Fat Gripz Review: Fat Gripz Benefits, Results & Alternatives
Welcome to my Fat Gripz review!
Fat Gripz are a popular tool among weightlifters and bodybuilders, known for their ability to increase muscle activation and promote muscle growth. In this article, we will take a closer look at the benefits of Fat Gripz, how to use them, and whether or not they actually work.
We will also discuss the design and build quality, comfort and safety, and value for money of Fat Gripz.
Whether you’re a seasoned bodybuilder looking to take your muscle growth to the next level or a beginner looking to improve your grip strength, this Fat Gripz review will provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision about whether or not to add them to your workout routine.
I also provide scientific evidence and research citations to support the effectiveness of Fat Gripz.
Additionally, I do my best to address any concerns or possible dangers related to their usage and how to avoid them.
So, let’s dive in and take a closer look at the benefits of Fat Gripz and how they can help you achieve your fitness goals!
Last update on 2023-03-06 / I earn a commission if you make a purchase at no additional cost to you. / Thank you for your support!
What Are Fat Gripz?
Fat Gripz are specially made rubber grips that allow you to convert any barbell or dumbbell into a “thick bar.”
Thick bar training is a popular concept in powerlifting and bodybuilding because it increases muscle activity and assists with building bigger and stronger muscles.
Instead of buying a “thick bar” to do thick bar training, you can buy Fat Gripz!
If you don’t have a thick bar available for thick bar training, Fat Gripz are your best option because they can instantly convert barbells, dumbbells, chin-up bars, cable attachments several other exercise machines into “thick bars” for thick bar training.
Although there are many Fat Gripz alternatives now, Fat Gripz are the original brand of this training tool, and they are the best quality.
Fat Gripz are built to last because they are made from a military-grade high-density compound, so you will not have to worry about these breaking or wearing out like other alternatives!
Last update on 2023-03-06 / I earn a commission if you make a purchase at no additional cost to you. / Thank you for your support!
Best Exercises for Fat Gripz
There are a variety of different exercises you can do with Fat Gripz. A few of my favorite exercises to use Fat Gripz for:
- Bicep Curls
- Bent Over Rows
- Single Arm Rows
- Lat Pull-downs
- Bench Press
- Overhead Press
- Face Pulls
- Deadlifts (All Types)
You can do other exercises with these grips, but these are a few of my favorites.
Here is some more information on some of the best exercises for Fat Gripz:
Dumbbell & Barbell Curls
Dumbbell and barbell curls are classic exercises for building biceps and forearms, and adding Fat Gripz to these exercises will increase the demand for the grip and forearm, promoting overall arm muscle growth.
To use Fat Gripz with curls, simply slide them onto the handle of the dumbbell or barbell before starting the exercise.
Pull-ups/Chinups/Inverted Rows
Bodyweight rowing exercises like pull-ups, chinups, and inverted rows are excellent for building upper back and arm strength.
Adding Fat Gripz to the bar increases the difficulty of the exercise and engages the grip and forearms to a greater degree.
To use Fat Gripz with pull-ups, slide them onto the pull-up bar before starting the exercise.
Deadlifts
I believe that Fat Gripz are one of the simplest and most effective tools to help increase your maximum deadlift.
One limited research study conducted at the University of Drexel proved that Fat Grips can be combined with a strength training deadlift protocol to increase 5RM deadlift strength performance.
Deadlifting more weight was my initial reason for buying a pair of Fat Gripz, and the results came quickly!
For many people, the main limiting factor in deadlift strength is the ability to hold the bar while it is on the way up. If you improve your grip strength, you will quickly improve your deadlift strength.
Don’t believe me?
Give it a try yourself!
You will be humbled by only being able to deadlift 135-185 pounds when you first do deadlifts with Fat Gripz, but you will quickly see how this makes it easier to deadlift heavier weights once you take the grips off!
I prefer to do my warm-up sets of deadlifts with the grips on and then take them off as I move up in weight. I think the most I ever deadlifted with Fat Gripz on the bar was five reps of 225 pounds!
