I Tested Grip Training for One Week – Here’s What Actually Changed

What I measured

I tracked two things:

  • Forearm circumference

  • Dead hang time

Both of my forearms measured exactly 9 inches, and my starting dead hang time was 1:17.

I measured forearm size mainly out of curiosity, since I already expected that one week would be too short to see real muscle growth.

Test setup

  • Forearms were measured using a basic tape measure.

  • Dead hang time was tested on the same bar with a foam grip.

  • Grip was pronated and consistent between tests.

Keeping the setup identical was important so the results wouldn’t be affected by different equipment or grip styles.

Training routine

To increase grip difficulty without needing special equipment, I used towels in my exercises.

My routine was:

  • 3 × 15 sec towel hangs

  • 3 × 1 min towel farmer holds (15 lb dumbbells)

  • 3 × 15 towel wrist curls

I tried to progressively overload across the week by increasing time or improving control whenever possible.

Although the experiment was planned for 7 days, I actually completed 5 out of the 7 days because I wasn’t fully locked in.

Results after one week

After the week:

  • Forearm size: no measurable change

  • Dead hang time: 1:45

As expected, there was no real forearm growth. One week is simply too short for visible hypertrophy, especially if you already train regularly.

However, my grip endurance clearly improved.

What this actually means

This experiment shows that short-term improvements in grip strength are mostly due to:

  • better neural adaptation

  • improved endurance

  • and becoming more efficient at holding onto the bar

Not muscle size.

A lot of content online suggests you can noticeably grow your forearms in just a few days, but in practice, that isn’t realistic.

Limitations

There were a few clear limitations:

  • I only completed 5 out of the planned 7 sessions

  • My diet was not controlled

  • Dead hang performance is also influenced by shoulder and scapular endurance, not only the forearms

Because of this, the results should be interpreted as general grip performance improvement, not pure forearm strength or size.

Final thoughts

Overall, I would still consider this experiment successful.

From my experience, wrapping a towel around your dumbbells or the bar is a cheap and simple way to make grip work harder, especially if you train at home and don’t have access to specialized equipment.

While one week is not enough to grow your forearms, it is enough to see meaningful improvements in grip performance, which can directly help with pull-ups, lever progressions, and other calisthenics skills.

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