A strong grip is vital to your grappling abilities. Whether you’re training in gi or no-gi, it’s important.
We’ve all trained against that guy with beastly grip strength. He latches on to your gi and for love nor money, you can’t shake him off. It’s like his hands are the lion and your poor gi is the gazelle. He ain’t letting go.
It’s time for the weekly no-gi class and you think it’s finally your time to shine and get the better of him. Until he grabs your wrist. It’s like a vice grip and yet again, there’s no breaking free.
We all want to be that guy. And the good news is that you can become him. As you train, particularly with the gi, your grip strength will increase. But it will increase slowly, building up over years and years.
Luckily, there are quicker and more efficient ways out there to build grip strength. As you know, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is all about efficiency. If you want to build that fabled grip strength, using a dedicated grip strengthener tool is the way to go.
A grip strengthener, or gripper, is a small hand-held tool that you can use anywhere to increase your grip strength. Most of them have adjustable strengths so you can start small and work your way up. No need to overdo it and/or injure your precious hands.
The Best Grip Strengtheners
In no particular order, here are what we believe are the best 5 grip strengtheners on the market:
GD Iron Grip Hand Grip Strengthener
- [The best trainer to enhance your grip strength] Why limit your progress by using the same level of resistance day in and day out? Try GD IRON GRIP, the perfect hand grip strengthener. You can...
- [Incredible build quality] Made with aluminum handles, strong compressing springs, and 4T iron; GD Iron grip is sturdy as a tank. GD aims for high quality and perfect craftsmanship. This durable and...
- [6 in 1] Combines 6 grip strengtheners in 1 single gripper. Just adjust the lever and easily change the grip resistance that is suitable for your level of strength and training goal. All you need is a...
- [Completely Silent] Hand workout can be done anywhere at any time. Without the disturbing squeaks, you can perform hand, grip, wrist, and forearm workouts where ever you want.
- [Extension Add-ons] Extend the length of the handles to fine-tune your grip strength training. The included extensions allows you to shift hand placements and lower the resistance needed so you can...
Perhaps your grip is already tight. Maybe you’ve used grip strengtheners in the past but none of them have been anywhere near tough enough for you.
It features a maximum tension of 154 lbs, almost double that of most other grippers on the market. This is for the hardcore trainee who is seeking a tougher challenge. It’s adjustable like many others, but it starts at 55 lbs.
GD Iron Grip has forged the death grip with the strong, solid materials of steel and thermoplastic nylon. You don’t have to worry about the device breaking, no matter how hard you brutalise it.
It is almost silent to boot, so you can use it anywhere without annoying the people around you. No squeaking or creaking.
It’s hard to fault the iron grip, but we must remind you that it is intended for only the serious trainee.
Tannion 6 Piece Grip Strengthener
Tannion offers a bargain 6-in-1 package here. It comes with the standard hand grip strengthener and two silicone squeeze rings.
Like most grippers, it features an adjustable tension. It starts out with 22 lbs of tension and can be tightened up to 88 lbs.
You can start off easy and work your way up slowly and steadily. No risk of jumping up in weight too quickly and injuring yourself.
The silicone squeeze rings came in strengths of 50lbs and 60lbs. These rings are ideal to throw in your gym bag and use pre-training as a warm-up. Whilst using the gripper at home on your off-days. You could even keep a ring by your computer to ease your hands when they become strained from typing.
Logest Fitness Finger Strengthener
- Designed to increase the strength of the fingers, wrists and forearms
- Exercise each finger trainer individually, or the entire hand arm strengthener. Isolates and exercises each finger individually for strength, dexterity, and endurance. Develops outstanding hand...
- Whether you are warming up pre-show or conditioning when you’re away from your instrument, the Logest is the ultimate portable workout. At the office, at home or on the train, you can keep up your...
- Perfect for beginners and those recovering from surgery our carpal tunnel the light resistance trainer offers 3 lbs. of tension. The medium level has 7 lbs. of tension and the heavy hand strengthener...
- Ergonomically designed with a secure material, the hand strengthener provides a comfortable grip.
This gripper targets individual fingers rather than the hand as a whole. Your entire hand is getting a workout, not just certain parts.
With some grippers, you only end up using part of your hand to grip. This can lead to injury and uneven strength when some areas aren’t up to scratch.
Logest currently sells 4 different standard options of this strengthener, varying by tension-per-finger. They start at 1.5 lbs of tension per finger at the lightest, all the way up to a mammoth 9 lbs of tension per finger.
We would recommend purchasing either the light tension (5 lbs) or the medium tension (7 lbs) model. Anything less will be a waste of time and you may have built up to the heavy tension model.
