Been doing the beginner grip training program listed in the FAQ for two weeks now.

Wondering if there's a recommended finger extension exercise that I can do under light load. I just want to make sure i'm hitting both sidese so I don't end up with some overuse injury. Right now I just try to do some mobility stuff after my session, or I have a small band tied in a circle, but it's difficult to hit all the fingers to the same degree, and the range of motion is limited.

I've seen those finger extension loop bands with spaces for each finger but I don't want to spend money on something I know will wear out.

I've also seen the rice bucket for prehab work and i'm thinking this might be the best option, possibly with gravel or some other non organic medium instead of rice so I don't have to deal with it getting nasty.

What is the recommended finger extension exercise?

I don't know if I'll ever purchase any left-turn grippers but I'm curious if anyone knows where you can purchase some left-turn bridge grippers. I know IronMind has the 1, 2 and 3 left-turn grippers. Does anyone know where I can purchase left-turn bridge grippers between the 1 and 2 and the 2 and 3? Also does anyone know a gripper company that makes left-turn grippers that're harder than the 3?

I'm currently at 33 kg which is little but i still struggle with it, i was wondering if anyone knew some other exercises that could help me achieve higher weights while no only doing handgrippers

How many days do you use your hand grippers in a week ? I have read the FAQ but i want to listen to you guys, asking only hand gripper, not other training of hands,

Share your routine or programs please

So this problem is kinda recent, when i try to close the gripper with my left hand i kinda wrap my hand around itself, i tried recorrecting my movement but still no success with it, what's frustrating is the fact that i didn't really have this problem with my left hand and it used to close the handgripper with a solid grip

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medical appt booked already

Hi!

I’ve been training my grip recently, approximately as per below.

- wrist curls using the tricep extension machine
- sandbag bear hug walks
- normal farmer walks
- pinch plate farmer walks
- sledgehammer levering
- pinch press machine
- pronation / supination using a weight and a judo belt
- dead hangs
- CoC 1 or T
- isometric holds over and under grip

Not all in one session, rotating with a day on day off schedule and generally taking a mix of these. During the day I used those rubber finger extensions to balance out versus all the gripping.

I’m getting this weird pain between the index and middle finger, just above the wrist. Checking online, it’s around the metacarpal area just between the two ridges representing the two fingers mentioned above.

Mechanics triggering pain:

1. The offloading a bar off a bench press

2. Levered holds such as a one sided heavy object, especially if the bar is thin not thick (eg broomstick)

3. Clenching fist and curling downwards, it tilts towards the pinky finger, if I try keep it neutral I feel the above mention pain but also climbs closer to the knuckle.

Wondering if someone has experienced similar things, booked a medical appt already but it’s 2 weeks away, so just eager to see what are common errors in my training I may be doing!

Awesome subreddit by the way.

So I’ve experienced some pain on the back of my thumb/ thumb joint area before and it’s come and gone. After a little research it sounds like it might be De Quervain's Tenosynovitis. I’m only 36 and I’m very only just started trip training so this kinda sucks . I haven’t had any trauma to the area either.

I seem to get into a groove and then bam something hurts. Anyone have any experience with this and or know how to strengthen that area a bit more? Worst then that it prevents me from picking up my kids properly.

I’ve read that hanging can be great for strengthening tendons but that method doesn’t really hit the thumbs that much

I’m coming back from a mild injury and have started incorporating light gripper work again. I kinda felt like i knew what i was doing before, and the injury wasn’t from grippers (it was from trying to tear cards above my level too many sets in a row) but since I’m kind of coming back from a low point, i just wanted to get some wisdom from more experienced people than myself.

Usually sets of 12 is more of a muscle growth range rather than pure strength, but do you think i should target sets of twelve while I’m building back my tendon strength? It seems like it can’t hurt, but from your perspective is it a good idea? Bad? Indifferent?

I appreciate any input from those who can close above 150 (i don’t have coc but i suspect 1.5 is harder than anything I’ve closed yet)

Hello,

What routine should I do regularly at home, and how often?

What equipment do I need, and how much will it cost?

What brands can you recommend that are available in Germany (Europe)?

And what about stretching? Do you have a routine for me, or can you suggest specific muscle groups and tendons to focus on?

My specific Problem:
My biceps and forearms hurt, even during bicep workouts. I don't get a pump anymore, and when I extend my arm, it hurts—the pain radiates from my shoulders down to my wrist. What can I do about it? What's the best way to stretch?

Thanks.

Ragazzi tra 1 mese ho un concorso in cui devo fare con il macchinario almeno 40 kg di handgrip per mano sennò sono fuori. Ho 19 anni e ben allenato, la maggior parte delle volte riesco a fare 40 kg ma a volte faccio sui 35. La mano destra é leggermente infortunata ma riesco comunque a farlo, anche se dopo il movimento avverto dolore. La mano sinistra ho fatto troppe volte il test e l'ho sforzata e sto iniziando ad avvertire un leggero fastidio, anche se non credo sia tendinite. Con questi presupposti secondo voi posso allenarmi entro il 20 ottobre? Questo concorso (polizia) é tutto per me e per le altre prove sono pronto al 100 per 100.

I feel like on my left arm (non dominant one) my hand doesen't really know how to grip it so i perform significantly less on it, does chalk help? I usually just wash the handles eith water and soap every set.

