Fat Gripz feedback

qwerty33

qwerty33

Well-known member
Any feedback on these? really thinking of picking up a pair later tonight.

They build monster forearms right on barbell curl?

How are they on the bench press
 
They are really worth the money, and I don't often say that because I'm cheap as hell. They work really good for all kinds of pressing and they will absolutely blow you up when you do any back work with them. The only thing that kind of pissed me off with them so far is they do not fit most of the newer rubber dumbbells that gyms have.
 
qwerty33 said:
any other opinions? thanks guys
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im going to sound like i work for them but.. At first i slid them over the cable for cable curls and DB curls it really added size to my biceps..now i didnt measure but it was deffintely noticeable great pump...

Then just last week i was trying to find a way to bench without pain in my my elbows from pulling the bar apart ya know to control the downward movement? lightened my pressing didnt work.. floor press didnt work.. then i remember dave tate saying Fat bar reduces stress n shoulders and joints soo i decided to do fat bar floor press for my ME movement...

Now remember this i bench for Strength not for Bodybuilding but DAMN my pecs were as pumped as when i use to do millions of bench sets with elbows flared and flat back when i first discovered nitric oxide lol... not even kidding they pumped my pecs up and reduced stress significantly.

and PS i DB Row 120 x 5 with fat gripz i struggled on 70s
 
I am tempted to get a pair but I am a cheap ass and tempted to just go to home depot and get some rubber insulation for pvc and do the same thing for like $5 lol

-James
 
bmcjames said:
I am tempted to get a pair but I am a cheap ass and tempted to just go to home depot and get some rubber insulation for pvc and do the same thing for like $5 lol

-James
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honestly the quality for fat gripz is amazing deads and bech and any type of pulleys and dumbells etc they slide onto easily... but if u do the insulation thing can u put up pics
 
bmcjames said:
I am tempted to get a pair but I am a cheap ass and tempted to just go to home depot and get some rubber insulation for pvc and do the same thing for like $5 lol

-James
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I was actually going to do the same thing, but I read a post somewhere that in due time the rubber gives in to stress.

I would opt for the gripz cause it pays over time.
 
qwerty33 said:
does it make it harder to bench like it goes on barbell curls
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sure does.. you will have to control it on the way down.. and idc if u control it on the way down now its a whole different control.. u gotta lower it under very slow control and shot it up.. id say your Time under tension is greater too... currently im using them for max effort floor press. It creates tremondus start off power when your benching off the ground add to the fact that u cant pull the bar apart or put ur hands completely around it makes even better raw off the chest power..


and ps they pump ur biceps up pretty quick which is an added bonus if u wanna do curls after a tough PL workout..
 
a guy at my gym trains for strongman comps, he uses them because he said the strong men comps often use different grip sizes, he likes them for bench a lot because he says his doesn't hurt his shoulders at all like he used to deal with, he also uses them for shoulder presses, he's asked if i wanted to use them, but i have no experience with them at all
 
he tends to believe that the wider grip put your shoulders in a better position while bench pressing....i found it kind of interesting that he said that, it could make sense
 
I did ME floor press, Rep work with fat bar floor press, shoulder press, rotator cuffs and rear delts. and im not sore today.. if i did regular barbell i would real sore today in the front delts idk the scienve behind it but it works
 
qwerty33 said:
Any feedback on these? really thinking of picking up a pair later tonight.

They build monster forearms right on barbell curl?

How are they on the bench press
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They do tax the forearms per se, but their primary usage is to develop actual grip strength in the hands. I use them for rack deads and reverse curls. If you want grip training, look up crush grip & pinch grip. For forearms, you can't move as much weight with the fat grips. If makes lighter weight harder to perform, so you could either do 95lbs with the grips for 135 without and in terms of stimulating muscle for hypertrophic purposes, I'm mixed on it's "superior" efficacy. However, in terms of developing hand grip strength, like holding the bar during a dead lift, then absolutely. I like them, but I use them for strength purposes as opposed to aesthetic purposes.
 
