Any good results with a "Hand or Finger Exerciser"?

[Marshall_Stack]

Someone posted a this picture as a joke. I had to go to MF to see what it was - its a finger exerciser. Seriously.

I was surprised to see that Musician's Friend has an entire category of these things. At my age - additional finger strength would be great.

The best selling one is the "Planet Waves Varigrip Hand Exerciser" which I read as Viagra - Freudian slip. But it looks like it could be useful. Anyone know anything about this type of product? I can see using while driving. Looks like this:

 

[Frodebro]

That type of stuff was really popular in the mid-late eighties. I had one similar to the Varigrip, and hardly ever used it.

 

[Marshall_Stack]

That type of stuff was really popular in the mid-late eighties. I had one similar to the Varigrip, and hardly ever used it.

Theoretically - if you had used it - do you feel that it would had improved finger strength and whitened your teeth?

I exercise the rest of me - and this seems more specific than grip strengtheners. My dad had one of those in his car when I was a kid - he probably still does.

 

[Frodebro]

It probably would have helped, IIRC there were different tensions available.

 

[Gautfrid]

The best selling one is the "Planet Waves Varigrip Hand Exerciser" which I read as Viagra - Freudian slip. But it looks like it could be useful. Anyone know anything about this type of product? I can see using while driving. Looks like this:

I've got one of those, I used to use it sat at the PC.

Unfortunately iPads need both hands...

Didn't notice any effect as it goes, but it gave my left hand something to do

 

[Marshall_Stack]

You guys aren't making any sales. Maybe I will just stop by my local GC on the way home and buy something. And maybe grab a $200 Fenex.

I feel so hip using that nickname.
Fenex.
There - I said it again.

 

[drmcclainphd]

If one really needed to exercise the fingers, I'd suggest some alternatives that I was given by occupational therapists after my many hand surgeries (5 on right, 4 on left): tennis & other squeezable balls, rubber bands, plasticine (modeling clay), strips of elastic (I cut up an Ace bandage), hanging a gallon milk jug full of water from your finger tips and doing lifts with 4 fingers, then 3, then 2, then 1. And try lifting yourself up by just your fingers on a door frame, like doing chin ups.

And bear in mind, grip strength is not the only strength. What good is grip if you can't release and move to another place fast? Exercise finger spread, stretching the fingers the opposite direction from grip. Essentially every thing you exercise should be exercised in the opposite direction also, because every muscle is balanced in action by an opposing muscle. You can exercise a muscle for strength, but if you don't exercise its opposite too, you can actually *lose* speed.

Stretch and release every muscle (pair) you're going to exercise. Not only for warm up, but do this when doing other things to maintain flexibility. Of course the thumb and wrist should get exercise too. Man does not play by finger grip alone.

But the single best exercise I ever did after having my right wrist fused, the fingers turned 30 degrees towards the pinky because my first 2 knuckles were crushed into a single mass, and I could no longer make them straighten them to parallel with my arm: learn to play flamenco. Seek to overcome, whether its a disability or simply an ability you wish to improve. Don't just buy something that does something. Learn your actual abilities and find those that need more or less work, then give each the attention it needs. If you want to get an idea of how to do that, try learning to play with the other hand, switch left & right. You have to pay attention to what you're doing. So pay attention to your dominant playing hands too - don't just keep doing things on automatic, especially exercise.

 

[Rod Parsons]

I use a medium strength Gripmaster... They come in different degrees of difficulty. I love it.. It makes me faster and more coordinated on guitar or bass..

 

[Marshall_Stack]

I use a medium strength Gripmaster... They come in different degrees of difficulty. I love it.. It makes me faster and more coordinated on guitar or bass..

They have separate pads for each finger - that looks good.

 

[Gautfrid]

They have separate pads for each finger - that looks good.

So does the Varigrip, and you can adjust the spring tension to make it more 'difficult'. You can even adjust each finger pad individually more tension on the index finger, less on the pinky etc. That,s what the black 'milled' wheels at the bottom of the springs are for.

But see my previous caveat

 

[AndyLowry]

Whenever I see a mechanical exercise device like those, I think of Schumann and shudder.

 

[Marshall_Stack]

Whenever I see a mechanical exercise device like those, I think of Schumann and shudder.

I thought that was a myth - that his finger problem was syphilis related.

 

[Marshall_Stack]

So does the Varigrip, and you can adjust the spring tension to make it more 'difficult'. You can even adjust each finger pad individually more tension on the index finger, less on the pinky etc. That,s what the black 'milled' wheels at the bottom of the springs are for.

But see my previous caveat

So what you are saying, if I am hearing you correctly, is that is a nicely thought out piece of equipment and that using it produced no noticeable benefit.

That sum it up?

 

[Gautfrid]

So what you are saying, if I am hearing you correctly, is that is a nicely thought out piece of equipment and that using it produced no noticeable benefit.

That sum it up?

Produced no noticeable benefit to me.

YMMV



They're $12 on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Waves-Varigrip-Adjustable-Exerciser/dp/B001OCGGEM

 

[Marshall_Stack]

Produced no noticeable benefit to me.

YMMV

Yes - for all we know - you may have the strength of ten pinkies in each digit.

 

[AndyLowry]

I thought that was a myth - that his finger problem was syphilis related.

There does seem to be some controversy. The way I heard it, he was using this or something very like it:

Henry Hertz's "Dactylion," from the 1830s.

'Course, he had a slew of other problems, too.

 

[Gautfrid]

Yes - for all we know - you may have the strength of ten pinkies in each digit.

I'm old and feeble. Probably too feeble to use it to its fullest potential

 

[ddewerd]

I actually used one so much I wore it out. I used to used it driving in the car.

You can do some interesting exercises, just like finger exercises on the fretboard (1234, 13421, etc.)

I think it helped gain some strength, particularly in my pinky, and it seemed to help give some independence to my ring finger (which always moved in unison with my pinky)

But is it going to directly make you a better player - probably not. But I think it can help. It's like a football player who lifts weights - it indirectly helps, but if you don't study the play book or practice your throws, it won't help at all.

The only problem I have now is the huge muscle bulge when I bend my fingers

Spend the $10 and see, it can't hurt. I wouldn't worry about getting an adjustable one, but do make sure that what you get has individual springs for each finger - that's important. Don't get one with just one spring for all.

Cheers,
Doug

 

[Ricky D.]

Just do some fingertip pushups every day. Or carry a brick or a piece of firewood in each hand.

My favorite, an 8"x8" canvas bag with about 2 lb. of popcorn. Toss it up with one hand, catch with the other. Repeat, note that you are switching hands with each toss. You can also play catch with a partner, fling it backhand like a Frisbee. It gets more strenuous as you get farther apart.

 

[GuitOp81]

IMHO all you have to do is playing.
Actual practice, with just the guitar, has already the potential to cause serious damage to your hands, in other words your hands will give up before you have the chance to complete a rigorous, extreme workout on the instrument, ask any serious shredder. Any other tool in my view just adds unnecessary stress without improving your playing.
I don't think you should waste an already limited resource (endurance of your hand ligaments and tendons) in something other than actual playing.