How to Make a Weak Hand Stronger

Perform simple, equipment-free hand exercises. For a finger adduction exercise, put your open-palmed hand on a hard, flat surface. Simply squeeze all of you digits together – keep all your fingers extended straight out, closing the gap between fingers and bringing your thumb up against the side of your palm as tightly as you can without pain. Hold for five counts and perform in sets of 10. To do a thumb opposition exercise, tightly press the pad of your thumb against the pad of your index finger and hold for three sets of five counts. Repeat this thumb-pressing motion on each finger.

Increase hand, forearm, wrist and grip strength with squeezing exercises. Use a spring-loaded hand gripper, slowly squeezing the handles together as you make a fist. As an alternative, simple squeeze a tennis ball as hard as you comfortably can, holding the squeeze for five counts. For squeezing exercises such as these, perform 10 to 15 reps per set.

Use a resistance band for intermediate-level hand and wrist strengthening. Try a wrist flexion. Stand straight with your feet securing one end of the band. With your arm forming a 90-degree angle between your bicep and forearm, hold the other end of the band firmly in your fist. Support your wrist by holding it steady with the opposing hand. Without moving your arm or the rest of your body, curl your fist inward toward your wrist as far as possible without pain. Perform 10 reps in sets of three.

Bring a towel into your workout routine – used in conjunction with exercise equipment, this simple tool lends itself to numerous advanced hand-strengthening exercises. To increase your hand's isometric crushing strength, wrap the towel securely around the bar of a weighted dumbbell and lift the dumbbell by the towel rather than the handle using proper hammer curl form. Start with 12 reps and three sets. You can also hold a dumbbell this way for the farmer's walk exercise, with entails simply holding the weight at your side as you walk slowly for about 300 feet.

Lift a barbell as though curling it and hold it in the static position at the top of the lift – your arms forming a 90-degree angle between your biceps and forearm – for 90 seconds. Roll a towel around the barbell to thicken the grip and increase the challenge of the exercise. This exercise builds grip and holding strength. Widen your grip on the barbell to work your pinching strength.