IronMind Captains of Crush Gripper

I'm pretty new to grip training. In the past I had gotten some other grip trainers and developed a semi-regular habit for a little while, but it felt like I wasn't really getting anything out of it. Well, I see why now lol. I'd gone for lower-end products, like what you could find at most stores. The adjustable ones I thought at the time were nice, the ability to work up, but if you're a guy with decent passive strength (not a bodybuilder or rockclimber, just a regular dude) you'll probably find yourself mastering that relatively quickly and just sort of getting bored and forgetting about them (much like myself). With these I'm reminded that there's a reason good things may cost a little more or be harder to find. I started with a #1, and that's a good spot for me currently. They recommend starting a little lower, but I like having a bit of a challenge on the front end. I think I chose well. I could close them, but it's not easy, you know? And that difficulty makes me more excited about using them. I'd rather struggle to get to like 5 than be able to blast out 50 without feeling any burn. Then after a while, the comfort in doing more reps will feel earned. And I really don't mind that these aren't adjustable nor that they're sold as singles. You can buy two I suppose, (I always used to think you needed a pair?) but really I think if you're double fisting, you might just need to go up a level and focus on one hand a time. As for adjustability, I think their numbered system of individual weights works better. Even if it's somewhat of a marketing thing (maybe but not really), I like the idea of having a solid and well built product that is 100% the weight it states, and once you become comfortable with that, that's that. And I'm excited to make that next step up. Also, to be clear, I'm not just saying they're tough. They're of very good quality as well. You know that annoying squeaky/clinky sound cheap that cheap grip trainers make when you're going to town on them? I don't! Not anymore lol. This is a solid product. No plastic components, no foam tube that slides off, no tiny tin plate that slides around as you close them, no squeaky-squeaky, no wondering if you should duct tape the handles for your hand's sake. It's a nice, weighty metal feeling, and the handle has a nice texture that neither slips nor hurts your hands. So positive all around if you couldn't tell. And one day I will ascend to bigger numbers.

For all those "used-to-be" gym rats (like myself) who never trained on grippers before, this is a great addition to that renewed workout schedule. Doubtless you're like many others who've used the grippers of yesteryear, with the colored plastic handles. They serve a purpose and can set the stage for these Captains of Crush Hand Grippers. After reading the reviews and attempting to judge which set to purchase, I decided on the No. 1 grippers. For those eager to gain that powerful handshake, these grippers are an excellent choice. There are guys out there who live to crush the hands of others in a hand shake. One buddy of mine does it all the time..his hands are rough like boiled leather due to working outside all the time. His grip is amazing for a smaller guy, and he has no trouble reaching into a pot of boiling water to take something out. I'd say his grip is a match for mine or perhaps a bit better. Aside from that, there's only been a time or two when someone's handshake felt like a true heavy-duty vise grip. It's those that I'll never forget, since they were so overwhelming. That's the grip I want. **Note: the shipping time on these was AMAZING! Ordered Tuesday night after 8pm and was told to expect shipping time of 3 to 5 business days. To my surprise, they arrived in the mail that Friday. I was blown away, because I didn't expect them till the following Wednesday. Kudos to Amazon and IronMind!** When the box arrived, it contained the gripper set, a short instruction manual, the order/receipt and a cool IronMind catalog [like 50pgs]. I'm sure glad I didn't order the No. 1.5 or 2.0. These grippers are NOT EASY! Since I don't have a set of warm-up grippers [as recommended in the above-mentioned literature], I was slightly concerned. They were not lying when they said most guys at the gym cannot close these. I'd bet it's quite true. **Recommend adding the Starter or Trainer as a warm up gripper** Not knowing what to expect, I gave it the old college try. My first set was less than stellar. I failed to fully close the grippers with either hand. The diamond grips on the handles are excellent and by the 2nd set my hands had that strength "memory" back [to some degree]. I was able to close the grips completely 3x with the right hand and 2x with the left..and did a total of 6 reps for each hand. Due to my inexperience, I waited about 20mins between sets, not wanting to accidentally injure myself..especially so soon after trying. By the third set, I was ready again and was able to close the grips 2x with the right hand and nearly 2x for the left [about 1/4in open]. Remaining reps were judged as "less than manly", with accompanying facial contortions, spastic arm raises and guttural noises. **Note: I am mixing the conventional and upside-down grip methods** Since this is my first week with the grips, I'm taking IronMind's advice and only doing sets 3x per week. If all goes well, I should be ready to increase sets and reps after 2-3 weeks. At that rate, I should be very comfortable with these -- and ready to move up to No. 1.5 in two months. My first main goal is to conquer the No. 2 gripper. In my estimation, these gripper levels are much like hurricanes or earthquakes..as you graduate to the next level, your grip strength rises geometrically. For example, a Category 2 hurricane requires 10x the strength as a Cat1..so by the time you reach Cat5 [155mph+], it requires 10,000x the power required to create a wind speed 2x faster than at Cat1[70mph+]. It may not be quite the same for the grippers, but it sounds good.

I bought this to build my grip strength and just to get a relative measure of grip strength from day to day and I’ve really enjoyed it so far. I researched several grippers and what stood out to me about this one was its simplicity and the quality and durability of the materials. I have no fear of this breaking or inconsistency in its resistance force. The knurling doesn’t hurt my hands at all, I don’t find it overly heavy, and I don’t mind the slight squeaking noise it makes during use. The shape and size makes it easy to store too. I keep it by my desk and use it every day and have already noticed an improvement in my grip strength. I think it’s fairly priced considering I’ll be using this for a while until I’m ready to move up to the next level. I think the design and look is also very appealing as well. Overall I’m very happy with this purchase and plan to buy a level 2 version in the future when I’ve worked up to it.

