Working out with free weights can undoubtedly strengthen the forearm anatomy and its surrounding muscles. However, it’s very easy to cheat when lifting barbells and dumbbells, which robs your muscles of tension and slows down the muscle growth process.
For optimal gains in lower arm size, strength, and function, you need to isolate your vital gripping muscles so that they receive the lion’s share of the tension.
Although there are undeniable wrist roller benefits, such as forearm isolation and convenience, most products are pretty flimsy, to say the least. Even worse, many products cause you to develop muscular imbalances because the rollers become lopsided during use when the cord invariably falls off to one side as if you’d been learning how to make your own wrist roller.
On the other hand, the Sidewinder Revolution doesn’t even use weights. Instead, it challenges your forearms and hands with self-contained, infinite resistance. So let’s take a look at this compact wrist roller in more detail to see if it’s worth the premium price tag.
Sidewinder Revolution facts and figures
The Sidewinder Revolution weighs 2lbs, measures 10.5″ long, and has a 1.5″ diameter. This design makes it more compact than the average wrist roller, and because the resistance is completely self-contained, you can easily take this roller with you on vacation, when traveling, or you can just slip it in your gym bag if you work out at a health club.
Additionally, the resistance is infinite. This results in better muscle development because, unlike with other wrist rollers, you don’t have to constantly stop and start the movement to lower the weights.
Moreover, you get resistance in both directions. So no matter how you use your Sidewinder Revolution, your forearms and hands are going to feel the burn and get stronger.
Besides the frictionless resistance, this rock-solid wrist roller is made in the USA from durable, anodized aluminum. [1] Not only can this material withstand a lifetime of workouts (hence the lifetime warranty), but the integrated knurling also makes it incredibly simple to maintain a firm grip on the roller.
So even if your hands start to sweat during an intense workout, then you don’t have to worry because the heavy-duty knurling is made for serious grip training.
Overall, if you want bigger lower arms, a stronger deadlift, enhanced sporting performance, or just fancy having more functional forearms, then the Sidewinder Revolution is easily one of the best products on the market.
Sidewinder Revolution construction quality
All sidewinder products are handmade in the USA, and the craftsmanship immediately becomes apparent when you use a Winder for the first time. Due to the virtually invincible anodized aluminum, you’ll get a lifetime of workouts from your Sidewinder Revolution. The device feels far sturdier than the typical wrist roller, which usually wears down after a few months of moderate use.
Some of the other Sidewinder Wrist Roller products have rubber handles, which certainly makes training a bit more comfortable. But many old school lifters prefer the knurling of the Revolution because it enables them to maintain a firm grip on the roller even when their hands start to sweat from intense exertion.
Sidewinder Revolution resistance levels
Free weights typically feel heavier at certain parts of a repetition. And once you lock the weight out, you get virtually no tension because the resistance is just going through your joints.
But with the Sidewinder Revolution, you get consistent tension from the very first millimeter of movement. And you get it irrespective of which direction you roll it in. This means that you can build lower arm strength and size faster because your forearms get a more intense workout since you don’t have to stop and start your set to lower the weights—there are no weights.
The resistance is 100% self-contained. As such, you don’t have to waste time and energy clipping your plates to plastic loading pins of dubious quality. You just pick up your Sidewinder Revolution and start blasting your forearms.
Sidewinder Revolution benefits
The forearms and hands are used in virtually every compound pulling exercise, and yet they’re often an afterthought at best for the majority of weight lifters. The reality is that if you want to get strong at deadlifts, rows, pull-ups, or farmer’s walks, then you’re going to need a pair of forearms that can keep up with your back, legs, and core.
And as you might have guessed, a few sets of bicep curls aren’t going to cut it. Impressive forearms require direct training. The good news is that by using your Sidewinder Revolution regularly, you can fast track your gym strength and smash your old PRs because your forearms won’t suddenly give out now that they’re capable of gripping the bar with all of their might.
Similarly, the Sidewinder Revolution can improve your sporting performance by strengthening the critical gripping muscles that most athletes erroneously ignore. So if you want to get ahead of the game, then you’d do a good job to start using the Sidewinder Revolution before your competition catches on!
Yet, even if you’re not seeking to make your forearms really strong and muscular, you can still benefit from using the Sidewinder Revolution on a weekly basis. How?
Simple. By getting your muscles accustomed to handling tension, you naturally make them more injury resistant. This means that you’ll be able to live life in better health because your lower arms and hands will be less likely to become sprained now that you’re training with the Sidewinder Revolution. [2]
Sidewinder Revolution alternatives
While there are more than 40 wrist rollers on the market, few are even worth mentioning, partly because they’re bulk purchased from the exact same supplier and partly because the workmanship is terrible.
Yet, there are a handful of wrist rollers that have positive reviews. Of course, not many of them get close to the convenience and workout intensity that the Sidewinder Revolution provides, but you might still wish to check out these other reviews to see how the Revolution compares to the wider market.
- LPG Muscle Grip Freak Wrist Roller
- Rogue Fitness Wrist Roller
- Vikingstrength Wrist Roller
- GD Premium Wrist Roller
- Pellor Forearm Exerciser
- Grip Twister
- Sidewinder Pro
- IronMind Twist Yo Wrist review
- IronMind Wrist Roller
- Bison 1 review
Is the Sidewinder Revolution worth the money?
If you’re on the market for a quality, USA-handmade wrist roller that’s proven to increase the size and strength of your forearms and hands, then the Sidewinder Revolution is a top-choice.
This compact wrist roller provides frictionless resistance in all directions. And unlike the average wrist roller, you get constant tension because you don’t have to keep ruining your lifting rhythm by lowering the weights.
Actually, you don’t even need weights because the resistance is fully self-contained. You simply turn a small knob to adjust the tension and then start training. Gaining lower arm strength and muscle couldn’t be more convenient.
Ultimately, for the price of about 2 months of health club membership, I absolutely think that the Sidewinder Revolution is worth every penny of its price tag. The knurling really helps you to keep your gripping muscles engaged because the device never slips out of your hands.
References
- Robinson, A. (2015, February 6). 7 Benefits of Made in USA. Transportation Management Company | Cerasis. https://cerasis.com/benefits-of-made-in-usa/
- What your grip strength says about your overall health. (2020, February 11). Edward-Elmhurst Health. https://www.eehealth.org/blog/2020/02/what-your-grip-strength-says-about-your-overall-health/