The 4Arm Strong, sometimes called forearm strong, is an innovative self-therapy device created by former pro Motocross rider, Lee Ramage. But it’s not like your ordinary massager that gives you a placebo feeling. Not at all.
You see, Mr. Ramage knew the debilitating effects of forearm pump for Motocross riders and athletes in general. But he also knew that most people didn’t have the time or money to visit an Active Release Technique therapist with the regularity necessary to relieve their arm pump.
And so the 4Arm Strong was born. This review discusses the benefits, who the device is best suited for, and how to actually use it for the fastest results.
4Arm Strong Facts and Figures
Traditional rehabilitation products like a forearm brace or a forearm compression sleeve do have their place. However, for those of us trying to limit our arm pump, they’re the exact opposite of what we need.
And that’s where 4Arm Strong comes in. This clever self-therapy device pins your forearms in their shortest anatomical position. From there, it ingeniously applies a stretch against that pin, which then causes the fascia of the muscles to expand, enabling less restricted blood flow around your limbs.
Oh, and many people report instant pain reduction because the 4Arm Strong creates traction towards the elbow joint, thereby putting it under a pleasant stretch that most users will have never experienced before.
So why use the 4Arm Strong instead of doing regular stretches?
That was my initial question too. But then I quickly realized that you can never mimic the intensity and tension-relieving nature of the 4Arm Strong stretch by yourself (though you can with a good/expensive ART therapist).
Remember, the 4Arm Strong pins your forearms in a short muscle position, creates traction around the limb and then stretches the flexors (bottom of your forearm) and the extensors (top of your forearm) in the opposite direction, which leads to a reduction of muscular tension once you release the stretch.
You’ll want to hold each of the 4 unique stretches (don’t worry, the videos will show you how) for 20-30 seconds to enjoy the full benefits. Which brings me nicely onto the next section of the 4Arm Strong review. Just what can this self-therapy device do for you?
- Weight: 0.65lbs
- Dimensions: 8 x 10 x 10 cm
- Material: Medical grade 6061 aluminum
- Sizes: Small (forearms <11”) and large (11-13”)
- Fastening system: Velcro
- Money-back guarantee: 30 days
4Arm Strong benefits
Reduced arm pump
While weight lifters sometimes wear forearm wraps in a bid to increase blood flow (which temporarily inflates their muscles and satisfies their ego), Motocross riders, climbers, and other athletes seek to minimize their arm pump so that their muscles don’t seize up.
Arm pump, in case you haven’t heard of it, is when a huge influx of blood enters a particular area of your muscular system, in this case, the forearms. This surge of blood quickly reduces your grip strength, and in some cases, it can render your forearms completely numb and useless.
So rather than constricting your muscles like some crazy resistance training method, the 4Arm Strong actually stretches the fascia and gives more room for your blood to flow around your arms.
Naturally, this drastically reduces a) the time it takes for arm pump to occur and b) the intensity of the pump when it does happen. So ultimately, you can expect faster times on the circuit with the 4Arm Strong. Not bad for a hundred-dollar device.
Improved grip strength
Increasing your grip strength usually means spending hours in the gym lifting weights while making sure that the meatheads don’t steal your bench. And for many athletes, navigating the health club floor is worth the reward of a stronger grip.
However, do too much grip training, and you run the risk of under recovering, thereby increasing the intensity of your arm pump.
This is where 4Arm Strong comes in again.
Since 4Arm Strong still places your muscles under tension, they’ll naturally get stronger with regular use. However, because the device doesn’t repeatedly stretch and contract the forearms, you get many of the benefits of lifting weights without any of the many downsides—wrist pain, elbow pain, increased arm pump.
Faster elbow healing
Elbow pain is one of the quickest ways to suck the fun out of everyday activities. But few people realize just how connected the forearm and elbows are. As such, you can prevent and heal your elbow injuries by understanding their relationship.
It’s a well-established fact that numerous elbow injuries (particularly soft tissue pain) originate at the forearm—especially when gripping objects incorrectly (like heavy weights). This is why many golfers, weight lifters, and manual labourers often have sore elbows.
Since the elbow joint is being taxed but never really stretched with the aforementioned activities, pain and soreness are almost a given at some stage. And while not a complete cure-all, the 4Arm Strong stretches the elbow joint and has provided instantaneous pain relief for many users of the device.
Related: forearm strapping
Greater enjoyment in activities
Whether arm pump, elbow pain, or a lack of grip strength is your nemesis, the 4Arm Strong can help. As we just discovered a moment ago, stretching the elbow is crucial to preventing and healing the pain caused by repetitive movements. In this regard, there are few devices that stretch the elbow and surrounding areas like the 4Arm Strong does.
Second, arm pump. While a natural side-effect of many activities, excessive arm pump can, quite frankly, be worse than a bad relationship—it’s uncomfortable, and it sucks the life out of you.
That’s why I (and not my forearms) was so pumped up to learn about the 4Arm Strong. By pinning your muscles in a shortened position and then applying a stretch in 4 different locations (rather than repeatedly contracting and relaxing the muscles), the 4Arm Strong is able to provide pain relief and an increase in grip strength, all while improving the fascia’s ability to handle increased blood flow, thereby reducing your arm pump.
