GRIPMASTER

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.

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. -------- 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.

I got this because I am learning to play guitar and wanted to have something that would allow me to work my fingers individually as well as easily change grips and positions. The individual finger tension is a great way to work out the 'pinkie' which is typically neglected and a pain for stretching to certain chords. For me, this is a much better option than the usual grip strength springs that are out there. I don't have a problem closing my hand, I need individual finger strength. This exerciser allows both. It also has the benefit of allowing you to easily isolate and work your wrist if you want. On a 2 handle spring exerciser, that would be difficult or impossible. The exerciser comes with some exercise examples and you can get more information and exercise examples from their web site. Gripmaster offers several different levels of tension and these are pretty inexpensive, so you can start with light or extra light and work your way up as needed. Medium tension seems to be pretty standard and what you would want if you are an average adult male. I have tried the other lower tension levels and they are a little too easy. I assume they might be useful if you are going for # of reps vs. building strength. I am not an exercise junkie and have no idea if something like that actually matters for fingers. I have purchased other versions of this with lighter tension for female friends of mine and one person going through some physical rehabilitation. They all say they like the exerciser. The heaviest tension seems to be a bit of overkill and I have a harder time pressing that down completely. I suppose if I ever felt the need for a 'power pinkie' (skadoosh!), I could try to work up to that one. This version seems to be working for me as my finger strength does seem to be getting better and the effort needed for me to hammer notes or chords appears to be less. I notice that I am using this less since I am doing better on the guitar at least with getting my fingers down. Really playing is another story. I suspect that soon this will start to collect dust from disuse. However, it was relatively inexpensive and it has been very useful. If I ever want or need it again, I'll have it.

I own a Blue (light tension) Grip Master and a Planet Waves Varigrip. Both are great and have helped my guitar fretting hand. I thought I'd give a quick summary for anyone considering purchasing one of these. I bought the Ruff Rider callus builder caps for the GM, and they really added a lot to the value I get from the GM. Calluses are critical to my being able to play well. If you are considering these, I found that it was a lot cheaper to order the Ruff Rider through Guitar Center and have them delivered for free to a local Guitar Center. I would suggest buying the actual PWV and the GM through Amazon. The PWV comes with the callus ridges on the opposing side (the palm side). So to work on your calluses you need to flip the grip over. The downside is that you can't work on finger dexterity at the same time that you are building your calluses. At first I considered this a disadvantage. However I've changed my mind and consider it a distinct advantage over the GM. There are times when you don't want to shred your calluses (show or important practice coming soon) but you still want to work your fingers. If you've put the callus builders on the GM, it takes a little time to pop them off and put them back on again, plus you run the risk of misplacing them, and removing them a number of times may loosen their fit. So I strongly prefer the PWV design for the callus option. (With the cover removed the callus builder side just harmlessly presses into your palm and you really can't feel it). I have a preference for the GM when it comes to building strength for bar type chords. This I do by holding the palm side with my thumb and running my index finger along the full set of buttons. I prefer the GM for this because it has two sets of springs in it which allow for a better and more natural (for me) squeeze. As far as exercising for finger dexterity, I much prefer the PWV for two main reasons. It's much easier (for me) to work fingers individually. It's very stable and allows me to isolate individual fingers as opposed to the GM which is kind of sloppy (too much movement) due to the double spring action which leads to unwanted movement/tilting and other fingers slipping off the buttons when trying to work a particular finger. Secondly the distance between the palm and the finger tips is about 1/4" shorter with the PWV which allows me to use better form by really curling my fingers and bringing my fingertips in from the very top. I have big hands and still prefer the PWV. If my hands were smaller I would prefer the PWV that much more. The PMV also allows the tension on each finger to be adjusted individually. For me this isn't as big an advantage as the two previously mentioned because increasing resistance is not important to me. A disadvantage of the PMV is that after about 2 weeks it started squeaking which was a bummer for my wife and kids on a one week vacation when I didn't have my guitar handy and wanted to keep me fingers in shape. "Dad - enough already with that finger gadget". However this problem is easily fixed by an occasional shot of Triflo or any silicon spray (I don't recommend WD40). I recommend spraying while the fingers are depressed then wiping with a napkin. For me, finger strength is not as important as finger coordination and speed. I seldom press the buttons all the way down, and I seldom press all the buttons together. I slowly increase speed with partial pushes and various patterns that demand varying degrees of coordination (1234, 4321, 1324, 121314, 1414, 1313, etc.) If I had to pick one or the other I would choose the PWV without hesitation, but that is just my personal opinion. If you can afford both, I would do that and see what works better for you. But, again, both are great and have really helped my playing. Keep on pickin' -Mike

I bought the GripMaster "Medium Tension" at the recommendation of my co-worker, who shares similar symptoms related to many hours spent at a keyboard (computer, not electric). She had been experiencing pain and numbness in her hands and forearms, and purchased the GripMaster to alleviate those symptoms. I discovered the device at her desk, and purchased mine not only for the medical benefits, but also the manual dexterity that would ultimately result from hours of practice, both individual digits and simultaneous. The GripMaster helps me build strength in my fingers, and I am glad that I selected the Medium Tension version. I do believe that the Strong Tension would be too much, and the Lite Tension, too little. Since I started using the GripMaster, I only get pains in my fingers when I'm typing, but my general arm and hand numbness is nearly gone altogether! I heartily recommend buying this product to cure your carpel tunnel. As an added benefit, I've been told that it is also useful for musicians, too (guitar, trumpet, and electric keyboard). With the holidays coming up, this is a handy (no pun intended!) stocking stuffer idea. NOTE: in all seriousness, this is a great little tool, much better than the thing my dad used to have that was two black handles attached to a giant spring (you know what i'm talking about - you'd squeeze it until the muscle between your thumb and palm started to cramp) - the buttons are separated so that you can exercise individual fingers and your whole hand, as well as turn it around and work on your thumb. for the increasingly large group of people who spend most of their day in front of a computer, this is a nice little tool to stretch out your fingers, relieve stress, and pass the time as you contemplate larger issues.

