Fat Gripz Review (2024)

Looking for a way to better target arm muscles during your workout? This Fat Gripz review will show you how to do just that.Using nothing but simple physics, this exercise tool helps you increase hand muscle activation for greater workout results with only slightly more effort. Fat Gripz managed to commercialize and popularize a lifting industry secret – here’s how they work.

Fat Gripz Review – Quick Summary

Fat Gripz Review

• Color: Pink or Black (One), Blue or Black (Pro), Orange (Extreme)
• Weight: Lightweight, around 1.1 pounds each
• Length: Around 4 ¾ inches each
• Diameter: 1.75 inch (One), 2.25 inch (Pro), 2.75 inch (Extreme)

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Let’s briefly explain what do fat gripz do, exactly. Fat Gripz are a training tool that can be added to handles of weightlifting barbells or dumbbells to increase the thickness of the grip. The thicker grip exerts more effort from the hands, wrists, and forearms, which leads to greater muscle activation and better grip strength. They exist in three sizes – Fat Gripz One, Fat Gripz Pro, and Fat Gripz Extreme.

Thick bar training is a well-known, but somewhat underused workout method in the fitness industry. However, Fat Gripz is the best product to commercialize this benefit and make it, so you can always take it with you and apply it to any equipment

Fat Gripz Pro Review

As previously mentioned, Fat Gripz comes in three versions. The standard edition is called the “Fat Gripz Pro”. At 2.25 inches in diameter, this is the type most grown adults will find to fit their palm best.

The product is very user-friendly and safe to use, and doesn’t require extensive fitness knowledge to maximize its benefits. Simply slot it over a bar, dumbbell, or machine handle, and you’re set. 

1. Price/Quality

Fat Gripz provides an excellent boost to your workout for a low price. If you’re looking for a way to increase arm exercise results without having to buy larger dumbbells. There are similar products on the market, some cheaper and some more expensive.

However, most Fat Gripz reviews I’ve seen forget to mention they’re the only patented design (patent #USD616950S1). This reaffirms their position as the best portable fat grip solution. If you plan to get a pair of thick grips, go for the original.

2. Muscle Engagement

Using standard dumbbells for arm workouts is excellent for biceps and triceps, for example, but they often leave your forearms unengaged. However, as soon as you grab your bar or dumbbell, you’ll feel Fat Gripz benefits. They immediately engage your forearms, wrists, and grip strength without stressing your arms with more weight.

Although their main benefit is arm activation, Fat Gripz aren’t limited to lifting exercises either. You can use your Fat Gripz as support on any fitness machine that requires a tight grip, such as pull-up bars, rowers, laterals, and similar.

3. Comfort

After what do fat gripz do, the most common question is whether they are comfortable to use. Thick grip training is meant to create higher tension in your arms, so a slightly unusual sensation when you first start doing it is normal and necessary.

However, as far as Fat Gripz go, assuming you didn’t overestimate your size, they will sit comfortably in your palms. The material they’re made of is soft enough to comfortably squeeze on without losing shape, but sturdy enough that you won’t lose your grip.

4. Material

Fat Gripz are made from a military-grade compound similar in quality to heavy-duty rubber. This makes them virtually indestructible in wearing and tearing, and durability. Similar products are often made from cheap plastic or foam that will break or lose shape easier, make your hands sweaty, and release bad odors (which can even be toxic). Fat Gripz are odorless and made from safe materials. 

5. Package

Fat Gripz come in a simple black-and-white cardboard package. On the box, you’ll find product information, testimonials, and there are some instructions and workout examples on the back. Since it’s non-essential to use the product, you can keep it or throw it away.

However, one excellent feature of the packaging is the authenticity seal with a batch code and QR code you use to determine the validity of your purchase. That way, you can easily avoid counterfeits and always know you have the original one. Also, if you purchase a new box, the validity seal is an excellent way to confirm the product is unused.

What Are Fat Gripz For?

Fat Gripz are a simple, inexpensive, and effective training enhancement tool, primarily used for arm development. But do Fat Gripz work? Men’s Health Magazine named Fat Gripz the “Best Lightweight Training Enhancement” tool in their 2021 Fitness Awards best gear section. Here are some benefits of using Fat Gripz.

1. Fat Gripz Are Good for All Athlete Levels

If you use public gyms, there’s a high chance you’ve already seen someone exercise with Fat Gripz or a similar thick grip product. Both beginners and pro athletes can use Fat Gripz benefits to improve their arm workout. Various fitness experts, including professional Bodybuilder and seven-time Mr.Olympia world champion Phil Heart, have been seen using them.

