ABOUT SPORTGRIPS
SportGrips has a long, storied history dating back to 1979. An arborist from Illinois, Chris Neiman often had to climb up poles and trees for his job as a logger. His grip was so strong from his occupation that his colleagues were impressed and frequently asked him how they could improve their own grip strength. This sparked a conversation during a beer drinking session on improving forearm and grip strength, leading Chris to the beginnings of what would eventually become The SideWinder. After hundreds of failed iterations, Chris having other priorities, put the project away until 2006. Over the decades since, the product evolved from a simple grip trainer into what we now call the SideWinder Revolution.
Over the years, the Revolution design evolved. The first model (on the left) was built in 1979, and it was gradually improved upon (middle) until it became the Revolution (right) in the 2010s.
Chris spent years perfecting the design, adding features like variable resistance and spring-based technology, which set the SideWinder apart from other grip trainers.
In 2023, Chris was ready to retire and was seeking a partnership that could take over the company who shared in his vision.
Our connection to SportGrips started in 2015, when Marty Rolnick, a fitness enthusiast, discovered the Revolution and shared it with his son Nick, a physical therapist. Impressed by its durability and effectiveness and dissimilarity to anything else on the market, Nick started using it with his patients, and the rest is history.
Today, Marty and Nick are proud to carry on this legacy with the Revolution 2.0, featuring improved knurling and enhanced internal mechanisms to further elevate your grip strength training. We also proudly hold the five patents originally held by Chris, all related to this innovative design.
The Revolution 2.0 is a grip and forearm strengthening device designed for anyone and everyone who is looking to enhance and improve their grip strength.
The journey continues with the same passion and dedication that started over 40 years ago!
Nicholas Rolnick DPT, MS, CSCS
Nick is an internationally recognized expert in blood flow restriction through his company The BFR PROS and has published over 40 articles in peer-reviewed journals. He received his Masters of Science in Health Promotion Management from American University, and his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree with academic honors from Columbia University. He has a physical therapy and personal training practice in New York City, where he helps his clients achieve the joy of pain-free movement. Reach Nick on instagram @thehpm or @thebfrpros or via email at nick@sportgrips.com.
Marty Rolnick
Marty Rolnick has been working with his son, Nicholas Rolnick, over the past few years as the Director of Operations for The BFR PROS. Marty’s background specializes in marketing, sales, and account management. Have questions? Marty has the answers. Reach out at marty@sportgrips.com.