I play guitar as a hobby, not so much a passion, ever since a thumb injury left my thumb weak and caused me pain whenever I'd play. I had seen Gripmasters (or at least a knock-off brand) in my local guitar shop, but I always thought it was a kind of placebo - a "squeeze this, play 10x better!" too-good-to-be-true deal. But now, trying to think of some way to improve the strength of my thumb (and, to see if it would indeed improve my playing), I took a more serious look at the Gripmaster and bought one. Now that I've had it for a few days, I can already see that it's not just a placebo. While doing the exercises provided on the company's website (printed on the device), I can feel the individual muscles in my fingers and wrist working and flexing, and I think it's fair to say that if I stick with it, I'll be seeing results soon. It's a very convenient device as it obviously fits in your hand, so you can use it in class, while watching TV, on the job. But beware - the portability can make it very easy to want to drag it along and squeeze on it all day, overdoing it and possibly injuring yourself. This is no real fault of the product, though, but rather a warning from someone who quite definitely overdid it in eagerness the first day. It's hard to believe you can overdo something like this at a light tension, but the word "light" is a bit deceiving. I consider myself average in most respects, including my hands, and I was surprised at how much resistance this thing gives. Unless you already train your hands some other way, I would recommend starting with the light tension just to err on the side of safety. Five pounds may seem like nothing, but it can be a lot when it comes to the fingers. In closing, while I've only had the device a short period of time, I can tell by the way my hand responds to it that there is a lot of potential to improve my hands with it. It's small size makes it portable, but be careful not to wail on it all day long. Finally, unless you've already been training your hands, start off at light and go from there. All in all, the Gripmaster seems to be a handy (ha, a pun) little tool to improve the muscles in your hand, whether it be for strength training or for creating a better hand to play an instrument with.

Great little set for building grip and finger strength This 3-pack of Prohands Gripmaster hand exercisers has been a pleasant surprise in how useful it is. Each unit comes in a different resistance level, which makes it easy to progress as your grip improves or to match the tool to what you’re doing that day. The spring-loaded pistons isolate each finger, so you can really work on weaker fingers instead of letting your dominant ones take over. I’ve been using them while watching TV, in between typing sessions, and even during short breaks at work, and it’s become a simple routine to keep my hands stronger and more flexible. The build feels solid, with no cheap plastic creaks or weak spots, and the springs have consistent resistance. The compact size means they slip into a pocket or bag easily. I like that the three different colors also help me quickly grab the right resistance without thinking. Something to note: these are not silent—there’s a faint spring noise when you press—but it’s not distracting unless you’re in a very quiet setting. Also, if you push too aggressively right away, you may feel some finger fatigue, so pacing yourself and starting lighter is the way to go. Bottom line: A well-designed, sturdy, and practical set that’s perfect for anyone from musicians to athletes to people just wanting stronger hands.

Before I begin I'd like to say that I really wanted to believe this little contraption worked. Unfortunately, as an aspiring guitarist, this was not the case. I ordered my gripmaster (5lb) about a month or so ago, and immediately went to work on it. For the first few days I completely disregarded the little warning that tells you to "take it slow" and went at it like a kid with a new action toy. This actually put my fingers in a bit of pain and I had to take it easy for a day, but after that they were back in full swing and I went back to it (a bit more slowly this time). After using this on and off throughout each day for weeks I really just wasn't getting anything out of it. I did notice that my pinky was progressively able to drop it's portion down a bit lower, but when it came to playing the guitar it felt exactly the same, and I was still getting a bit of fret buzz due to lack of pressure. In the end, it wasn't until I actually set this thing aside and spent ridiculous amounts of time each day practicing on my instrument that my finger strength actually improved. I'd still like to believe this thing works, so I occasionally pick it up and just toy with it a bit, but... you know. Now, some people reviewed this item claiming that it works if you do things *right*. I did in fact go to their website and did each of the exercises listed there as instructed, and the above review is the result. As far as the actually item, the materials used, and it's functionality go... It's actually made of cheap plastic; the kind you would find on many toys (cap guns come to mind), but it holds up pretty well. The "grip" portion really isn't a grip at all, and if it's supposed to provide extra comfort it doesn't do it's job very well at all. It's basically a slab of solid rubber, and while it may give slightly more than the plastic, in the end, you'd probably feel just as comfortable with either. Now, as for the individual digits and their springs... These are also made of cheap plastic, and atop each one is a little shallow textured surface that I'm going to assume is there to keep your fingers in place. Unfortunately, the fact is that this is plastic, and the grooves in this texture are rounded and slippery. I found that they did nothing at all to keep my fingers in place and I had to rip apart a napkin or cut little pieces out of that rubbery stuff you put in the cupboard under your cups. In addition to the slipperiness, I think you'll find that if you have to put a bit of work into pressing a digit down, the hard, cheap plastic may very well put your fingertips in pain, as was the case for my poor pinky. All of this seems to be rectified with the "Pro" version of the gripmaster, which is basically the same thing with a slightly better design, and from the looks of it... materials, but I'm not about to dish over more cash for the actual product when I've already paid enough for the "official" knock off. In the end, this product was a great disappointment for me, but I sincerely hope it works for someone else, so I would encourage people to give it a try anyway, and see how it works out if you can spare the change. Remember though, this is not a replacement for actually playing your instrument, if that is in fact you're reason for purchasing this item, practicing will always net you better results than fiddling with a device that's far different from the situation your fingers will be in while actually playing. Good luck!