Gripmaster Hand Exerciser

With a weight-training background I already have a number of products focusing upon forearm and grip strength. This by appearance and description seemed to fit a very specific purpose, what could be called finger-tip strength, so I went ahead and gave it a try.

Receiving it, the high-quality construction was immediately noticeable. Beginning with the highest tension [black] gripper, I began use intermittently, whenever web pages loaded in slowly, between television commercials, and so on.

I had no idea why during my twice-a-month hobbyist guitar playing, I was able to play with a marked increase in speed and accuracy. The fingers occasionally seemed to be pulled onto the fretboard like magnets. Thinking about it for a few minutes, I realized this device was the only significant change I had made over that time. Typically I had to warm-up for at least 30 to 45 minutes before my hands correctly played quicker fingering patterns. There was no lag time this time.

For the price and diminutive size of this device, it is surprising how effective it is at its focused purpose. I also noticed that, while my typing has not gotten any faster, I can type somewhat longer without becoming self-aware of fatigue.

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There are several reviews for this gripping device that claim insufficient resistance, even with the highest tension [black] version. This may be due to a misconception of the purpose and usage of this particular device. It is what could be thought of as a finger-grip strengthener, as opposed to those devices which develop palm grip-strength, which are far more common and found at any sporting goods store.

The tell-tale sign of improper use, is through where you position your grip when performing the exercises. If you find yourself grasping at mid-finger level, between the first and second knuckles, and squeezing all of the fingers together at the same time, pumping over and over again, you are using this improperly. You are to place the very tips of the fingers, before the first knuckles, on the finger-rests, and proceed to provide force with individual fingers, alternating with other patterns such as all four-fingers simultaneously as well, but always with this positioning. If you try using this device as a mid-finger, mid-grip strengthener (with the device ending up resting against the palm of the hand), you are using it incorrectly.

For a mid-grip strengthener, Captains Of Crush is very highly recommended. These provide massive amounts of resistance, and are for the more typical mid-grip strengthening exercises. Even the trainer, Captains of Crush Trainer Gripper, will at the beginning be highly difficult for most athletes. The efforts are well worth it, however, these are extremely high-quality devices. There is actually official certification for doing their highest level grip one single time, for one single repetition (the two ends touching). Through these you can perform the more typical palm-strength exercises.

Both the C.O.C. type of palm-level strengthener, and this Gripmaster fingertip-level type of strengthener, are needed for more complete and balanced grip strength. Doing exercises focusing on the forearms directly can also be very important. Any grip exercises strengthen the forearms as well, but only indirectly. It depends on how important overall lower-arm strength is to you. In any case, the Gripmaster is for working the most distal part of the grip, that is the tips of the fingers. Working it any other way, is not using the device for what it was designed for.

I used to try to strengthen my fingers using the Gripp balls, and later, the Gravity Gripp, which were grip balls that were also 1 pound weights. However, they were bulky, hard to get a grip on, and heavy and pretty silly looking. So, when I saw the picture of these awesome little gizmos in a catalog, I ordered one right away. They are about the same price of the Grip balls, but they are SO much cooler! Not only is this good for fitness training, they''re even better for musicians! (my instrument is piano.) These are light and flat and they fit right into a purse. I don''t feel silly using this out in public -if anyone asks, I just let them try it, and they are immediately hooked. I carried my blue one around everywhere until this weekend, when I gave it away to a friend.

It is difficult to know which tension to use. I''m a woman with small hands, and found that I am right between the blue and the red. I use the blue one for 4th and 5th finger (left hand). I can usually handle the red one for everything else, but the booklet says that repititions are more effective than heavier tension. I use mainly the blue one now. I hope to work up to the red, but that will be a while. I''m also going to buy a couple more so I can work both hands simultaneously.

I do have one caveat -make sure you use these correctly. Don''t overdo it, or try to use a heavier tension to just to feel all macho. Like any weight training, you have to press the buttons precisely to isolate the muscles. Don''t use your whole arm just to get the button pressed. I found that if I started to cheat, I got a little wrist pain and felt the beginnings of tendonitis. (another reason I''m staying on the blue tension for now.)

Oh, and buy your Gripmaster here at Amazon. They are $15 each everywhere else.

Buy Gripmaster Hand Exerciser Now

I [used to] love this product. But Gripmaster has reduced the palm pad to something too uncomfortable to be useful. I have a 5lb blue version, which I use often. I decided to get a 7lb medium version. What arrived was the new version, which I didn''t expect images weren''t yet updated. As of this writing, Gripmaster''s own site still doesn''t picture the currently sold version. I''ve posted my own pictures here, which compare the original with the new version. The old version was nicely padded and ergonomically large. The new version has much less padding and it feels sharp and blocky. It wears on you after too few reps. With the original, I could go as long as my finger and forearm muscles would allow; with the new one, discomfort kicks in first. As other reviewers have noted, these aren''t best for developing brute strength (weights are) but rather for therapy and dexterity, which require moderately high reps. If it can''t do the reps without discomfort, it''s just not worth using at all.

