# Anyone ever try Fat Gripz?



## Blytheryn (Feb 24, 2016)

Saw these on the internet a while ago and was intrigued. They popped up in my local gym store when I was there a few days ago so I thought I would try them out. Any of you guys try these before? Apparently the science is that the larger diameter bar works your biceps, forearm and grip in a different way, engaging a lot more muscle than a smaller diameter bar.

Used them on chest day for my bench presses and incline chest presses as well as back and biceps. Got a good pump and my arms felt sore as hell after. Had to bump down the weights a notch after burning out way fast on my normal weights doing hammer curls. Really hits 'em hard.

Anyways, just worth throwing it out there. Any of you guys have these, or did I just dump cash into another worthless fitness trend?


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## AxeHappy (Feb 24, 2016)

I could see using them for warmups on deadlifts or benching, but I would rather just lift the heavier weight and work my grip, and everything else, better that way.

I also have tiny bitch hands and I probably simply wouldn't be able to grab them. Haha.


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## UnderTheSign (Feb 24, 2016)

I've tried them once or twice and have heard a lot of people who are very positive on them. Folks have been using thicker bars and wrapping their towels around bars to make them larger for ages now, this just makes it easier and transforms any regular bar into a thicker one. When you do bicep/forearm work, they do work as the bigger size works your grip/forearms more.


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## Blytheryn (Feb 24, 2016)

AxeHappy said:


> I could see using them for warmups on deadlifts or benching, but I would rather just lift the heavier weight and work my grip, and everything else, better that way.
> 
> I also have tiny bitch hands and I probably simply wouldn't be able to grab them. Haha.



After a set of using these the normal bar felt tiny... Super weird. I've got to see how else I can incorporate them, but for now all I can think of is bi's, tri's, forearms and bench. Pull ups too of course, but I need to get back in fighting shape to really do those. Sitting up at 91-2kg's trying cut for summer.


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## Blytheryn (Feb 24, 2016)

UnderTheSign said:


> I've tried them once or twice and have heard a lot of people who are very positive on them. Folks have been using thicker bars and wrapping their towels around bars to make them larger for ages now, this just makes it easier and transforms any regular bar into a thicker one. When you do bicep/forearm work, they do work as the bigger size works your grip/forearms more.



Exactly what I felt. In addition it's just another cool thing to schlep around the gym, along with my milk gallon water jug, enormous lifting belt, chains and do rag ofc.


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## onefingersweep (Feb 24, 2016)

Blytheryn said:


> Saw these on the internet a while ago and was intrigued. They popped up in my local gym store when I was there a few days ago so I thought I would try them out. Any of you guys try these before? Apparently the science is that the larger diameter bar works your biceps, forearm and grip in a different way, engaging a lot more muscle than a smaller diameter bar.
> 
> Used them on chest day for my bench presses and incline chest presses as well as back and biceps. Got a good pump and my arms felt sore as hell after. Had to bump down the weights a notch after burning out way fast on my normal weights doing hammer curls. Really hits 'em hard.
> 
> Anyways, just worth throwing it out there. Any of you guys have these, *or did I just dump cash into another worthless fitness trend?*



No you did yourself a big favour. Fatbar is the key to build real strength.

I haven't bought Fat Gripz yet but I will soon. I do a lot of grip training, it's actually a mystery why I don't own a set of Fat Gripz. But I do a lot of thickbar training anyway, lots of other grip training aswell, Rolling Thunder, pinching, grippers, axle deadlifts, thickbar dumbbells deadlifts, wrist rollers and wrist curls etc.

I don't like thick bars for pressing though only for pulling.


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## Winspear (Feb 24, 2016)

They ....ing rule for hammer curls, absolutely slay your forearms. I like em for overhead press too just for comfort and getting the bar on my palm, more openfinger.


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## Blytheryn (Feb 25, 2016)

onefingersweep said:


> No you did yourself a big favour. Fatbar is the key to build real strength.
> 
> I haven't bought Fat Gripz yet but I will soon. I do a lot of grip training, it's actually a mystery why I don't own a set of Fat Gripz. But I do a lot of thickbar training anyway, lots of other grip training aswell, Rolling Thunder, pinching, grippers, axle deadlifts, thickbar dumbbells deadlifts, wrist rollers and wrist curls etc.
> 
> I don't like thick bars for pressing though only for pulling.



