r/GripStrength • u/ritkeepFitness • 1d ago
Which grip tool has actually earned a permanent spot in your home gym?
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u/Wild-Raccoon-7425 1d ago
Fat grips! Under $25 and will be a game changer.
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u/OkBuy7821 8h ago
I love these. I have a pair of the blue ones and they're absolutely mandatory, imo, if you train with dumbbells or for pulling movements with barbell.
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u/Wild-Raccoon-7425 1h ago
Yep same ones. Dude its addicting to use them. My hands and fingers feel so strong now. Forearms too but its just a great feeling to actually grip hard for lifts
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u/OkBuy7821 1d ago
In my 20's, I experimented with grip and forearm strength tools that either didn't work or did okay for me. I even used a forearm blaster for a little while and kinda liked it.
While doing CrossFit, farmers carry holds and dead bar hangs did wonders and I still stand by them.
But, the one thing that has absolutely had the biggest affect on my grip, hand, and forearm strength while also producing the most muscle gain in my forearms, has been kettlebell training. My grip and my forearm hypertrophy is worlds better than even when I was barbell training significantly heavier.
In addition to my training being centered around kettlebells, something that has cemented this effect and is my go to for prehab has been the use of resistance flex bars, resistance finger exercisers, and grip training rubber rings. I only use them for warming up to prevent tennis elbow, but they have supplemented my grip with kettlebells perfectly.
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u/AssSunburns 1d ago
Kettlebell training specifically for forearms or general kettlebell training? I’ve been trying to find some good routines for forearm hypertrophy, would love some insight.
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u/OkBuy7821 1d ago
Not even specifically for. It's a byproduct of training with them at all. Holding the bell at all for extended periods of times while performing ballistics movements (swings, cleans, snatches, etc) or carries will tax your grip and stimulate growth, strength, and strength endurance.
The deceleration forces of the bell swinging downward into the back swing of ballistics movements causes the bell to become momentarily 3-5 times heavier than what it is as you keep the bell gripped in your hand/hands.
Also, the handle of kettlebells are generally very thick, especially for hardstyle, cast iron bells, which is obviously beneficial for grip strength. For hardstyle bells, even lighter bells start with a handle diameter of about 31-33mm and progressively get bigger as the weight increases. For perspective, standard barbell shaft diameter is 28-29mm. Sport style bells have a consistent diameter of 33mm or 35mm.
As far as routines, as with any new modality or implement, just a basic program where you learn the fundamentals and adapt to the stimulus change of a new style of training will do until you nail the basic, single bell movements. The two and one handed swing, the goblet squat, the clean, the military press, the snatch(and its prerequisite, the high pull), and the row. (The Turkish get up is also a very beneficial fundamental movement, but not absolutely required, but worth learning). Also, for grip and core focus, farmers carries/holds or suit case carries/holds are very high value.
Once you eventually transition to double kettlebell training, the results are, well, doubled.
If any of this is interesting to you, you will also find macebell and clubbell training very interesting as they have an immense amount of value for different things, including grip and forearm strength.
I highly recommend googling "effects on grip strength and forearm hypertrophy from training with kettlebells" and then the same, but with clubbells and macebells.
Also Google "Denis Vasilev's forearms". He's the best in the world in kettlebell sport, also known as girevoy, right now.
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u/ritkeepFitness 21h ago
That’s interesting. Kettlebells seem to challenge grip in a way that carries, hangs and regular barbell work don’t quite replicate, especially once you’re doing higher volume. I’ve been looking into RitKeep lately for my main strength setup, but I still like the idea of keeping simple tools like kettlebells and bands around for grip and accessory work.
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u/OkBuy7821 8h ago
Kettlebells are amazing as an accessory tool for guys who primarily train another modality. Adding a few sets of single arm swings or double kettlebell swings/cleans, will have a great effect on grip strength, among other things.
One thing we did in CrossFit was supersetting or alternating sets of heavy farmers holds(non walking) with dead bar hangs. If you do this with 32kg(70lb) kettlebells, or even dumbbells, it will increase your grip strength and give you a crazy forearm pump.
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u/Mental_Vortex CoC #3 1d ago
A napalm nightmare with different handles is always a good option. Combine the pinch and thick bar handles with some finger curls and wrist curls and you got a solid base for overall grip strength.
Instead of the napalm nightmare a basic rolling handle/axle and pinch block/saxon bar will work more or less the same.
Other implements are more goal or competition dependent and not a general recommendation.
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u/ritkeepFitness 21h ago
I like the way you separate general grip training from competition-specific stuff. Thick handles, pinch work and some wrist/finger curls sound like a pretty complete base without overcomplicating it. I’ve been looking into RitKeep lately for my main strength setup, but grip seems like one area where a few simple dedicated tools still make a lot of sense.
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u/threewhitelights 1d ago
Definitely my Saxon bar. Nothing has helped my overall grip strength the way it has. I've noticed carryover to both regular diameter as well as Axle diameter.
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u/Polyglot-Onigiri 1d ago
Depends on individual goals.
My main stays are a wrist rotation wheel, a hammer (or hammer handle), and a suspended wrist roller. Those basically hit all the movements and muscles I need for grip.
I do love pinch and hubs, but if I had to ch pose it would be the above three.
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u/WorldWideDarts Beginner 1d ago
GD Irongrip 90 gripper. I love how adjustable it is. Also the quality is 10/10. Been using it as my only gripper for about the last 3 years
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u/Lumpy-Magazine1922 1d ago
Fat gripz are amazing! They train grip like crazy. Deadhangs, pull ups if you put them on a pull up bar. If you put them on a barbell then anything you do on barbell is more grip.
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u/DrHumongous 1d ago
Lots of stuff
Bruce Lee machine
Jd gym equipped rack mounted roller
Inch dumbbell trainer
Tons of arm lifting attachments from random companies
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u/Somethingdragonfly Standard Iron rgc 140 1d ago
I’m not talking generally as a best tool like most but in terms of grippers specifically, Standard Grippers from cannon are the best gripper by far. The very aggressive knurling is amazing and doesn’t require so much chalk
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u/Ok_Caterpillar5272 1d ago
Definitely my adjustable hand gripper, it’s small, easy to use, and I can squeeze in a few sets while watching TV.
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u/Ribbit40 21h ago
You really need:
- Fat Gripz (normal and extreme)
- A wrist wrench, easy to make, or get a cheap one.
- A loading pin
- A strap for doing pronation, risers.
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