On a recent post where I challenged myself to a single arm bar hang while bicep curling a dumbbell, I had a comment stating it was useless and various others wondering what the point was. Well for starters I like to challenge myself to do fun new things, and more importantly I like to continually be working on my grip strength especially as I’m now 51 and this is a huge marker of overall strength and health!
A few facts about grip strength:
Grip strength typically starts to decrease around the age of 40. This decline is a natural part of the aging process and tends to accelerate with age. However, the rate of decline can vary based on factors like lifestyle, physical activity levels, and overall health. This is why we stay active and LIFT!
Key Points on Grip Strength Decline:
- Gradual Decline from 40s: Most people begin to experience a gradual decline in grip strength in their 40s. The loss becomes more noticeable as they age, particularly after 60.
- Rate of Decline: Studies suggest that grip strength decreases by about 1% to 2% per year after the age of 40. This rate can increase to 3% to 4% per year in older adults, especially if they are not engaging in regular strength training or physical activity.
- Impact of Lifestyle: Regular strength training and activities that challenge grip strength, such as resistance training or manual labor, can slow down this decline. Conversely, a sedentary lifestyle can accelerate it.
- Gender Differences: Men typically have higher grip strength than women throughout life, but both genders experience a similar rate of decline with age.
Importance of Maintaining Grip Strength:
Maintaining grip strength as you age is crucial for preserving independence, reducing the risk of falls, and improving overall quality of life. Strength training, particularly exercises that target the hands, forearms, and upper body, can help mitigate this decline.
Grip strength is important for several reasons, especially when it comes to overall health, fitness, and daily functioning:
1. Indicator of Overall Strength
- Grip strength is often correlated with overall muscle strength. A strong grip usually indicates good strength in the upper body, particularly in the forearms, hands, and fingers.
2. Essential for Daily Activities
- Many everyday tasks, like carrying groceries, opening jars, or holding tools, require good grip strength. Improving it can enhance your ability to perform these activities with ease.
3. Supports Lifting Performance
- In strength training, grip strength is crucial for exercises like deadlifts, pull-ups, and rows. A stronger grip allows you to lift heavier weights, which is essential for progressive overload and muscle growth.
4. Injury Prevention
- Stronger grip strength can help prevent injuries, particularly in the wrists, elbows, and shoulders. A firm grip stabilizes these joints during physical activities.
5. Indicator of Health and Longevity
- Research has shown that grip strength is a predictor of overall health and longevity. Weaker grip strength has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, mobility limitations, and even mortality in older adults.
6. Neuromuscular Health
- Grip strength reflects the health of the nervous system and its ability to control muscles. A strong grip indicates good neuromuscular coordination.
7. Rehabilitation and Recovery
- Grip strength is often used as a measure in rehabilitation to assess recovery progress, particularly after injuries or surgeries involving the upper body.
Overall, grip strength is a key component of functional fitness, contributing to both physical performance and long-term health.
Movements you can do to work on grip strength:
1. Deadlifts
- Why: Deadlifts are one of the best overall strength exercises and are excellent for improving grip strength. Holding heavy weights challenges your grip, especially with variations like the double overhand grip.
- Variations: Regular Deadlifts, Romanian Deadlifts, Farmer’s Walk (loaded carries).
2. Farmer’s Walk
- Why: This exercise involves walking while holding heavy weights in each hand, which challenges your grip, forearm, and shoulder strength. It’s simple but highly effective.
- How to Do It: Grab a pair of heavy dumbbells or kettlebells, stand tall, and walk for a set distance or time while maintaining a firm grip.
3. Pull-Ups and Dead Hangs
- Why: Pull-ups require a strong grip to hold onto the bar, especially if you’re doing high repetitions. Dead hangs, where you simply hang from a bar, are also excellent for building grip endurance.
- Variations: Standard Pull-Ups, Chin-Ups, Towel Pull-Ups (for extra grip challenge), Dead Hangs.
4. Pinch Grip Holds
- Why: This exercise specifically targets the pinch grip, which involves holding an object between your fingers and thumb. It’s great for improving finger strength.
- How to Do It: Use weight plates or pinch grip blocks. Pinch the weight between your thumb and fingers, hold it for as long as possible, then switch hands.
5. Barbell Holds
- Why: Barbell holds involve holding a loaded barbell with an overhand grip for as long as possible. It’s a simple but effective way to build grip endurance and strength.
- How to Do It: Set up a barbell with a moderate to heavy load. Stand tall and hold the barbell in front of you, gripping it as tightly as possible. Hold for time or until your grip fails.
6. Wrist Curls and Reverse Wrist Curls
- Why: These exercises specifically target the muscles in the forearms, which are crucial for grip strength.
- How to Do It:
- Wrist Curls: Sit and hold a barbell or dumbbell with your palms facing up. Rest your forearms on your thighs or a bench and curl your wrists upwards.
- Reverse Wrist Curls: Perform the same motion but with your palms facing down to target the extensor muscles.
7. Hand Grippers
- Why: Hand grippers are a simple tool specifically designed to strengthen the muscles of the hand and forearm. They allow for targeted grip training and can be used anywhere.
- How to Do It: Squeeze the gripper handles together and hold for a few seconds before releasing. Repeat for several reps.
8. Towel Grip Variations
- Why: Using a towel for exercises like pull-ups, rows, or kettlebell swings increases the challenge to your grip.
- How to Do It: Wrap a towel around a pull-up bar or kettlebell handle, then perform the exercise as usual. The towel’s added thickness requires a stronger grip.
9. Plate Pinch Carries
- Why: This exercise is great for improving pinch grip strength. It involves carrying weight plates with a pinch grip, which works the fingers and thumbs intensively.
- How to Do It: Pinch a pair of weight plates together between your thumb and fingers, then walk a set distance or for a set time.
10. Fat Grip Training
- Why: Using fat grips or thick-handled equipment increases the difficulty of holding onto weights, which in turn builds grip strength.
- How to Do It: Attach fat grips to dumbbells, barbells, or pull-up bars and perform your usual exercises.
I hope this helped inform you a little better about the importance of maintaining strength in this are!
Let’s keep working on grip strength and remain unstoppable as we age!!!!
(Bohannon RW. Grip Strength: An Indispensable Biomarker For Older Adults. Clin Interv Aging. 2019 Oct 1;14:1681-1691. doi: 10.2147/CIA.S194543. PMID: 31631989; PMCID: PMC6778477.)
