TORQUE PRO/RING/BAR

Tips, Tricks, How-Tos, and FAQs

Hi everybody!

This page contains a bunch of useful tips and tricks to get the most out of your Torque Pro/Ring/Bar, so bookmark this page as a reference! I’ll update it from time to time as I discover new hacks.

First thing's first — be sure to check out the following:

  • Our TFCC Injury Recovery video (even if you're not injured) for lots of great exercises recommendations and demos (including the ones listed below)

  • Our upcoming Wrist Bulletproofing video (will be on YouTube within the next couple weeks)

Let's get to it!

Things to Know:

For a bunch of the information below, I’ll include links (highlighted in blue) to quick video clips and/or photos so you have a visual reference. You can also find them all in this Google Drive folder in case the links don’t work properly.

THE MAIN WRIST EXERCISES TO TRY:

  • Pronation (Torque Pro or Torque Ring)

  • Supination (Torque Pro or Torque Ring)

  • Extension (Torque Pro or Torque Bar)

  • Flexion (Torque Pro or Torque Bar)

  • Ulnar deviation (Torque Pro or Torque Ring) -- can be done in isolation or combined with something like tricep extensions on a cable machine

  • Radial deviation (Torque Pro or Torque Ring) -- can be done in isolation or combined with something like hammer curls)

TIPS & TRICKS:

  • Torque Pro: Switching between pronation/supination mode and flexion/extension mode?

  • Torque Pro: Rope too long for pronation/supination?

    • Lots of easy fixes for this!

    • Easiest/best: Rather than letting one loop get pulled inside the device, grab that end and hook it to the opposite end of the device. You can do this over the handle or over the arc. Instantly shortens the whole system! This works super well, so I don't know why you'd need another solution, but here's a few more anyway...

    • Other methods:

      • Attach the weight to the highest carabiner or take off the rope spreader entirely.

      • Cut the rope to the length that suits you and retie the overhand loop (burn the rope end to prevent fraying).

      • Stand on an elevated platform

      • Use a shorty loading pin (they're available on Amazon and we'll be coming out with a color-matched version of our own soon) or a different type of weight that doesn't add as much height.

  • Torque Pro/Ring: Hand position = leverage

    • Where you grip the handle changes the leverage throughout the movement. The most important thing is to grip the device in the position that feels best to you. However...

    • For pronation/supination, gripping at the *opposite* end of where the rope exits makes the *beginning* of the motion harder and the *end* easier (as opposed to gripping close to the rope exit). This is usually a good thing, as the end of the motion is the "shortened" position for the muscles, which tends to be much harder, which tends to reduce your range of motion. So, if in doubt, grip the device at the furthest point from where the rope exits. Jason explains this here.

    • For ulnar/radial deviation, again your hand position on the grip will make a big difference in the leverage on your wrist, so just keep that in mind and use it for adjusting intensity if needed.

  • Torque Pro/Ring/Bar: What type of weight/resistance?

    • One of the huge benefits of the Torque products is that they allow you to use virtually any form of resistance.

    • A loading pin is typically my favorite because it's easy to adjust in small increments (2.5 lb, 1 lb, or even 0.5 lb plates are often available). This is particularly nice for wrist exercises since most people will be working with relatively little weight.

    • Of course, you could also use dumbbells, kettlebells, a cable machine, or heck even a gallon of water! 

  • Torque Pro/Bar: Supported vs. unsupported (aka "should I rest my arm on something?")?

    • For pronation/supination, you should perform them *unsupported* if possible, meaning you're not resting your forearm on a bench or bar.

    • For flexion/extension, perform the exercises *supported* (rest your forearm on something like a flat bench, a padded rack attachment, or ideally an adjustable bench so you can get the height to a comfortable spot).

  • Torque Pro/Ring: Thumb stress during supination?

    • As you get to higher weights, you may find that supination places a lot of load on your thumb (it has to bear a lot of the weight). There are a couple easy fixes for this...

    • Torque Pro: Use the Rope Shortening method above, but this time put the rope *over* your hand. The rope will tighten over your hand as you perform supination, which will take the weight off your thumb. Awesome!

    • Torque Pro/Ring: You can also do the same thing with a lifting strap if you prefer (they're like $7 on Amazon). Put it on so the long end is on the top-side of your hand, thread the strap between your thumb and index finger, then under the handle, then back around and under your palm. Pull it as tight as you can and it'll take all the weight off your thumb!

  • Torque Pro/Bar: Hard to maintain grip during extension with thumb-over grip?

    • This is a common issue with wrist extension exercises in general if you have small hands or you're doing lots of weight/reps; the thumb-over grip is ideal (as explained here) but can make it hard to hold onto the device/weight over multiple reps. Luckily there's an easy fix...

    • Similar to the lifting strap hack for supination, you can use the same strap to secure your grip during extension. Place the strap over the middle of your hand (so it doesn't block your wrist range of motion), loop the strap over your fingers, around the handle, and back under your palm/fingers. Pull it as tight as you can and it will take a lot of the weight off your fingers, allowing you to perform the exercise more effectively!

  • Torque Pro/Bar: Weight swings during flexion/extension?

    • It can take a little practice to get the coordination down! With a little time you'll get the feel for it. If you're still having issues, try one or more of the following...

    • Change where you place your forearm on the support (further from or closer to your wrist).

    • Pause briefly at the bottom of the motion.

    • Slow down the movement a little bit.

    • Try the exercise unsupported. I've found that my body automatically compensates to mitigate the swinging.

  • Torque Pro/Bar: Wrist and/or elbow is flexing while doing pronation/supination?

    • A little bit of wrist and/or elbow flexion during pronation/supination is okay! If it's excessive, you may need to lower the weight (explained here).

Additional helpful resources:

These are not free, but they are cheap and effective...

If you're not familiar with our paid programs, learn more here: https://www.hoopersbeta.com/recoveryblueprint

In conclusion...

We're really excited about this new chapter of Hooper's Beta products, so thanks for joining us! Of course, since this is a new venture, we're still working some things out, so please bear with us if you encounter an issue. Email me directly at emile@hoopersbeta.com if you need technical assistance :) Thanks for your understanding and psych!!