Wrist strengthening Ideas?

[Justis]

I think I may have really slight CTS (Carpal...), anyway, it doesn't seem really serious, but when attempting to do pushups with my hands flat on the floor, I get quite a bit of pain in my wrists. I can do pushups if I make fists with my hands, however.

Does anyone know of any wrist excersices that could strengthen my wrists so that I don't get the pain from pushups?

Thanks in advance!

[maclinda]

I'm guessing both from your screen name and the fact that you're doing pushups on the floor that you're male. What I tell my female patients (weight loss clinic) is to do pushups against the kitchen counter. This is also good for overweight or out-of-shape men, too.

You can vary your foot position closer or farther to make it more challenging, and as you get stronger you can use a lower object.

Same muscles, but easier on the wrists.

[Shaden]

There is of course, always the obvious technique...

(Oh come on I had to steal that joke to save someone else the embarassment. I'm a giver me, I tell you... )

[da1prophet]

Originally Posted by Justis

I think I may have really slight CTS (Carpal...), anyway, it doesn't seem really serious, but when attempting to do pushups with my hands flat on the floor, I get quite a bit of pain in my wrists. I can do pushups if I make fists with my hands, however.

Does anyone know of any wrist excersices that could strengthen my wrists so that I don't get the pain from pushups?

Thanks in advance!

You probably don't have carpal tunnel syndrome--you probably just have weak wrists. It's genetic--I've got 'em too. Ironically the way you're saying that you do pushups--with your fists--is an old boxers trick for strengthening the wrists. Keep doing that...

If your gym has punching bags (and if they don't I'd find a gym that does or buy your own) doing heavy bag work is also a great way to strengthen your wrists. Assuming you know how to throw a punch correctly (and if you don't feel free to post a follow up question on that) that'll build up strength in your wrists quicker than just about anything. Go easy and take a little something off your punches when you start and you can up the intensity as your wrists get stronger.

And you can always do a little weight training to strengthen your wrists--get a stick (a broomstick will work), a length of rope and a weight (barbell plates work best). Tie one end of the rope to the middle of the stick, tie the other end to the weight and roll it up and down just using your wrists. You can also get some dumbells and do "curls" with your wrists (in front of you like you're doing mini-preacher curls) or with your arms behind your head (with each wrist just over your shoulders).

Basically, nothing really beats the stick-rope and weight trick, or the heavybag work. Boxers and MMA fighters often have problems with their wrists--its basically the "weak link" in throwing a punch. That's why most boxers go well over the wrist when they tape their hands prior to a fight. Most fight trainers aren't really big on using weights to train your wrist (the stick and rope thing notwithstanding) since, they argue, that other methods (eg: the heavybag) give you more "functional strength". Wrist curls, et. al. will just make your wrists "meatier" and improve the aesthetics, or so goes the conventional boxing wisdom. Personally, I'd rather have skinny wrists with the "functional strength" to throw punches than a meaty looking wrist....

There are also devices that exercise the wrist such as this Everlast product offered by the good folks at Title Boxing (note--this is just a link, I'm not getting any affiliate credit for this):

Everlast Wrist Strengthener from Title Boxing

These should get you started and if you need more ideas just say so.

If you spend a lot of time on your keyboard I'd suggest getting one of those ergonomic split keyboards....I have one and it helps cut down on wrist strain....

[ChefSalad]

Out of curiosity, what is the correct way to throw a punch?

[bylto]

Hi there Justis. This page has a variety of wrist curls you can try, they're great

[Wanderer]

Shaden beat me to it.
Im gutted.
But on a serious note make sure you use both hands or your likely to end up with one strong wrist and one weak one.
I also find Akido has been very good for working on my wrists you could try a couple of classes.

[qiflow]

For a bunch of ways to strengthen your wrists, check out this site:

http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/shenand.../Forearms.html

Take it easy on the isometrics though. It is easy to hurt yourself when you start out.

[stockaholic]

The stick-rope exercise posted by da1prophet works great. Also try using a baseball bat (or other similarly shaped object with the heavy end at the top), hold it in one hand perpendicular to the ground with the top pointing skyward, slowly rotate your hand 90 degrees to the right until it the bat is parallel with the ground, then raise it back to perpendicular. Do it 10 times to the right and 10 times to the left, 3 sets each hand.

