I always take a wrist expander with me!

I don’t know how things are with you, but in our company, when we meet, men (and not only them, but also lovely ladies) shake hands with all their might. Moreover, each tries to “bend” the other - to squeeze the hand so that something crunches in it. In general, there is such an unspoken confrontation in our coaching environment. Everyone wants to show who is the most important, the strongest, and, accordingly, the most authoritative. If you and your friends have a similar situation, then this article will definitely come in handy for you. So, how not to embarrass yourself in the circle of your company and show your death grip of steel? This is what our story will be about...

To avoid getting into trouble, as you correctly understood, you need to train hard. And we will train mainly:

1. our brush;
2. finger muscles;
3. and the muscles of the forearm.

If it’s somehow clear with the forearms: we all know the good old exercises:

1. reverse grip biceps curls;
2. Zotman flexion;
3. flexion and extension of the hands with a barbell;
4. supination and pronation of the hands with dumbbells.

...what can we use to train the first two above-mentioned areas of our hand? - our little friend will help us in this matter: The hand expander is a compact, pocket-sized mini-simulator for effectively working out the muscles of the palm, which will help take your handshake to a new quality level.

1. What are hand expanders and their main types:
2. What else should you know about these sports equipment?
3. Exercises performed with a wrist expander.

What are hand expanders and their main types:

1. A ring or a regular rubber circle. It can be made entirely of rubber, or with rings of metal wire inside, providing proper rigidity. It can be either with a smooth and even surface, or with all kinds of pimples and corrugations for better grip on the palm.
2. Spring-loaded. Plastic or rubberized handles are located parallel to each other, and between them there are springs that make compression difficult. In appearance, this specimen resembles a device for measuring palm strength - a hand dynamometer.
3. Adjustable. Similar to the previous sample, but with a collapsible design. The athlete himself chooses how many springs and what stiffness to use in his training. Unlike other models, here we have the ability to universally, mobilely and quickly select the load. In fact, both a champion weightlifter and, for example, his schoolboy son can use the same equipment - everyone just chooses the load to their liking.
4. Nippers or forceps. Two steel, wooden, plastic or rubberized handles connected by a spring twisted into a spiral. The device is somewhat reminiscent of pliers or a tool for cracking nuts. The peculiarity of this option is that its handles are not parallel to each other. Therefore, squeezing it in the classic version of the grip, the bottom of the hand (ring finger and little finger) receives more load. However, the manufacturers themselves recommend alternating your grip, placing the spring either at the top or at the bottom for an even impact on the entire area of ​​the palm.

Rubber bands - easy to use, compact and cheap, but you quickly outgrow them and have to buy a new one again.

Springs – are also quite compact, you can adjust the load as your strength increases, but they also have their limits. I would recommend this option for children and teenagers - with proper selection, it will last for a long time. But springs are unlikely to be suitable for an adult, trained athlete, even with the full set of available loads.

Wire cutters - this is a more serious projectile. In this range of products, you can find something for someone who benches more than a hundred. However, they are no longer as compact and mobile as rubber mugs that fit in any pocket. At this point you’ll have to think about whether to take it with you or not. And I remember how I once threw the circle into my pocket, and it’s been there all my life, always ready for work, always at hand...

What else should you know about these sports equipment?

In any of the above varieties of expanders, there are both budget models and more expensive ones; both very childish - with low resistance, and with quite powerful rigidity. It was a surprise for me when one day I found an almost penny rubber ring in a sports store, but I could barely squeeze it several times. Surprised by such a successful find, I immediately bought it, although later you grow out of it...

Also, some modern expensive models can be equipped with compression counters. A very convenient bonus - well, you have to constantly count how much you did there. I looked at the counter and everything was immediately clear. In addition, the counter will not allow you to cheat - poor-quality compression or undercompression will simply not be counted.

Exercises performed with a wrist expander.

So, how can you train yourself to have a grip of steel so that all your friends turn around when they meet, or run to the opposite side of the street with horror in their eyes?

1. Cyclic compression/extension is usually from 10 to 100 times, depending on the type of projectile and the goals pursued, until fatigue occurs and it is impossible to complete the next repetition. Moreover, here, as in other classic bodybuilding and fitness exercises, a small number of repetitions develops primarily strength, and a large number strengthens endurance. Therefore, choose the degree of rigidity of your projectile wisely. Having completed the approach and rested for up to 5 minutes, we begin a new set, and do this from three to ten series on each hand.
2. The second exercise is basically similar to the previous one, however, in this case we also use the so-called static and isometric principles of strength training. After completing the next approach, for example 15 compressions, squeeze the projectile again and hold it in this state for some long time, for example, half a minute or a minute. Having held in the contracted state for the appropriate time, we immediately begin a new approach, and so on three or four times.

We would also like to draw your attention to the need for a light warm-up before each workout to avoid injury. Before starting the lesson, simply clench and unclench your hand into a fist a dozen times, stretch your fingers well. The importance of warming up is especially important when working to build strength, when you will be doing only a dozen repetitions per set...

It’s absolutely ideal when you have several expanders: one is easier, the other is working. Then you can start with a lighter version, then gradually move on to a heavier one. As you know, our muscles do not like consistency most of all. A typical reason for stagnation in training is addiction. Two different equipment will allow you to alternate the degree of load and, accordingly, the number of repetitions, thereby effectively combating the addictive effect.

And remember, physical exercise is always a movement forward, so if you feel that the working apparatus has lost its former effectiveness and you press it without problems many times, without getting tired at all, feel free to go to the store and buy a new one with the degree of hardness that is relevant to you. Also complement your work with the wrist with the above exercises for the forearms, and then your grip will truly be iron-clad. This is what we sincerely wish for you!