What did Devil'sAdvocate Buy Today?

[Devil's_Advocate]

So instead of making many threads I think I will keep a running thread of the various implements / items that I buy online and drop my opinions about them in this thread.

I am not an 'influencer' and make zero money from this. In fact I just buy various gadgets just to 'see' what they are like. I buy quite a few items on Amazon, Ali and more recently a ton on Temu.

I have recently bought various wooden slant boards and ankle mobility trainers, grippers, and all sorts of other gizmos.

I think my recent favorites have been:

This item was discontinued - Temu Germany

Find adjustable portable wooden slant board - non-slip surface, lightweight & sturdy construction for home gym, physical relax, squats, calf stretching, ankle/ mobility, heel stretch - ideal for levels, beginners to advanced - no power needed, easy to clean - christmas, halloween, easter...

www.temu.com

I got this for 5$ total. It's excellent and rated to 500#. It is a simple design but I think it can work very well well for folks with ankle mobility issues.

1 pack strengthening grip trainer adjustable hand - Temu Germany

deals pack strengthening grip trainer adjustable hand grip trainer 11 360 lbs 5 163 kg forearm strengthener hand trainer for muscle building and Temu. Shop on Temu to start saving.

www.temu.com

I was pleasantly surprised with this one. At first I thought it was laughably light with maybe toughest range being comparable to a COC#1. After some fumbling around I was able to tighten it to a point to at least between #3.5 and #4. I struggled to close it with both hands. So I believe it's right up there with its claimed 360lb rating. It's not particularly intuitive to adjust but it can be done and you can adjust not only the amount of force needed to close it but also the width of the handles. I got mine for around 5$. I have another adjustable gripper similar to this but unlike this one that one is much easier at the upper strength curve.

heavy duty gripper adjustable 50 350 - Temu Germany

Check out this heavy duty gripper adjustable 50 350 lb stainless steel aluminum alloy handle for strength training forearm finger exerciser durable for home workouts grip training equipment sleek metallic stainless steel construction grip strength trainer on Temu. like other sports...

www.temu.com

I have received my 175# and 300# gold grippers and I must say they look very nice. I don't know how durable the coating is but they are comparable to my COC and other similar grippers. 175# is perhaps around COC#1 and 300# is around COC#2.5. I was able to close the 300# with my dominant hand and just failed 1/3" on my 'easy' COC#3. I got these for 4-5$. Wait for Temu to offer you various discounts. I think for the 4-6$ that I keep seeing them I think this is a good deal. I also see the regular silver versions as cheap as 3$ which I think is a phenomenal deal. These are essentially unbranded COCs which I used to buy for 20-25$. If you want to train your pinch grip I highly recommend buying the 50 or 100 lb ones. They are good for training pinch grip as well as individual fingers (or two at a time).

ankle balance board strengthening stability training wood - Temu Germany

deals on ankle balance board for strengthening stability training wood ankle trainer with single leg support stretching device suitable for pilates yoga physical gym unisex ankle stabilizer board on Temu. Shop on Temu to start saving.

www.temu.com

I got this yesterday as well and while very simple in design I think it can be useful for ankle rehab, mobility/balance training and general strengthening of your ankles. I paid 6-7$ for it. I like that it has velcro for the main part and the three small pieces so that you can adjust how it rolls.

I hope people find this useful.

 

[ROcknrollracing]

How often do you train grip specifically? I find between gripping for chins or olympic lifts direct grip training detracts from the rest of training. Seems like once or twice a week is plenty.

And yes can vouch for the balance board I used one to rehab a sprained ankle during high school basketball.

 

[Devil's_Advocate]

How often do you train grip specifically? I find between gripping for chins or olympic lifts direct grip training detracts from the rest of training. Seems like once or twice a week is plenty.

And yes can vouch for the balance board I used one to rehab a sprained ankle during high school basketball.

At my best I trained (mostly crush but also pinch) grip once or twice a week but it's tough and it burns you out very fast. Now I try to do a little bit here and there.

Most people don't particularly need to train all faucets of grip strength to perform in their sports. For chin ups or Olympic lifts you're only really using support grip so training crush or pinch grip would probably not add any additional strength in your goal sports or assist you in lifting more weight. There's of course some carryover but it's probably best to just train the specific grip necessary to do what you want done.

The nice thing about grippers is that you can effectively use them to train support, crush and pinch grip. They are quite small so with a couple of them you can just about train everything. You'd obviously need something else to train wrist strength like a levering implement and or do wrist curls.

I also really like those plastic rings that offer one or more resistance levels.

silicone dual strength grip device fitness grip - Temu

deals on silicone dual strength grip device fitness grip device on Temu. Shop on Temu to start saving.

share.temu.com

I've probably bought 10-20 of these types of grip rings. They are quite useful and also work as a fidget tool. I got them for probably 2-3$ each. Sometimes you'll find five of them for like 10$.

 

[ROcknrollracing]

At my best I trained (mostly crush but also pinch) grip once or twice a week but it's tough and it burns you out very fast. Now I try to do a little bit here and there.

Most people don't particularly need to train all faucets of grip strength to perform in their sports. For chin ups or Olympic lifts you're only really using support grip so training crush or pinch grip would probably not add any additional strength in your goal sports or assist you in lifting more weight. There's of course some carryover but it's probably best to just train the specific grip necessary to do what you want done.

