Many people don't know it, but there is still a fair amount of technique involved in closing a hand gripper.
Closing a hand gripper in one go without a set-up is also possible, but it makes it a lot harder, especially for people who have somewhat smaller hands. This method is known in the grip training world as the no-set.
Especially if you're going for a PR, every extra millimeter you can close the gripper can make all the difference.
So you want to make sure you start with a good set-up.
How to do that? We're happy to explain it to you!
First, we recommend applying some chalk to your hands. This can be liquid chalk or powder, it doesn't really matter. Whatever you like!
This will give you some extra grip on the handle. This way the gripper stays better in place. This extra stability allows you to apply more force.
Then on to step 1! Make a crease in the hand you want to close your gripper with.
Step 2: Place the gripper in the crease of your hand.
Step 3: Now it's important to optimize the placement of the hand gripper in your hand. Make sure that the bottom of the handle which lies in the crease of your hand approximately 'halves' the pinky finger. The logic behind this is that the pinky is by far the weakest finger.
By actually sidelining the little finger a bit, we ensure that the other, stronger fingers are in a better position. Namely, the further these fingers go to the bottom of the handle, the better the leverage for these fingers.
The bottom of the other handle should halve the ring finger.
If you do this correctly, you can see that when you have closed the gripper the pinky finger is only about half on the handle.
Step 4: As we mentioned in the introduction, it is a lot harder to close a gripper in one go without a set-up. Especially if you have somewhat smaller hands, this is a lot harder, because your fingers are often not long enough to get into a powerful position.
But not to worry! In the world of grip strength, it is permissible to let the other hand lend you a 'helping hand'. So you squeeze the gripper with the index finger and thumb of the other hand.
This immediately puts you in a much more powerful position, because your fingers now go better around the handle.
Step 5: Finish it off! So much for all the technical aspects. Now there's only 1 thing left to do.... Squeeze as hard as you can!
You have successfully closed the gripper when both handles touch.
You now have all the knowledge you need to make serious progress with hand grippers!
This method is just one of the ways to train with hand squeezers by the way.
Good luck with training and keep us posted on your progression!
Sporty greetings,
Team Golden Grip