“In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to use a hand grip strengthener safely and effectively to build stronger, more resilient hands and forearms.”
Table of Contents
Before going directly to hand grip exercises, let’s talk about hand grip strength first. What is it? The answer is simple. It is the force you use when pulling or lifting things. It can also be used to measure muscular strength or the maximum force used by your forearm muscles.
Strong hand grips can benefit athletes of every skill level -- from weekend warriors to professionals. As an important indicator of your overall health, grip strength helps diagnose certain medical conditions, such as carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis. Increasing your grip strength can prevent injury and disability.
Many strength and conditioning programs include wrist exercises, but grip strength trainer exercises are often overlooked. A mechanical hand gripper (also known as a grip strength trainer) -- essentially stout springs with handles on it -- is an inexpensive training device that isolates the muscles important to grip strength. Work in several sets of exercises with hand grips during your regular upper-body training for a complete forearm workout with hand grips to quickly tone and strengthen your fingers, wrists, and forearms.
How to Choose the Right Gripper
Not all grippers feel the same, and the design changes what you train.
- Fixed-resistance torsion-spring grippers: best for tracking strength progress and heavy closes
- Adjustable grippers: helpful for beginners and smooth progression when “jumps” feel too big
- Finger-button grippers: useful for finger balance and dexterity work
- Digital grippers: helpful for measuring force during rehab or testing
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Rubber rings: great for warm-ups and high-rep recovery work
If you’re new, start with a resistance you can close with clean control for 8 to 12 reps per hand, without your wrist bending or your grip “snapping” open on the way down.
How to Do Hand Grip Exercises
Quick setup checklist before each set
- Wrist position: keep it neutral or slightly extended (not curled forward)
- Handle placement: seat the lower handle deep in your palm so your fingers can finish the close
- Pinky and ring fingers: keep them on the handle, especially for the final part of the close
- Tempo: close under control, pause briefly, then open slowly
Step 1
Place one handle of the grip strengthener against your palm to begin a squeeze-and-release exercise. Wrap your fingers around the other handle. Squeeze the handles together as far as you can. Hold the closed position for 5 seconds, then slowly release your grip. Start with two sets of 10 squeezes for each hand, then build up over several weeks to four sets.
Form cue: think “drive the bottom two fingers through the finish,” because many people miss the close in the last few millimeters.
Step 2
Grip a hand gripper between the palm and fingers of one hand, as far toward the tips of your fingers as possible, to prepare to do a reverse squeeze exercise. Close the grip using both hands. Pull your "helper" hand away, and release the grip as slowly as you can. Start with two sets of five reverse squeezes with each hand, then build up to four sets as you get stronger.
This eccentric-focused rep is great for building control, but keep the lowering smooth and stop if you feel sharp pain at the elbow.
Step 3
Place the hand grip against the palm of your hand, then place the tips of your fingers on the finger springs or "buttons." Curl your fingers toward your palm to close the springs, then slowly release your grip. Add difficulty to this exercise by curling in only one finger at a time. Start with just one set of 10 finger curls on each hand, then work your way up to three or four sets.
If your ring and pinky lag behind, use these finger-focused reps to reduce imbalances instead of forcing heavier full-hand closes.
Sample Grip Workout
Day 1 & 3 each week:
- Squeeze-and-release: 3 sets of 10–15 per hand
- Reverse squeezes: 2–3 sets of 5–8 per hand
- Finger curls: 2 sets of 10 per hand
Progression rule that works well: when you can do 10 to 15 clean reps on all sets, increase resistance slightly or add one extra set.
If your tendons feel irritated, keep resistance the same and add days of easy high-rep work instead of going heavier.
More Hand Grip Exercises
Benefits of Hand Grip Exercises
Beyond the gym, grip strength is a vital vital sign. Research indicates that grip strength is an indispensable biomarker for overall health status, serving as a reliable predictor of future functional capacity and nutritional status[1].
