Trusted strength and conditioning coach, Joe DeFranco loves to put his clients to the test. As the owner of DeFranco’s Gym, he’s challenged athletes from the NFL, UFC, and WWE to bring out the best in themselves, and in a recent Instagram post, he shared an intense challenge that will work on your upper body strength and provide great grip gains.
If you are looking for a functional exercise that will work on your posture, prevent injury, and build some solid back strength, all while building a grip of steel, this one’s for you.
How to Do the Upper Back & Grip Challenge (Step-by-Step)
Lie under a smith machine barbell and place a bench level with your feet
Balance a yoga block, vertically, on your chest
With your heels on the bench, pull up until the block touches the bar
Hold this position by pulling the bar towards the yoga block
Time yourself until you lose contact between the bar and the yoga block
“Your heels should be the only part of your body touching the bench,” explained DeFranco, who noted that this challenge can be made easier by moving the bench closer so that it is under the ankles, or calves. Either way, DeFranco says that it’s game over as soon as the yoga block loses contact with the bar. “You should be able to draw a straight line from your shoulders to your hips, to your knees, to your heels,” detailed DeFranco.
Muscles Worked: Why This Challenge Builds Real Strength
In addition to the ‘fun’ element of this test, “This lights up your posterior chain,” explained the coach. For the uninitiated, the posterior chain runs down the back of the body, from the neck all the way down to the ankles. In order to stay close to the bar and remain stable, the traps and deltoids become dialed in as you work on extending your hang time. Not only will you strengthen, and tighten the posterior chain and core this way, leading to better posture, but you’ll also make serious gains with your grip strength.
Joe DeFranco’s Grip Strength Standards (How You Rank)
DeFranco has set his standards for this challenge, ranging from good to superfreak, so that you can gauge your effort.
20 to 30 Seconds: Good
31 to 44 Seconds: Great
45 to 49 Seconds: Strong “AF”
60 Second plus: SUPERFREAK
“Warning, this is way harder than it looks,” said Joe DeFranco. Now, go get a grip!
