The gripmaster finger exerciser is great for those looking to work on finger strength and overall grip. BUT...please realize that these are not designed for whole hand strength work. They are designed for individual finger work. If you are looking for whole hand grip strength training, you should buy a different device. I see people reviewing these devices saying that they are super easy and not worth the money because they can do like 150 reps on the black (heavy) tension. This is because those people are using this device as a whole hand grip strength trainer instead of a finger grip strength trainer.
If you are looking to increase your finger strength/dexterity, these are great devices. And as you increase your finger strength, you will automatically increase your overall grip strength.
I have been using these gripmaster exercisers for about one year now and I am a normal, 6 foot, 200lbs male. The reason I began using them was I started to have shooting pain in my forearms from the beginnings of carpal tunnel syndrome. I figured that if I strengthened my hands and forearms, I might have less problems with carpal tunnel. I started with the blue (light tension) gripper and moved up to red (medium tension) after about 4 months of moderate use. During this time, I tried my best to do all the exercises shown on the Gripmaster website: [...] My routine was three sets of decreasing reps once per day. 15 reps followed by 12 reps followed by 10 reps holding each finger or grip hold for 5 seconds.
After 4 months I went to the red (medium tension) device and continued my routine. By this time (4 months after initial use), all my pain associated with carpal tunnel syndrome was gone. After another 4-6 months using mostly the red device, I decided to try the black (heavy tension) gripper and purchased the black and red combo pack even though I already had a red device. The black device was challenging and still is, but I can still do my normal workout routine with it and it has increased my grip strength even more.
The interesting thing was that the new red device was much stiffer than my old red device. This was the first time that I realized that these Gripmaster devices "wear-out" fairly quickly with normal use. By wear out, I mean that they lose tension and become easier to compress over time thereby giving you less of a workout. As best I can tell, within 4-6 months of normal daily use, the tension will be significantly lower than when first purchased.
Overall, I don't like that the tension drops off fairly quickly under normal use. But I cannot argue with the results and that is really what matters. As long as you are willing to replace the devices every 6 months or so, you will be very happy with the results from the Gripmaster. I give these devices 5 stars because they do exactly what they are designed to do and strengthened by hands and rid me of carpal tunnel pain. My hands and grip feel stronger and as a bonus...I've found that the hand exercises provide some stress relief as well.
Bottom Line: If you want stronger hands, fingers and grip and you are willing to do the exercises as shown on the Gripmaster website, then you should get these devices. I would suggest that all normal adult males should start with the red (medium tension) and go from there. If you are already very strong or already do hand/finger workouts, you may want to start with the black (heavy tension). If you are rehabing an injury (like I was) or are very old or very young, you should probably start with the blue (light tension) device and work your way up. I would also suggest the blue device for normal women to start with. Women who already do hand/grip work could probably start with the red device and move up from there. Thanks.
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 7.52 x 4.96 x 0.75 inches |
|---|---|
| Package Weight | 0.08 Kilograms |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 3.63 x 0.88 x 2.88 inches |
| Brand Name | Prohands |
| Color | Green - Gripmaster |
| Material | Stainless Steel, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene |
| Suggested Users | unisex |
| Manufacturer | Gripmaster |
| Part Number | GMXXL |
| Model Year | 2015 |
| Style | Finger Exerciser,Hand Grip Strengthener |
| Size | 1.5 lb (XX-Light Tension) |
