentals for me, and I suspect it is for many shooters.

The good news is that grip strength responds well to training—when you understand that you’re conditioning tendons, not just building muscle. It takes time—I’m talking months, not weeks—but it delivers measurable, functional results that directly translate to better shooting performance.

If you’ve never measured your grip strength, I encourage you to do it. Find out where you stand. It might be humbling, like it was for me, but that’s valuable information. Then start training systematically using the 10-second hold protocol for tendon conditioning. Track your progress. Be patient.

Your hands are your primary interface with your firearm. Making them stronger—specifically, making your tendons stronger—makes you a better shooter. When your red dot returns to point of aim faster and stays in the window through recoil, you’re delivering faster, more accurate shots on target. That’s what defensive shooting is all about.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some 10-second holds to do.