Tips on incstrength fetting hand strength?

[tugboat]

Any tips on how to increase fretting hand strength? My fretting hand starts cramping up when playing spaced-out chords, Especially at the top of the neck.

[chuckocaster]

Stretching. If you're cramping up take a look at your hand and arm position. Arm and wrist should be straight. Maybe try getting one of those squeezy balls, or the Chinese relaxation balls? IDK exactly what they are called but they come in a set of two and you spin them around in you hand. I know how that reads, but it's difficult to explain without dirty undertones.

[Kap'n]

Stretching, like Chuck said....and practice. Things like those finger weights are a really, really bad idea. You could really screw up your hand.

[thegeezer]

Play with heavier gauge strings for a while.

[tugboat]

I think part of the problem has just been sporatic practice all summer. My summer has been chaotic (in a good way). I rarely use my acoustic; might have to use it more, if anything to increase hand strength.

[Offshore Angler]

I'll go with wrist position as a first guess. It's the root of most guitar playing ills.

[tugboat]

I realized that warming up with scale work first really helps. So warming up before a "workout" helps. Go figure.