Back to basics this month! This exercise is primal but very effective. It will build fantastic strength into your thumbs, which in turn will make it easier to hold onto a barbell, dumbbells, or a chinning bar (think of how your thumb wraps around your fingers on a standard 1 inch diameter barbell, locking them inti place). Simply grab the pinch block as tight as you can and pull straight up. Try a mix of heavy, low reps and higher rep sets for endurance. Watch your feet! Make sure you hold the weight off to the side a bit in case you drop it.

Actually, it's not quite that simple; the proper grip/finger placement on the block is absolutely critical (check out the Instruction Section [Grip Handles sub-menu] from the Home Page to see a series of pictures that should be helpful). You can pull the block high in a smooth, controlled fashion, as if you are doing an upright rowing motion; or you can pull it up explosively, as if doing a one-hand clean pull. Or you can simply pull it to the mid-position and hold it there for as long as you can (if that gets to be over a minute, put more weight on the loading pin). Or do a "pinch grip farmer's walk" with it. Try all these variations during different training sessions to prevent boredom.

Simple, primitive, EFFECTIVE. Give it a try.