And in case you own the original and you''re thinking you''ll just put the big pad on the new skeleton, forget it. They''re not interchangeable, which is also disappointing. On the original you could put the pad on either side, allowing you to use all your fingers on the unified bar or independently on the buttons. Can''t do that with the new one. (See the pictures.)

Too often a company makes a good product and once it gains a market foothold, they cut costs and expect it will only increase profit margin. This is a perfect example. Well, I hope this review will encourage purchasing choices that make Gripmaster regret their choice to go cheap on their customers. Maybe they''ll be compelled to resume making the great product it used to be, which led to all these positive reviews, almost all of which are NOT about the product you''ll actually receive.

While I expect resurrection of the original Gripmaster to be a long shot, the fact remains: here''s a smart little product I used to recommend to anyone and now I think it''s nearly useless. Disappointing.

Read Best Reviews of Gripmaster Hand Exerciser Here

I recently purchased a pair of the Gripmaster Hand & Finger Exercisers in order to help build forearm strength. As I was unsure which tension would be appropriate, I bought one each of the Light/Blue (5 lbs. tension) and Medium/Red (7 lbs. tension) grips. I''ve had them for a little more than a week now, and I just love, love, love them! Perhaps that''s a little more enthusiasm than anyone should muster up for exercise accessories, but I really do enjoy the grips. I leave one out on my desk at all times, and get in a little work here and there when I stop to read a document or whatnot.

The Gripmaster Exercisers are different from conventional grips in that you can either work your entire hand at once, or each finger individually (great for guitar players, I''ve heard!). One side features four small levers, each with its own spring, that can be squeezed together or one at a time. The plastic on the flip side is molded together so that you can work your whole hand as one unit. The black rubber cushion is removable, and you can place it on either side of the grip. It''s an awesome idea, and allows for maximum versatility!

Just for reference, I''m a female, in relatively good shape, but with painfully little forearm strength (my biceps are huge from years of Tae Bo, though!). The 7 lb. Medium/Red grip is do-able, but challenging. The 5 lb. Light/Blue grip, on the other hand, makes for a much easier workout; I oftentimes find myself squeezing it while doing other things, and I only feel it after a number of reps. If you''re a female and not in great shape, you''ll want to start out with the Light/Blue grips (or even the Extra Light/Yellow ones), and work your way up. Out-of-shape guys can probably get away with the Medium/Red ones to start. If you''ve got good hand/wrist/forearm strength, don''t even both with the lighter tensions skip ahead to the Medium/Red or Heavy/Black.

Although I''ve only owned my Gripmasters for a week or two, and can''t personally vouch for their durability, they do seem sturdy and well-crafted. My fiancé''s brother, an amateur boxer and guitar player, used his for years without a problem, so I have faith that I''ll be squeezing these babies well into 2015!

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I recently purchased a pair of the Gripmaster Hand & Finger Exercisers in order to help build forearm strength. As I was unsure which tension would be appropriate, I bought one each of the Light/Blue (5 lbs. tension) and Medium/Red (7 lbs. tension) grips. I''ve had them for a little more than a week now, and I just love, love, love them! Perhaps that''s a little more enthusiasm than anyone should muster up for exercise accessories, but I really do enjoy the grips. I leave one out on my desk at all times, and get in a little work here and there when I stop to read a document or whatnot.

The Gripmaster Exercisers are different from conventional grips in that you can either work your entire hand at once, or each finger individually (great for guitar players, I''ve heard!). One side features four small levers, each with its own spring, that can be squeezed together or one at a time. The plastic on the flip side is molded together so that you can work your whole hand as one unit. The black rubber cushion is removable, and you can place it on either side of the grip. It''s an awesome idea, and allows for maximum versatility!

Just for reference, I''m a female, in relatively good shape, but with painfully little forearm strength (my biceps are huge from years of Tae Bo, though!). The 7 lb. Medium/Red grip is do-able, but challenging. The 5 lb. Light/Blue grip, on the other hand, makes for a much easier workout; I oftentimes find myself squeezing it while doing other things, and I only feel it after a number of reps. If you''re a female and not in great shape, you''ll want to start out with the Light/Blue grips (or even the Extra Light/Yellow ones), and work your way up. Out-of-shape guys can probably get away with the Medium/Red ones to start. If you''ve got good hand/wrist/forearm strength, don''t even both with the lighter tensions skip ahead to the Medium/Red or Heavy/Black.

Although I''ve only owned my Gripmasters for a week or two, and can''t personally vouch for their durability, they do seem sturdy and well-crafted. My fiancé''s brother, an amateur boxer and guitar player, used his for years without a problem, so I have faith that I''ll be squeezing these babies well into 2015!