Rogue anvil grip vs cannonball grips

This is a comparison between the Rogue anvil grip and cannonball grips including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which grip strength tool to get from Rogue. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the Rogue cannonball grips

This is an overview of the Rogue Cannonball grips including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which grip strength tool to get from Rogue. Follow the links for more details.

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Overview of the Rogue cannonball grips

Price $47.25 - $67.50

The Rogue cannonball grips are a great tool to develop better grip strength. They are versatile and can be attached to a rack, kettlebell, dumbbell, or barbell. They come with a 3" diameter and in black or tan color. You can opt to get a carabiner and strap set with it or just the balls themselves. The full specifications are:

3" diameter spheres with signature Rogue powder coat
1/4” thick steel tab with a hole to mount to a carabiner
Length: 12" strap

These are a must for any gym that is serious about strength. Versatile, cheap, and fun to use.

Pros of the Rogue cannonball grips

The pros of the Rogue cannonball grips are:

Versatile
Cheap
Fun

I am personally a huge fan of the cannonball grips as they are good for beginners but can also be used by pros in as many setups as you can come up with. By having less and less of your hand and fingers touch the cannonballs while doing your exercises you can modulate how hard this exercise becomes. Look beyond just gripping the ball in full and you will have a training tool for life for as cheap as a big feast at the fast-food chain of your choice.

Cons of the Rogue cannonball grips

Cons of the Rogue cannonball grips are:

Set up
Organic weight lift
Easy to lose parts

As these need to be set up with straps and a carabiner this is not for everyone. The weights can sometimes hang awkwardly from the balls, depending on how symmetrical the load is. Some people will welcome this as an additional challenge while others will smash in their chins. In addition to that, the parts can be easily lost, especially when people do not take care. If you want to offer grip training without these hassles, the rack attached spheres are a better option.

Alternatives to the Rogue cannonball grips

Alternatives to the Cannonball grips are:

The Rack mounted spheres are a little more expensive and work with the Monster lite and Infinity series of Rogue. These spheres will be stable and also will not get lost. If you want a stationary setup for grip training with spheres, this is the better option, as long as you have something to attach them to.

The crown pull up bar is the king attachment for straight pull-ups. If you are all about improving your straight pull-ups with different grips, this attachment for the monster lite or monster rack has it all. It comes in at $225 and is a great piece of equipment for a home gym to cover all the bases. The only downside is that it is not great for kipping pull-ups.

If you are into climbing and consider the cannonballs for this purpose you might be better off with the wall climbing cross-member for $85. You get a lot more grip variations than with the cannonballs for just a little more money. The downside is that they can not be attached to other weights.

The pinch blocks and the grandfather clock grip attachments can be seen as separate purchases. The grandfather clock is a little easier while the pinch blocks are a lot harder. I see them as one set. If you consider the cannonballs you want to get a better grip. Then you can get a great system with the pinch block, grandfather clock, and cannonball attachment. Of course, that pushes the price tag to $300 - $500 depending on what combination of loading pins and attachment you get. Worth it. Just pay attention to detail with the straps when your order.

Conclusion for the Rogue cannonball grips

The cannonball grips are a must-have for anyone who wants to get a great grip. Home gym owners can start with this for all kind of carries and pull-ups. Commercial gym owners will find that the cannonballs are the most accessible tool for beginners to get into grip strength training. The grandfather clock grips can be too slippy and not everyone likes using chalk. Captains of Crush grippers can be harsh on the hands and too challenging.

Overview and review of the Rogue anvil grip

This is an overview of the Rogue anvil grip including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which grip strength tool to get from Rogue. Follow the links for more details.

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Overview of the Anvil grip

The rogue anvil grip simulates a time old feat of strength. Many attempted to lift an anvil by the horn. The cone shape of the anvil grip simulates this. To increase the weight you can attach it to a loading which Rogue sells separately. The specifications of the anvil grip are:

Made in the USA
Machined from a Solid Piece of Steel
Weight (Unloaded): 12.33 LBS
Length: 11” (Anvil itself), 13.5” (Anvil + Eye Bolt)
Tapered Cone-Shape design: 3” dia. at the base, 0.75” dia. at top
Eye Bolt at the base for attaching weight via loading pin (pin sold separately)
Engraved Rogue branding
Finish Options: Bare Steel or Black Oxide

This is a solid piece of steel to varying your deadlift and grip strength.

Pros of the anvil grip

The pros of the anvil grip are:

Good quality

Simple design

Challenge for the grip

This is a great tool for working on your grip strength. The cone shape gives you a different challenge than the usual bar grippers most people use. A great addition for someone who almost has everything but wants to challenge his or her grip even further.

Cons of the anvil grip

The cons of the anvil grip are:

Needs plates and pin to function
Very specialized equipment
High likelihood to gather dust

While these are a good addition to an existing for someone who is serious about grip strength, for some others this might just be a fun little purchase that is ultimately money down a hole. Be sure you have the plates and you are also investing in a loading pin. Once you are of this mindset you will probably also get the dinnie rings and other grip attachments from Rogue. For someone who is very busy or not dedicated to grip strength this can be a purchase that will lie around in your gym more than you use it.

Alternatives of the anvil grip

Alternatives to the anvil grip are:

For the average Joe, a set of pinch grip and cannonball grip handles are probably the better choices. They are easier to handle with kettlebells or to hang from your rack. Therefore they do not necessarily need a loading pin to function. This gives you more versatility for a little more spend then for the anvil grip.

The dinnie rings are the ultimate hardcore grip strength test from Rogue. If you want to train in the highest levels you will probably get the anvil grip and the dinnie rings. If I had to choose between the two, which I wouldn’t as I am a sucker for complete training sets, I would go for the dinnie rings instead of the anvil grip as it is the cooler record to chase.

Conclusion for the anvil grip

The anvil grip is a must-have for any serious strongman or strength athlete who is serious about their grip. It is cheaper to co nine the anvil grip with a loading pin than to get anvils of different weights. If you want to save money and start out with grip strength training I would recommend going with a combination of pinch blocks and cannonballs first and then graduate to dinnie rings and the anvil at a later point when those get to easy / you have reached your goals on those.