What’s a muscle clamp?

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The Muscle Clamp is a patented quick release weight collar clamp designed and patented by MCR Strength Inc., an American company. The Muscle Clamp allows the user to quickly change weights due to its lightweight, one-motion locking and unlocking system. The clamp features a special rubber coating that reduces scratches on the bar.

While working in a school fitness program, MCR Strength Inc. President Verl Miller noticed students having difficulty using weight clamps. Existing spring-type clamps were generally too tight to open, and students often pinched their fingers in the apparatus. Some of the students did not use the weight lock collars because they were difficult to use, putting them at risk of injury.

Miller surveyed weight lifters and gym owners, and using this knowledge base of strength training, fitness training, and education, the company isolated eight fundamental requirements for designing the best weight collar. MCR Strength Inc. identified them as safety, speed, collar weight, cost, durability, size, protection, and customization. As a result of this research, Miller developed the Muscle Clamp, a quick-release neck clamp that the company patented and began selling in 1994.

Safety is often one of the most important features of a weight collar clamp. The muscle clamp generally creates little risk of injury while a person is shifting weights, lifting, swinging, or lowering the barbell. The high-pressure locking system generally ensures no slippage, even when you accidentally drop and bounce the barbell.

The company uses durable plastic, making the clamp lighter than traditional metal clamps, which can weigh about a pound (about 0.5kg) or more. At just four ounces (about 113 grams), the lightness also makes it easy to transport the grippers to and from the gym in one person’s pockets or bags, usually without much difficulty.

To cater to more weightlifters, MCR Strength Inc. produces the brace in two sizes: a one-inch (2.54 cm) size and the official Olympic two-inch (5.08 cm) size. Generally, the company offers the clamp in different colors, including black, red, and blue. The variety of colors often makes it easier for weightlifters to keep track of their clamps.

Other types of weight-lock collars include spring collar clamps, which typically have handles that the lifter squeezes open, and collars that have screws or bolts that clamp metal or plastic rings onto the shaft. Most rubber or plastic lined metal locks will not damage the bar. In general, there is no one best type of collar, and individual weightlifters often have a favorite style of weight lockout collar that they use repeatedly with satisfaction.

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