A vertical bar looks simple: one handle, one hand and a load to lift. Holding on is where things get interesting.
V-bar training challenges your support grip: your ability to maintain your grasp while weight pulls against it. Choose a thicker handle and your hand opens further, creating a different challenge for your fingers, thumb and palm.
Whether you are trying your first lift or preparing for a grip competition, this guide covers choosing a bar, setting it up, practising the movement and building a repeatable training routine.
What is a vertical bar?
A vertical bar, often called a V-bar, is an upright grip implement. In the hanging setup used by our vertical bar grip tools, the handle connects to a loading pin through a carabiner. You grip the handle with one hand and lift the attached weight from the floor.
The upright hand position gives it a different feel from a barbell or rolling handle. Diameter, shape, surface finish and hand placement all affect the lift, which is why your numbers can vary considerably between implements.
Watch: choosing the right vertical bar
Our video, Choosing the right Vertical Bar for Grip Training, sits alongside the size guide below.
What does V-bar training work on?
The main challenge is keeping your hand closed around the implement as the load pulls down. Your fingers maintain contact, your thumb helps secure the grip and your wrist controls the handle position.
- Support grip: practise holding a load for repetitions or time.
- Open-hand strength: explore a more open grip with larger diameters.
- Grip control: learn a repeatable hand position and a smooth lift.
- Event preparation: practise the specific implement and technique required for your competition.
V-bars can sit alongside deadlifts, carries and other grip work in your programme. Treat progress on the V-bar as a result in its own right: lifting more on one implement does not automatically guarantee the same improvement on every other grip task.
Which vertical bar diameter should you choose?
For a first V-bar, we recommend the 50mm Standard. It gives you more finger wrap than the larger round bars and is a useful place to learn the movement.
| Vertical bar | Diameter | Why choose it? |
|---|---|---|
| 50mm Standard Vertical Bar | 50mm | Our all-round starting recommendation for learning the lift and building consistent training. |
| 60mm Mega Vertical Bar | 60mm | A thicker grip that opens your hand further. |
| 76mm Ultra Vertical Bar | 76mm | A substantial thick-grip challenge for dedicated open-hand work. |
| 89mm Omega Vertical Bar | 89mm | Our largest round steel V-bar, for an oversized-grip challenge. |
Larger is not automatically better. Hand size, technique and experience affect how each diameter feels. Expect to reduce the load when you move to a thicker bar, and compare your progress on the same implement.
What about square and cone-shaped grips?
Shape changes the contact between your hand and the tool. The steel Square Vertical Bar offers flat faces and corners, while our printed Square Style Vertical Bar provides another variation in shape and surface feel.
The Cone creates a tapered, anvil-style gripping challenge. The Reverse Cone is a more forgiving alternative. Our Traffic Cone has a broad base that prevents a finger from hooking underneath.
Choose a shape because you want to practise that particular grip. Keep separate records for each tool rather than treating them as interchangeable tests.
How to set up and lift a V-bar
- Build a stable setup. Add plates to a suitable loading pin and connect the handle with a suitable carabiner. Check that the connector is fully closed and the plates sit securely.
- Start light. Use a load you can lift smoothly while you find your hand position.
- Set your grip. Wrap your fingers and thumb around the intended gripping surface. Find a comfortable, controlled wrist position and use the same setup on each repetition.
- Take up the tension. Brace your body and lift smoothly with your legs and hips. Keep the load close without resting it against your body. Avoid jerking it from the floor.
- Control the finish. Lower the plates to the floor under control and reset before your next repetition. Keep your feet clear of the load.
For competition practice, use the event's rules for hand placement, permitted contact, lift height and lockout. Do not assume a finger hooked beneath the handle is allowed.
A simple V-bar training routine
Start with one focused session per week. If you recover well, a second, lighter session can give you another chance to practise. Allow recovery between sessions and account for other grip-heavy work in your week.
The routine below is a practical starting template, rather than a competition peaking plan. Begin each session with a few easy warm-up sets, gradually adding weight.
| Session | Work sets, per hand | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| A: controlled lifts | 3 sets of 5 repetitions | Lift smoothly, lower fully and reset your grip between repetitions. Choose a load that leaves a couple of clean repetitions in reserve. |
| B: optional lighter holds | 3 holds of 10–15 seconds | Use a manageable load and maintain the same hand position. Finish each hold before the handle starts slipping. |
Rest around 90 seconds to 3 minutes between work sets, taking longer when needed to maintain good technique. Start with your weaker hand and use a manageable load for each side.
If you only train V-bars once per week, begin with Session A. You can introduce timed holds in later weeks without adding another training day.
How to progress without maxing out every session
Keep the implement, hand position and setup consistent. Once you complete all three sets of five with clean technique and something left in reserve, add the smallest practical weight increment at a later session. Build back up to the same standard.
For holds, first work towards three controlled 15-second holds. Then add a small amount of weight and return towards the shorter end of the range. Increase load or hold duration one at a time.
Log the bar, diameter, hand, load, repetitions or hold time. Keep a note of your chalk and surface condition too. Those details make your results more useful than a personal best with a different grip every week.
Occasional heavier singles can help experienced lifters assess progress or prepare for an event. They do not need to be the foundation of every session. Reduce the work if grip fatigue starts affecting your other training, and stop if you experience sharp pain.
Chalk, GripLock™ and common mistakes
Our textured steel bars use GripLock™, a coating designed to hold powdered chalk and develop a seasoned feel through use. Apply a light, even dusting to your hand and the gripping surface, then wipe away loose excess with a dry towel. You can find our chalk options in the grip chalk collection; choose powdered chalk for GripLock™ surfaces and avoid liquid chalk. Printed grips have a different finish.
The most useful corrections are usually simple:
- Too much weight: reduce the load if you need a jerk or a changing grip to lift it.
- Different technique every set: establish one repeatable setup before chasing bigger numbers.
- Too many grip exercises at once: make room for V-bars within your existing programme.
- Comparing unlike tools: a 50mm round bar, an 89mm bar and a cone test different grips.
Training for a grip competition?
Check the Approved Events List and the rules for your particular lift. For events run by another organiser, confirm which equipment and techniques they accept.
V-bar training: quick answers
What size vertical bar should a beginner use?
Our starting recommendation is the 50mm Standard Vertical Bar. It allows more finger wrap than our larger round bars. Choose a manageable load and learn a repeatable technique before increasing the weight or diameter.
How often should you train with a V-bar?
Start with one session per week. If your hands and forearms recover well alongside your other training, consider a second, lighter session. More frequent sessions are only useful if you can maintain good technique and recover between them.
Do you need a loading pin for a vertical bar?
For the hanging setup shown here, you need a suitable loading pin, weight plates and a compatible carabiner to connect the bar. Check that your equipment is suitable for the intended load and that the connector closes fully.
Are Gods of Grip vertical bars competition legal?
Acceptance depends on the specific event, implement and organiser. Check our Approved Events List and the rules for your competition before buying equipment for event practice.
Build your grip training setup
Our Standard, Mega, Ultra and Omega steel V-bars are designed, tested and manufactured by us in the UK. Explore the full Vertical Bar collection to choose your implement.
For different grip challenges, explore our rolling handles, where controlling a rotating grip changes the task, or our pinch blocks for thumb-and-finger pinch training. Visit the Grip Academy for more training guidance.
Pick a bar, keep your technique consistent and give yourself something measurable to beat.
