GD Wrist Roller Review: Good for Your Forearms?

GD has been making popular grip training tools since 200l. They’ve set a high standard in the gym equipment industry with their line of hand grippers that reliably improve the strength of your forearm flexors. But does the GD Wrist Roller live up to the company’s strong reputation?

Let’s find out if it’s as good as the other forearm rollers on the market.

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GD Wrist Roller facts and figures

The GD Wrist Roller is constructed from aircraft-grade aluminum and, as such, boasts a tensile strength of 550lbs. This is the maximum amount of resistance that you could subject the roller to before it would break.

The roller itself is made from sturdy metal, which enables it to tolerate heavy workouts without degrading in quality or function. Therefore, you can use your GD wrist roller for years and decades without needing to buy a new device.

That is unless you exceed the plastic loading pin’s 30kg (66lb) weight rating. While the pin’s plastic construction isn’t ideal, the resulting loading capacity is still adequate for the vast majority of lifters. Unless you’re a seasoned strongman, you’ll need years of grip training under your belt before you come close to maxing out this device.

GD has equipped the roller with a 37″ rope so that your forearms get enough time under tension to grow bigger, stronger, and more dependable. Yet, even at an above-average length, this strong cord doesn’t get lopsided during intense wrist roller repetitions.

Thanks to the well-made grooves on the GD wrist roller, the rope always rotates centrally, which means that it never becomes lopsided. As a result, you won’t develop annoying muscle imbalances because both of your forearms will always receive equal work.

Add in the heavy-duty knurling, and you have a recipe for forearm success. Because suffice to say, this durable wrist roller will not slip out of your hands during your training sessions. You can be confident that your forearms will enjoy maximum muscle stimulation on every rep because the handles have a sizeable diameter to them.

Pros

Reliably improves your forearm muscularity, strength, and vascularity with regular use
Increases your deadlift strength by improving your grip
Innovative rope design prevents the cord from becoming lopsided
Thick knurling helps you to maintain a firm grip on the bar even when your forearms are fatigued
37″ rope offers a fantastic range of motion for your lower arm muscles

Cons

Plastic loading pin has a 30kg (66lb) max capacity
Narrow loading pin base (but still works with 1″ & 2″ plates)

GD Wrist Roller build quality

There are more than 50 wrist rollers on the market. Many are virtually identical, and most feel more like a children’s toy rather than a serious weight training device.

That’s why I’m such a big fan of the GD wrist roller. Sure, a few hardcore strongmen may max out the 30kg capacity, but for everyone else, this sturdy forearm builder is a dream device because it reliably strengthens your lower arms thanks to the thick knurling and clever rope system (which never becomes off-balance or lopsided).

Of course, having a metal loading pin would have been the icing on the cake. And while this flaw does make the product feel a bit cheaper, it doesn’t detract from the effectiveness of this upmarket wrist roller.

You can really maintain a firm grip on it thanks to the durable knurling. ^[1] It’s so thick that you might actually want to use gloves if you’re not used to lifting heavy iron. I personally don’t mind the knurling because it’s part and parcel of strength-focused resistance training. I’m more than willing to take a few calluses if my forearms are getting stronger.

Read more: homemade wrist roller

GD Wrist Roller effectiveness

Smart lifters have understood the effectiveness of wrist rollers for decades. While the latest $2000 workout machines may steal the headlines, it’s often the old-school equipment—coupled with a rock-solid training intensity—that produces the best results.

Users of the GD Wrist Roller reported noticeable improvements in both forearm size and strength. Some even found that their forearms became more vascular day-to-day because their lower arms got so engorged with blood during their workouts that it created a permanent change in muscle definition.

Having jacked forearms is always a plus because they’re a rarity in today’s bicep-focused world. ^[2] Yet, if you enjoy performing heavy deadlifts or beast-mode back training, you’ll also get a ton of mileage from the GD Wrist Roller.

Since the GD Wrist Roller reliably improves your grip strength with regular use, you’ll be able to smash your PRs and pull big numbers by using this device weekly. No longer will your grip be the weak link in the chain. That deadlift bar will feel strangely light now that your forearms can actually hold it without fatiguing prematurely.

GD Wrist Roller alternatives

The GD Wrist Roller is a top-quality product—there’s no denying that. Still, there are a handful of other wrist rollers on the market that can produce similar results with enough effort on your part. And you can read a full review of each by visiting the links below.

But if you just want to order a wrist roller now so that you can get on with training, scroll to the verdict below to see if the GD Wrist Roller is worth your money.

Should you buy the GD Wrist Roller for your forearms?

In general, there are two types of wrist roller. There are expensive devices that most people can’t justify buying. And then there are the cheap ones that do nothing besides waste your money.

And that’s where the GD Wrist Roller comes in to save the day.

This mid-range wrist roller ticks most of the boxes. While the plastic loading pin may upset the more snobbish lifters, the overall product is extremely sturdy, thanks to the aircraft-grade aluminum construction. Suffice to say, unless you’re a pro powerlifter, you won’t be maxing out this forearm device anytime soon.

Add in the grooves on the bar that keep the ropes moving in a central direction, and you have the perfect recipe for an intense lower arm training session. Just make sure to start light because at a length of 37″, it’s going to take your forearms a while to roll those weight discs to the top of this heavy-duty device.

References

Monroe Engineering. (2019, October 18). What Is Knurling? Here’s What You Should Know. https://monroeengineering.com/blog/what-is-knurling-heres-what-you-should-know/
D. (2008, August 28). For Men Only: Are You a Mirror-Muscle Guy, or the Real Deal? SparkPeople. https://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=for_men_only_are_you_a_mirrormuscle_guy_or_the_real_deal