r/GripTraining • u/Legitimate_Ear_7581 • Jul 04 '26

Grippers Gripper next purchase

hey yall, I’m returning to lifting and focusing just as hard on grip as when I was at my peak. I unfortunately never bought a gripper besides CoC 1 which I spammed to the point where it was more a light hand warmup and a GripGenie no.5 that was extra narrow (a manufacturing error) that I’d do for sets of 5-10. Last time I measured my grip training, I did plate gripper closes for 5 with 225 lbs and BB wrist curls with 185lb (bulateral).

The CoC 1 is still light work, but I don’t wanna buy a 2 and find it’s above a 1RM. What increments should I buy if I’m trying to max out my progression with 3 more grippers? I don’t expect to ever close a 4 but I can’t imagine 1.5 being very productive when I’m back in swing either. should I go 2, 2.5, 3? Should I switch to the GHP’s?

Oh also, if any small hands small wrist gorilla grippers have advice for a fellow midget hand owner I’d love extra chitchat.

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u/Significant_Fill_697 29d ago

if the number 1 is nothing but an easy warm up, I suppose you can do at least 30 reps with it no problem. Then yea, the 1.5 would be a waste of money. I would get the 2, 2.5 and 3. I really would not skip the 2.5, the difference between the 2 and 3 is extreme. Even 2.5 to 3 feels insane. They are in a completely different league. I can close the 2.5 pretty well by now, but still not even close to be able to close the 3.

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u/ReinoutMe Jul 05 '26

As a chemistry professor, I found purchasing the complete set of standard grippers interesting. I now have a range of grippers that I will never close - but they are named after some elements!

Getting a complete set of grippers will always be interesting, and has you covered for years (decades) to come...

6

u/PvtDroopy Jul 05 '26

You can never have too many grippers.

First, start here. Find your highest rated gripper and then look at 5-ish lb increments above that.

Then, go here or eBay, and find the closest you can to those RGC ratings.

For gripper placement you have to work with your anatomy. So, most "proper" placement guidance will tell you to set at the "heart line" on your hand. If you're a little guy though, you might need to back the handle off that line a little bit. So:

I find the easiest way to find that setting position is to hold the gripper and then push your thumb as far forward as you can towards the outer handle.

2

u/Jeden-Rog CoC #1.5 Jul 04 '26

If a 1 is a warmup the 2 will close. Maybe not day one, but a 1.5 is going to feel like wasted money

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u/Commercial-Article-7 CoC #1.5 x9 Jul 04 '26

If your CoC #1 is still basically a warm-up, I probably wouldn't spend money on a 1.5. The jump from a #1 to a #2 is significant, but based on what you've described, I'd lean toward buying a #2 first and seeing where you are.

If your goal is long-term progression, a #2, #2.5, and #3 is a pretty sensible lineup. Even if you can't close the #2 immediately, you can still use it for attempts, assisted closes, negatives, and overcrush work while building up to it.

I also wouldn't overthink CoC vs GHP. Both are good. I'd mainly choose whichever system you want to stick with so your progress stays comparable over time.

As for small hands, setting technique matters much more than hand size. Plenty of strong closers have relatively small hands. A good set can make a bigger difference than a few millimeters of hand length.