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Wrist Roller
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One of the most basic tools for strengthening the forearms, the wrist roller is a straight bar with a cable attached in the middle. Weight is hung from the cable via a loading pin, and as the name implies, the implement is rotated with the hands to bring the weight up. For developing serious grip strength, the wrist roller is normally used supported on a barbell or the safety pin of a power rack at shoulder height.
Well chalked 1 3/8" wrist roller with loading pin.
Key factors to consider when selecting a wrist roller are the diameter, length, knurling, and how smoothly it will roll:
- Diameter - Wrist roller diameters tend to range from 1 3/8" up to 3". The larger the diameter of the roller, the more the stress of the exercise is shifted from the wrists to the hands, especially the thumb. A roller that barely allows the thumb and fingers to touch when the hand is wrapped around it will provide the most even balance between stress on the hands and stress on the wrists.
- Length - When choosing a wrist roller, be sure it is long enough to comfortably place both hands when the arms are held straight out from the body. For most people, the appropriate length will range from 18-24 inches.
- Knurling - Wrist rollers are available with a range of knurling, from very sharp to none at all. Sharp knurling is not desirable on a wrist roller. When the weights get hard, knurling will cut into the skin on the hands, limiting training frequency and poundages used. A smooth finish on the wrist roller will provide sufficient friction for training the exercise while preserving the skin on the hands. If slightly more grip is needed, athletic tape can be wrapped around the roller.
- Rolling Smoothness - Many wrist rollers are constructed by taking a piece of pipe, drilling a hole through the center, and then running a cord through the hole, knotting it inside the pipe to hold it in place. This method of construction will create a bump in the exercise, when the knot is rolled over on the supporting pin. The bump can be minimized by either welding washers on to the end of the roller with openings smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe or by sliding a piece of PVC pipe inside the roller to sit between the knot and the supporting bar. Training on a roller with a bump will not diminish the effectiveness of the exercise but can be annoying.