VolcomX311 said:
They do tax the forearms per se, but their primary usage is to develop actual grip strength in the hands. I use them for rack deads and reverse curls. If you want grip training, look up crush grip & pinch grip. For forearms, you can't move as much weight with the fat grips. If makes lighter weight harder to perform, so you could either do 95lbs with the grips for 135 without and in terms of stimulating muscle for hypertrophic purposes, I'm mixed on it's "superior" efficacy. However, in terms of developing hand grip strength, like holding the bar during a dead lift, then absolutely. I like them, but I use them for strength purposes as opposed to aesthetic purposes.
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last sentence is key.... For me they were worth the 40 bucks becuse floor press gives me amazing strength of the chest for bench.. but with elbow pain it killed to do the whole "pull apart the bar" theroy.. so If i strengthen my fat bar floor press ill be able to regular floor press heavier which will lead to a heavier Flat bench press. so if your goal is a tool for Powerlifting yes... if your buying it just for size on your arms, you have better thiings you could do.
 
qwerty33 said:
was thinking wrestling shoes for about 40$
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I have actual "Olympic" powerlifting shoes with the elevated wood soles and they seem to help with movements like Snatch, Cleans, Rear Shrugs, Front Squats, but if you're just looking for a cheap flat heel for general weightlifting purposes, I suggest buying Chucks. You can buy generic chucks from Target for like $20 or some uber generic chucks at Walmart for like $12.00. The principle behind chucks and wrestling shoes are simply a non-arched, uber flat bottom and minimal sole cushion from foot to floor (the theory being that minimal sole absorption equates to maximal drive off the feet, for deads, squats & such). Real chuck, fake chuck, wrestling shoe, they all share an underlining principle. Flat, non-arched bottoms, minimal cushion absorption for maximal drive off the floor. Real chucks are like $30-40. The gym I go to wouldn't allow barefeet, but for a flat bottom situation, anything Chucks'esque will do.
 
makes sense im getting them for standard deads and regular squats. so wrestling or chucks are the best option all around then?

i was looking at these
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would they be good for regular squats or should i just go with chucks or wrestling shoes
 
qwerty33 said:
makes sense im getting them for standard deads and regular squats. so wrestling or chucks are the best option all around then?

i was looking at these
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would they be good for regular squats or should i just go with chucks or wrestling shoes
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There is a lot to consider when your picking a pair of shoes; squat width, ankle mobility, leverages, bar height, squat style, etc all play into what is going to work best for you. Any easy way to see which type of shoe will work better for you is to take a few reps barefoot and the take the same weight with 2.5lb plates under you heals.

I personally hate chucks because I was constantly pushing my feet over the side of the souls and they were always either tied way to tight or way to lose. Wrestling shoes worked great but the pair I tried were not a perfect fit so I could never wear them for more than maybe 20 minutes without my toes going numb. Work boots by far felt the most stable and supportive to me, and I was able to hit depth in them fairly easy. Finally barefoot is what I usually use for my box squatting now, but I have the luxury of squatting in a basement gym and not at a public place. Long story short, its going to be trial and error to find the perfect shoes but they can make a big difference.
 
brownstown89 said:
sure does.. you will have to control it on the way down.. and idc if u control it on the way down now its a whole different control.. u gotta lower it under very slow control and shot it up.. id say your Time under tension is greater too... currently im using them for max effort floor press. It creates tremondus start off power when your benching off the ground add to the fact that u cant pull the bar apart or put ur hands completely around it makes even better raw off the chest power..


and ps they pump ur biceps up pretty quick which is an added bonus if u wanna do curls after a tough PL workout..
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Have you noticed a large increase in your regular bench press from using these? I find it odd when people want to use something that makes them use less weight and consider it beneficial. Grip strength is where I would think these would shine for something like the farmer's walk or dead lift, especially if your doing any kind of strongman comps. I would be interested in the actual amount of bench press strength gained from anyone. Maybe I'll need to make a sleeve haha.
 
qwerty33 said:
makes sense im getting them for standard deads and regular squats. so wrestling or chucks are the best option all around then?

i was looking at these
Invalid Link Removed

would they be good for regular squats or should i just go with chucks or wrestling shoes
Click to expand...

VS are nice, but for bodybuilding purposes, I don't think you need powerlifting shoes. The only thing you would need PL shoes in bodybuilding terms are squats and deads. If you front squat, then yes, a front squat is performed with a more erect torso then a back squat (otherwise the bar would roll out of your hands/shoulders). Considering MOST bodybuilders back squat, I'll address the back squat use. If you squat to parallel and no further, then you wouldn't need the PL shoes. If you squat hams to calves, though you still wouldn't "need" PL shoes, they do help when you're that deep by forcing your hips back, rather then down. If you watch people squat hams to calves, there glutes and hips are aimed toward the back nice tight, then when they go beyond parallel, because the heels are flat, the butt and hips tend to dip downward. Because the PL shoes have such a raised heel, when you dip beyond parallel, your hips & glutes tend to stay back, rather then downward, which helps with keeping the low back tight.

