As a certified fitness trainer, I've used and recommended top-hand grip strengtheners, feeling greater tension that effectively built my forearm and improved grip strength.
After receiving positive feedback from clients, I delved into research and consulted with fellow trainers for more details to maximize the benefits.
In this article, I'll share insights on the benefits of hand grip strengtheners, usage tips, targeted muscles, and recommended grip training workouts.
Quick Summary
- Some benefits of using a hand grip strengthener are increasing muscular endurance, managing stress, and improving sports performance.
- Regularly training with a hand grip strengthener helps enhance hand and forearm strength and finger and wrist dexterity.
- Epidemiological studies show that hand grip strength is a common and reliable measure of overall muscular strength, correlating with the strength of other muscle groups.
- In my opinion, effective grip-focused training should include using strengtheners and taking vitamin supplements for enhanced hand grip strength.
The Benefits of Hand Grip Strengthener
Over the years, I've found hand grip strengtheners to work wonders, providing my clients with a range of benefits, including:
1. Increased Muscular Endurance
For many lifters, grip strength is the weak link to resistance training. Hand grip exercises help develop grip and wrist strength, enhancing muscular endurance for activities like lifting barbells and dumbbells.
"Improved grip strength translates to good performance in physically demanding workouts like pull-ups or hobbies like rock climbing that need muscle strength, endurance, and stamina for extended periods."
- Andrew Tracey, Certified Personal Trainer & Nutritionist
2. Improved Sports Performance
In my training experience, I've found that hand grippers really amp up sports performance by building muscles, especially in activities like football, basketball, tennis, rock climbing, and weight lifting.
3. Greater Dexterity
Regular use of hand grip strengtheners aids in improving finger and hand function, enhancing dexterity. This is crucial for tasks like writing, fastening a dress shirt, and other activities requiring fine motor movement.
4. Works the Forearms
Grip exercises not only enhance grip strength but also provide an effective workout for the forearms. This is important for excelling in sports that require lower-arm activation and grip strength.
Related: Forearm Exercises To Add To Your Routine
5. Improved Mental Health
Research from Harvard Medical School links poor grip strength to depressive symptoms. Strengthening grip may contribute to better mental health, as grip strength is related to visual memory, response time, and prospective memory [1].
6. Stress Management
In my experience as a fitness trainer, I find that using hand grip strengtheners over the years for stress relief, coupled with deep, mindful breathing, is a simple and effective approach.
7. Increased Muscle Strength
Regular hand grip-strengthening exercises improve wrist and forearm strength, overcoming the weak link in various weight resistance workouts.
8. Workout Spill Over
Improving grip strength allows my clients to maximize the benefits of weightlifting, especially during the crucial final repetitions of sets, ensuring peak performance in movements like barbell rows, deadlifts, and lat pulldowns.
9. Improved Daily Activity
Developing wrist, forearm, and grip strength simplifies daily chores, enhancing one's capacity to carry groceries, hold a baby, and perform various tasks.
10. Recovering from an Injury
Incorporating grip strengthening exercises into a training regimen can aid in recovery from injuries, offering significant benefits during rehabilitation.
"Many hand grippers enable you to select your resistance level, allowing you to begin with minimal resistance and progressively increase it."
- Robert Savin, Muscle Hypertrophy Specialist
11. Energy Booster
Hand grip training exercises can be done anywhere, providing an energy boost during idle times like watching television or waiting in line.
12. Portable and Affordable
Hand grip strengtheners are compact, portable, and affordable, featuring adjustable resistance and allowing users to keep one everywhere they go.
What Is a Grip Strengthener?
A grip strengthener is a compact device designed to enhance hand and forearm muscle strength and wrist joint capabilities.
The most common type features spring-loaded hand grips with adjustable resistance levels, making it effective for developing a strong grip.
As a fitness trainer, I've personally observed the transformative impact of grip strengtheners on athletic performance, as supported by research from PubMed [2].
Muscles Worked by Grip Strengtheners
According to the National Institute of Health, grip strengtheners effectively engage muscles in the hands, forearms, and fingers—comprising 19 forearm muscles (8 flexors and 11 extensors) [3].
Also, the same institute suggests squeezing activates key muscles like the flexor pollicis longus and flexor digitorum profundus, while releasing focuses on the extensor muscle, the digitorum communis.
These muscles are vital for fine and gross motor abilities, underscoring the importance of maintaining grip strength during wrist, hand, and finger fatigue [4] [5].
How To Use It
The crush grip is the most common technique for utilizing a grip strengthener.
For beginners, start with lower resistance or fewer repetitions, gradually advancing to more challenging variations.
Adjust the strengthener's resistance level if applicable.
- Place one handle vertically from the palm's bottom towards the thumb and index fingers.
- Wrap your thumb around the handle.
- Wrap the second handle with your ring, index, and pinky fingers, keeping them close together at the handle's bottom.
- Inhale, then exhale while squeezing the handles together.
- Squeeze until the bottoms of the handles touch.
- Pause for a 1-count when the strengthener touches.
- Inhale slowly through your nose, returning to the starting position.
- Repeat for reps and switch hands.
Types of Grip Training Workouts
To maximize forearm development, include these grip workouts in your fitness routine:
- Pinch Grip: Place fingers on one side of an item and thumb on the other, lifting without palm contact to avoid cramping.
- Crush grip: The normal grip that is akin to a handshake. This is the most frequent grip used in regular training.
- Crush Grip (upside down): Position the tool upside down with handles pointing upwards, shifting tension to the top of the hand.
- Support Grip: Holding something for an extended period, like a farmer's carry, is an effective exercise for increasing grip strength.
Learn More: Crush Grip Goblet Squat: How-to Guide
FAQs
Is It Ok To Use a Hand Gripper Everyday?
Yes, you can use a hand gripper every day. Though they may be used daily, utilizing them for the correct period and resistance level is critical.
Do Hand Grip Strengtheners Work?
Yes, hand grip strengtheners work. Few pieces of equipment are as simple but effective as grip strengtheners for increasing raw crushing power in the hands and establishing good wrist mechanics.
Do Hand Grippers Build Hand Size?
Yes, hand grippers build hand size. Grippers are an excellent approach to increasing forearm growth and grip strength while providing a distinct stimulus compared to other workouts. You should strive to employ a full range of motion while applying maximum force and integrate different protocols like drop sets, isometrics, and eccentrics.
References:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25712514/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36076200/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK536975/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4013148/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7345833/
About The Author
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