One of the reasons I used to like the climbing community was that it was made up of mostly good people. Reliably decent and often interesting individuals. Its still mostly true when I get out beyond the gym like areas. Someone who might not have a climbing specific training background offers some thoughts on a particular type of training and you think that's a good reason to give them a hard time? Who are you people?
As to different types of strength: I have wondered if the tendentious I have had at times wasn't due in part to training that was too climbing specific. You can always learn something from other people if you are willing to be a little bit open. Using some minor feeling you have of being "in" a group because you know some basics about it to justify being rude to someone in order to bolster your own self esteem in some way is pretty pathetic. The climbing community I have always respected so much has always valued decency as a person over any particular set of climbing skills or expertise.

One of the reasons I used to like the climbing community was that it was made up of mostly good people. Reliably decent and often interesting individuals. Its still mostly true when I get out beyond the gym like areas. Someone who might not have a climbing specific training background offers some thoughts on a particular type of training and you think that's a good reason to give them a hard time? Who are you people?
As to different types of strength: I have wondered if the tendentious I have had at times wasn't due in part to training that was too climbing specific. You can always learn something from other people if you are willing to be a little bit open. Using some minor feeling you have of being "in" a group because you know some basics about it to justify being rude to someone in order to bolster your own self esteem in some way is pretty pathetic. The climbing community I have always respected so much has always valued decency as a person over any particular set of climbing skills or expertise.

In the past I used different level grip devices. At worst they don't seem to apply to climbing.

If you are using a conventional gripper that are on the market is good and you should keep doing that. Unfortunately grippers don't incorperate the thumb and the thumb is a big key to real grip strngth

At best or at worst they do not apply to climbing. Hand trainers that you have to squeeze will have no impact on the type of forearm strength needed for climbing. This is a settled issue and has been for some time. The climbing community is slow to pick up on it, but hand exercisers do not work. The French have known this for about 30 years, the American research community figured it out about 15 years ago, but somehow the word has not really gotten out to climbers.

Since rob has blessed my official entry to geezerdom, I'll continue with some more crumudgemly comments...

If your aunt had balls she would be functionally equivalent to your uncle. The neurons aren't in your musles. "Muscle memory" is like "war of words", it is a stupid phrase. You can rationalize it away, but it doesn't make it right.

Now that I've had my harumph, back to old e's suggestion of mos def. I think Ms. Fat Ass is in my future.

Err booty. Damn, badly unhip again.

I never would have guessed that someone would specialize in gripping. How odd to me.

Hand trainers that you have to squeeze will have no impact on the type of forearm strength needed for climbing.

this is going to sound contradictory on a lot of levels or at least counter-intuitive but the best ways i have seen to improving grip strength are exercises that challenge the slow-twitch muscles of the forearm to maintain static contraction for extended periods. be the opposite of a bodybuilder.. i see these guys at the gym using lifting straps to deadlift and shrug then crying about their small forearms. NO STRAPS. lifting straps remove effort from the forearm in exercises where these are not the target. If you want them to grow strength you have to beat them up a little. heavy shrugs, heavy deadlifts and hold the bar between reps and sets. i also alternate releasing the bar with one or two fingers from the hands so that the demand is increased on the remaining two. 100lb bar hanging from your hands by your index and middle fingers for 50-60 seconds will hurt like you wanna die but you will achieve grip strength.