FBBC Grab Ball

Name: FBBC Grab Ball
Brand: Fat Bastard Barbell Co
Rating: 4.78 (3 reviews)

The FBBC Grab Ball is a competition grip-strength implement from Fat Bastard Barbell Co, a small U.S. grip-sport equipment maker. It’s a welded, unfinished steel sphere with a center flange that separates thumb from fingers, forcing a strict pinch/finger grip rather than letting a lifter wrap over the top the way unflanged “cannonball” grip trainers allow. It’s an official implement in the International King Kong Grip Challenge, one of grip sport’s major international contests, with over 786 logged competition lifts from 535 athletes across 14+ sanctioned events.

A detailed technique review from a competitive grip athlete (ranked 17th all-time on this specific implement) praises the flange design as effectively cheat-proof and walks through hand-size-dependent grip technique in depth. No independent written expert review surfaced (the GripBoard forum’s dedicated equipment thread is Cloudflare-blocked), so coverage rests on the manufacturer’s own copy plus that one video review.

Use	official implement in the International King Kong Grip Challenge
Weight	~1.3 lb
Made in	USA
Material	welded steel, unfinished (ages/patinas over time)
Ball diameter	3 in

How it compares

	FBBC Grab Ball	Dog Bone Pull-up Bar	N-Gage Grips	Fat Gripz One
GymRadar rating	4.78/5	4.78/5	4.78/5	4.77/5
Price	$65.00	$97.00	$43.95	$27.99
Use	official implement in the International King Kong Grip Challenge
Weight	~1.3 lb	12 lbs
Made in	USA	USA
Material	welded steel, unfinished (ages/patinas over time)	Steel	Industrial-grade natural rubber	High-density, "military-grade" rubber-like compound with beveled ends
Ball diameter	3 in

4.8/5 · 3 GymRadar reviews

Reviews by source

Expert	4.78/5	3 reviews
Youtube	4.5/5	1 reviews

The FBBC Grab Ball is a niche grip-sport implement – a welded, unfinished steel sphere (3-in diameter, ~1.3 lb) used in the International King Kong Grip Challenge, where it’s logged over 786 competition lifts from 535 athletes. Functionality is the standout dimension: a competitive grip athlete’s detailed technique review credits the welded center flange with making the lift genuinely hard to cheat by forcing a strict thumb-versus- finger grip, unlike unflanged “cannonball” grip trainers from bigger brands that let lifters wrap over the top. Versatility is the weakest dimension – this is a single-purpose competition/training tool with a steep technique learning curve (the reviewer needed coaching from a top competitor to find an effective grip), not an implement with broader everyday gym use.

+Functionality: welded center flange forces a strict thumb-vs-finger grip and prevents wrapping over the top, so the lift genuinely tests finger/pinch strength rather than being easy to cheat (YouTube: The Grip Show)
+Build quality: solid welded steel construction, made in the USA, left unfinished so it patinas/ages rather than chipping a coating (manufacturer)
+Durability: proven under repeated competition use -- over 786 logged lifts from 535 athletes across 14+ sanctioned contests with no reported implement failures (YouTube: The Grip Show)
+Value: $65 direct from the manufacturer for a purpose-built competition implement used in a recognized international contest (manufacturer)

−Versatility: single-purpose grip-sport/training tool with a steep, hand-size-dependent technique learning curve -- not a general-purpose gym accessory (YouTube: The Grip Show)
−Value: at ~1.3 lb of steel for $65, it's priced as a specialty competition implement rather than a budget grip trainer (manufacturer, YouTube: The Grip Show)
−Durability: no independent long-term teardown or corrosion-over-time report exists beyond the manufacturer's own unfinished-steel design intent
−Build quality: no written expert review (e.g. GripBoard's dedicated equipment thread is Cloudflare-blocked) corroborates construction quality beyond the manufacturer and one video reviewer

$65.00

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