An old kung fu trick is to fill a bucket with sand or rice and plunge your hands into them with your fingers extended. Once in the sand, rotate your hands once or twice. Pull your hands out and repeat. It strengthens your hands, fingers and wrists.

ChefSalad - there are many answers to your question and it depends on the type of punch you want to throw. There are some common principles, though. First, you should make sure your fist is made tightly. Do this by bending your fingers (not your thumb) so that the tips of your fingers are on the line where your fingers attach to your palm. This will ensure your fingers are rolled as tightly as they can be. If your fingers are loosely rolled, it is very easy to injure your hand when you punch something.

Then, keeping your fingers in the same position, make your hand into a fist with your thumb gently resting on the bottom of your fist across your index and middle finger. When you throw your punch, you should ensure the top of your fist (the back of your hand) is parallel with your forearm. Your knuckles should not be angled up or down. Keeping your wrist and forearm directly behind your fist does several things. It helps prevent injury to your wrist and it helps you achieve maximum damage. If you have trouble doing this, try hitting a heavy bag once or twice with your knuckles at an angle. The memory of the pain in your wrist should be enough to get you into proper habits .

You should strike with the knuckles on your index and middle fingers. They are your strongest knuckles and striking with your ring or pinkie knuckles commonly results in hand injuries.

Your fist, while rolled tightly, should not be clenched. If your muscles are tense, you will not achieve maximum force. You should aim to hit 2 inches beyond your target. E.g. if you want to punch a guy in the mouth, do not just hit him in the mouth and stop, but rather aim for a spot 2 inches deep in his mouth (approximately a line where his back molars are). This helps you punch through your target and achieve maximium damage.

These are general guidelines only and in no way does this describe the whole of proper technique. Entire books are written on that subject. Also keep in mind that there are several types of punches that employ different techniques. Please be aware that proper punching technique helps prevent injuries to your hand and wrist. If you have never punched anybody/anything very hard before, it is easy to overlook the fact that you may do more damage to yourself than to your target if you do not have proper technique.

[Jessica Adlin]

Just a few more tips...

...Having your wrists at a 90 degree angle while bearing weight (as in the push-up position) is actually quite stressful on the wrist.

While strengthening your wrists is a really good idea, stretching is also really important. There are a few good yoga stretches...rather than try to describe them here, do a google search and you will find several sites that show these stretches.

Also, when doing push-ups, try to concentrate the weight in the base of your first two fingers rather than in the heel of the hand. This alleviates some of the stress in the wrist.

[da1prophet]

Originally Posted by stockaholic

The stick-rope exercise posted by da1prophet works great. Also try using a baseball bat (or other similarly shaped object with the heavy end at the top), hold it in one hand perpendicular to the ground with the top pointing skyward, slowly rotate your hand 90 degrees to the right until it the bat is parallel with the ground, then raise it back to perpendicular. Do it 10 times to the right and 10 times to the left, 3 sets each hand.

An old kung fu trick is to fill a bucket with sand or rice and plunge your hands into them with your fingers extended. Once in the sand, rotate your hands once or twice. Pull your hands out and repeat. It strengthens your hands, fingers and wrists.

((snip))

Thanks to Stockaholic for mentioning this--it had completely slipped my mind (maybe because most gyms don't have buckets of sand or rice) but its a good technique that has the added benefit of strengthening your fingers and hands. A lot of MMA fighters also use this technique, since they need not only strong wrists for punching, but need the added strength in their grip for groundfighting.

A book I highly recommend is Royce Gracie's "Superfit"--its training designed for MMA fighters, but even if you don't plan to fight it'll get you in great shape.

Amazon.com: Superfit: Royce Gracie's Ultimate Martial Arts Fitness and Nutrition Guide: Books: Royce Gracie,James Strom,Kid Peligro

[da1prophet]

Originally Posted by ChefSalad

Out of curiosity, what is the correct way to throw a punch?

Can't really add much to Stockaholic's excellent answer--on a basic level the most important thing is making a fist correctly and keeping your fist/wrist "locked" and not flopping around.

