So a question has come up a bunch from a few of my readers asking about when and how  they should get in their grip and core training.

First of all, let me ask you a question…  ARE YOU getting in your core training and grip work??

core trainingI hope so!

Getting in this extra work can be a little tricky especially when you don’t have a ton of time to work with because let’s face it, most people don’t want to hit up a 45-60 min workout then have to worry about doing another 20-25 mins of core training and grip work at the end.

Who has time for that??  Not many people I know.

So, for this issue, I have a solution on how to get in your core training and grip work in 10 mins.

Start finishing your workouts with 10 min circuits of core and grip work!  I’ve been doing it now for about 4 weeks and it’s made a HUGE difference.

Before I would often skip out on getting in my extra core training and grip work if I was in a hurry, which was a lot!  Too much as I can remember…

Now, at the end of my training sessions, I’ll set the clock for 10 mins and I just hammer the core and grip work.  I get in as much as I can in 10 mins.

So for example, I’ll set up or at least have about 4-5 core training movements and grip exercises laid out in my head ready to go.  From there I’ll hit up a core movement then go to a grip movement and just keep alternating between the two until 10 mins is up.

For the core exercises, I’ll usually hit up about 10 reps and for the grip work, depending on what I’m doing, I’ll hit up 10 reps or do an isolated hold for as long as I can.

Typically I’ll be able to hit up about 4 to 5 sets of each in about 10 mins.  Doing this saves you tons of time as well as pushes you to work a bit harder.

One important thing you want focus in on while doing  grip and core training is to train these movements while getting incomplete rest.

I wish these were the COC 4’s!

Incomplete rest is best used when training smaller muscle groups such as with your abs, hands, and forearms.  When you do this, you force yourself to get stronger and build up more strength endurance within your grip and abs.

I can remember some days when I was just doing regular core training and grip work after my sessions and I would do a movement, walk around for a bit, do another, walk around, and then do one more, walk around….  I was getting in work but resting just a bit too much.  In return, I wasn’t pushing myself nor was I being most efficient with my time.

Is this method totally wrong??  NO, but it’s not the most efficient.

These 10 min core and grip sessions are great!  I suggest you start hitting them up as well!

To help you out a bit, below I’ve put together my TOP 5 Grip and Core Training Movements.

These all can easily be put into your 10 min circuits.

TOP 5 Grip Movements:

  1. Plate Pinches – Grip a few plates and have the smooth parts facing out.  Squat grip trainingdown, pinch the plates and squeeze for time.
  2. Wrist Roller – There are great – have a set of weighted attached to a string or rope that’s attached to a small stick or baton.  Roll the weight all the way up and let it down slow.
  3. Dumbbell Hex Holds – A favorite of mine!  Simply grab a set of hex head DB’s and hold on for time!
  4. HEAVY DB Farmer Walks – Probably one of the most basic exercises ever – grab a heavy set of DB’s and walk.  Make sure to keep your back tight and chest up.  To make these worse, throw on a pair of Fat Gripz to make the handles thicker and harder to hold onto!
  5. Captains Of Crush Grippers – These are simple grab a set of these grippers and smash em together!  Do sets of 3-5 and once you can get 5 easily, go up to the next level!  There’s only a handful of men that can close the infamous level 4 of Captain’s of Crush!

Now for my TOP 5 Core Training Movements

  1. Hanging Leg Raises – These work both your grip and abs an insane amount!  Click here to see a full guide on How to do Hanging Leg Raises right.
  2. Power Wheel Roll Outs – These can work work grip as well but will challenge you core like none other!  I’ve got a series of post on this movement if you want to check them out!  There’s 3 parts –  Wheel Roll Outs Part I, Part II, and Part III.  For this core training movement, you can use the Power Wheel or make your own roll out wheel.
  3. Banded Knee Tucks – I love these as they challenge not only your abs but, your shoulders, chest, and arms as well.  Simply grab a band and wrap it around your lower back.  The band will pull down on your hips forcing your core to work a ton harder.  From there hit up your knee tucks.  The bands I use are from Performax Bands.  I usually use a Black monster mini for ab movements.
  4. TRX Suspended Pike – These like the banded knee tucks will also challenge your shoulder as well as your core.  These require a bit more mobility and flexibility in the hips, shoulders, and lower back.  Basically start out in a suspended plank and go right into a pike.  Just press your hips to the ceiling while squeezing your abs tight.  Your goal is to bring your feet to your hands.core training
  5. The Turkish Get Up – Now this exercise is more of a FULL BODY core training movement but, it still gets a ton of work done on the core.  There is a bit of a learning curve but in time, after you master it, it’s a great overall core movement.  Here’s a video on How To Do The Turkish Get Up.

Now that you have 10 of the best grip and core training movements, simple set the clock to 10 mins, and hit them up!

An example of this grip and core training 10 min circuit would look like this:

  1. Turkish Get Ups x 5 / side
  2. Plate Pinches x Max Time
  3. TRX Suspended Pike x 10
  4. Wrist Roller x 2-3 times up and down
  5. Banded Knee Tucks x 10 per side
  6. Farmer Carries x max distance
  7. So on and so on……

Just keep attacking and going until the clock hits 10 mins.

My guess is that you’ll had gotten in more grip and core training work than you normally would have done in a 20 min time frame.

Hope this helps you with your grip and core training needs!

Live Aggressive and Get Strong! 

Post up what you FAVORITE Grip and Core Training Movements are in the comments below! 

PS – Here’s one of my favorite Core Training Resources of all time:

Combat Core by Jim Smith ========>

PPS – Need more Grip Strength?

Discover the BEST methods from the #1 Resource on GRIP STRENGTH: