Effect of Fat Grip Attachments on Strength and Muscle Activation
A user's guide to gains.
The study titled "Impact of Fat Grip Attachments on Muscular Strength and Neuromuscular Activation During Resistance Exercise" (PMID: 30694963) investigated the acute effects of using Fat Gripz (FG) on strength and muscle activation compared to a standard Olympic barbell (OB) during various resistance exercises.
Key Points
Participants: The study involved 15 recreationally active men aged 20-29, who performed two trials: one using a standard Olympic barbell (OB) and another with Fat Gripz attached.
Exercises Tested: Participants completed one-repetition maximum (1RM) tests for deadlifts, bent-over rows, upright rows, concentration curls, and maximum pull-ups until failure.
Findings on Strength:
Using FG resulted in a significant decrease in 1RM strength across all exercises tested.
Deadlift: FG (83.3 kg) vs. OB (141.5 kg)
Bent-over Row: FG (66.2 kg) vs. OB (94.7 kg)
Upright Row: FG (46.7 kg) vs. OB (61.2 kg)
Concentration Curl: FG (47.3 kg) vs. OB (50.2 kg)
The maximal number of pull-ups completed decreased by approximately 69.5% when using FG (3.4 pull-ups) compared to OB (11.1 pull-ups).
Muscle Activation:
Electromyography (EMG) data showed increased activation in forearm and shoulder muscles when using FG, but decreased activation in upper arm muscles during deadlifts, bent-over rows, and pull-ups.
No significant differences were observed in EMG activity for upright rows and concentration curls between grip types.
Related
Key Takeaways
Pros of Using Fat Grips:
Increased neuromuscular activation in the forearm and shoulder muscles may enhance grip strength development.
Potential benefits for specific populations such as bodybuilders or athletes requiring improved grip strength.
Cons of Using Fat Grips:
Significant reductions in maximal strength performance across various exercises.
Lower performance in pull-up tests indicates that while grip diameter may enhance certain muscle activations, it compromises overall strength output.