Gripper Strength
The strength of the HeavyGrips™ will not be the same as any other heavy-duty gripper on the market as we test the "twisting force/torque" of the torsion springs, not lateral pressure.
The 6 levels of Heavy Grips™ Hand Grippers
Avoid Overtraining! "No pain, no gain" does not apply to Heavy Grips grip training.
Do not train with your Heavygrips until your hand fully recovers from the last Heavy Grip work-out.
Most athletic consumers are familiar with the standard plastic department store hand grippers. Many male athletes (over 14 yrs old) with average sized hands will be able to squeeze over 25 repetitions (reps) with the plastic grips which will help build endurance and give a lactic-acid 'burn', but you can't build a crushing grip by doing endless reps. To develop extraordinary hand strength you need to train your "grip" just like training your chest with the bench-press; by doing low reps with increased resistance. Just as you would not be able to bench press 300lbs by training with 10 sets of 40 reps with a 100lb barbell, you are not going to be closing the HG300 or HG350 unless you train with 3 to 15 reps with increased resistance as you get stronger.
It is almost impossible to determine which strength is the best for consumers/athletes as each individual will react to strength training their hands in different ways. Elite powerlifters have been surprised to find they cannot close a HG200 while an iron-worker or carpenter with little visible muscle size might close a HG250 on their first attempt. Many powerlifters use 'grip-aids' such as straps in their training for various lifts while the ironworker is using their hands on a regular basis with their work and that makes a huge difference in hand-strength.
Although it may seem like we are trying to up-sell, we recommend purchasing more than one HeavyGrip hand-gripper to ensure that you have grippers to give an effective warm-up and increased resistance levels to work up to. These grippers are not trophies or gimmicks and are designed to be used for resistance strength training and our lifetime warranty guarantees a lifetime of use. The hands respond so well to low-rep resistance training that many athletes that can barely close a HG150 the 'first try' can fully close a HG250 or even a HG300 within 8 weeks of beginning their grip-training. We find that approximately 75% of our customers that only purchase one gripper purchase a package of two grippers within a few weeks of their original purchase and could have saved money by originally purchasing a package set. Save up to 30% when purchasing all 6 Heavy Grips as a package!
For those that only plan on purchasing one HG, we often get asked "which Heavygrip should I start with?" but there is no formula for everyone because every person is different. The best we can do is offer recommendations based on customer feedback over three years and over 120 000 Heavy Grips™ sold.
HG 100 "Beginner" - At the first squeeze, the HG100 may not seem to be much tougher than a store-bought plastic hand-gripper, but it's smooth action and aggressive knurled grip can be deceiving. The "Beginner" is perfect for consumers beginning their 'grip training' as well as younger athletes, female athletes, athletes with small hands and warm-ups for stronger athletes.
HG 150 "Intermediate" - Consumers that have a fairly strong grip can usually squeeze out a few reps with the HG150, but it can be difficult for females and younger athletes although those athletes can easily work up to the HG150 in a short time with consistent training. Most athletes with consistent HG training will find that the HG150 only provides resistance for 3 to 15 reps for 2 to 6 weeks and they are ready to step up to the HG200 or beyond because the hand responds so well to resistance training with low repetitions.
HG 200 "Advanced" -The HG200 is the level that even athletes with a naturally strong grip may have trouble closing. Athletes with advanced grip training will not have too much trouble with the HG200, but those with no grip training experience will most likely find it very difficult to close the HG200 at the beginning of their training. When you are closing the HG200 for reps, your performance for any sport using your hands will be greatly enhanced.
HG 250 "Professional"- When you are closing the HG250 for reps, you will have to be very careful when shaking people's hand! If you can close the HG250 once, your hand strength is well beyond the average athlete. Usually only athletes with a hardcore grip training regimen and people who do heavy work with their hands can close the HG250 on their first attempt. Just because you have lifted weights for a few years, don't assume that you will be able to close a HG250. It's much harder than it looks!
HG 300 "The Gripper King" - Although there are well over 20 000 HG300's on the market, we estimate that there are less than 250 athletes world-wide that can do reps with this hand grip although most male athletes (and there have been a couple of women) with an average-sized hand can build up their hand-strength to close a HG300 for at least one rep if they train regularly with the Heavygrips. The key to closing the HG300 is consistency with your hand-strength training and avoiding over-training (Don't train with your HG's more than twice per week or when your hand is still sore from your last work-out)
HG350 "The Grip Monster" - The newest addition to the Heavy Grip line-up! The HG 350 hit the market in 2006 at the request of athletes who complained that the HG300 was not tough enough! Although there have been some very strong athletes doing reps with the HG300, we haven't had anyone tell us that the HG350 was too easy! If you can close the HG350, your hand strength is definitely 'world-class'.