Amazon.com Reviews
Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
The following review received 36 helpful votes out of 36 total votes:Review Date: 2005-11-22"Great Product + Great Price = Great Way to Work Your Hands & Forearms!"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!
- Kelly Garbato, Couch Potato Turned Fitness Fanatic 5 stars The following review received 16 helpful votes out of 16 total votes:Review Date: 2006-07-31"If you Need Finger Strength, Control, Endurance and Coordination, you are in the Right Place"
Let me start saying that this is a wonderful product. Small, light, and well constructed (they feel like they will last forever). You can carry them with you, allowing to workout your fingers at the office, at home or wherever you find suitable. I bought the four different color-coded gripmasters: Black/heavy, Red/medium, Blue/light, and Yellow/extra light. I only found the resistance of the red and black ones useful for me, but my wife loves the blue and yellow ones. It was a great buy because of their high quality and affordable price.
The product comes with a foldable instruction booklet where you find details for six different exercises:
- Trigger pinch. This one simulates the movement of squeezing a trigger, and it isolates the index finger for enhanced strength and coordination.
- Gross grasp. This one strengthens fingers, thumb, wrist and forearm for a firm grip.
- Hook position. This one strengthens longer muscles in forearm and wrist while stretching smaller muscles in hand for greater motion and endurance.
- Tip to tip pinch. This exercise strengthens specific fingers, thumb, smaller hand muscles and forearm for greater control and endurance.
- Wrist flexion. It strengthens wrist and forearm muscles.
- Key pinch. Strengthens thumb and index finger for greater stability and coordination.
At the gripmaster website you can find more exercises for different activities and sports.
If you are looking to crush hands when handshaking this is not the product for you, but if you need finger strength, control, endurance and coordination you are in the right place. 5 stars The following review received 14 helpful votes out of 14 total votes:Review Date: 2006-10-23"Just awesome!"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. 5 stars The following review received 6 helpful votes out of 6 total votes:Review Date: 2006-03-11"Good Quality, little light"I originally bought the Blue (5 lb), Red (7 lb) and the Black (9 lb) Gripmasters for my 14 year old boys. The Blue is a little too easy for gripping but excellent for exercising the ring and little finger. The Blue was too easy for them so they did not use it so I ended inherited it. It is pretty habit forming and fun to use because the tension is light, this makes it good for use anytime, anywhere. (I have used it stuck in traffic and it is also a good stress reliever) If I had to do it again, I would have probably not bought this tension unless you have a very light grip, probably have started with the Red. Just remember that this is mainly for fingers and hand exercise so very easy to use for gripping, the challenge is working out the fingers. It is not like using the regular heavy hand grippers. It has increased my hand strength and grip just by having it with me and using it during the course of the day without planned workouts. Great product, excellent for finger or hand exercise, good quality. 4 stars The following review received 3 helpful votes out of 3 total votes:Review Date: 2006-02-22"Fingers are Thunders"Yes.........I like it, after using for 2 weeks, my fingers were strong. Good thing is that this exercise helps in smooth blood flowing in your body. 4 stars |
