It seems as if I get an endless stream of workout, weight lifting and fitness folks asking me about hand wrist and elbow injuries from working out. Nearly daily, I get similar questions. So I am writing this blog today to talk about a very key omission in personal fitness and even in the teaching of personal fitness.
Hand exercise within personal fitness is very misunderstood. A person that works out daily or several times a week will inevitably be grasping a weight, machine handle or barbell. In doing so they are not only strengthening what ever muscle group the weight isolates, but they are also utilizing the nine muscles that close the hand and thus strengthening finger flexor muscles. Yet, it is obvious that the opposing finger extensor muscles do not go through a full range of motion with resistance at any time during any exercise. This is a huge problem, because there are also nine muscles that open (and spread) the fingers. This is the basis of a very key muscle imbalance, one that is basically ignored in personal training and fitness. Because the hand muscles that open and close the hand attach at the fingers, thumb, hand, wrist, forearm and elbow, the stability and function of many joints is at risk.
It is important at this point to separate the training of the hand and the training of the wrist. Even personal trainers and athletic trainers can fall into the traditional habit of correctly strengthening the wrist flexors along with the wrist extensors, but ignoring the balance of the finger flexors compared to the finger extensors. Unless both of these muscle group balances are considered, the person is at high risk for hand wrist or elbow injury.
I also often see that individuals and trainers "stretch" the finger flexor muscles and the finger extensor muscles, but this is not enough. In order to strengthen, balance and stabilize the hand, wrist and elbow the finger extensor and abductor muscles must be strengthened specifically.
This is really no longer a problem as we have designed Handmaster Plus to be complete as an exercise tool to strengthen all the muscles of the hand (both opening and closing) while at the same time being super-affordable, portable and easy to use. Handmaster Plus uses one continuous exercise to strengthen and balance all 18 muscles of the hand through full ranges motion. The result is strong, balanced and stable hands, wrists and elbows.
In the gym, the fitness fanatic can easily now offset the inherent problems of hand muscles imbalance that results from using barbells, weights and machine handles. The result is a huge decrease in the risk of repetitive grip injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, golfers elbow, extensor tendinitis and DeQuervain's Syndrome.
Please visit our website to learn more about balanced hand exercise
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Athletic trainers and personal fitness trainers can purchase Handmaster Plus at WWW.HandmasterPlus.com