One of the most effective ways to get bigger arms and to develop overall “man strength” is to train with thick or fat bars – that is, bars with a wider circumference than the ordinary Olympic barbel.
For most of us, our grip is the weak link. On every message board out there guys ask, “My grip is weak. Is it OK to train with straps?” (The answer is, yes, get some cheap canvas ones and also improve your grip strength.) When I do hanging leg raises from the chin-up, my grip gives out before my abs.
Training with a fat bar requires you to engage your forearms through the entire movement. This makes you grip stronger and forearms more muscular. Training with a fat bar also gives you extreme pumps.
Even if you go to a well-equipped gym, it’s unlikely that you’ll have access to thick bars. An old school solution was to throw a towel over a chin-up bar or to loop a towel through the D-ring of the triceps push down machine:
Towel chin-ups are a great way to hit the forearms, but squeezing a towel is really hard on the fingers. There is a better way.
About 3 years ago I purchase a pair of Fat Gripz and was totally blown away. Enter Fat Gripz (and a new product, Fat Gripz Extreme):
Fat Gripz clip onto any barbell or dumb bell. They are portable and allow you to do a fat bar training at any gym.
Fat Gripz are also useful for wrestlers, martial artists, football player, other athletes. After training with Fat Gripz, guys will have much more trouble breaking your grip. Fat Gripz will even improve your tennis stroke, as all athletic performance requires a strong grip.
Fat Gripz also take a lot of the pressure off of your elbow tendons. When you engage the weight with the forearm, pressure is relieved from your elbows and shoulders. If you have a trick shoulder, use Fat Gripz when doing shoulder presses.
I use Fat Gripz for all sorts of biceps movements. Like I said, they clip onto the bar. Just snap them on the bar and do your usual biceps and shoulder workouts.
They are also great to use for Farmer’s Walks. Snap them onto a dumb bell and start walking laps in the gym.
Another great movement is static holds from the chin up bar. Snap the Fat Gripz to a chin-up bar, grab the Gripz, and hold. You’ll be shocked at how quickly your grip will give.
Fat Gripz are seriously one of the best pieces of workout equipment I’ve ever used. You’ll have the craziest arm pumps of your life when using them and your grip strength will go through the roof. I’m jealous that I didn’t think of invent myself.
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my forearms have always been lagging. I think I am going to get these bad boys.
Are those things made of a hard foam or are they plastic?
Solid plastic. They have no give.
*Added to shopping list* Your advice is infinitely better then all the so called fitness “experts” who work at gyms
They’re a bargain for how dynamically they can change your training.
D&P do you have trouble with your hands (especially of they are sweaty) slipping with these?
Also, thanks for the awesome blog. I bought a juicer on your recommendation and love it.
No problems.
There’s always chalk as well.
Hey,
Nice find. Useful for dead lifts too, I imagine.
Personally, to address forearm weakness, I’ve recently started doing more hammer curls. Definitely not big Popeye forearms here…
When you first start using these do your lifts suffer at all while you get used to them? Secondly if you train with them and then leave them off will you be able to pull more for your 1RM?
Yes and yes.
time to get a set of these, cheers lad
my boy uses those. i might have to look into to use for my pullups/dips.
thanks
“Fat Gripz also take a lot of the pressure off of your elbow tendons. When you engage the weight with the forearm, pressure is relieved from your elbows and shoulders. If you have a trick shoulder, use Fat Gripz when doing shoulder presses.”
Sold me
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.
Arms were 14″ tops at 5’11″ 170.maybe a year back.
They are 15.5″ pumped at 165 lbs, after doing heavy ass weighted chins, weighted dips, and.SLOWWWWW curls with those badboys.
Just to add to the mix… If I had ot get any other gym equipment, tehy’d be.
A Heavy Kettlebell (Swing, Snatch, Press, TGU)
A Weighted Dip Belt
Jump Rope
Foam roller is #1 for me. Other stuff is nice; a foam roller is the only thing I need.
I already carry too much crap with me to the gym. Otherwise I’d click your ad-link. Doesn’t matter. This is one of my favorite blogs. Keep up the good work, D&P.
Got these earlier this year and yes, they are great – everything positive said here. Thanks for the tip about using them for shoulder presses. Have problem shoulders and will give it a try.
I ordered these right after I read your post, not too many sites have that kind of credibility with me. They came today and I am definitely impressed. A simple concept that certainly feels as though it adds a lot. Much appreciated as I am not in a gym at the moment and I have to get the most out of my ‘bells and power tower. Thanks!
Thanks brother. Let us know how they work for you.
Awesome, will get a pair of these. Thanks for the headsup Danger!
Nice review. What is the grip diameter when you attach the fat gripz? These would sure as hell beat spending $300 on a 2 inch olympic fat bar.