Coan Holds are one of the best exercises you can do for improving your grip strength.
The Coan Hold is a killer grip exercise done in the power rack where you stand beside the bar, grip it in the center with one hand, then lift it off the rails and just HOLD.
Ed Coan was able to hold more than 400 lbs doing this for a significant amount of time. Having met him in person, his grip strength is STILL monstrous because of all the work he did on it (in addition to his hand structure, which is ridiculous).
This version is going to take a page from the original and add in one-arm dumbbell rows.
It's very simple...you'll be pulling a barbell up against the bottom of the safety rails of the power rack, doing an isometric hold while you're doing a one-arm dumbbell row with the other arm.
It's simple but it's definitely not easy!
How to Set Up Coan Hold Rows
You'll need a power rack for this one. If somebody gives you grief for using the rack for squatting, tell them you're using it for an exercise similar to what Ed Coan used for grip strength and that should shut them up.
Set the rails to about 18 to 24 inches off the ground. You want the rails low enough that when you pull the bar up against the bottom of them, your back is in a good position to row while your shoulders stay parallel to the ground.
Set the barbell on the floor below the rails then load it. I'm using 135 lbs on the bar here and it's challenging. Start a bit lighter then work your way up as you see how much you can grip.
I'm using a 105 lb dumbbell for the rows here... I went up to 125 lbs and it was too heavy to do good rows with, so keep in mind that you'll need to go a bit lighter on the dumbbells rows than you normally would with a regular one-arm dumbbell row.
Make sure you're gripping in the center of the bar so that you don't have to deal with the bar tilting forward or backward. I recommend doing a quick test lift to see where your balance is at (I show this towards the end of the video).
Now pull the bar up against the rails and lift the dumbbell off the ground. Your barbell-gripping arm should be relatively straight, similar to the start position of the dumbbell row. This will help you keep your shoulders horizontal.
Start rowing. Your upper arm should end up in line with your torso...no need to pull it higher.
The entire time you're rowing, you're pulling the bar up against the rails, magnifying the challenge to your grip while doing a Coan Hold. Because you're counterbalancing the load of the dumbbell while rowing it, you have to pull the bar even HARDER against the rails.
When you're done as many reps as you can get on one side, turn around and do the other. You can definitely rest in between sets here as your grip will be fatigued.
Pull the bar up against the rails and row. You'll notice that you can't get rotation in your upper body to help with the row, like you can with a normal one-arm dumbbell row. This makes for a stricter rowing movement.
The cross-tension you get through the midsection as you do this exercise is also fantastic for core strength.
Set the bar and dumbbell down and you're done.
I recommend doing even sets with this...in other words, make sure you do equal work for both sides.
This one will fatigue your grip significantly, so keep that in mind for where you put this one in your workout.
Another excellent variation of the dumbbell row is the Hip-Braced One-Arm Dumbbell Row.
---
Want more unique and challenging exercises to work your entire body with simple equipment? All you need is just a barbell, dumbbells and a bench. Check out The Best Home Gym Exercises You've Never Heard Of!
Share This Page...
Want More Exercises Like This?
You'll find them here...
Support