Beyond the basics, a lot depends what you're actually throwing the punch for. You'd want to punch differently in a street fight than you would in a boxing ring. As Stock noted, once you get past the basics it becomes pretty involved depending on what discipline you're doing. Here's a good intro to the basic boxing punch techniques:

Boxergirl.net

[da1prophet]

Originally Posted by Jessica Adlin

Just a few more tips...

...Having your wrists at a 90 degree angle while bearing weight (as in the push-up position) is actually quite stressful on the wrist.

While strengthening your wrists is a really good idea, stretching is also really important. There are a few good yoga stretches...rather than try to describe them here, do a google search and you will find several sites that show these stretches.

Also, when doing push-ups, try to concentrate the weight in the base of your first two fingers rather than in the heel of the hand. This alleviates some of the stress in the wrist.

The yoga stretches are also an excellent suggestion--a number of professional fighters have taken up yoga for a number of reasons, but the flexibility improvement is a large part of that...

[da1prophet]

Also worth mentioning this--especially if you're going to do bagwork to strengthen your wrists. Some people just have genetically weak hands/wrists. It may sound like common sense, but if it hurts too much don't do it.

Consider the case of pro boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. He's the reigning undisputed welterweight champion and considered by many (myself included) to be the best "pound for pound" boxer in the sport. He's about as technically perfect as any fighter I've seen in my lifetime, an ungodly combination of speed, power and defensive skill.

Unfortunately, he's got famously brittle hands--he invariably breaks one or both every time he fights. That may be his only real weakness, but its one that might shorten his career. Consider that he's got the best training, medical and fight preparation resources at his disposal and he still can't do anything about it. He's said he's going to retire after he fights Oscar De La Hoya this May, and the problem with his hands is the primary reason.

Just a cruel irony that an essentially flawless fighter was cursed with genetically brittle hands. The moral of the story is that if you're in the same boat don't injure yourself trying to overcome your genetics...

[qiflow]

Originally Posted by ChefSalad

Out of curiosity, what is the correct way to throw a punch?

There are numerous ways to punch. Many people have their own methods. One of the best I have seen so far is Bas Rutten's (former UFC heavyweight champ, and 3x King of Pancrase). He recommends hitting with a vertical fist (palm facing your other hand), and on the middle finger knuckle. (I would highly recommend his "Big DVDs of Combat"). Keep in mind also that you will most likely have some impact on the fingers facing out and the adjacent knuckles.

Just arm punching has little power behind it. You need to learn how to get your weight behind the punch. Boxers tend to have some of the hardest punches, so they would be a great resource for learning how to hit hard. Another thing is that you need to strengthen your wrists. A great way to test your power is using a heavy bag. However, be very careful of your wrists. Work up very slowly.

One more thing. Unless you are going to be undertaking special training, I would not recommend punching to the head. Very easy to break your hand. Think of punching a bowling ball. You can convert regular punches into palm heel strikes, so you can hit a human head with less likelihood of breaking your hand.

[John Hill]

Unless you have someone actually showing you how to punch properly I'd give that a big miss or you may end up damaging your wrists.

Squeezing a tennis ball for 2 x 5 minute sessions a day everyday is one exercise I give to some of my personal training clients who have had wrist troubles. It is mild on the wrists and will help build strength in the forearm muscles that connect directly at the wrist.

John

[Erki]

What about doing push-ups while holding your hands on dumbbells?

[qiflow]

Originally Posted by John Hill

Unless you have someone actually showing you how to punch properly I'd give that a big miss or you may end up damaging your wrists.
John

I agree John, it is very easy to damage your wrists. This is one of the advantages of the palm heel strike (although you can still hurt yourself).

[gberardi]

How about working on your shoulders?

The only reason I suggest it is because I have read Pete Egosque's book on health through motion, and he dismisses carpal tunnel syndrome as a dysfunction that originates in the shoulder. Everyone keeps trying to treat the wrists and buying cushions for keyboards and the like, but if the shoulders are hunched forward, your wrists aren't going to be getting better.

It may be a problem with your wrists, but it may also be just a symptom of a problem with your shoulders.

[빈센트]

Knuckle pushups (since they don't hurt and coincidentally they're a good wrist exercise)
Hindu Pushups (also known to help cts)
Fingertip pushups (low repetitions until you're more proficient.)