>>> BlackFriday Gripmaster Hand Exerciser Black Heavy Tension (9-Pounds per Finger)
Product Features
- Strengthen weaker fingers for superior hitting throwing and fielding
- 9 pounds of tension per finger
- Challenges each finger individually using patented spring-loaded finger piston technology
- Greatly improves hand wrist and forearm strength
- Includes complete exercise program
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.