However, I could deadlift nearly 500 lbs at that time!
Barbell Bench Press
The barbell bench press is a popular exercise for building chest and triceps strength.
Adding Fat Gripz to the bar can reduce the stress on the shoulder joint, making the exercise more comfortable and effective.
Farmers Walks
Farmer’s walks involve walking with heavy weights in each hand, challenging the grip and forearms. Adding Fat Gripz to the weights will increase the difficulty of the exercise.
How to Use Fat Gripz
One of the best aspects of Fat Grips is that they are extremely easy to use.
It only takes a few seconds to put them on your dumbbells, pull-up bars, or barbells, and then you are ready to go!
To attach and use Fat Gripz properly for each exercise, follow these steps:
- Slide the Fat Gripz onto the handle of the dumbbell, barbell, or pull-up bar before starting the exercise.
- Grip the Fat Gripz firmly and perform the exercise as usual.
- Start with a lighter weight than you typically use, as the added grip challenge may make the exercise more difficult.
- Gradually increase the weight as your grip strength improves.
If you are using Fat Gripz while bench pressing or overhead pressing, ensure that the side of the Fat Gripz your palm is pushing into is the solid-closed side, not the side that opens as an attachment.
Additionally, since there are several different ways you can use Fat Gripz, you can use Fat Gripz often. However, you should maintain the rule of not exercising a specific body part too frequently because your body still needs time to recover.
So, it would be best if you started by not using Fat Gripz more often than every other training session to allow your hands and forearms the time to recover from the unique muscle stimulation of using Fat Gripz.
I don’t believe you should use Fat Gripz more than two to three times per week.
However, if you continuously change how you use them, you can use Fat Gripz in nearly all your workouts.
Safety Concerns
However, as with any exercise equipment, there are certain precautions to take when using Fat Gripz.
First, it’s important to note that certain exercises should not be done with Fat Gripz.
These include hang/power cleans, Olympic lifts, and any exercise that involves catching a weight or throwing it overhead.
Using Fat Grips for these exercises can increase the risk of injury and should be avoided.
Another potential danger is an overuse injury. Because Fat Gripz increase the activation of the muscles in the hands, forearms, and upper arms, it is important to use them in moderation and not overdo it.
It’s also recommended to start with a lighter weight and gradually increase the weight as your muscles adapt to the new stimulus.
Another potential danger is improper form.
Fat Gripz can change how you hold the barbell or dumbbell, so it’s important to maintain proper form and not sacrifice form for weight.
This can help prevent injury and ensure that you target the correct muscle groups.
It’s advisable to seek guidance from a personal trainer or coach to learn the proper form when using Fat Gripz.
In addition, it’s important to consider your current fitness level and any pre-existing conditions or injuries you may have.
If you have any issues with your hands, wrists, or forearms, it’s important to consult with a doctor or physical therapist before using Fat Gripz.
It’s also important to listen to your body and to stop using Fat Gripz if you experience any pain or discomfort.
Top 5 Fat Gripz Benefits
There are many benefits of Fat Gripz because there are many ways and reasons to use this fitness product. However, here are ten Fat Gripz benefits that will apply to the majority of people:
1.) Increased Muscle Activation
Fat Gripz work by increasing the thickness of the barbell or dumbbell handle, which in turn increases the activation of the muscles in the hands, forearms, and upper arms.
This increased muscle activation is known as the “mechanical load,” which is the amount of resistance the muscle has to work against.
The greater the resistance, the greater the muscle activation. The increased activation of these muscle groups leads to greater muscle growth and strength, specifically in the forearms, upper arms, and hands.
Specifically, research has indicated that using fat grips promotes muscle activation in the forearm and shoulder muscles (Krings et al, 2021).
This is especially useful for muscle activation in your hands, forearms, and upper arms.
Additionally, you will notice a variety of muscles activated during different exercises when you use Fat Gripz because when your hand and arm muscles are activated more, other muscles will also work differently.
The increase in muscle activation will lead to increased strength and muscle growth.
