Build UNBREAKABLE GRIP STRENGTH for SPECIAL FORCES Selection

Here are a few quotes from my athletes on the importance of grip strength at Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS):

“the first thing we did was a low carry and they dropped like 60 guys for grip strength. Some guys who were huge and muscular for some reason got dropped here. I held up well as we had trained grip a lot.” 
– Selected Candidate

“… you can always have a stronger, more enduring grip.“
– Selected Candidate

They are both absolutely right. At selection, your grip will make or break you. When your grip fails, the rest of your body follows.

In this article, I’ll reveal how I help my athletes build an iron grip to dominate special forces training, starting with the four types of grip strength you need, three mistakes you’re probably making, and then I’ll share seven essential strategies to build an iron grip, including some sessions you can start using today.

The Types of Grip Strength You Need for SFAS

Here are the four types of grip you need to develop for selection to ensure your grip holds under any condition. And just to clarify-these aren’t the traditional biomechanical definitions you’d hear in strongman circles. I’ve adapted these terms specifically to the demands of selection. You’ll notice that each exercise I share later in the article will fall into at least one of these buckets (yes there’s some overlap).

1. Carrying Grip:
   • This is your ability to hold heavy objects for extended periods. Think about a static hold of dumbells.
2. Hanging Grip:
   • The ability to sustain a static grip hang like in pull-ups or dead hangs.
3. Pinch Grip:
   • The strength to grip flat-edged or awkward objects.
4. Dynamic Grip:
   • This combines the aforementioned types to the ability to grip during movement, like during a low carry, rope climb, or obstacle course.
     

The Three Biggest Grip Training Mistakes for Special Forces

1. Mistake #1: Not Doing Regimented Strength Training
Grip is a specific skill you can train, but it doesn’t exist in isolation. If your back, shoulders, or arms are spent, your grip is going to have to work overtime to pick up the slack.

Think about it: during low carries, if your legs are fatigued and your back can’t stabilize the load, your hands are forced to compensate. 

So, while training your grip is absolutely a priority, you need to train big, compound movements to build the foundational strength on which your grip relies. 

2. Mistake #2: Avoiding Straps 
The biggest myth out there is that because grip is so important, we need to make every movement a grip exercise. So, you’ll have people cap their deadlift sets at 315lbs because they can’t grip the bar. 

The problem is you’re massively limiting your overall strength progress. And as I’ve outlined, building your back, shoulders, and overall pulling strength directly supports your grip.

For this reason, I recommend you use straps. My athletes are often surprised when they start DB rowing 15 – 20lbs more after using straps – and that extra stimulus to the back and shoulders will pay dividends at selection. So, no straps are not a crutch; they’re a valuable tool.

3. Mistake #3: Improper Use of Fat Gripz/Thick Bar Training
Fat Gripz are a cool tool that increases the width of a standard barbell or dumbbell to tax your grip more. The problem arises when guys use them on big compound lifts, creating the same problem as not using straps-it limits your overall strength progress by reducing the number of reps and the weight you can use.

So, instead, if you’re going to do fat grip or thick bar training, do it on your accessory work or in grip-focused sessions which we’ll talk about in a bit.

7 Tips to Improve Grip Strength for Special Forces Training

Now that you understand the different types of grip strength and the most common mistakes, here are seven strategies I use with my athletes to improve their grip:

1. Farmer’s and Suitcase Carries:
   
   Farmer’s carries (where you have both hands loaded) or suitcase carries (where you have just one hand loaded) are my favorite exercises for selection prep.
   
   I recommend starting with 60 – 75lb dumbells and do several rounds of carries for max distance. To pass the time between rounds, consider adding some core work like planks in between.
   
   Later on, I’ll get into how to sequence all of these exercises into your plan. But do these a minimum of once per week
   
   Workout:

2. Dead Hangs after Pull Ups/Chin Ups:
   
   You should be doing pull ups or chin ups, and ideally weighted. After you finish your final set, go directly into a dead hang for time.
   
   This simulates the fatigue you will feel where grip endurance is critical and your back is already taxed. The reason I recommend this as a finisher, is you’ll maximize your overall pulling volume while still taxing your grip.
   
   Workout:

3. Forearm Extensor Work:
   
   The forearm extensors are commonly overlooked – everything we’ve discussed so far will heavily tax the forearm flexors. So, training your extensors is important for injury prevention.
   
   My favorite tool is the wrist and forearm blaster. It’s simple and uses a weighted rope and a rotating handle. 

Bonus Tip: The forearms are a small muscle group, and training them every day can quickly lead to tendonitis or other overuse injuries.

So, to start, stick with only two or at most three days where you’re doing targeted grip work. You should still be strength training on top of this, so every time you’re gripping heavy barbells and dumbbells you’re still working your grip. Later on, I’ll share what a sample week would like once you’ve accumulated volume and peaking for selection.

If you start feeling persistent tightness in your forearms or elbows, that’s a sign you’re overdoing it.

4. Static Holds After Deadlifts:
   
   After you’re done with your final set set of deadlifts with straps, drop the weight down 60 – 70%. Do several reps with perfect form and double overhand grips and then hold the weight for time at the top. This is another quick, efficient way to improve your grip strength.
   
   
5. Get Stronger
   
   After having a 70lb ruck on for 8 hours per day and moving on to heavy carries –  If your legs and back are giving out, no amount of grip strength will save you.
   
   Stronger muscles upstream mean less strain on your grip when it matters most. So do your heavy squats, deadlifts, and rows.
   

6. Rope Climbs and Towel Pull Ups:
   
   Rope climbs are a selection staple, so you’ll want to practice the technique if you have access to one.
   
   If you don’t, but still want to experience the instability in gripping and pulling simultaneously – you can do that with a towel draped over a pull-up bar.
   
   
7. Grip-Focused Metcons:
   
   This is my personal favorite and one that I believe has had the biggest impact on my athletes. As you get closer to selection, you should be preparing for longer events that tax your whole body and grip under fatigue.
   
   That’s where grip-focused metcons come in. These are high-intensity circuits that combine load carriage, grip challenges, and overall endurance.
   
   One example is a mile-long ruck combined with farmer’s carries with 45lb dumbbells. Or try a session where you rotate between farmer carries, front rack walks, suitcase carries, and ruck intervals – all with your 65lb ruck on your back.
   
   Workouts:

Ultimate Grip Training Routine for Special Forces

So, here’s what a sample week of training may look like in the immediate months leading up to selection.

You’ll notice there is targeted grip work on four days in addition to strength training with heavy compound lifts. The proper stimulus and days of running, rucking, and rest inbetween are what will allow for adaptations to occur and develop an iron grip.

If you want to apply to work with me for 1-on-1 coaching, check out this link.

Don’t miss this article to learn How STRONG You Should Be for Selection.