Keep Fit Kingdom’s latest review looks at an interesting training product called “Neuro-Grips”. Designed by American company Dragon Door, they are created to be used for push ups and other bodyweight exercises. What could possibly be useful about these? Check out our review to understand how you could benefit from this piece of kit to get the edge in your own training! (Image Credit: Mary Carol Fitzgerald Photography)
Design
The Neuro-Grips are designed in a T-shaped structure. Each black grip has a thick handle and a shaft with a small circular base. The grips are made of heavy-industrial steel for durability and have a powder coated finish. The product is sold as a pair.
Build
The Neuro-Grips stand approximately 17cm (7 inches) tall. The handle length is slightly under 13cm (6 inches) and its diameter is 4cm (1.5 inches). Dragon Door state that the weight of the product is around 1.25kg (2lb 12oz).
Performance
Two or three times a week, push ups are included in my training routine. Ring push ups, plyo push ups and weighted vest push ups, all are regularly used to keep me strong and fit.
Trying Out my First Rep on the Neuro-Grips Proved to be a Real Challenge, and My Arms Started Shaking!
I was confident I’d be able to perform a few sets of push ups on the Neuro-Grips. However, trying out my first rep on these grips proved to be a real challenge, and my arms started shaking uncontrollably while I lowered my body to the floor.
I was actually thankful no one was watching; I felt slightly embarrassed that I struggled to do even a single push up on these! It was a training tool with a different feel and it was a shock to my body. No doubt these grips were going to be tricky to master.
Each Rep Requires Total Focus and Balancing Skill to Enable You to Get Through the Set
It took a small number of sessions to get used to stabilizing the grips when doing push ups. Each rep requires total focus and balancing skill to enable you to get through the set.
What was pleasing was that the grips were comfortable on the hands and even with a fairly large hand like mine, there is plenty of space on the handle to grab hold of. I tested the grips on different floor surfaces, and to prevent any slipping it was clear that a carpeted or non-slip floor was a wise choice.
Lots of other Push Up Variations: Single Leg, Feet Elevated, Staggered etc all Feel Fantastic while Using the Grips
Of course, standard push ups aren’t the only exercise you’ll be able to do with the Neuro-Grips. Loads of other push up variations can be performed. Single leg, feet elevated, and staggered-hand push ups all feel fantastic while using the grips.
If core training is important to you, there are several plank variations that are highly effective. The single arm plank is one of my favorites at the moment and it has made my midsection muscles satisfyingly sore more than a few times.
As someone who loves lower arm training, I quickly noticed how effective these grips are for building wrist and hand strength. Taking a firm grip on the handle is necessary to keep control of the grips during each exercise, and extra demands are placed on your wrists to assist in supporting your bodyweight and keeping your balance.
My Hands and Wrists Felt Ultra Strong after some Training Sessions with the Neuro-Grips
There were times where my hands and wrists felt ultra strong after some training sessions with the Neuro-Grips. The forearms get a good deal of stimulation too, and it’s so rewarding to get a satisfying pump after a few sets of hard work.
As more and more people are opting to build their own home gyms, the Neuro-Grips are a perfect addition to one’s selection of home training equipment.
They’re easy to store, requiring minimal room. Their portability is a strong point too – they’ll fit comfortably into your gym bag or holiday bags. I’ve used them in plenty of my own hotel-room workouts and they simply stimulate the muscles in ways that other training equipment cannot. Excellent!
Value
Dragon Door sells the Neuro-Grips for $44.95 (£38) on their website. They are shipped from the USA so there is an additional charge to cover delivery. The cost totaled a fraction over $70 (£59) to ship a pair here to the UK.
The price might seem a tad expensive for some people, but athletes who are passionate about their training will see it as a small price to pay for something that will last a lifetime. The grips also come with a one year, money-back guarantee.
Summary
Adding the Neuro-Grips to your training programme can open up lots of new possibilities, help you break through plateaus, and give you a whole new set of goals to aim for. The product may be relatively simple in structure, but it makes many bodyweight exercises much more challenging to do.
Dragon Door’s Neuro-Grips are a must have training tool for anyone who is serious about improving their strength, muscle, and fitness.
We also recommend checking out “The Neuro-Grip Challenge: A Radical Program For Building Greater Strength and Power In Your Upper Body” book by Jon Bruney. It features lots of exercise variations and routines using the grips discussed in this review and is available from Amazon.
Have you used the Neuro-Grips before? What did they do for your upper body development? Let us know in the comments below and join in the conversation on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!
