Tell the truth…you never think about your hands very often, do you? Okay, women do. They slather lotion on them to keep them soft, and are often seen getting them manicured and painted. And yes, sometimes those that are into the martial arts look upon them as weapons. But think about how we as law enforcement depend on them for just about everything that we do in the course of our job.
Hands are symbols. We put one hand up, palm facing outward, to convey a message meaning Stop! We point a finger at a suspect to indicate that we mean You! We motion with a wave of the hand to indicate come forward, and there are several more hand signals that are used in team movement.
But what about the simple act of placing your hands on someone? A simple touch clearly transmits our intentions to whomever it is that we are dealing with. When comforting a victim, we may take them gently by the hand and lead them to our vehicle or to a seat. If we want to arrest a suspect, we will grasp their arm or clothing forcibly to control them. That action, putting our hands upon an individual when we want to dominate them, is useless unless you have the hand strength to back up your words and actions.
Many of us are wise enough to know the importance of working out, but how many of us exercise our hands? Why do that, you ask? Because if you do, you will maximize your performance and prevent injury to your hands. You will also gain strength (for recruits, think "trigger squeeze").
Here's the overview: There are 18 muscles involved in opening and closing the hand. If you look at the top side of your arm, from your fingertips to your elbow (Photo 1), they contain the pathways of the muscles and tendons that allow you to open your hand. Conversely, the inside of the arm carries the tendons and muscles involved in closing the hand. Both sets work equally as hard when we use our hands to grip, hold, grasp, etc.
Many people think that in order to gain a strong grip, one need only work on squeezing a ball, or using the various gripping aids that are sold in sporting good stores. That's only half the answer. Merely using those resistance devices alone creates a muscle imbalance by shortening the muscles and tendons on one side of the arm. The antagonistic, or opposing muscles, need to be exercised as well. Not exercising the hands properly can lead to a muscle imbalance in the hand muscles, and can lead to problems such as carpal tunnel, elbow problems, forearm and finger problems, and the inability to have a complete range of motion, which is needed for stimulating blood flow to all of the tissues for healthy hands. Here are a few exercises to ensure that your hands work well for you. They can all be done at home and require no special equipment.
Band Stretch(Photo 2)
This exercise works the nine topside muscles used in opening the hand. Situate your hand so that the wrist is not bent from the forearm, fingers should be pointing downward at about 90 degrees. Now take a rubber band, preferably a flat one, and put it around the nails of all fingers and thumb. Open and close the fingers for 50-100 repetitions. As resistance becomes easier, replace the rubber band with one that is thicker.
Towel Hang(Photo 3)
This is a great exercise and helps to develop a strong grip; it works the inside muscles that work to close the hands. Simply place a towel over a chinning bar or any other type of bar, grasp both ends, then hang for as long as you can. Do three sets of this exercise to failure. (If you lack strength to hang completely off the floor, allow your heels to touch.)
Fingertip Pushups(Photo 4)
This exercise has been around longer than I have, and that's quite some time. It's a tough one for both guys and gals. Simply do three sets of as many pushups on the tips of your fingers as you can. It may be difficult at first; if so do a modified pushup with your knees resting on the ground.
Ball Squeeze(Photo 5)
This is an exercise that works all 18 muscles. Get a rubber or tennis ball and perform three sets with each hand. The exercise is performed as follows: squeeze and hold the ball for 90 seconds (isometric), then slowly and deliberately open the hand (eccentric). Releasing the pressure from the ball slowly is important.
There are many more grip/hand strength exercises that one can do at the gym that target the wrists and forearms; most require barbells, dumbbells, etc. Those are all good movements, but remember that we don't want to create any imbalance. To maximize your hand strength, and to prevent your hands from becoming injured, do these exercises two to three times per week. Your hands will thank you, and the next time that you put your hands on a subject to cuff him, they will speak for you as well.
Stay safe brothers and sisters!