Handmaster Plus™ - Orange - Firm for Strength Training

I love doctor Zachs inventions. It's so simple yet so innovatingly more useful and hassle free than anything in the world. I recieved my firm ball in a timely manner.. My only concern is to the others hoping to have a hand master that doesnt break.. Trust me you wont find one.. They wear out and its very discouraging.. So i purchased a firm to help out my increasing hand strength and this did the trick in making my hand much stronger.. however this strength training ball is LITTERALY for weght training.. You should be a body builder to need this specific ball. I skipped from red to orange in a pride jump which i now am regretting since i have developed new soreness in my hands and forearm making my tendonitis flare up these passed 2 weeks with thisnew ball. I still love it, as it does not show any new signs of any deterioration.. which is the best thing about this ball.. but hear me out.. THIS IS A FIRM BALL.. Like squeezing something unsqueezeable.. like squeezing a solid ball. So my only hint to you is to NOT skip medium after the red ball and go to the yellow which is the new ball i just ordered. My red ball is BARELY hanging in there,, and the extra bands are whats helping me loosen up my carpal tunnel.. so remember.. Buy these balls in specific order, dont jump ahead... these balls wear out after months of usage.. you will get freedom from the worst pain in the world having to deal with at work.. typing even this hurts my hand.. but a few seconds in the red ball and im fine again for another hour or two. This ball and invention is very encouraging to continue my hobbies. Remember, this ball is VERY HARD.. And I ONLY RECOMEND THIS ONE IF YOUVE SURPASSED THE YELLOW MEDIUM BALL! AND OF COURSE THE RED BALL! GOODLUCK WITH YOUR TENDONITIS I HAVE FOUND SO MUCH RELIEF WITH THESE HAND MASTER PLUS INVENTIONS!! THANK YOU SO MUCH DOC!! JUST MAKE A SILICONE BALL INSTEAD OF A STYROFOAM LIKE BALL!! I LOVEE YOUR INVENTION AND WOULD BE MORE ECSTATIC IF YOU HAD A NEW BALL MODEL THAT DOESNT BREAK! I STILL 100 PERCENT BACK U UP NONE THE LESS! THANKYOU FOR THE PAIN FREE DaYS!

The orange ball is pretty stiff! I'm a rock climber and musician and figured this is the level I would need, but honestly I know I would use this more if I could squish the ball a little more. It's usable, and after I use it for about a week I can definitely crush it a little more, but it's just FIRM. I actually stood on mine and rolled it around a little to try to loosen or soften it up... nope. The little rubber band extension part is a good idea, but the finger holes are pretty small and kind of cut into your fingers sharply, and there's not a ton of range of motion. Just received a Powerweb Combo unit for hand workouts, much much better and more versatile tool. Finger extension is key is working hand and forearms, the same amount of muscles open and close the hand, but people almost exclusively work the closing muscles. Balance in these muscles is key, the stronger your extensors get, the stronger your flexors can become. That's why I purchased the Handmaster Plus, and it's a cool very small portable design, that I don't really find myself using that much. I took the extension rubber band off to use by itself, and I don't really use that either. It's all about the Powerweb.

I've been using this product every other day for several weeks now, and it seems to be working effectively and holding up well. My tennis elbow was going away before I bought this, and it has continued to slowly improve using the Handmaster. The finger loops show no signs of wear yet. But I do only a few sets at a time and am careful not to damage the loops taking my fingers in and out of them. The directions say to put your thumb in first, then your pointer finger, middle finger, etc., and reverse the finger order when you take your fingers out. This procedure makes it easier to get it on and off your hand and avoids putting undue stress on the finger loops. The resistance level is fairly challenging, much harder to squeeze than a regular stress ball. Opening my hand was awkward at first, but now it feels like the right resistance level. If you're rehabbing an injury, I'd suggest getting one of the lower-resistance Handmasters instead. I've had to use it very gingerly on my injured side. But it's just right for my uninjured hand.Update 11/14/11: I just ordered my second handmaster plus. While the bands do break after several months of use, it's definitely worth the $20 I paid for it. My tennis elbow is 99% gone now, and I believe this product helped. It comes with two sets of finger bands. The first broke a few months ago, and I realized the second probably wouldn't last much longer than the first. I'm ordering before it breaks so I won't be without it while waiting for the new one to ship.

This is a great idea with a simple clean design but the packaging and usage both miss the mark.Pros-It comes with an extra resistance band in the box. It is simple to assemble and use.Cons-The ball comes separate from the bands and while an opened paper clip is suggested for threading the band through the ball, it is not included.Instructions for the Handmaster are translated into at least six languages but printed in a font less than 4 points high and impossible to read. The box itself is full color but repeats the same same images on five sides rather than providing graphic instructions for assembly and use.An extra resistance band is included in the box but it is the same resistance value as the other. It might be better if bands of different resistance values where sold together with a single unit so that usage could be advanced accordingly.this product uses a five point resistance band which is a "one size fits some". For my hands these were so tight that they stopped the blood flow in my already sore hands.The images show the ball placement directly over the palm. While I do have an opposable thumb, it is not polar to my fingers which means that I need to do some heavy contortions to get the ball centered over my palm.this is still a great idea and cheap enough to give a try.