Grippers

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Grippers, or hand grippers, are tools to test and build grip strength. The main idea is a crushing grip, where the four fingers do most of the work, not the thumb. Most grippers use a torsion spring between two handles. Materials vary: springs are steel, and handles can be wood, plastic, steel, or aluminum.

History and evolution
- In the early to mid-1900s, grippers had wooden handles and were easy for strong people to close. They were common in bodybuilding and weightlifting magazines.
- Mass-market grippers with plastic handles became popular later.
- In the 1930s, top strongman Thomas Inch offered very tough challenge grippers that were hard to close and used to measure grip strength.
- In 1964, Iron Man magazine released the Iron Man Super Heavy Grip Developer, a very hard-to-close model with steel handles and thick springs; it faded from the market by 1977.
- IronMind reintroduced the original Iron Man grippers in 1990 and then improved them for accuracy, durability, and look, adding aluminum handles with permanent markings. Other makers soon followed.
- Public interest grew beyond athletes, with features in newspapers and magazines and famous demonstrations, like Magnus Samuelsson closing the Captains of Crush No. 4.

Certification and levels
- In 1991 IronMind began certifying people who could close its toughest grippers under official conditions. They publish lists of certified closers for No. 3, No. 3.5, and No. 4.
- Closing a No. 4 is described as extremely difficult, while No. 2 has been used for women’s certification since 2011.

How to use a gripper
- Hold the gripper in one hand and squeeze the two handles together until they touch, then release and repeat.
- Variations include negatives (starting with the handles touching and resisting as they open) and partial movements (closing as far as you can, sometimes with one hand and then the other).
- Some routines start from a “deep set” position with a small gap between the handles (about 19 mm or 3/4 inch).

Training ideas and debates
- Joe Kinney, the first man certified for a No. 4, helped popularize negative repetitions.
- Some writers build on Kinney’s ideas; others say principles of general strength training apply to grippers.
- Strongman John Brookfield popularized strap holds, using a weight suspended by a strap that is held in place by gripping the gripper hard.
- Arm wrestlers were among the first to create specific grip-training protocols with grippers.

Measurement and misconceptions
- Grippers vary a lot, more than standardized weights, so numbers can be imprecise. They’re not always directly comparable to barbell plates.
- Myths include “seasoning” (springs changing with use) and the idea of a dogleg bend in the spring. Engineering shows these effects are limited or not essential. Some claimed differences are simply due to how the device is built and used.
- Grippers can be tested with one hand or two, and some models allow different lever lengths to change leverage and range of motion.

Today’s range
- Grippers are available for beginners up to world-class competitors, with many options for strength levels, handle types, and leverage.