They've got them at Gymgrossisten. Think I paid something like 300ish? Little pricy.



EtherealEntity said:


> They ....ing rule for hammer curls, absolutely slay your forearms. I like em for overhead press too just for comfort and getting the bar on my palm, more openfinger.



I'll try them on overhead press today, have triceps as well because I don't like doing them on chest day because I don't usually have the strength to do a full tri's routine after chest.


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## onefingersweep (Feb 25, 2016)

Blytheryn said:


> They've got them at Gymgrossisten. Think I paid something like 300ish? Little pricy.
> 
> 
> 
> I'll try them on overhead press today, have triceps as well because I don't like doing them on chest day because I don't usually have the strength to do a full tri's routine after chest.



Yes but you can get cheaper replicas on other places. There's also other dimensions available. I think 60 mm is the best though (or I think Fat Gripz is actually slightly under 60 mm) since 60 mm is somewhat of a standard when it comes to fatbar, the INCH dumbbells having that diameter and also Rolling Thunder. But you could of course go with more or less, armwrestlers usually goes with 50 mm in their training. More than 60 mm, like 76 mm and above is more of grip niche.

I don't think 300 SEK is a lot for what it offers though, it's very small expense considering what you get out of it. The good thing is that you can use them in almost every exersize you do and where ever you are.

There's another company called Iron Bull Strength that makes a version of "Fat Gripz" in three different sizes, 2", 2.5" and 3". I'm thinking of buying the complete set.


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## MikeH (Feb 25, 2016)

I'd probably greatly benefit from them. Small forearms and my grip gives out before strength does on heavy deadlift singles. I've seen them before, but never used them.


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## Blytheryn (Feb 26, 2016)

MikeH said:


> I'd probably greatly benefit from them. Small forearms and my grip gives out before strength does on heavy deadlift singles. I've seen them before, but never used them.



Give them a go. I'm probably going to go for the larger size as well. My grip gives out scarily fast on lat pulldowns and heavy shrugs, so that's what I'll be focusing on in the future. The orange fatgripz look insane.


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## onefingersweep (Feb 26, 2016)

I think that grippers are a faster and easier way to start if you want to build better grip strength for barbell lifts and pull/chin ups. 

For general grip strength, yes fat gripz and fat bars for sure but you might get smoked if you start with that. The thing is that when you use larger diameters for the grip, your grip is what is going to limit you and you need to organize your workout in a smart way so that you don't miss lifts that you normally would make. Of course there are ways around this, like using straps for the normal diameter bars so the grip doesn't limit you and then lower the weight and use fat gripz to train the grip.

The reason I say that grippers will be a faster way in the beginning is because they are more similar to the bars you use in other exersizes, you will train the crushing grip more effectivly and it's also dynamic training. With grippers you can also put your grip workouts in on another day. You normally do grippers on pressing days, with fat gripz you don't have the same options but as I said there's of course ways around this. A combination of both would be even better.

Just make sure you don't overdo it in the beginning if you're not used to fat bars, that type of training can really make the forearms sore for a week if you go really heavy. Rolling handles are worse though, they really murder the forearm flexors.


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## CrazyDean (Feb 28, 2016)

Honestly, it seems like a bit of a joke to me. If you want to increase forearm strength then work that. Why would you use these to put extra strain on your forearms while doing dead lifts? You don't need fancy machines or faddish gadgets to get fit. Just stick with a reasonable program and eat plenty of protein.

These look like ..... pads for your hands.


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## onefingersweep (Feb 28, 2016)

CrazyDean said:


> Honestly, it seems like a bit of a joke to me. If you want to increase forearm strength then work that. Why would you use these to put extra strain on your forearms while doing dead lifts? You don't need fancy machines or faddish gadgets to get fit. Just stick with a reasonable program and eat plenty of protein.
> 
> These look like ..... pads for your hands.



Well increasing forearm strength is *exactly* what you're doing with Fat Gripz.