The nice thing about grippers is that you can effectively use them to train support, crush and pinch grip. They are quite small so with a couple of them you can just about train everything. You'd obviously need something else to train wrist strength like a levering implement and or do wrist curls.

I also really like those plastic rings that offer one or more resistance levels.

silicone dual strength grip device fitness grip - Temu

deals on silicone dual strength grip device fitness grip device on Temu. Shop on Temu to start saving.

share.temu.com

I've probably bought 10-20 of these types of grip rings. They are quite useful and also work as a fidget tool. I got them for probably 2-3$ each. Sometimes you'll find five of them for like 10$.

I used to have the entire COC set then sold it ive still got a gripper though just never use it.

 

[Thepaintbucket]

You should try Ivanko super gripper or
one of those copycats. I bought it back in 2006 and it's probably one of my best purchases to this day. You have multiple springs to customize tension.

 

[Devil's_Advocate]

You should try Ivanko super gripper or
one of those copycats. I bought it back in 2006 and it's probably one of my best purchases to this day. You have multiple springs to customize tension.

I have this type of gripper that I also bought in the early 2000s. I have the original one. The newer ones have rounded handles attached to simulate a more conventional gripper. While they have some advantages I wasn't a fan of this type of gripper.

 

[Thepaintbucket]

I have this type of gripper that I also bought in the early 2000s. I have the original one. The newer ones have rounded handles attached to simulate a more conventional gripper. While they have some advantages I wasn't a fan of this type of gripper.

Is the original ones the green colored pair? That's the pair I got.

 

[Devil's_Advocate]

Is the original ones the green colored pair? That's the pair I got.

I believe so.

I got it with 3-4 springs. I can't remember anymore.

I have always preferred the regular grippers.

They seem the most consistent and comfortable to use.

 

[Devil's_Advocate]

I got these two bars today and the quality is very good. I like that the long bar has several different holds in one. The small one is a lot more manageable size wise. The large bar is just over 12 lb and the small bar is just under 5 lb and they both have a premium feel. The exterior material is firm yet soft so I think it will be easier on the hands. It literally reminds me of those five set handles many gyms have. I got it for 40$ with 'buddy buy' on Temu. I have bought several items like these and they will ship even if the second copy is not purchased by another person. I don't bother posting these buddy buys because they only give four hours for the second person to jump in but if others are interested I will make an effort to post these here. Normally this costs 50-90$. It took exactly a month to receive it by ship.

The complimentary carabiners included are heavy duty and will almost certainly support the claimed 900lb.



https://share.temu.com/VuAXFQuR5dC

 

[Devil's_Advocate]

I ended up purchasing this adjustable bench for 50$. It is supposedly rated to 1000 lb which is almost certainly false but even if it's really rated to half that I think it's well worth it. What convinced me was that it can be folded into a compact size and it can be adjusted into many positions. Another reviewer wrote that it's fairly small but usable and he noted he's only a couple inches shorter than I am.

Place the item in your shopping cart and wait for Temu to offer you a discount. For 50$ I thought it was a solid price point.

https://share.temu.com/d73ljhalYdC

 

[Devil's_Advocate]

In case anyone needs a large size 10mm brown lever belt, there's one for sale for <31$.
Large

https://share.temu.com/oUOxEH0UMhC

Medium for 23$

https://share.temu.com/ODIInmJug1C

Just passing these deals along. They look comparable to my Inzer 13mm lever belt I got twenty years ago for 100$.

 

[Devil's_Advocate]

So I got my bench and I am now annoyed.

Firstly, as soon as I received it I got this deal of 32$ so that's a slap in the face. It's buddy buy but they will absolutely send out even if just one person buys it

Secondly, while the bench feels fairly sturdy it's quite small and the 1000 lb limit they seem to stick on every bench is a crack fueled pipe dream. I set it to around flat and it seemed ok. I also tried doing some sit ups using the ankle holds and those seemed solid. If I had to guess the actual bench limit is probably a third or half of the claimed limit, especially if you try using it for inclines.

But with the price in mind (32-50$) that you can get it for? Eh it may actually be pretty good. So if you're building a pro level gym where you're going to be pressing some heavy weights then this is not it. If you want a fairly compact, collapsible and light bench then this may be an ok option. I definitely would have been happier getting it for 32$.





I tried this bench for both decline sit ups and incline(70 • degrees?) presses with up to 90 lb kettlebells and it held up just fine. I am 240-243lb at the moment.

 

[Devil's_Advocate]

I got a couple more accessories and I am hoping they are useful.

https://share.temu.com/DUqHCc6fVwC



"Dumbbell Spotter Hooks Hangers, Heavy Power Dumbbells Rack Attachments for Dumbbell Bench Press Hold Up 225LB".



I got them for around 9$. If you can get them for 8-10$ I think it's a solid deal. I am hoping to use them with my kettlebells by attaching them to my pull up bar.



The other gadget is a plastic barbell pad.

https://share.temu.com/N8Suywb2SyC



"1pc Barbell Neck Pad - Soft Barbell Squat Pad - Neck & Shoulder Protective Pad - Weight Lifting Shoulder Neck Pad Support Protector - Barbell Bar Fitness Mat"

I already have a couple different sleeves that wrap around the bar but they are not comfortable to use. I used this type of pad many years ago. I got it for 12$. I think it's like 18-20$ on Amazon.

I am limited as far as the bars I get to squat with so I am hoping this helps reduce the rash from the bar moving on my back/neck. I mostly use bars with sharp knurling which are probably intended for deadlifts.