Grip strength is often a weak link in carrying and pulling exercises...it can even be in pressing exercises as well!
If you want to maximize your overall body strength, it's a great idea to work on building grip strength as well.
This is a variation of the one-hand barbell hold used by the great Ed Coan to build MONSTER grip strength (he worked up to something like 450 pounds on that exercise for a riduculous amount of time...I think it was a minute or more, if I'm not mistaken. He told me but I forget the exact time).
This exercise is along a similar line, with a small change...
Instead of just holding the barbell with one hand, you're going to hold the barbell AND a kettlebell... with one hand.
Pull the top of the kettlebell handle up against the bottom of the bar and squeeze, then lift the bar off the rails.
This is just brutal on the grip as you're not only holding the weight, you're clamping the two weights together at the same time.
As well, this puts your hand in a more open position, which challenges the grip even more, as well as finger strength.
Really focus on clamping with your three smaller fingers to build maximum grip strength.
I'm using a 53 lb kettlebell and 65 lbs on the bar...not a lot of weight on either one. But when you put them both together like this, it lights up your grip.
Now, for the normal one-arm barbell hold when you're using heavier weight, you want to hold onto the rack post with your non-working hand to stabilize your body.
This isn't targeted as a core exercise (thought it will definitely work your core) and the grip will help to lock your torso into a vertical position so you don't have to lean to compensate.
With this light of weight, I didn't find it necessary to hold on with the other hand. The double weight plus the open hand position did the trick.
It will take a bit of adjustment when you grip onto the bar to make sure you have the center balance point. You want the bar to be fairly horizontal but it's not a big deal if it tilts a bit, as long as both ends are off the rails.
Do this one as a static hold for time, for as long as you can, then turn around and switch hands.
This will build grip strength like crazy.
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