Gone are the days of people using handheld grip strength trainers to improve their grip. Instead, axle bars are a much more functional way of doing so.

An Axle Bar, also known as a ‘fat’ or ‘thick grip’ bar is a barbell that is thicker than a standard Olympic barbell. Axle bars are 5cm in diameter as opposed to Olympic bars which are 2.8cm, making it harder to grip during exercise.

Axle bars also come without traditional knurling and instead they have a smooth surface, making them much more difficult to grip. As a result, you will often decrease the load with an axle bar, however they still hold up to 320kg.

Reasons You Should Use an Axle Bar

It Improves Your Grip Strength for Lifting

For many lifters, the weight isn’t the problem, it's their grip that stops them from being able to lift heavy loads. As a result, they rely on straps, so grip doesn’t become as much of a problem. However, using an axle bar allows you to focus on improving your grip strength, making exercises such as deadlifts and Olympic lifts easier when you come to use a standard barbell.

It Helps to Load the Wrists

With many people spending most of their day sitting behind a desk at a computer, there has been an increase in wrist problems due to hand positioning when using a keyboard or mouse. As a result, wrist weakness has become a big problem. Thick grip bars require more hand and grip strength than a traditional bar and hence a great exercise to incorporate into your routine if you have weak wrists.

You Have to Use Your Stabiliser Muscles

Unlike an Olympic barbell, an axle barbell does not have spinning sleeves. This makes it harder to perform lifts as they require more muscular control. As a result, your body needs to use the stabiliser muscles more when performing lifts to handle the load.

It Increases Hand Strength for Other Sports

If you take part in any sports that require gripping, then including axle bar exercises into your training can be beneficial for you. Some of these sports include -

• Grappling martial arts

• Basketball

• Baseball

• Tennis

• Wrestling

Axle Bar Exercises

Deadlifts

One area of weakness for some people during deadlifts is grip strength and many often rely on straps to counteract this. However, if you want to improve your deadlift then you need to improve your grip strength. Using an axle bar for deadlifts will enhance your grip and pulling strength.

Bicep Curls

Using the Axle EZ Curl Bar, perform bicep curls either standing or as a preacher curl. Using a thick grip bar requires more forearm strength and therefore will work the forearm muscles as well as the biceps during this movement.

Shoulder Shrugs

Shoulder shrugs are primarily used as an exercise to target the trapezius and deltoid muscles. If you want to increase the intensity placed on the forearms, then you should include axle grip dumbbells.

Crucifix Hold

A crucifix hold is the ultimate shoulder endurance test. If you’re a fan of Strongman, then you’ll have seen this notorious exercise. Bring both dumbbells either side of your body at shoulder height and hold for as long as possible. See which fails first, your shoulders or your grip.

Skull Crushers

This is another exercise that you can perform using the Axle Grip EZ curl bar. Skull crushers and other tricep movements require a lot of shoulder stability which can be improved with the use of the thick grip bar.

Axle Press

Overhead pressing is one of the main upper body movement patterns that we should be performing in the gym. It is used in many day-to-day activities and also common in Strongman events. You can make the movement more interesting by adding an axle bar and working on your grip as well as shoulder strength and stability.

Farmer's Walk

The farmers’ walk reigns supreme when it comes to an exercise that tests your grip strength. You can increase the difficulty by using Axle Grip Dumbbells or use our farmers' walk handles which have a 4cm diameter handle, however you can load them much heavier than dumbbells. Remember to stay tall and squeeze your shoulder blades.

Zottman Curls

Zottman curls are next level bicep curls for anyone that wants to build their arm muscles. Like a traditional bicep curl, you begin holding the Axle Dumbbells by the side of your body with your palms facing up. Curl the dumbbells towards your shoulders and pause at the top. Next, rotate your grip so your palms are facing down, then slowly lower the dumbbells back down.

Walking Lunges

If you didn’t think walking lunges could get any worse, try adding axle grip dumbbells to them. Not only will you be testing your lower body strength by including more resistance, but you will also be working on your forearm and grip strength.

Bent Over Row

The bent over row is the ultimate back exercise and targets all of the key posterior muscles. If you want to place more emphasis on working the forearms, then you can perform the exercise using an axle bar.

Grip strength is important for everyone regardless of your sport or training goals. Implementing some axle bar movements into your workouts can enhance this as well as improving your hand, forearm and pulling power.

Written by guest author Eryn Barber.

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Tags: Equipment > Bars & Weight Plates ; Equipment > Dumbbells ; Exercise Type > Strength