Not everyone have access to fat handled equipment, only specialized gyms have equipment like that and it's not easy to have at home.

I challenge you to lift with Fat Gripz before you make comments like "pads for your hands"


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## Ebart (Feb 28, 2016)

I've got em. When I first got em, I would do DLs with em for grip, etc. Now I just use em for zercher squats to increase the surface area that is sitting in my elbow pits. Makes it a lot less uncomfy once you get up there in weight. 
For grip, the past year I swear by the captains of crush grippers. Still can't close the #2.


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## Ibanezsam4 (Feb 28, 2016)

as said before, if you want to do fat bar training, but dont have a fat bar get these. 

if you dont have time to integrate these into your training properly then it won't be a good investment. 

for those whose deadlift is impeded by weaker grip i got a tip for you: 

Hook grip. 

it sucks and makes your thumbs feel like they're about to explode.. but it works. 

most grip deficiencies come from alternate grip in deadlift. do all your warm ups sets with a hook grip and lighter working sets with hook grip until you can do your max sets with hook grip. 

its that simple


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## onefingersweep (Feb 29, 2016)

Hook grip is good if you want to increase your numbers on DL but the downside of it is that it doesn't make your grip stronger.


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## Anquished (Apr 6, 2016)

I remember a friend a while ago brought a pair of these into the gym and they worked really well for forearm murdering. Since then I've never seen anybody else using them..


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## Blytheryn (Jun 15, 2016)

Since I got them in February I've been including them a little here and there, but mostly for arm day, and I have to say... They rule for grip strength. I've been able to just keep piling on weights for my deadlifts, and I surprised myself today when I could just keep going on 40kg dumbbell shrugs for like 4 sets at 15 reps without my grip even flinching. Definitely a sick purchase.


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## onefingersweep (Nov 12, 2016)

Blytheryn said:


> Since I got them in February I've been including them a little here and there, but mostly for arm day, and I have to say... They rule for grip strength. I've been able to just keep piling on weights for my deadlifts, and I surprised myself today when I could just keep going on 40kg dumbbell shrugs for like 4 sets at 15 reps without my grip even flinching. Definitely a sick purchase.



How's it going with your training (with fatgripz), made any more progress?

I recently pulled the trigger on a set of fatgripz extreme and I also bought the IronBull TrueGrips 2.0 (inches). I have both on my shorter bar, using them for curls, reverse curls, rowing etc, I just move them around on the bar I never need to take them off which is really convenient. Haven't tried them so much with dumbbells yet but I can already tell that the fatgripz extreme are killer! Only managed 45 kg deadlift with a dumbbell.


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## Triple-J (Nov 12, 2016)

I know a lot people use Fat Gripz for bar stuff but they're definitely worth trying with face pulls cause it's more of a feel movement anyway and using Gripz slows you down a bit and makes it all about the upper back contraction with a nice forearm pump as a bonus.


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## Blytheryn (Nov 12, 2016)

onefingersweep said:


> How's it going with your training (with fatgripz), made any more progress?
> 
> I recently pulled the trigger on a set of fatgripz extreme and I also bought the IronBull TrueGrips 2.0 (inches). I have both on my shorter bar, using them for curls, reverse curls, rowing etc, I just move them around on the bar I never need to take them off which is really convenient. Haven't tried them so much with dumbbells yet but I can already tell that the fatgripz extreme are killer! Only managed 45 kg deadlift with a dumbbell.



Let's see. I actually lost my blue pair for a few weeks in the Summer but went back and bought another set, this time in stealth black. I use them mostly on arm days, sometimes on shoulder days too.






I'll say this though, my grip strength and forearm size have increased monumentally thanks to these. I no longer have trouble gripping heavy lat pulldowns for longer sets, and my pull-ups have gotten better because my hands don't hurt any more. I haven't used these any on deadlifts, but I will give them a go next time for sure.

I can also curl more, which makes me insanely happy. I almost only do my hammer curls with the Gripz, and they rock. IN-SANE forearm burn.

Man you are making me giddy to try the extremes... Would love to trial them first before buying, but hey, what's the worst that could happen... more forearm gainz?