2.) Better Arm Workouts
Even if you do your best to do a conventional arm workout from all different angles and with all different muscles, you will still leave much to be desired in terms of a total arm workout.
With Fat Gripz or thick-bar training, you will easily be able to do a complete arm workout that stimulates, strengthens, and grows all the muscle groups of your arm.
A great example is forearm training.
Often your current grip strength will compensate for actual forearm muscle development, leaving a gap in your overall training.
Utilizing Fat Gripz will give you a more well-rounded training session that strengthens your forearm muscles.
As a result, you will notice significant increases in the strength and size of your upper body muscles.
A study conducted by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that using Fat Gripz led to a significant increase in muscle activation in the hands, forearms, and upper arms compared to using a standard barbell or dumbbell handle.
This increased muscle activation was measured by electromyographic (EMG) activity, a technique that measures the electrical activity of the muscle during contraction.
The study found that using Fat Gripz resulted in a 30% increase in EMG activity in the forearm muscles and a 20% increase in EMG activity in the upper arm muscles compared to using a standard barbell or dumbbell handle.
In my opinion, Fat Gripz are the simplest way to get stronger and bigger arms!
3.) Reduce Joint Stress and Joint Pain
By using Fat Gripz, you will generally experience fewer injuries and muscle imbalances because they activate muscles that help stabilize and reduce stress on your joints.
The increased thickness of the barbell or dumbbell handle forces the muscles in the hands, forearms, and upper arms to work harder, which leads to increased muscle activation and strength in these areas.
This increased muscle activation can help to balance out any muscle imbalances that may be present and reduce the risk of injury.
For example, when performing exercises such as the bench press or overhead press, the increased thickness of the barbell or dumbbell handle will activate the muscles in the hands, forearms, and upper arms to a greater degree.
This increased muscle activation can help to stabilize the shoulder joint, reducing stress on the joint and reducing the risk of injury, which is particularly useful for people who have a pre-existing shoulder injury or muscle imbalance, as it can help to reduce pain and soreness during and after exercise.
Furthermore, using Fat Gripz during exercises such as pull-ups and chin-ups can also help to reduce stress on the elbow joint.
Fat Gripz can be a great tool for reducing injuries and muscle imbalances by activating muscles that help stabilize and reduce stress on your joints.
They are particularly beneficial for people who have pre-existing injuries or muscle imbalances, as they can help to reduce pain and soreness during and after exercise. Your shoulder and elbow will thank you for buying Fat Gripz!
4.) Improved Body Composition
Fat Gripz are not only effective in increasing muscle activation and promoting muscle growth, but they can also improve body composition.
Body composition refers to the ratio of lean muscle mass to body fat.
By using Fat Gripz, you can increase muscle activation, leading to greater muscle growth, which can lead to an improvement in body composition.
An increase in muscle mass can result in a leaner and more toned physique. Additionally, muscle mass is more metabolically active than fat, meaning more muscle mass can boost your metabolism and help you burn more calories even when you’re not working out.
This can lead to a decrease in body fat, which can also contribute to an improvement in body composition.
The increased muscle activation caused by using Fat Gripz can also increase the release of muscle-building hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone. These hormones play a critical role in muscle growth and repair, and their increased release can lead to greater muscle size and strength.
By using Fat Gripz, you can improve body composition through increased muscle activation, muscle growth, and an increase in muscle-building hormones.
Fat Gripz can lead to a leaner and more toned physique, boost your metabolism and help you burn more calories.
They’re a great tool for anyone looking to improve their body composition, whether you’re a seasoned bodybuilder or a beginner looking to take your weightlifting to the next level.
5.) Improved Grip Strength
One of the most useful Fat Gripz benefits is that they perfectly train the natural function of the human hand, which is necessary for lifting awkward and heavy objects. Surprisingly, lifting weights does not truly stimulate grip strength very well, leaving “real world” strength often much behind.
Training with Fat-Gripz or thick bars will correlate much better to the necessities of lifting and moving objects in everyday life.
