Performing a regular wrist roller workout is an excellent method for adding muscle mass around your forearm bones and hands. Yet, what good is all the exertion if you end up developing muscle imbalances?
You see, because of how most wrist rollers are made, the devices inevitably become lopsided during use when the rope falls off to one side. So not only does this poor craftsmanship lead to differences in lower arm size and strength, but it also means that you have to constantly pause your workout to move the rope back into the center of your roller.
As a result of experiences like this, most people abandon the wrist roller altogether. And because they don’t fancy trekking to the gym just to train forearms, their lower arm development inevitably suffers.
But the Sidewinder Pro Plus from Sport Grips claims to change all this. According to the company, their line of wrist rollers provides resistance that’s challenging enough for even the most brawny of weight lifters. Yet, due to the convenient adjustment knobs, beginners can easily tone down the tension to suit their strength level as well.
They also tell us that their grip devices will last a lifetime. And they’re even willing to back that claim up with a lifetime warranty on every purchase of their USA-made wrist rollers. So let’s take a closer look at the Sidewinder Pro Plus to see if it’s capable of challenging and changing your forearms.
Sidewinder Pro Plus facts and figures
The Sidewinder Pro Plus measures 14″ long and weighs 2.3lbs. The handles are 5″ long and have a comfortable diameter of 1.5″, enabling both people with smaller hands and those with larger hands to grip the device without any hassle.
Moreover, due to its compact size, you can easily slip the Sidewinder Pro Plus into a bag and take it with you while traveling. Of course, you could also bring it to the gym. But since Sidewinder products are one of the best ways to train your forearms without going to the gym, many people prefer to work out with their Sidewinder at home.
This product was originally called the Sidewinder Pro. But it’s since benefited from higher upper-end resistance levels, and so it’s now called the Sidewinder Pro Plus. This change enables stronger lifters to really test their strength and push their forearms to the limit if they so desire.
Interestingly, users weighing over 200lbs have noted how even they got more than enough resistance on some of the normal tension levels. So clearly, the upgrade has done the job and made the Pros Plus a firm favorite for many people.
Like all Sidewinder products, the Pro Plus is made in the USA from sturdy steel so that it can withstand a lifetime of intense forearm and grip workouts. [1] And unlike other companies, Sport Grips back up their wrist rollers with a genuine lifetime guarantee. So now you can have complete peace of mind while seeing what your new roller is really made of!
Sidewinder Pro Plus build quality
As mentioned, the Sidewinder Pro Plus benefits from a solid steel construction. This craftsmanship hasn’t gone unnoticed by its users, either. Many reviewers remarked on the quality of the components and how sturdy the device felt in their hands.
Additionally, the Pro Plus comes kitted out with tear-resistant handles. This covering mostly protects your hands during tough training sessions, but if you’re really pushing your gripping muscles to the limit, then you might still develop some calluses here and there.
The design itself is very unique. And I reckon this innovation is because it’s made in the USA, which is to say that Sport Grips doesn’t import their products in bulk from China and then try to pass them off as some cutting-edge fitness device. No hyped-up marketing is needed here—their wrist rollers are at the cutting-edge of grip training equipment.
As you’ll learn in just a moment, the Pro Plus isn’t your typical wrist roller at all. It provides smooth, infinite resistance in all directions, and hence why it’s a bit more expensive than your run-of-the-mill wrist roller.
The price might seem a little steep at first (for a wrist roller), but considering that it’s cheaper than two months of gym membership in many places, it really is a good long-term investment for your forearm and grip strength, considering that you’ll never need to replace it. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for average, weight plate-based wrist rollers.
See also: how to make a wrist roller
Sidewinder Pro Plus resistance
The Sidewinder Pro Plus offers numerous resistance settings, from beginner-level light resistance all the way up to impossible strongman competitor tension. You can adjust the resistance by rotating the small knob in a clockwise direction, a feature that makes the Pro Plus far more convenient than any wrist roller that uses weight discs for resistance.
Additionally, the tension is both smooth and infinite. This enables you to achieve better forearm stimulation because you won’t feel any sudden jerks in the lifting motion. Likewise, you’ll also enjoy a better muscle pump because you don’t have to lower any weight plates as you would need to do with other wrist rollers. The tension just keeps on coming, and even though your forearms might feel like they’re on fire, the improvements in strength, size, and vascularity will surely be worth the exertion.
Sidewinder Pro Plus benefits and results
Sidewinder Pro Plus users report noticeable improvements in forearm size and strength after only a few weeks and months of use. These gains will improve the aesthetics of your physique, but they’ll also enable you to lift more weight on your compound exercises (like deadlifts) now that your gripping muscles are capable of maintaining a firm hold on the bar.
Some reviewers even mentioned how their forearms got more vascular. It just shows how getting blood into the muscle on a weekly basis can really improve its definition.
Yet, even if you’re an athlete who’s more concerned with maximizing their performance rather than fine-tuning the aesthetics of their physique, you can still benefit from incorporating the Sidewinder Pro Plus into your training routine.
Combat athletes report improved punch power and fewer injuries from hitting the heavy bags now that their forearms, wrists, and hands have greater strength and injury resistance.
Of course, if you play tennis, golf, basketball, or partake in any other sport or activity that places a great demand on your gripping muscles, then you can also benefit from using the Sidewinder Pro Plus because it strengthens your wrists, forearms, and hands.
Sidewinder Pro Plus alternatives
As good as the Sidewinder Pro Plus is, not everyone can justify paying the premium price. It’s certainly no more expensive than a couple of theme park tickets, but in case you want to see how it stacks up to other wrist rollers, you can read the reviews below to get a comparison.
- Grip Freak Hanging Wrist Roller review
- Rogue Wrist Roller review
- Vikingstrength Wrist Roller review
- GD Wrist Roller review
- Pellor Forearm Exerciser
- Sidewinder Grip Twister review
- Sidewinder Pro Xtreme
- Twist Yo Wrist reviews
- IronMind Wrist Roller
- Sidewinder Revolution review
- Bison Forearm Exerciser
Should you get the Sidewinder Pro Plus for your lower arms?
Considering how much we rely on our hands and forearms in our everyday lives, our gripping muscles often don’t get the attention they deserve. So if you want to strengthen your lower arms and make them more resistant to injuries, or if you want to achieve peak performance in the gym or in your chosen sport, then you can gain some serious advantages in the grip strength department by using the Sidewinder Pro Plus regularly.
If you’re an absolute beginner with little interest in grip-specific training, then you might want to pass on the Sidewinder Pro Plus and get a more basic model. However, if you understand the countless benefits of having strong and functional forearms for maximizing your gym performance, among other things, then investing in the Sidewinder Pro Plus makes a lot of sense considering that it’s 100% portable, provides infinite resistance, and is backed by a lifetime warranty.
References
- Livingston, A. (n.d.). Products Made in the USA – Reasons to Buy American-Made Goods. Money Crashers. https://www.moneycrashers.com/products-made-usa-american-made/
- Cowan, H. (n.d.). Strong hands, strong heart? Does grip strength show life expectancy? Reader’s Digest. https://www.readersdigest.co.uk/health/health-conditions/strong-hands-strong-heart-does-grip-strength-show-life-expectancy