FitBeast Hand Grip Strengthener and Finger Strengthener
- 𝗘𝗿𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 — Our hand grips feature a contoured shape that fits comfortably in your palms, reducing strain and fatigue during workouts....
- 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 — Designed for optimal comfort and performance, the FitBeast features a textured...
- 𝗔𝗱𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 — Easily customize the resistance level from beginner to advanced, allowing you to progress at your own pace. The...
- 𝗦𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 — Suitable for various activities, including strength training, rehabilitation, sports, and stress relief....
- 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿-𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 — FitBeast has been committed to providing customers with better products and...
FitBEast has created something a bit different from the other grippers out there. Their basic set comes with 3 silicone squeeze rings… and 3 finger stretchers.
The silicone rings are pretty standard. You squeeze the rings with your hands to increase the grip. When one ring becomes too easy, you move on to the higher-tension rings.
But the finger stretchers could be quite revolutionary for BJJ practitioners.
You place your fingers in the corresponding holes so the rubber fits snug like a ring. A larger, outer rubber ring connects the others together. You then stretch your fingers outwards rather than inwards.
This helps increase finger flexibility and dexterity. It’s also useful if any fingers are lagging behind in strength. Perfect for preventing injuries.
You could have the tightest grip known to man, but if you injure your fingers than it all slips away.
FLYFE Hand Grip Strengthener
- 【SMART COUNTING GRIP STRENGTHENER】Our hand grippers are equipped with the latest counting function, which works a lifetime without a battery and will record your exerciser number every time....
- 【NEWEST DURABLE MATERIAL】 The hand grips for strength training, made of the latest upgraded material, have a longer handle than others, which is more convenient for you to hold. In addition, the...
- 【2 FULLY ADJUSTABLE GRIPS】Our grip strength trainer is super portable and allows you to work out anywhere - Home, car, office, and more! This lets you work out more, building muscle faster than...
- 【SAVE ON THE GYM】Focusing on your fingers and forearms with our deluxe forearm gripper resistance trainers can save you hundreds on gym memberships and workout equipment
- 【MADE TO IMPRESS】Show off to your friends and family thanks to our simple, adjustable grip strength trainer! Great for men and women. Everyone will look and feel better with our premium hand...
FLYFE provide the cheapest gripper on our list but it is still incredibly effective.
It is a clamp model, similar to the GD Iron Grip hand gripper and likewise comes with an adjustable tension between 22lbs and 88lbs.
It comes in a vibrant lime-green color with light grey handles. The whole package includes the gripper, 4 online e-books filled with exercises and workouts for you to use, and a waterproof carry case.
The gripper has solid steel hinges and enhanced springs so it will hold up to intense and frequent use.
These styles of grip strengtheners are perfect for using absent-mindedly when chilling out in front of the TV.
What are Hand Grip Strengtheners?
Grip strengtheners have far more benefits than just improving your Jiu-jitsu grip strength, they can have a real benefit on your day-to-day life also, whether it’s simply holding a phone, driving, moving furniture, or just gardening, the ability to grip onto something is something that we can take for granted and something that we shouldn’t lose out on. To combat the degenerative effects of aging, people have been turning to hand grip strengtheners for years. Grippers have the added benefits of not only increasing the load your hands can carry, but will also have added benefits through strengthening your wrist and your forearm. Ultimately greater hand strength means being able to pick up heavier weights, climb ropes and hold onto that collar for a little longer.
Grip strengtheners also have the added benefit of improving not just your grip but your hand endurance. When you are applying forceful pressure on the grip handles you are doing much more than just developing hand strength. By holding on for long periods, you can develop endurance over time, meaning you can not only grip things better but you can hold on to them before your hands start to fatigue. But Endurance isn’t all about gripping, if you work at a keyboard all day, finger endurance and dexterity are a must.
Grip Strengtheners have been around since the early part of the 20th Century, so they are still quite a modern invention, but even in that short period of time they have evolved quite considerably. The earliest versions were made of wood, however, modern grippers are made of plastic and metal and can also be adjusted depending on what type of workout you’re doing or how hard you want the workout to be.
Overall grippers can come in varying strength levels, you have low-load grip squeezers for beginners, all the way up to the monster captain of crush grippers, used to develop hand crunching grip. They can also come in a variety of different styles and complexities.
How to Choose The Right Grip Strengthener
When it comes to choosing grip strengtheners, there are a lot of options available. Some may be right for you, some not so much. So if you’re a hardcore gripster or just making sure you don’t drop your mobile phone, it’s important to know what types of grippers are available on the market.
