10 Pinch Block Challenge Tips To Improve Your Time

By: Katie Leung

Pinch Block Challenge Tips!!

1. Use chalk to help prevent slipping

- chalk increases the length of time you can hold the pinch block by preventing your sweaty, slippery hands from being the reason you let go

- during our challenges, we provide free chalk for participants to use, so use it!

- only apply the chalk to the fingers, NOT the backs of your hands

2. Use your thumb to squeeze the block

- in order to hold the pinch block, you must create tension from two of its sides through a squeezing motion

- often times participants will forget to engage their thumb (no wonder they struggle with holding the weight!)

3. Use your dominant hand

- your dominant hand tends to be the stronger one, so use that to your advantage (don’t choose your weaker hand…)

- your dominant hand also tends to be more coordinated, so the simultaneous engagement of your thumb and the rest of your fingers may be easier with this hand

4. Don't engage your arm

- flexing your bicep while holding the pinch block will NOT help you hold it for longer, but actually can tire you out from engaging unnecessary muscles

- holding the pinch block is about forearm strength, so focus on squeezing your hand, not flexing your arm

5. Distract yourself

- keeping your brain occupied by talking to people around you will help you take your mind off the difficult physical task that you body is performing

6. It’s all mental!

- don’t let your mindset hold you back!

- your body is stronger than you think, so just focus on trying your best and keeping your mindset optimistic

- don’t think about letting go, think about pinching harder

7. Avoid over-gripping

- sometimes when participants first start off the challenge, they pinch harder than necessary, causing them to tire out quicker

- find that sweet spot of how much you need to engage your fingers

8. Warmup your wrist

- stretching and warming up your wrist will help prepare it for the difficult task ahead

- this will also prevent any potential injuries from straining your wrists through over-gripping

9. Use correct finger/hand positioning

- make sure you grasp the pinch block with your whole hand

- do not start off by just pinching the block at your fingertips - this challenge involves your whole hand

- get as much of your fingers on the block as possible, creating a maximum amount of contact with the surface area of the block

10. Long term training

- keep practicing this activity not only during our challenges, but also on your own!

- incorporate grip strength exercises into your workouts, focusing on forearm strength and finger strength