Exercise guide · Beginner · Compound

Lever Gripper Hands: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The lever gripper hands exercise targets the forearms using a leverage machine. It involves gripping and squeezing the handles to strengthen the forearm muscles, with secondary activation of the biceps and triceps.

Primary muscles
Forearms
Secondary muscles
Triceps , Biceps
Equipment
Leverage Machine
Level · type
Beginner · Compound
Demonstration of the lever gripper hands
Front view: muscles worked by the lever gripper hands. Primary: forearms. Secondary: triceps and biceps.
Back view: muscles worked by the lever gripper hands. Primary: forearms. Secondary: triceps and biceps.
Primary Secondary

How to do the lever gripper hands

  1. Step 1: Adjust the seat height and grip the handles of the leverage machine.
  2. Step 2: Keep your back straight and your feet flat on the ground.
  3. Step 3: Exhale and squeeze the handles, contracting your forearms.
  4. Step 4: Hold the contraction for a second, then slowly release and return to the starting position.
  5. Step 5: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the lever gripper hands by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Lever Gripper Hands alternatives

More exercises that train the forearms as their main target:

More forearms exercises

See the best forearm exercises, ranked →

Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.