For those people who want to be stronger when moving boxes or couches around their house, Fat Gripz are an excellent tool for making these real-life tasks simpler through strength training!
For those who do combat sports or need to be prepared for daily combat (military, police), Fat Gripz are an amazing tool for increasing your grip and grappling strength.
Combat sport athletes, military personnel, or law enforcement officers must have a strong grip because they are in literal life-or-death scenarios often, so these people also need every advantage possible to increase their grip strength.
If you want a stronger grip and stronger hands for real-world activities, Fat Gripz are an excellent tool to use!
Additionally, grip strength is directly correlated with lower all-cause mortality risk (Galet et al, 2007). Using Fat Grips is an evidence-based approach to living a long and healthy life!
Where to Buy Fat Gripz?
One of the main Fat Gripz benefits is that they are actually affordable.
Fat Gripz are very reasonably priced, especially when you consider the significant benefits that they provide.
They are also very durable and built to last, so you won’t have to replace them unless you lose them.
Fat Grips are a cost-effective way to increase muscle activation and promote muscle growth.
For all the benefits you’ve seen listed in this article, you only need to spend about $30, and you will have a multi-purpose, easy-to-use tool that will improve your body in various ways!
This isn’t a fitness tool that costs $100, $200, or even $50. They are an affordable tool that can make a huge difference for you!
If you are looking for where to buy Fat Gripz, you will be happy to know there are many places you can purchase Fat Gripz from.
The quickest and most efficient place to buy Fat Gripz, in my opinion, is through Amazon.
If you are an Amazon Prime customer, you should certainly consider buying Fat Gripz on Amazon because you are automatically getting free two-day shipping.
Last update on 2023-03-06 / I earn a commission if you make a purchase at no additional cost to you. / Thank you for your support!
Best Fat Gripz Alternatives
Although you can find many different Fat Gripz alternatives and knock off Fat Gripz on Amazon or through other shopping outlets, the original product has better material, and they are more reliable.
The problem with Fat Grips alternatives is that since they have only “stolen” the idea, they are not manufactured with the same type of material, and they will not last as long.
Also, Fat Gripz are affordable enough that you don’t need to try to save money on one of the knock-off alternatives!
In my opinion, you should not look for alternatives to Fat Gripz, and you should purchase the original!
However, if you want a DIY thick bar training alternative, you can wrap a small hand towel over the bar and grab onto it. The results won’t be the same, but they are sufficient until you finally purchase a pair of Fat Gripz!
If you truly want a cheaper alternative to Fat Gripz, I suggest the Yes4All Thick Rubber Bar Grips.
Last update on 2023-03-22 / I earn a commission if you make a purchase at no additional cost to you. / Thank you for your support!
Concluding Thoughts – Do Fat Gripz Work?
I wanted to write a Fat Gripz review because I believe in this product, and I am confident you will quickly realize this small investment can make a huge difference for you.
After using this product for years, there is no doubt in my mind that Fat Gripz work.
In simple terms, here are some of the main Fat Gripz results you can expect after buying and using them:
- Bigger Arms (mostly biceps)
- Better Grip Strength
- Healthier Elbows and Shoulders
- A Stronger and More Muscular Body
Although individual Fat Gripz results will and should vary, these are a few results of using Fat Gripz that can naturally occur simply from using Fat Gripz in your workouts a couple of times per week.
Fat Gripz are easily one of my favorite fitness products, and I have seen them work for myself and others I train with.
There are many reasons to be nervous about purchasing different fitness products because they can be expensive and gimmicky, but Fat Gripz are as close to a sure thing as you can buy.
The science behind them is simple and effective, and they are the type of fitness product you will want to use more and more.
For the small cost of buying one pair of Fat Gripz, you can improve your grip strength, save your shoulders and elbows from unnecessary strain, build a stronger deadlift, and build a more complete and functional body!
Last update on 2023-03-06 / I earn a commission if you make a purchase at no additional cost to you. / Thank you for your support!
I hope my Fat Gripz review was helpful for you when deciding whether or not you should buy them.
If you have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!
