If you are really serious about hand grips, and you want something that is not your standard sport shop model, this is where to go. I got the Trainer, and for someone like myself that has been using hand grips since childhood, it was too easy. Then I got #1 and that was tuff; but I decided to get #2 and #3 as well. I have just recently graduated from #1 and using #2, and maybe in a year or more I can go to #3 and get certified.
Let me tell you this, if you can squeeze #2 at least once all the way, you are good. You can't really understand what I am trying to tell unless you get one. So if you are person that has never used hand grips regularly if at all, then go with the Trainer. If you have been using hand grips for awhile, and looking for something harder, then get the #1.
Remember to always squeeze hard!!!
5 stars

I was searching for a durable quality gripper that took some power to close. I figured that I would have no problem closing the Trainer and figured I would buy the Trainer and the Level One gripper. Glad I bought the Trainer. The Level 1 is pretty tough to close and I like to do it a few times then go work on the Trainer.

As for quality like Mr. Baotic said, these are high quality. Now that I have two I want the whole set. I've heard people complain that the grips are a little rough but they don't injure you at all they are just rougher so they don't slip when you sweat. If you want a quality, durable, gripper buy from the Captain's of Crush line. I know I will never go back.
5 stars

I was very tempted to start and order the Captains of Crunch #1 and bypass the Trainer but after reading the reviews I opted for the Trainer.

Good thing.

I was amazed that I had a difficult time closing the Trainer 10 times when I first got it and by the second set I was burning out at 8 reps.

Now two months later I'm up to 2 sets of 12 reps and 1 set of 10 reps.

I figure in two more months I will order the #1...but use the Trainer as a warm up.

Handle is rough but prevents losing your grip. I do have some new callouses but nothing overt.

Very good product that produces good results.

p.s. I keep it in my car so during my commute I just do several sets...so no excuses to get your grip in shape. 4 stars

This item is the gold standard for grip workout equipment.

I've always been an athlete, and a strong guy. I worked out the usual exercises that you see overdone in the gym, and I'd stack plate after plate onto the bar. The problem is, when I had to do heavy dynamic lifts, I was always worried about losing the bar because of my hand strength. I'd sit there and fiddle with my grip for what seemed like eternity - something my buddies called, 'stall time'.

Well, I made it through those younger years o.k., but now I'm getting older and I still workout, although it's not with silly amounts of weight. Being a little older I'm paying attention to the things I neglected when I was young (isn't that how it always is?). So lifting-wise I focused a little more on what we ignored when we were going for 'beach body'. I decided I wanted a decent grip - something that wouldn't fail me if I needed to hold on. I did my research and found these grippers: I'm done searching for equipment in this category.

These are the pieces you want. They're well-made, incrementally designed ("Trainer" on up), and they're a challenge. Go with the trainers if you have no significant athletic or lifting experience. If you're a little bit beefy (in a good way) you can start with the #1's and be o.k. Save some room for humble pie if you try to advance with these too quickly. The idea of working on the #3's and #4's is a distant dream for me.

FYI: The grips will rough-up your hands - but isn't that at least a little bit of a good thing? 5 stars

For me, a product review starts with the purchasing experience. Being in Japan with the high shipping costs, I am cautious about ordering items that I cannot see first simply because a money-back guarantee for a $20 item that costs $15 to ship is not very useful or appealing to me.

So I sent an email asking about shipping charges and which models they would recommend. TEN hours later I received a clear, helpful response from Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D., President of IronMind. I placed my order on Aril 13th at 3 PM. I quickly received a confirmation of my order and was told they would ship the next day. I am in Japan and I received my Captains of Crush Grippers on the afternoon of April 19th!

How could it get better than that?? Well, it did! When I opened the parcel I was surprised by the quality of the Captains of Crush Grippers. They are a first class product. They are guaranteed for one year but based on the high quality, they will last MUCH longer than that. If I have any complaint it would be that they are hard to close! LOL. I strongly recommend the Captains of Crush Grippers with NO reservations. The customer service from IronMind was first class and the Captains of Crush Grippers are first class!

About the Trainer Gripper: It is a good place to start if you have not used grippers before. If you have not done gloveless weight training you may find it "hard" on your hands initially, but it is a great product. I bought the trainer model, adn the sport model as a warm up for the trainer and WILL buy a # 1 and #2 as I get stronger! 5 stars