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## onefingersweep (Nov 13, 2016)

Blytheryn said:


> Let's see. I actually lost my blue pair for a few weeks in the Summer but went back and bought another set, this time in stealth black. I use them mostly on arm days, sometimes on shoulder days too.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



That's great man! Grip strength is a largely forgotten virtue. I think it's great that you use them, keep doing it. The Extremes are, guess what!? EXTREME! 

I think it's smart to be careful with those, even if you're very experienced in grip training. Thick bar training usually takes longer to recover from than most other types of grip training. With the extremes you're really pusing it. 
They really works the fingertips and the thumb way harder. 

I've designed a program for myself with the fatgripz for dumbbell rows, I've designed the program in a way so that I both get a good workout for my hands and my back without risking getting injured. So I start with the extremes with low weight, then I go up in weight but then I reduce the handle diameter. I already have solid dumbbells for the 60 mm grip so I don't need the standard fatgripz, then I go up more in weight and use even thinner handle, the IronGrip 2.0, then finish with a normal sized dumbbell for the heaviest weight


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## Blytheryn (Nov 15, 2016)

onefingersweep said:


> That's great man! Grip strength is a largely forgotten virtue. I think it's great that you use them, keep doing it. The Extremes are, guess what!? EXTREME!
> 
> I think it's smart to be careful with those, even if you're very experienced in grip training. Thick bar training usually takes longer to recover from than most other types of grip training. With the extremes you're really pusing it.
> They really works the fingertips and the thumb way harder.
> ...



Yeah, I think I might have either gotten a slightly "dud" pair, because they don't fit as tightly around most bars as my blue pair used to. I just have to grip them tighter to keep them gripping the bar... More gainz? In any case, I am the only guy at my gym (You're Swedish, you've heard of Exhale Gym in Gothenburg, right?) who uses them. I tried doing farmers walks with them a while ago, and man did that KILL!!!

That program sounds awesome. I'm training to get a good score on the Air Force physical when that comes around so I am training a lot of back for pull ups and grip comes hand in hand with that, as even if my back is strong my grip might give. Can't have that. Think ill spring on Fat Gripz Extreme next payday... Would be cool to try on hammer curls.


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## onefingersweep (Nov 15, 2016)

Blytheryn said:


> Yeah, I think I might have either gotten a slightly "dud" pair, because they don't fit as tightly around most bars as my blue pair used to. I just have to grip them tighter to keep them gripping the bar... More gainz? In any case, I am the only guy at my gym (You're Swedish, you've heard of Exhale Gym in Gothenburg, right?) who uses them. I tried doing farmers walks with them a while ago, and man did that KILL!!!
> 
> That program sounds awesome. I'm training to get a good score on the Air Force physical when that comes around so I am training a lot of back for pull ups and grip comes hand in hand with that, as even if my back is strong my grip might give. Can't have that. Think ill spring on Fat Gripz Extreme next payday... Would be cool to try on hammer curls.



I never been to that gym, I live in Sundsvall so Gothenburg is quite far away. Actually I've only been there once, when I was a kid, we took the ferry to England 

I hate pull ups but that probably because I'm 100 kg's. My grip never fails on it though, it's always my back  So I think you will become very good with pull ups if you keep your bodyweight under 85 kg's.


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## Blytheryn (Nov 15, 2016)

Ahah, man you are waaaay up there! 

I hate pull ups too, I'm 193cm, and currently at about 90kg, so not overly big, but I have some weight I could lose. A friend of mine at the gym suggested I do weighted negative pull ups, so I do those around twice a week to train my my body to be used to heavier weights than I weigh. The way I'm working now with constant night shifts, day shifts and anything in between though is really wreaking havoc on my training. I try to get in a chest, back and leg day in for sure every week and complement that with shoulders arms and abs when given the chance... Guess I have to kick my own ass, get on a meal plan and some HIIT cardio and knock down that weight to a fighting, shredded 85kgs. (It's actually been my goal to be 85 shredded for a while, so let's see if I can hit it.)


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## UnderTheSign (Nov 16, 2016)

At 1.95m (6'5ish for you mericans) and 95kg (210lbs) I feel you guys. Pull ups such


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