Heavy, all metal construction. Great knurling that's aggressive, but not too sharp. The #1 is no joke at 140 lbs of closing force, and is probably more than enough for most.

I just got my grippers in the mail a couple days ago, and I'm loving them. They're ridiculously addictive. This isn't the cheap plastic garbage I remember from when I began lifting weights, these things are quality. As long as you use them properly and don't do huge numbers of reps at a time with one that's far too easy, I don't see these ever breaking. Now that I've restarted my grip training, I'm looking forward to getting certified on the CoC #3 gripper. Some words of wisdom: first, try to realistically assess your starting grip strength before you buy these. Don't start with a #2 if you've never lifted weights or worked heavily with your hands. Similarly, don't get a sport version if you have giant rock crushing bear paws. I fall into the latter category, and I found the #1 a comfortable starting level. I can close it fairly easily but it does start to become more difficult after a few reps. If you have an average or slightly above average grip, you should probably start with the trainer. Second, be sure to use good technique when training with these. They have a diamond knurl grip that will tear your skin up if you allow it to slide around in your fingers. I currently have a decent size chunk of epidermis missing from both of my pinky fingers from this. I recommend buying some grip chalk, as well as doing a bit of research on how to properly set the grips in your hands. This will save you quite a bit of pain in the long run.

Very well made and super stiff spring.

I ordered the CoC #1 Probably the best grip trainer I've owned, very durable, high quality materials. As others have said, the texture on it is a bit rough at first, but that's just a matter of building up the callouses, or you can wrap it in athletic tape instead. As for grip difficulty: I ordered the #1, which has a 140lb pull, and found that I can't close it all the way, there is about 1/2" (13mm) gap. I'm pretty strong, but not really a lifter or anything. For reference, I had a pair of inexpensive grippers like these: Gripmaster 14003-BLK Hand Exerciser Black, Heavy Tension (9-Pounds per Finger) and could do sets of 100+ easily, and a set of those cheap grippers with the contoured, black plastic handles and chrome coil on top, and could do sets of sixty or seventy on those. I'm going to keep the #1, but I'm also ordering a CoC Trainer, which has a 100lb pull, so I can work up to it. That's what I'd recommend for anyone who is fit but just starting grip training in earnest. EDIT: Okay, so I ordered the Training model and used that for a few weeks. I could close that one with some effort, and quickly built my way up to sets of twelve. Now I can do sets of about three on the #1. Once I can hit sets of about twenty on this one, I'll move up.

I own both the first three Heavy Grips and the level 1 and 1.5 CoC. Just bought the CoCs, but having used them a bit, they are definitely a better overall product and MUCH harder than the Heavy Grips. I'm not strong. I'm not some beefy weight lifter, I bought these for joint-lock training in martial arts. I bought the Heavy Grips about 3 months ago and have used them regularly. Starting with the 100 which I was able to close right away, I've been able to close the 150 a few times, but it's still tough. I can't close the 200, only introduced it to start last week. Okay? So that's me, that's where my training is. I'm a beginner. Today, I got the CoC1 and 1.5. I figured I could skip the trainer b/c everyone on the internet said it was too easy (you're either all stronger than me, or full of it, but whatever, moving on). I can't close the 1. The 1 in the CoC is about as tough as the HG 200. Yes, I know that one of the criticisms of the HG is that their grip power doesn't compare well (eg. my 200 and your 200 aren't the same) so if you disagree with my comparison, assume that's why. The Knurling on the HGs is a bit harsher that the CoCs. Don't get me wrong, HGs are good grips, and they're a nice, cheap alternative that will toughen your hands up even more then CoCs [aside: if you don't like knurling, just wrap them in hockey tape, it's not a big deal]. I'll probably still use them until I can regularly close the CoC1, then maybe sell them or take them into work as a side item. HOWEVER, CoC is the superior product. It is my opinion that you should spend the extra money and buy the CoCs. It is also my opinion that you should buy the pre-1 option if you're a beginner.

get a trainer or 40kg gripper from them before attempting this if you want insane handshake

El producto es tal cual se vende y promete. Muy resistente,dureza y el metal de primera.

Purchased a number 1 CoC hand grip after seeing it was recommended on bodybuilding forums. On receiving the grip (they come as single units, not in pairs!) I was impressed with the sturdy build. I've followed the advice on the packaging which recommends using the grips at a high intensity (for example trying to hold it closed for as long as you can) rather than high frequency (doing several open and close movements quickly). I've definitely seen my grip improve over the last month and I can almost close these now with each hand. If you're looking for some quality hand grips, look no further than these. If you've never used grips before, I would recommend starting with a number 1 or something lower, these are seriously tough!

Miles de repeticiones y sigue intacto, es un gran equipo para lograr fuerza y masa en los antebrazos.

Stevige gripper, maar niet goedkoop. Ik heb de Captains of Crush No.1 nu ongeveer drie weken. De kwaliteit is uitstekend: stevige constructie, goede grip en een behoorlijk zware weerstand. Bij mijn eerste poging kreeg ik hem niet volledig dicht. Na vier dagen lukte dat wel. Inmiddels kan ik hem rechts twee keer en links één keer volledig sluiten. Laat je dus niet misleiden door de No.1! 🤓 Na drie dagen begon de veer te piepen. Een klein beetje Sonax SX90 loste dat op en sindsdien is het stil. Voor meer herhalingen zou ik eerder de No. 0.5 kiezen. Mijn enige minpunten zijn de prijs (€44) en het beperkte aanbod aan weerstandsniveaus op Amazon.nl. Verder erg tevreden.