Grip strength gets ignored until it’s the thing holding back your deadlift, your pull-ups or your climbing. It’s also a good indicator of general body strength and is commonly used in fitness testing, so we get questions about grip testers and trainers from all sorts of people. This guide covers grip strength exercises, how to measure your grip, and how to choose a tool for each job.
Testing grip strength vs training it
These are two different jobs, so be clear which one you need before you buy.
- Grip strength testers (dynamometers) give you a number in kilograms of force, so you can track progress or compare against published norms. The Hand Grip Strength Dynamometer is the one we stock.
- Grip trainers (adjustable hand grips, grippers and finger extensors) build strength through repeated squeezing against resistance. They give you a training load, without a number.
Some products do a bit of both. The Pro Adjustable Hand Grip with Counter is mainly a training tool, but its rep counter and adjustable tension let you track progress roughly without a dynamometer.
Grip strength exercises
Train grip 2 to 3 times a week with a rest day between sessions. Choose 3 or 4 of these for each session.
- Gripper squeezes: set an adjustable gripper so the last few reps are hard, and do 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps each hand. With a fixed gripper such as a Power Hand Grip, do 3 sets of 5 to 8 full closes.
- Dead hang: hang from a bar with straight arms for 3 holds of 20 to 30 seconds. Any bar from our pull up bars works.
- Farmer’s carry: hold heavy dumbbells, kettlebells or Farmers Walk Handles at your sides and walk for 30 to 40 seconds, 3 times.
- Wrist roller: hold the Wrist & Forearm Roller out in front, roll the weight all the way up and back down, and repeat 3 to 4 times.
- Finger extensions: put a grip ring or the Finger Exerciser and Hand Strengthener around your fingers and open your hand against it, 3 sets of 15 to 20 each hand.
- Thick-grip work: fit Round Barbell Grips to a dumbbell or bar for rows or curls, 3 sets of 8 to 10.
How to measure grip strength
A hand dynamometer shows your maximum grip force in kilograms. For a grip test you can repeat and compare:
- Sit upright with your arm at your side, elbow bent to a right angle and wrist straight.
- Squeeze the handle as hard as you can for about 3 seconds.
- Do 3 tries with each hand, resting a minute between tries, and write down the highest reading for each hand.
- Test at the same time of day each time so the numbers compare fairly.
Compare your result with published norms for your age and sex, or against your own last test. See the hand dynamometers range.
Choosing a grip trainer
Adjustable or fixed resistance
- Adjustable grippers such as the Adjustable Heavy Duty Hand Grip Strengthener (5 to 50kg) or the Adjustable Hand Grip 10kg to 40kg let you turn the tension up as you get stronger, so one tool lasts months or years. They’re the sensible default, especially for beginners who don’t yet know what resistance suits them.
- Fixed grippers come in graded strengths, like the Power Hand Grip Full set of 5, with single grips from the Power Hand Grip Purple 28kg up to the Power Hand Grip Black 127kg. They’re the standard tool in grip sport, where closing a given gripper is a common benchmark. If you’re working toward a specific goal or want to train heavy, a graded set lets you step through fixed levels that a single adjustable gripper can’t reach at the top end.
Resistance range
A common mistake is buying a gripper that’s either too easy, with no training effect after a few weeks, or so hard you can’t use it. As a rough guide, most adult beginners land around 20 to 40kg of closing force for a hard but manageable squeeze, and trained lifters and climbers often work at 60kg and up. If you’re not sure, an adjustable gripper takes the guesswork out. Start low and turn it up as it gets easy.
Other grip trainers
- Finger extensors and rings, such as the 3 Pack Hand Grip Strength Rings or the Hand Strengthener Grip Ring Set of 6, work the muscles that open your hand. Squeezing barely uses them, so they balance out a lot of closing-grip training.
- Wrist and forearm rollers work wrist flexion, extension and forearm endurance, which crush-grip training misses. The Forearm Strength Twister Flex Bar loads the forearms another way, by bending and twisting.
- Rehab grip sets and softer squeeze tools are lower resistance and suit hand therapy and early rehab after an injury. See hand therapy equipment, including the Hand Grip Strength Rehab Set.
- For a plate-loaded option, the Adjustable Hand Grip Forearm Strength Machine works one or both hands at a time.
Who needs a grip strength tester
Climbers, grip-sport competitors and lifters chasing a bigger deadlift use them. So do:
- People who want to track their strength as they get older, with a number to compare each time instead of a guess.
- Anyone in rehab after a hand, wrist or forearm injury. A tester gives the physio, or you, a measured number instead of going by how it feels.
- Employers and assessors, since some physically demanding jobs use grip testing in fitness-for-duty checks.
Grip trainers and testers compared
| Product | Type | Resistance or range | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hand Grip Strength Dynamometer | Tester | Measures maximum grip force in kilograms | $95.00 |
| Adjustable Hand Grip 10kg to 40kg | Adjustable gripper | 10 to 40kg | $25.00 |
| Pro Adjustable Hand Grip with Counter | Adjustable gripper | Adjustable, with rep counter | $35.00 |
| Adjustable Heavy Duty Hand Grip Strengthener | Adjustable gripper | 5 to 50kg | $49.00 |
| Power Hand Grip Purple 28kg | Fixed gripper | 28kg | $29.00 |
| Power Hand Grip Green 45kg | Fixed gripper | 45kg | $29.00 |
| Power Hand Grip Blue 63kg | Fixed gripper | 63kg | $29.00 |
| Power Hand Grip black 90kg/200lb | Fixed gripper | 90kg | $29.00 |
| Power Hand Grip Black 127kg | Fixed gripper | 127kg | $29.00 |
| Power Hand Grip Full set of 5 | Fixed gripper set | Five strengths | $99.00 |
| Super Gripper Trainer | Crush grip trainer | Trains the crushing grip | $79.00 |
| 3 Pack Hand Grip Strength Rings | Grip rings | Progressive levels | $25.00 |
| Hand Strengthener Grip Ring Set of 6 | Grip rings | Colour-coded levels | $59.00 |
| Finger Exerciser and Hand Strengthener | Finger extensor | Squeeze and stretch | $19.00 |
| Wrist & Forearm Roller | Wrist roller | 39cm stick, 100cm rope, you add a plate | $49.00 |
| Forearm Strength Twister Flex Bar | Flex bar | 32cm, bend and twist | $49.00 |
| Round Barbell Grips | Thick grips | Fit dumbbells, bars and handles | $29.00 |
| Adjustable Hand Grip Forearm Strength Machine | Plate-loaded machine | One or two hands | $295.00 |
Buying checklist
- Want a number to track over time: a dynamometer.
- Want to build strength: an adjustable or fixed-resistance gripper.
- New to grip training: an adjustable gripper, starting light.
- Training for grip sport or a specific strength goal: a graded fixed-resistance set.
- Recovering from an injury: ask a physio what resistance to start at, and look at a rehab hand strength set.
Browse all our grip strengtheners. We ship NZ-wide.