Rogue branch and beam vs Cannonball grips

This is a comparison between the Rogue branch and beam and the 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 branch and beam

This is an overview of the Rogue branch and beam 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 of the branch and beam

Price: $170

The branch and beam are bars from rogue which have been made extra fat. The branch has a round grip, while the beam has a square grip. These two bars are a great alternative to the traditional 28-29mm bars and a bit closer to the unconventional lifts you can find in strongman competitions. This will also help with your grip strength in general. The specifications of the two bars are:

The Rogue Branch Fat Bar
Round grip
Outside Diameter: 3"
Bar Length: 80.5"
Bar Weight: 39LB

The Rogue Beam Fat Bar
Square grip
Fat Grip is 3x3”
Bar Length: 80.5"
Bar Weight: 41LB

These are great additions to a fully equipped gym that looks for more options to entertain their clients or a strongman home gym who wants to be prepared for anything.

Pros of the branch and beam

The pros of the branch and beam are:

Safe to use
Easy to load
Easy to store

The branch and beam are two options to challenge your grip for heavy lifts with unconventional setups. They can be stored on a regular barbell gun rack, are easy to load, and are safer to use than an actual tree trunk or wooden beam. Compared to other more cumbersome solutions to the problems they solve they are a preferable option.

Cons of the branch and beam

The cons of the branch and beam are:

No knurling
Issues with the finish
Narrow use cases

For bars with very limited use cases, unless you really make a point about using them, they are eating up quite a bit of space to become a gimmick. As these bars also not go through the standard quality tests for all barbells from rogue, some of them lack in quality. Especially during COVID where some extra people were hired.

Alternatives to the branch and beam

Alternatives to the branch and beam are:

Fat gripz are an easy and cheap way to turn a barbell into a branch. These are made of plastic and can be wrapped around the bar to make it thicker.

Pinch blocks can be used to simulate the beam. Combined with straps and a carabiner you can hook up kettlebells, dumbbells, and barbells to your liking.

Log bars are an essential training tool for strongman athletes as no competition goes without a log bar lift. The neutral grip also challenges the regular deadlift setup.

Conclusion for the branch and beam

The branch and beam are great tools for serious strongman athletes or gyms who like to mix things up regularly. With pinch blocks and fat gripz you can simulate similar stress to the body, without eating up as much space in your home gym.