I use what is called a powerball...I have several of them and they work really well for strengthening.It works with gyroscopic inertia.It is non impact ball and comes in several different versions.Here is what I use.I have no affiliation with them.Just trying to help anyone out that may need it.I discovered this for physical therapy and it works great.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkbEcATQ3R8

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1986 Fender Sidekick Reverb 35
1990 Fender Red Knob - "The Twin"
1992 Fender Newporter - Acoustic
2000 Fender American Series Strat - Natural ash
2010 Fender Mustang 1
2011 Fender Blacktop Jazzmaster -Sunburst
2012 Fender Champion

i will have to look into them....at the moment i'm running out of idea's for excersices for my hand. i'll watch that youtube link to see how they work when we i get home

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riley

also look interesting, i think someone suggested that to me before, i think. have to check it out also

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riley

I think that video has hypnotised me!! Powerball!! I'll have to try one! .....

The video is kinda corny but these things have some serious torque on em.They will definitely jump outta your hand.I have noticed a huge difference in my finger/hand strength since I have been using them.There are all kinds of other you tube videos that are better.

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1986 Fender Sidekick Reverb 35
1990 Fender Red Knob - "The Twin"
1992 Fender Newporter - Acoustic
2000 Fender American Series Strat - Natural ash
2010 Fender Mustang 1
2011 Fender Blacktop Jazzmaster -Sunburst
2012 Fender Champion

I'd like one!

This could warm up your arms and wrist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk8xqgmnNnI

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My ability to spell is in direct proportion to the amount of coffee I've had.

I have a little ball that fits in the palm of my hand and is just stiff enough to resist when I squeeze it. I squeeze that, over and over, for a few minutes with my left hand. I also interlock my fingers and flex my hands in and outward a few times. Then I pick my guitar up and continue to warm up with a few random scale runs, up, down, and across the neck. Works for me.

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"It's about sound and sound alone. Looks are irrelevant. You can have the best-looking guitar on earth, but if the sound isn't there it is nothing more than a beautiful piece of trash. The sound it makes is the soul of any guitar."

¨Carry water. Chop wood.¨ Chuang Tzu.

I play terrible if I have not been physically active.
Some people say work on your scales first thing in the morning. Zombie scales.
I do whatever house chores, then I sit to study the guitar and I feel warm all over.

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FIGHT!

hackey sacks are good to, i place that in my palm and roll my wrist around 20 times bothways, and that does make a difference on my whole hand

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riley

Well it hasn't gone away, in fact its gotten much worse. I finally went to the Dr. the other day and they tuck a bunch of tests X Ray , Blood , and an MRI. As it turnes out I have a severe Vitamin D deficiency that is causing a softening of the bone. As a result I have many small fractures in my left wrist and fingers. The same thing is going on in my left shoulder. My Dr. put me on a regiment/Bombardment of vitamin D one pill a week for 24 weeks. they told me that I should notice a significant improvement within a fue weeks and within 6 months it may go away altogether. Now there trying to find out why the vitamin deficiency in the first place. In the mean time I'm wearing a wrist brace and cant play guitar at all. Not even a little. I guess I'm like an old car, once they start to fall apart there's no end to it.
----Danny,

^^ LOL!

I feel your pain Danny, i'm 49 and my hands, well more specifically my picking hand, just doesn't respond the way it did when i was younger. A lot of times i get the feeling i'm gonna lose my grip on the pick so i use those herco thumb/flatpicks and they're great but i wish things were the way they were before.

On a related note when someone mentioned those metal players: how do those guys not get tendonitis or something in their picking hands with all that super fast downpicking? you know like Hetfield in Metallica? guys like that. I suppose it's because they've done it so long but there must be instances where these guys suffer hand or finger/wrist problems but you just don't get to hear about it? Also how do those guys manage when they get to advanced years? will they still be able to do that or will they have to alter how they play? you can't imagine someone still being able to play that way when they're 70

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Luck won't do it and ignorance can't

George Van Eps.