Fatgripz vs. Grip4orce: Both Are Useful

For forearm and grip work, there is value in using a thick bar from time to time.  Because of this, there are products on the market that enable the user to transform their normal thin bar to a thick one. Two major competing products are Fatgripz and Grip4orce, which approach this need in different ways.  These items can be purchased on Amazon here and also here.

There has been discussion as to which is better.  Some argue that both have their place, and in this post, I’ll explain why I agree with that, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of each product, and how the strengths and weaknesses of each are inter-related.  I have, and have used, both, so I have some degree of personal experience with these items.

First, let's discuss Fatgripz, the better known of the two.  Fatgripz is a very well made, high-quality, and sturdy thick rubber product, a point in its favor. It works by being put on the bar by the user, where it snaps into place securely. Once on the bar, it stays there, and must be forcefully removed by the user.  In other words, this product stays securely on the bar on its own and does not require the user to hold or squeeze the product to keep it affixed to the bar.

This characteristic is both a strength and weakness of the product. It is a strength because the strong and relatively secure attachment of Fatgripz to bar allows the user to do a variety of thick bar exercises without having to constantly squeeze the bar; it allows a greater degree of freedom to concentrate on the exercise itself rather than grip per se. Of the two products, in my opinion Fatgripz is better suited for doing routine thick bar work. Keep in mind however that my own use of this product has been for curls only and has been relatively infrequent.  I do not have personal experience using it for presses, although others do use this product for those exercises.

The weakness of the product derives from its strong attachment to the bar. It is somewhat difficult to get on and very difficult (at least for me) to remove. It is therefore not well suited to situations where you want to quickly move from thin to thick and back to thin bar exercises.  Fatgripz is better suited for circumstances where you want to keep a bar in the thick mode for a period of time, rather than just for one or a few exercises.  In addition, in some cases (see below) you actually do want to forcefully squeeze the bar, and while you can squeeze with the Fatgripz, it is not necessary; in contrast, Grip4orce requires squeezing the bar to keep the product in place, which is more effective as an inducement to squeeze tightly.

Grip4orce, which does not have the same sturdiness of Fatgripz, is designed for a different approach.  This product is placed on the bar and is held in place by the active gripping of the user. In other words, one must constantly apply a firm squeezing grip to hold the product to the bar. The advantages of this are two-fold. First, the product is very easily and quickly place on, or removed from, the bar, making rapid switching from thin to thick (and back to thin) bar work fast and simple. Second, for those exercises for which squeezing the bat is paramount, such as the power wrist curl described in one of my previous posts, Grip4orce is ideal.  It is the equivalent of the wrapped towel in the original exercise, but more effective and far more convenient.

The negatives of the Grip4orce derive from its advantages. It requires active gripping and concentration to be held in place. Therefore, while it is great for wrist curls, I would be very hesitant to use it for any movement that could result in injury if the bar fell from your grasp. I myself would never consider using this product for any sort of presses (military or bench) for example. The question I would ask is: if my grip failed, would the outcome be serious?  If so, then this is not the product to use for that exercise.  But I use it for the power wrist curls, and it works great for me for that.

In summary then, both products are useful, and have their place for forearm development.  Fatgripz is better when you want a thick bar for doing extended workouts including various routine movements where you do not want to worry about maintaining a tight squeezing grip. Grip4orce is better for keeping a tight squeezing grip for specific forearm work and is well suited for quick switches between the thin and thick bar modes, although I would not use this product for any movement where this is danger if grip gives out and/or danger if the bar slips out of the Grip4orce and falls somewhere.  As always, safety first, and do not start an exercise program without first consulting with your physician. As one example, if you have some injury or other medical condition that affects grip strength, the exercises described here would be inappropriate and should not be performed.