Black Diamond Forearm Trainer

Summary

Simple and extremely effective!

This simple rubber ring has done more for my forearm strength in one use than weeks of doing 50 full forearm curls. They wear you out very quickly but you can allow some time to recover and then begin again. I personally use it while sitting around the house until I just can't anymore. This is a no maintenance trainer that I regret not buying months ago.

Summary

Worked well until it broke.

So pretty much every spring-type grip exerciser I have tried is way too flimsy. I have heard of strong ones but I thought that since this one is made by a company who makes climbing equipment, it should be pretty good.

A little about me; I climb sport routes in the 5.10 range about once per week at the local crag. I figured that stronger hands would do a better job of holding my clydesdale frame on the rock. 

When it arrived it smelt strongly of solvent but since it IS made of rubber I didn't think of the odor as too out of the ordinary. I have read reviews of this item by people who acted like the smell was so bad that being in the same room with it would surely shorten their life. I can only guess that these people either had an especially smelly one or that they are of that obnoxious variety of human who tends to have diva moments about minor things, their tirades usually begin with, "Oh my gaaaaawwwd!" 

Anyway, it is relatively easy to crush this ring with one hand. However with this one I tried different ways to close it such as only using two or three fingers to close it. With creativity I found a couple good workouts that I coule use it for while I drove to and from work. There is no manual included so you will have to figre out how to use it yourself. I especially liked closing it quickly forty or so times then holding it closed for as long as possible. I felt a pump very similar to what I feel on a crimpy climb. 

So then one day it broke. I squeezed it on my way home from work after owning it for two short momths and it tore and became a C rather than an O like it had been. I contacted the retailer I ordered it from and they have promised me a new one soon, free of charge. The nice lady said it was too inexpensive to ship it back so I should get a new one soon. That was Friday, it arrived the next Monday!

Like I said it was OK, but a stronger ring would be better.