Recently, I picked up the old six string again after a few years’ hiatus and was looking for an edge to getting back into rhythm.  Having a base knowledge proved helpful, but a lack of finger strength and calluses made the venture more difficult, so I purchased a Grip Master Hand Exerciser to help the process along.  Within a few hours, I could notice a difference.  My fingers were already more responsive and moved at a lighter flow, similar to a baseball player warming up in the batter’s box with a heavier bat so that his swing speed improves with his normal bat.

Being able to move and strengthen each finger independently is much more valuable than I had previously thought.  Being able to make my pinky finger as strong, or nearly as strong, as my other digits made my handshake more confident. It gave me an additional sense of security balancing an unnecessarily large amount of grocery bags when returning from the store.  Now I can make the 1-2 trips that I would have made anyway without worrying about what I would drop and break (rather than the should-have-been-necessary 6-7 trips from my car to the house).

I’ve noticed a wide realm of benefits since I began my finder strength training beyond the original goal of strong guitar-playing fingering.   I’ve seen an increase in both the accuracy and speed at which I type at my computer at work, an increase in overall dexterity while giving myself or my dogs a good scratch, and as I stated above, a more confident hand shake, capable of matching even the most ferocious of hand-shakers.

Additionally, I cannot begin to tell you the advantages to having the Grip Master available at my cubicle during my work shifts.  Having an additional play thing or gadget to work in my hands has been a godsend.  Sitting and taking calls from customers and/or entering orders can only keep you stimulated for so long.  Having the Grip Master in my hand at all times helps pass the time, relieves stress and anxiety, and allows me an outlet when I grow restless in my cubicle.

The only downside to my Grip Master Hand Exerciser is that I purchased the heavy tensioned model, assuming that I was a strong young buck.  It is hard.  It really works your hands and fingers.  If I could exchange it, I’d probably go with the medium tension (red) model, so that I would have less strain on my fingers after a long day of mindlessly working it.