Correct Resistance
Choosing the correct resistance for your grip strength is one of the most important things when choosing your own grip trainer. If you’re just looking for something which has the ability to rehabilitate your hands, then opt for a relatively low resistance level.
A grip strengthener can be a very easy process, or difficult depending on the amount of resistance you choose. If you’re a beginner gripper then a medium-strength gripper should be fine since you already have a day-to-day base level. If you’re already a seasoned grappler or weight lifter, we would recommend something a bit tougher.
Adjustable or Fixed Hand Strengthener
There are two types of strengtheners available on the market these days. Adjustable grippers or fixed grippers, both have their own benefits.
For beginners who are unsure about their upper weight limit, an adjustable grip strengthener is a good option, that way you can tune it to your strength and then adjust it as you get stronger. While great for beginners these aren’t as good for experienced gripsmen. While you can buy some specialized adjustable grippers they tend to be more expensive than a set of fixed grippers.
This is the real benefit of fixed grippers as they are generally cheaper than their adjustable counterparts. Made from a single spring with plastic of metal handles, you can squeeze these to your heart’s delight. Another benefit of a fixed gripper is that over time the adjustable spring’s tension will loosen and wear over time. If you do choose a fixed gripper, make sure it’s a strength you can manage.
Finger Strengtheners or Squeeze Grippers
If you’re looking for more finger dexterity and endurance then finger strengtheners may be an option for you. These grip strengtheners come with numerous springs designed for training individual fingers. These are perfect for climbers or grapplers looking to improve their pinch grip and work on gripping fatigue. Squeeze grippers are the everyday hand strengtheners you see. These will build an overall crushing power to your grip, handy for everyday life.
Finger extensors and flexors
When you train your grip, you are mostly training your finger and thumb flexors to close your hand. However if you want really fit fingers, it is also recommended that you train your finger extensors also. A lot of finger extensor training devices are essentially rubber bands with finger loops. Here you can expand your hand with resistance to give your hand a full workout. These are also perfect for anyone who needs to rehab their fingers after an accident.
Consider Before Buying
To improve grip strength, it‘s important to consider your goals and why you want to build your grip. There are many different ways to strengthen your grip, and you have to find out which one works best for you. Before buying any type of grip strengthener, it‘s important to know what your goals are and how you plan to achieve them.
Once you know what you want to accomplish, it will be easier to decide if you want to focus on just improving your grip strength or if you want to work on your grip and forearm strength to boost your athletic performance. Ask yourself these questions to figure out which product, or maybe even multiple products, would be the best to help you reach your goal.
Athletic Goals
Before buying something, it‘s important to ask yourself why you‘re making the purchase in the first place. Do you need it for a sporting event? Is it for your lifestyle? Consider what you want the product to do for you and how it will fit into your life. Once you know why you‘re buying it, you‘ll be better able to choose the right one.
When you‘re deciding what to buy, think about what you want to achieve. For example, if you‘re into strongman and want to become stronger, you should get something that helps you build up your grip strength. On the other hand, if you‘re looking to bulk up your forearms and look like Popeye, a grip strengthener probably isn‘t the right choice.
If you are an athlete looking to increase your performance, you may want to consider a range of products to help you strengthen your grip, wrists, and forearms. This can be especially important for sports such as tennis, baseball, cricket, and golf, as having a strong grip and forearms will allow you to deliver and generate power. You may need to use a few products to get the most complete training, so take some time to research what is out there.
Effective Resistance
When looking for a grip strengthener, it is important not to buy one with too much resistance. It is best to start with one that is not as strong and gradually increase the difficulty level. Doing 15 reps with a lighter resistance and full range of motion is better than just a few reps of a heavier strength. This will help you to gradually increase your strength.
Range of Motion
It is important to make sure you know the range of motion (ROM) when you are looking to purchase a grip strengthener. This is the distance between the starting and ending point of the movement when the resistance is changed. Most grip strengtheners have a ROM of two to three inches. Some grip strengtheners will have the same range of motion no matter how strong the resistance is. If you are not sure, look at the design of the grip strengthener for more information.
If you adjust the point at which the coil or spring of a gripper bends, the range of motion (ROM) may be reduced. However, if you change the angle at which the coil or spring is compressed, the ROM will probably stay the same.
Best Grip Strengtheners – Conclusion
If you‘re looking to get better results in the gym, on the field, or on the court, having a strong grip can make a big difference. Building up your grip strength doesn‘t have to take you away from your regular training, but you should make sure to know how strong your grip currently is and decide what kind of grip strengthener works for you. With the right approach and the right tools, you‘ll have a grip fit for a king in no time.
With consistent use and effort, it won’t be long before you’re the guy in the gym who’s rag dolling everyone with their superior grip.