Increase strength
Increase strength There is no doubt that hand grip exercises aid in increasing arm and hand strength. While using a forearm gripper to open and close your fingers, you automatically increase muscle mass in your forearms. You may turn out to have impressive and bigger forearms through regular hand grip workouts.Research confirms that dynamic resistance training is essential for increasing the cross-sectional area of forearm flexors, which directly contributes to visible muscle size[2].
With more strength in your arm and hand, you can hold the bar or rod longer and perform better in exercises that require a good hand grip, like climbing and gymnastics.
Increase endurance and resistance to pain
Adding regular grip strength trainer exercises to your workout routine can increase the endurance of your forearm muscles. Your hands can apply more pressure for longer periods, making it easier to do exercises such as push-ups and weight lifting, which eventually lead to muscle gains.
Not only that, but doing hand grip exercises also strengthens your resistance to pain. Doctor Brittany Ferri, an occupational therapist, OTR/L, CCTP, says that doing hand grip exercises for only a few minutes a day can generate benefits, which helps reduce the impact of hand arthritis.
Improve dexterity
Another benefit of doing hand grip exercises is that they improve the dexterity of your limbs through the frequent use of your fingers and hands. With agile fingers, you can better perform your daily tasks, especially when you’re a musician, a typist, or a hairdresser.
Relieve stress and boost confidence
Adults nowadays are already used to living with stress. All the squeezing and releasing through hand gripper exercises help relieve stress from study and work. Squeezing activates the muscles in your hand, and in releasing the grip strengthener, your muscles are relaxed, which results in the alleviation of stress and tension.
Hand grip exercises have a positive impact on your performance in various exercises in the gym. When you find you’re capable of holding the bar for a long period steadily, you’ll naturally feel more confident about yourself.
Hand grip exercises everywhere, anytime
A hand grip strengthener is super portable due to its small size. You can carry the gripper to do hand grip exercises anywhere you like, and train your forearms whenever you get time.
Bonus health note: isometric handgrip training has been studied for blood-pressure support, and clinical research reviews show meaningful reductions in blood pressure with structured protocols[3].
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Over-crushing with max effort every day.
- Training through pain or numbness.
- Only training crush grip (ignoring finger extension, open-hand positions).
- Using too heavy resistance and sacrificing control.
Letting the wrist fold forward or “cheating” the squeeze with your shoulder makes the movement less effective and can irritate joints over time.
If you feel tingling, numbness, or sharp pain, stop and scale back volume or resistance before it becomes a longer injury.
Care and Maintenance of Your Gripper
If your gripper has a metal spring and knurled handles, basic care keeps it consistent and comfortable to use.
- Brush chalk and debris out of the handle texture
- Wipe sweat off after sessions
- Use a tiny amount of light oil on the spring if it starts squeaking, then wipe off excess
- Store in a dry place to reduce rust risk
Summary
Hand grip strength is more important than you think. Even though hand grip exercises are often neglected by most people, it is an important part of your training. Just use a small piece of the gripper, you can do hand grip exercises and improve your grip strength anywhere, anytime you want.
If you have existing hand, wrist, or elbow pain, recent surgery, or severe arthritis, talk to your doctor or physical therapist before starting grip training. Stop if you feel sharp pain, numbness, or tingling.
References
- Vaishya R, Misra A, Vaish A, Ursino N, D'Ambrosi R. Hand grip strength as a proposed new vital sign of health: a narrative review of evidences. J Health Popul Nutr. 2024;43(1):7. Published 2024 Jan 9. doi:10.1186/s41043-024-00500-y
- Fukunaga T, Fedge C, Tyler T, et al. Flexor-Pronator Mass Training Exercises Selectively Activate Forearm Musculature. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2023;18(1):208-214. Published 2023 Feb 1. doi:10.26603/001c.68073
- A Correia M, Oliveira PL, Farah BQ, et al. Effects of Isometric Handgrip Training in Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Am Heart Assoc. 2020;9(4):e013596. doi:10.1161/JAHA.119.013596