Bottom line, I don't think you need PL shoes at all if you're just bodybuilding. The wood sole is meant for generating high, single moment of power, which is only meant for Snatch and C&J's.

As far as PL shoes and Dead lifts; traditionally, you want a flat heel. I think the PL shoes help with the very start of the lift, because you start so low and again, the butt & hips tend to drop downward. It takes some intentional focus to force the butt & hips in that tight back position when you're repping Deads, especially when you're going heavy and most of your faculties are focused on the weight itself; the PL shoes just help to make sure the butt & hips are back. However, I think and mostly agree, that as a general rule, you want flat bottoms for deads and PL shoes have a significant raised heel.

For bodybuilding purposes, if you have the funds and just want to try something new, I think the PL shoes are cool. That's sort of the situation I was in when I bought them. Of course I actually do perform O-Lifts, but if you're looking for something to just aid with a back squat and deads, something with a flat sole is fine. Truth be told I've never had improved numbers from any type of footwear, only improved comfort and a greater sense of ease & efficacy, but not improved numbers.
 
TheLastRonin said:
Have you noticed a large increase in your regular bench press from using these? I find it odd when people want to use something that makes them use less weight and consider it beneficial. Grip strength is where I would think these would shine for something like the farmer's walk or dead lift, especially if your doing any kind of strongman comps. I would be interested in the actual amount of bench press strength gained from anyone. Maybe I'll need to make a sleeve haha.
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ill let you know if this helped my bench press go up. But you do know that grip strength plays a huge part in pulling the bar apart and getting it off your chest when your benching right? My Max Floor Press was 240.. I hit a Fat bar Floor Press at 250..Which is the last heavy single i did a couple weeks ago...I mean if i tank my next bench attempt obviously the fat bar didnt help so ill knock them out... and if ou follow wesstside techniques then you will know that you strengthen weaknesses so thats why u do a lift which you can use lower weights to strengthen it.
 
I'm looking into getting these to ease the pain of my forearm insertion into my ulna when I bench.
 
brownstown89 said:
ill let you know if this helped my bench press go up. But you do know that grip strength plays a huge part in pulling the bar apart and getting it off your chest when your benching right? My Max Floor Press was 240.. I hit a Fat bar Floor Press at 250..Which is the last heavy single i did a couple weeks ago...I mean if i tank my next bench attempt obviously the fat bar didnt help so ill knock them out... and if ou follow wesstside techniques then you will know that you strengthen weaknesses so thats why u do a lift which you can use lower weights to strengthen it.
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Yea, thanks I would definitely like to know if your regular bench press has gone up more than average after use, so that it could be determined that it actually helped increase it and not that your body just quickly adjusting to the different stimuli and then proceeding as it would normally strength wise.

I don't follow ws training but am familiar with it. So your using the fat bar and dropping weight to help your weak grip, to increase you regular bench is what your saying aye? Sounds reasonable..although personally I would just add in an exercise that would deal with it directly. I follow my own path though.

I also know about grip strength with bench and other exercises, although I have been blessed with very strong hands and forearms which are exercised daily at my job as well as with the exercises I already do..I also play with grips throughout the week. I have never in my life had a use for straps as I have never had my grip fail on me, even once. I would however be interested if it is increasing the regular bench press by taking some pressure off the anterior deltoid, which is often over trained without one even knowing about it. Please let me know when you have tested bp out next!
 
Just received my pair today. They arrived about an hour after I finished lifting, so I'll post up some feedback here in a few days.
 
I used mine for my first workout (back day) I usually deadlift 225 for a warmup of 10... and 365-405 depending on the rep range..


with the fat gripz on the bar I could only do 225 around 8-10 times completely wrecked my forarms. I can't even imagine how crazy these things are goin to be for the arm workout. I also used them for shrugs and a few different rowing movements. Its sunday now and my forarms are still KILLING me... but I did have to drop down in weight but Im sure once my forarms build up that my weight will go back up and then i cant even imagine what im goin to do to the damn gym when i take them things off. basically get them... they seem great for grip/arm strength and are excellent for thick bar training (which i plan on doing from now on or doing them for like 3-4 week cycle then switch back to a normal bar)
 
bkoguy07 said:
I used mine for my first workout (back day) I usually deadlift 225 for a warmup of 10... and 365-405 depending on the rep range..


