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Climbing and mountaineering
OutdoorHow to Guides

The best grip strength training gear and tools for rock climbers

  • Grip strength and endurance is imperative for climbers, so they can push themselves without worrying about the dreaded pump

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Why you can trust SCMP
Awesome Woodys climbing training tool is one of many ways to improve your grip strength. Photo: Awesome Woodys
Mark Agnew

If you’re looking to take your climbing to the next level, improving your grip strength and endurance is key. That way you can push the grades or spend more time out on the crag without suffering from fatigue or getting the dreaded pump in your forearms. If you are new to climbing, it is best to just climb for a year or more before taking up grip-specific exercises, otherwise you risk injury as your tendons haven’t had a chance to get used to the exertion.

Many climbers find themselves plateauing after a year or two and this is a sure-fire way to burst through that ceiling. Check out these varied tools for your training sessions.

VariGrip Sport

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The VariGrip has a button for each finger. So, although your whole fist is wrapped around it, it forces you to work on individual digits. It means there is no way of compensating with a stronger part of your hand. You can vary your workout by pinching with individual fingers, one at a time. You can vary each spring’s resistance, so you can concentrate on the strength of one finger, or ease off injured fingers.

VariGrip lets you target individual fingers. Photo: VariGrip
VariGrip lets you target individual fingers. Photo: VariGrip
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IronMind Captains of Crush Hand Gripper

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