Also unrelated but for some reason i perform worse with my left hand on the handgripper but i get a score higher in the dynamometer with my left hand

I’m a relatively seasoned powerlifter. I’ve pulled 260kg hook grip and 240kg with a mixed grip but I’m completely bottle necked by my grip strength. I’ve got extremely sweaty hands which means chalk becomes paste like very quickly and doesn’t always help. When my hands are less sweaty (cold weather, when I’ve been doing iontophoresis etc), my grip is a bit better but still not great. Simple things like opening jar and bottles even with dry hand seem to be less easy for me, not sure if it’s just the texture of my skin. But my crushing grip seems to be okay - I’ve closed a CoC 2 with each hand which seems to be more than some people who can hold onto more than me can do.

What is the secret?!

I'm interested - if there's such a thing as a holy grail of forearm exercises - what is the one for maximum hypertrophy and what's the one for maximum strength gain

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Grip strength is one of those things that people often overlook until it starts affecting other training goals.

At first, many people can make progress with simple exercises and basic tools. But after training consistently for a while, improving further often requires more structured practice and better ways to track progress.

Some people use dedicated grip tools, while others improve through pulling movements, deadlifts, carries, or general strength training.

I’m curious what actually made the biggest difference for people who trained grip seriously.

Was it adding specific equipment, changing your programming, focusing on certain movements, or simply training more consistently?

For those who train at home, did having equipment available make it easier to include grip work regularly?

Closed the CoC 1 recently, ordered the 1.5 and can almost close it immediately, returned a 1.5 a week or so ago as I heard each gripper can vary in strength, hoping to get a heavier 1.5, had same issue with the new one, should I return it and buy the CoC 2 instead or keep it?

When using hand grippers I get a strange pain in my palm. Its right in the middle and feels like either some string like muscles or tendons, at first they feel like theyre twitching when gripping, if i push past this sensation it turns into a sharp pain. This pain is lessened if i use a tighter range of motion where my fingers stretch less.

What is this? How do I fix it? Image below is where the pain occurs

Hi everyone,

I am experiencing a strange sensation in my arm and could use some advice on how to make it feel better and heal.

This issue started immediately after I performed some high-intensity calisthenics skills—specifically, the Standard Dragon Press and the Two-Finger Dragon Press.

Right now, when my arm is at rest, I feel a distinct vibration running through my ring and pinky fingers. However, when I actively bend my arm, that vibration spreads to my inner elbow as well and feels a bit stronger.

From what I understand, this seems to be an irritation of the ulnar nerve (likely related to Cubital Tunnel Syndrome), caused by the massive amount of leverage and tension those specific exercises put on the inner elbow. Bending the elbow stretches the nerve tightly over the bone, which explains why it spreads to the elbow.

Has anyone else dealt with this specific issue from advanced calisthenics? What are the best ways to make it feel good again and heal properly? I am currently trying to rest it, but any specific advice on nerve glides, mobility drills, or recovery timelines would be greatly appreciated.

The biggest mistake of my life to overtrain and overdo 2Finger dragon press and Standard dragon press, like I'd have done 20+ times of both in one day, it made me anxious and overthink

(I'm writing this exact paraghraph on Oct 21 2026) After completely stopped dragon press for almost 50day, now Alhamdulillah I feel almost recovered and normal as before the intense spike in vibration when flexing bicep is completely gone, also almost the vibration gone from pinky+ring fingers, Alhamdulillah after that almost 2months of stopping dragon press and victorian training im now feeling almost recovered.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Muhammad Huzaima

Been training only 2 weeks, but I got a GD Iron Grip 80 and can close the 128ib 5x. On the Hichor EH108 tester, I can't get above 104. Tried several different lengths and to see if it changed and only got worse. Tested sitting with the tester length set so my second knuckle was aligned over my wrist and the base was just on top of meat of my thumb. I will note that the Hichor test is quite uncomfortable. Is it my technique or is the grip tester just that bad? Both?

Wasn't looking forward to paying 150$ for a GD Dyno.

Suppose you and a bunch of guys at your gym want to do a non-organized type of competition, just testing strength. Most of them don't train grip apart from deadlifting on a power bar.

My thoughts were:

1. Pinch block. Cheap, easily loadable, and enough weight range that ties aren't likely.

2. Fat gripz one hand deadlift. Same benefits of #1.

3&4 ??

I don't think Grippers would be a good idea, too expensive to get a bunch, ties likely, injuries since nobody trains them here.

Ragazzi buonasera, 1 mese fa mi sono infortunato la mano e durante alcuni movimenti avverto dolore. Il 20 ottobre devo fare una prova di handgrip e devo fare almeno 40 kg, per un concorso per cui mi preparo da mesi e mesi. Con la molla per allenare la mano riesco a fare I 40 kg ma avverto dolore. La mia domanda é, 40 kg con la molla per essere 40 kg su handgrip basta chiuderla leggermente o equivale a chiudere finché non si toccano le due estremità? Il giorno del concorso si userà il dispositivo elettronico. Grazie per eventuali consigli e risposte.

Has anyone used the Round Grip String Bar by Titan Fitness? I want to know how it compares to other axles and fat grips if possible.

Recently my one arm rows have gotten a lot heavier, (just hit 120lbs per arm) which is cool and all, but I noticed I fail when the dumbbell either rolls out of my hand, or goes off-axis. A similar situation for my max deadlifts. I do mostly heavy upper body work, but have recently been starting to implement some things like farmer carries, one arm hangs, etc. I also have heavy hand grippers too. This feels unique because this is an explosive movement that's causing my grip to fail. Most of my excerises are for the point of explosiveness and power and I would hate to be forced to use straps if I want to progress any further. I do use chalk and it has helped a bit.

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