with the fat gripz on the bar I could only do 225 around 8-10 times completely wrecked my forarms. I can't even imagine how crazy these things are goin to be for the arm workout. I also used them for shrugs and a few different rowing movements. Its sunday now and my forarms are still KILLING me... but I did have to drop down in weight but Im sure once my forarms build up that my weight will go back up and then i cant even imagine what im goin to do to the damn gym when i take them things off. basically get them... they seem great for grip/arm strength and are excellent for thick bar training (which i plan on doing from now on or doing them for like 3-4 week cycle then switch back to a normal bar)
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i curled with them monday and had to deadlift tuesday OUCH biceps were way to sore
 
My initial impression is: holy **** these make DB rows difficult. I was only able to do my two light sets with the fat gripz before I had to take them off to do more weight. It's like you're holding the bar with your finger tips. DB presses were tough too. I've got a feeling it will take a few sessions to get used to these.
 
Id like to get a pair of these. Wouldnt mind stronger forearms and grip. Being able to get a good workout with less weight/pain would be nice too.
 
Just started using these for about 3-4 workouts now. I've used them for bench (incline, flat, flyes, and close grip), military (DB and BB), curls (DB, BB, Cable), cable rows and lat pull-downs. So far I'm loving them, I feel I've been held back on deadlifts from a weak grip. We'll see how these help.

I've had generally the same impression as others post, good arm/forearm pump, lowered weight on lifts, but definitely a differernt/better feeling. I'll be doing deads tomorrow, so we'll see how it goes with the gripz on.

As a side benefit, I do think they help improve my focus on correct form (along with reducing the weight).

Good stuff, worth the money!
 
Hmm I want to buy these but seems like they are overpriced to me lol...40 bucks for some rubber...cool idea tho wish I would have thought of it
 
Deeerdre said:
Hmm I want to buy these but seems like they are overpriced to me lol...40 bucks for some rubber...cool idea tho wish I would have thought of it
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Think about it this way... you (not you specifically) will spend 40 bucks on creatine, vitamins, preworkout a pack of protien shakes etc... and how much weight does that add to the bar? lol more then likely nothing.. spend 40 on some "plastic" use em for some max effort lifts and you add 5-10 pounds to the bar for 40 bucks.... seems alot more worth it then supps ya feel?
 
qwerty33 said:
anyone try em on flat bench?
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I've used them on flat bench both regular and close grip. Feels good, had to lower the weight about 20lbs, but felt really good. Not as much forearm pump, but a different stretch for chest/shoulders. I like it and will rotate them in and out of chest workouts, as well as all other body parts (except legs and abs).
 
brownstown89 said:
Think about it this way... you (not you specifically) will spend 40 bucks on creatine, vitamins, preworkout a pack of protien shakes etc... and how much weight does that add to the bar? lol more then likely nothing.. spend 40 on some "plastic" use em for some max effort lifts and you add 5-10 pounds to the bar for 40 bucks.... seems alot more worth it then supps ya feel?
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This. I have never had a problem with buying lifting accessories. But am VERY selective with supplements because only a certain percentage actually work. Unlike if you order a weight sled you know what you are getting is just that.
 
DAdams91982 said:
This. I have never had a problem with buying lifting accessories. But am VERY selective with supplements because only a certain percentage actually work. Unlike if you order a weight sled you know what you are getting is just that.
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exactly like i have pain in my shoulders i prodered some blue heat and a mini band for rear delt work and bam pains gone for 20 bucks but most people would rather suffer the pain and try to take a supplement and push threw the pain
 
Tried the FG's on deadlifts today, could only pull 225 x 5. Went to straps and pulled 455 x 1.

I also tried them on one arm DB rows, 70 x 8 (losing grip), then went to straps for 130 x 8.

So, moral of the story to me is I'll start heavy with straps and finish up with the FG's on higher reps / lower weight. My grip is so tired now...
 
I have a pair and I love them. I use them almost every day except legs obviously. Training with these grips helped me hit a 500lb raw dead lift at 198 lb.
 
I bought a pair of "Fat Gripz" this week. I'll update once I get to using them. The majority of feedback I've come across has been impressive.

-John
 
I got mine on Tues. Used them on Wed for dumbell rows and dumbell curls. Had to lower the weight but really felt my forearms during both exercises. Still feeling my forearms a little today.
 
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