How to Train Your Fingers to Be Stronger

Strong fingers are important for tasks that require gripping, and are beneficial for many sports, including martial arts and rock climbing. Finger strength is often overlooked in strength training, even though training these smaller muscles are important, as weak fingers are more easily sprained or broken than strong ones.

Finger strength is also important for playing musical instruments, such as guitar. Just as you can increase strength in the larger limbs, you can train your fingers to make them stronger and more flexible.

Things You'll Need

  • Tennis ball
  • Hand gripper
  • Rubber bands
  • Newspaper
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Instructions

    • 1

      Squeeze a tennis ball using all the fingers on your hand, and hold to the count of five before releasing. Repeat five times and switch hands. Do this daily, increasing the number of squeezes per hand by one each week until you are doing 10 squeezes per hand a day.

    • 2

      Purchase a hand gripper. Hand grippers come in different grip strengths and sizes. Smaller hand grippers are made to work the fingers specifically. Test them out at the store, if possible, and start with one that is comfortable for you according to size and tension. It is better to start with less tension and work your way up to avoid straining your fingers. Use these grippers daily, as often as you can without feeling strain in your fingers, and build up the amount of gripping you do gradually.

    • 3

      Practice crumpling sheets of newspaper using only one hand. This forces the fingers to work independently and trains not only strength of individual fingers but dexterity as well.

    • 4

      Place a thick rubber band around the outside of your fingers and try to spread your fingers. This works your fingers in the opposite way of the tennis ball or the gripper. Add more rubber bands when stretching one rubber band feels easy.

    • 5

      Get down on the floor as if you were going to do regular pushups. Instead of placing your palms on the floor, raise up on the tips of your fingers. Very slowly raise yourself up and down. Start with just one fingertip pushup and add another each day until it becomes easy.