Here’s Phil training with his Fat Gripz in an Instagram video. If the pros recommend and use them, then they’re excellent for all athlete levels, whether you train at the gym or at home.

2. Fat Gripz Increase Arm Muscle Development

The main purpose of Fat Gripz is arm muscle development. Wide grip training is a known fitness “secret” technique for better exercise redistribution on the arms. By increasing your grip diameter, you engage your fingers, wrists, and forearms more than with traditional arm exercises, such as biceps curls.

Targeted wrist and forearm exercises, such as dumbbell or bar curling, can place your arm in uncomfortable positions, put a lot of strain, increase injury potential, and wear you out quickly.

But most importantly, they have a low return on energy expenditure - meaning the amount of exercise you have to put in is high for the final results. With Fat Gripz, you can continue doing exercises you know and love, while gaining the added benefits, such as exercising your entire arm.

3. Fat Gripz Are Great For Grip Strengthening

Fat Gripz are excellent for training your grip strength. Grip training is an underutilized and often overlooked exercise. When doing lifting exercises, you probably noticed your maximum weight or number of repetitions is more often than not limited to your grip strength.

Meaning, your grip gets tired faster than the muscles you’re working out, and you have to stop the exercise even though you aren’t worn out yet. In a testimonial for Fat Gripz, US SWAT teams strength trainer Will Brink explains:

"If your back and legs can dead-lift 700 lb, but your grip ends at 300 lb, your dead-lift is 300 lb. When it comes to strength, you are only as strong as your weakest link, and most strength athletes know that fact all too well."

With that in mind, grip strength is not important just for lifting power. According to a study by The Lancet Journal, there is a direct link between grip strength and cardiovascular health. Stronger grips decreased the chances of heart attacks, strokes, and lower cardiovascular mortality.

4. Fat Gripz Can Make Exercises Easier Without Reducing Results

Almost all upper body exercises engage your arms in some way, either for pushing, pulling, or holding yourself on the workout machine. At the end of an upper body exercise session, it can be difficult to pick up a bar or dumbbell and focus on some arm workouts.

If you find your arms are too worn out to work on with your usual weight and reps, Fat Gripz are here to help. Simply grab a lighter weight, put your grips on, and enjoy an engaging full-arm workout without the need for excess weight. Fat Gripz are especially good for beginners or recovering athletes, who might find weighted arm exercises difficult.

5. Fat Gripz Are Convenient

You may be asking yourself, are fat gripz worth it for you?  The best part about Fat Gripz is how convenient they are. First, they’re very inexpensive for the benefits they provide. Second, they’re lightweight and can easily be carried with you. 

They’ll take up almost no space in your gym bag, for example. Fat Gripz easily integrates into any exercise that involves you gripping a bar, handle, pulley, etc.

FAQ

Are Fat Gripz Effective?

Fat grip training benefits have been known to the fitness industry since the early beginnings of weight lifting, and there’s evidence to back it up. A study done on Division I golfers proved that those who trained with fat grips training showed better results over time.

At the end of the 8-week testing period, the group of golfers that used fat gripz demonstrated an increase in ball speed, carry, drive distance, and opposite-arm grip strength.

Do Fat Gripz Build Bigger Biceps?

Many people ask, do Fat Gripz work for building biceps? Yes, better arm muscle activation is the primary purpose of using Fat Gripz. This includes better targeting of biceps as well.

Can You Bench With Fat Gripz?

Fat Gripz can be used on any exercises that require grip strength, including bench presses. You may find the exercise to be more comfortable using Fat Gripz, however, using them might force you to reduce your maximum weight. If your goal is comfort and arm engagement, Fat Gripz are excellent. 

If you want traditional bench press results such as more chest, shoulder, and back activation, you won’t see much of a difference.

Conclusion

Fat Gripz have simplified and commercialized a long-standing fitness industry secret. With them, everyone can reap the benefits of fat grip training in both public and home gyms. Have you tried exercising with a thicker grip bar or dumbbell? 

Did you notice the benefits? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, and make sure to follow me on social media for more workout tips and product reviews.

Also read:

• Gym Bag Guide

References:

1. The 2021 Men's Health Fitness Awards // Mens Health: https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/g36232574/mens-health-fitness-awards-2021/?slide=15.
2. Prognostic value of grip strength: findings from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study // The Lancet: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(14)62000-6/fulltext.
3. Effects of Fat Grip Training on Muscular Strength and Driving Performance in Division I Male Golfers // National Library of Medicine: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28195977/.
4. Photos by Torokhtiy Media Team.