Machine Hand Grip

Also known as: Hand Grip Machine, Seated Grip Machine, Plate-Loaded Grip Machine

Strength

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Body Part: Forearms

Description

Sit at a plate-loaded grip machine and squeeze its handles shut with both hands to build grip strength and the muscles of your forearms. The work lands on the palm side of your forearms, from the inner elbow to the wrist: the flexors that curl your fingers and close your hand. Only your fingers move; your arms just hold position. Unlike a handheld gripper, the machine trains both hands together and lets you add load in small plate steps. Use it if your grip quits before your back on deadlifts, rows and pull-ups, or if you climb, grapple or play a racket sport.

How to Perform

Load a light plate on the lever horn to start. The lever changes how heavy a plate feels, so the number on it isn't the force in your hands.
Sit upright facing the handles, feet flat and hip-width apart, knees bent about 90°. The handles should sit just in front of your knees and slightly above them.
Take the handles overhand, one hand near each end. One handle lies across your palms at the base of the fingers with your thumbs around it; your fingers wrap the moving handle.
Straighten your wrists so your knuckles line up with your forearms. Let your upper arms hang close to your sides, shoulders down and away from your ears.
Squeeze with both hands at once until the handles meet or stop. The plate rises only a few centimeters, and your elbows and torso stay where they are.
Hold your fists tight for about a second, then open over about 2 seconds until your fingers are almost straight. Stop just before the plate settles and squeeze again.
At the end of the set, let the plate down slowly before you let go, and keep your feet and shins clear of the lever.

What Muscles Work

Primary Muscle:

Tips

For strength, do 3–5 sets of 5–8 reps with a 1–2 second squeeze; for size, 2–4 sets of 10–20. End a set when the handles no longer close all the way.
Add reps before weight. Pick a range such as 3 × 8–12, and once you get 12 on every set with the handles fully shut and a one-second hold, add the smallest plate you have (usually 1.25–2.5 kg) and restart at 8. Expect several sessions at each load, and compare numbers only on the same machine.
The palm side of both forearms should burn, with tired fingers and palms. If your biceps or shoulders burn, you're pulling with your arms; if the backs of your forearms burn most, your wrists are bending back.
Too heavy to close? Use a lighter plate and close only halfway with a 2-second hold. To make it harder, hold the squeeze for 3–5 seconds and open over 3 before you add a plate. If the inside of your elbow starts to ache, cut sets and load and build back slowly.
Substitutes: Dead Hang (start with 20–30-second holds if your grip is weak), Farmer Walk, Barbell Wrist Curl. A pin-loaded grip machine works the same way as this plate-loaded one.

Common Mistakes

Letting the handle sit out on your fingertips, so the hand can't close and the fingers slip off. Seat one handle across your palms near the base of the fingers and wrap your fingers all the way around the other.
Bending the wrists up or down to help the handles shut. Keep your knuckles in line with your forearms, and go lighter if your wrists still move.
Leaning back or pulling with your arms to lift the lever. Relax your elbows, sit tall and let your fingers do the work.
Half reps: the handles never meet, or your hands bounce straight back open. Close until the handles stop, hold for a second, then open; if you can't close fully, the plate is too heavy.
One hand squeezing harder than the other, so the handles tilt. Squeeze evenly and check that the handles stay level as they close.