As a Jiu Jitsu practitioner I can tell you, as can so many others instructors, that grip strength is of HUGE importance when it comes to success on the mats. With grappling arts becoming so popular in recent years, there are now more competitors hitting the mats than ever before, and that means that all of us need to work hard to make sure we have every advantage possible. Since I’m always looking for ways to develop the proverbial “vice-like” grip that every grappler needs, I am always on the lookout for new training methods and equipment to help me develop serious hand and finger strength.
Now we all know that you can improve grip strength by hitting the mats doing some grip training whilst rolling. No one disputes that. And you also can hit the gym where there are various exercises that will assist. But how about outside of those activities and how about for practitioners that can’t hit the mats and gym every day? And, many of you may not be ware but the key to developing not only great strength in your hands, but also improve overall endurance and dexterity in your grips, is to constantly train your hand and fingers. And that’s where being able to exercise your hand and fingers at home, in the office, on the bus and even in the toilet is important. To get gorilla grips, you need to work on your grips constantly.
But how can that be achieved? Well, now it’s finally possible.
Increasing Your Grip Strength Anywhere
I recently heard about the Finger Master Grip Strengthener since the whole Jiu Jitsu community has been abuzz about it. It’s the only gripper device that I have heard of that is designed specifically for grapplers and I had to check it out for myself. And now that I have both received this gripper and have had a chance to train with it for a while, I wanted to share my experience with the Jiu Jitsu community in this no-holds-barred review.
Finally: A Customized Grip Strength Training Experience
The first thing I noticed when I got my Finger Master was that it is quite a bit different from other grippers that I have tried in the past. Perhaps the biggest difference, besides it’s quality construction is the fact that this gripper has 5 pistons on it. Since you can only really train 4 fingers at a time (as your thumb is always on the bottom, applying counter pressure) one might wonder why the heck there are 5 pistons at all. As it turns out, the additional piston is what really separates this device from other run-of-the-mill grippers.
With the 5 pistons available, you can actually spread out your grip a bit, for example by training with pistons 1, 2, 3 & 5 or you can mix and match to use any combination of the pistons. You see, in addition to the 5 pistons, the Finger Master also gives you two channel locks. What these locks allow you to do is to lock down a piston (or two if you prefer) so they don’t get in your way. One of the things I do is I use the locks to block off pistons #3 & #4 and then really focus in on just blasting away reps with my pinkie finger. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so taking time to really focus on strengthening the weakest part of my grip (the pinkie finger) allows me to take my grip strength to a whole new level.
In case you are wondering what I mean, here is an awesome video about the Finger Master from “Fix Your Jiu Jitsu”, one of the great YouTube channels for improving your Jiu Jitsu. The video also shares some awesome insights when it comes to using the device too.
The Right Approach to Grip Strength Training
So, back to my experience using the Finger Master… This little trainer is pretty cool. I was just telling you about how I like to use different combinations of the pistons to bring the weakest parts of my overall grip up to par. I almost forgot to mention that the Finger Master does allow me to customize the tension on each piston. There’s a little dial on each one, for easy customization. My pinkie and ring fingers aren’t as strong as my index and middle fingers, so I use the tension controls to help make sure that those smaller fingers get worked hard during my grip strength training.
I did want to mention that the Finger Master Grip Strengthener is no replacement for mat time or other strength and conditioning exercises. It is only intended to be supplemental training. I still do plenty of pulls, use towels to do pull ups and train like a madman in order to improve my game. I even climb ropes these days to develop the kind of grip strength that is crucial to grapplers. What I’m trying to get across to you is that even though the Finger Master is the first grip strengthener that is designed with serious grapplers in mind, it is still no replacement for the other training that you do. It is a nice, additional piece of equipment to help with individual finger training (key to improving grips, like the hook grip, pistol grip and two-on-one) but it should not replace any existing part of your Jiu Jitsu training regimen.
Win More Matches with Better Grip Endurance
What really matters to most of us is becoming better and for those that compete, winning more matches when possible. I can’t tell you how many times I have had my fingers give out before the rest of my body was ready to. If you like to roll, you have probably been there before: Hands locked into your opponents Gi, holding on for dear life and trying to sink in that lapel choke that you’ve been working so hard on. But after a few minutes your hands start to scream in pain, and you lose your grip! It happens all the time because too may grapplers fail to really focus on improving the grip endurance.
In my opinion, training with the Finger Master is the way to go to ensure that each finger is strong and equipped with enough endurance to avoid crapping out on you when you need that extra bit of grip strength to win those important matches or to come out victorious during hardcore sparring sessions. Listen to BJJ strength and conditioning coach James Wilson talk through how the Finger Master helps build the grip endurance you need to start dominating the grip fighting for extended periods of time.
An Affordable Grip Strengthener
To close out my personal review of the Finger Master, I have to mention that this thing only costs like under $20 bucks delivered. I don’t know about you, but any time I can find a nice piece of equipment, especially one that really does help me to improve my Jiu Jitsu, I can’t resist picking it up. And with this thing only costing under $20, it’s really a no brainer. For the small investment, you’re going to get way more out of it than a t-shirt or any other Jiu Jitsu gear which would cost way more.
I’m really glad I tried the Finger Master because I use this gripper just about every day now. It comes with a lifetime guarantee too, so even if I do wear it out by using it on a daily basis, then the manufacturer will replace it free of charge. Now that’s cool and great commitment from them.
I hope this review helps you decide whether or not to give this cool gripper a try. If you want to read more reviews from other Jiu Jitsu practitioners that have taken advantage of the Finger Master to improve their grip strength and endurance on the mat, just head over to the Amazon page below and read the customer reviews. And I hope that you see the same results that I have seen from using it and start to dominate on the mat as your grip becomes stronger every day!
Go to Finger Master Grip Strengthener or if you’re interested in reading more about other grip strengtheners, check out our in-depth reviews.