So whatever you like to do, this device can really give you a helping hand if you use it consistently.
Fewer surgical complications
For many people, fasciotomy surgery is necessary. And since I’m not a doctor, I’m certainly not going to tell you what’s best. But, if your ailment isn’t overly serious, why not try the 4Arm Strong as an alternative healing method once you get the green light from a doctor?
You know, the 4Arm Strong is actually recommended to treat carpal tunnel syndrome by physical therapists as well. This is because the device creates space in the carpal tunnel by reducing medial nerve and/or pronator teres compression.
Who is the 4Arm Strong best suited for?
Motocross riders
Except for maybe a bad crash, nothing kills your Motocross performance faster than arm pump. But it doesn’t have to be that way. While the 4Arm Strong won’t completely prevent arm pump, it will reduce the severity of it and increase the time it takes to occur.
Plus, if the likes of Motocross or mountain biking are more of a hobby to you (rather than a paid gig), then you’ll naturally save a lot of money by using the 4Arm Strong as opposed to visiting an Active Release Technique therapist at the frequency needed to have a beneficial effect.
Golfers
Since the 4Arm Strong is known to heal soft tissue injuries like golfer’s elbow, you can spend less time on the sidelines and more time on the green. But, because the device also reduces tension in the forearms, it’s highly likely that you’ll also improve your swing because your elbows and forearms will be less stiff.
Not bad for a product that isn’t specifically for golf, if you ask me.
Tennis players
Like golfer’s elbow, tennis elbow is a soft tissue condition that the 4Arm Strong can help you with. By expanding the forearm fascia, you’ll be able to maintain a strong grip on your racket with less exertion because your lower arms won’t be as engorged with blood.
Also, because the device gently stretches the elbow, you might be able to experience instant pain relief (depends on the severity of your condition) at the elbow joint itself. Obviously, this is great because it means that you don’t need to take time away from the sport that you love.
Baseball players
You can see a theme developing here. Any sport that requires swinging can cause soft tissue injuries like tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow.
The good news for us is that we now have an affordable solution that can rid us of our soft tissue problems. The 4Arm Strong counteracts many of the problems associated with repetitive use of the gripping muscles by putting the forearm muscles under a stretch in 4 unique positions.
Of course, this helps your baseball swing because you’ll have a much easier (and less painful) time gripping the bat.
Manual labourers
Sooner or later, you’re bound to get injured if you perform a lot of manual labour. However, taking time off work can lead to serious financial complications for both employee and employer.
We know that soft tissue-related elbow injuries often originate at the forearm, mainly due to repeated or incorrect use of the gripping muscles. An example of this would be gripping something with the ends of your fingers rather than using your palms (common with weight lifters).
Moreover, because most manual workers never put their lower limbs under the appropriate stretch, their problems can persist and linger for longer than they’d like. However, many users report virtually instant pain relief, particularly at the elbow, from stretching with the 4Arm Strong.
This makes sense since it’s essentially the opposite of what most manual workers do, which is to say, it’s an eccentric type of loading (stretch) rather than a concentric type of loading (e.g., welding or hammering).
Office workers
Maybe it’s the keyboard usage, or maybe it’s their smartphone addiction. Either way, office workers who perform repetitive typing motions and who live on their mobile phones are especially prone to conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome.
And since the muscles of the forearm typically insert into the hand and wrist, you can relieve your pain by using the 4Arm Strong because it increases the space inside the carpal tunnel by reducing compression of the median nerve (or the pronator teres).
What’s the verdict on 4Arm Strong?
You know that the 4Arm Strong is legitimately useful when a weight lifter (aka me) praises it. I like to hit the gym and get my pump on as much as the next bloke, but I also enjoy playing various sports, so I understand the importance of preventing soft tissue injuries and other problems such as arm pump.
Overall, considering the affordable price tag and the admirable ingenuity of the device, I definitely recommend the 4Arm Strong to anyone looking to improve their grip strength without resistance training or for speeding up their recovery after performing forearm and elbow based activities like tennis, golf, Motocross, climbing, and baseball.
Thanks for reading my 4Arm Strong review, I hope it was helpful!
References
- 4Arm Strong. (n.d.). 4Arm Strong | LinkedIn. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/4arm-strong
- Bolton, R. (2019, April 11). Help has Arrived for Chronic Elbow Pain. 4Arm Strong. https://4arm-strong.com/blogs/news/elbow-pain-treatment-4arm-strong
- Barber, J. (2017, December 8). This Weird-Looking Device Claims to Treat and Prevent Arm Pump. Singletracks Mountain Bike News. https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-training/weird-looking-device-claims-treat-prevent-arm-pump/
- Bolton, R. (2019a, April 8). Finally, a Solution for Carpal Tunnel. 4Arm Strong. https://4arm-strong.com/blogs/news/using-the-4arm-strong-for-carpal-tunnel-relief