Compare the Super Fat Grip Bar directly below with the standard 1-inch dumbbell bar shown further below. With the standard thickness 1-inch bar, the fingers can wrap entirely around the bar, and overlap with the thumb. The thumb pressure can then help to keep the fingers closed around the bar. This makes holding onto the bar relatively easy.

With a thick handled bar, the fingers cannot wrap around the bar or get support from the thumb. The lifter must hold onto the bar by exerting much more finger pressure against the bar, stressing the muscles of the hand and forearm. This causes huge increases in strength and size of the hand/forearm muscles over time. When the lifter returns to a standard thickness 1-inch bar during a weightlifting contest, pull-up competition, or just weight training for other body parts, it will be relatively easy by comparison. The grip improvement will also transfer to virtually anyother activity that requires hand strength.

When using thick bars for alternating movements such as alternating dumbbell curls or alternating cleans & presses, the "resting arm/hand" is still getting a static forearm workout while the active arm is performing the movement. This is because even when the "resting arm" is just hanging at the user's side, pressure still must be exerted to prevent the thick bar from falling out of the hand. That is why we recommend using these fat bars in pairs, working both arms simultaneously.