• Hand Grip Strength Chart
• Charting Hand Grip Strength
• Omaha Hand Strength Chart

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Grip strength is the force applied by the hand to pull on or suspend from objects and is a specific part of hand strength. Optimum-sized objects permit the hand to wrap around a cylindrical shape with a diameter from one to three inches. Stair rails are an example of where shape and diameter are critical for proper grip in case of a fall. Other grip strengths that have been studied are the hammer and other hand tools. In applications of grip strength, the wrist must be in a neutral position to avoid developing cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs).

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Grip strength is a general term also used to refer to the physical strength of an animal and, for athletes, to the muscular power and force that can be generated with the hands. In athletics, grip strength is critical for rock climbers and is an important factor in strongman competitions and weight lifting. Grip strength training is also a major feature in martial arts and can be useful in various professions where people must work with their hands.

Types of grip[edit]

The human hand can be used to grip objects in several different positions. These different positions require different types of grip strength which are typically quantified based on the way the hand is being used.

The crush grip is what is most commonly thought of as 'grip'. It involves a handshake-type grip, where the object being gripped rests firmly against the palm and all fingers. A strong crush grip is useful in bone-crushing handshakes or for breaking objects with pressure.

In a pinch grip, the fingers are on one side of an object, and the thumb is on the other. Typically, an object lifted in a pinch grip does not touch the palm. This is generally considered a weaker grip position. The pinch grip is used when grabbing something like a weight plate or lifting a sheet of plywood by the top edge.

A support grip typically involves holding something, such as the handle of a bucket, for a long time. This type of strength is epitomized by the Farmer's walk competitive event, where the bucket is filled with sand or water, and carried over a long distance. A great deal of muscularendurance is necessary to have a good carrying grip.

Normative data[edit]

There has been extensive medical and ergonomic research looking at grip strength. This has led to the generation of normative data. The average for grip strength of men is higher than that of women.^[1] The grip strength of 90% of women is lower than that of 95% of men.^[2] Averages also exist for different types of grip in different positions.^[3]

Grip strength increases or decreases depending on the arm position at which the grip strength is being measured. A person's grip strength usually results in having the strongest grip strength when their arm is extended at 90° before their body, as opposed to the other extreme arm positions, rested at one's side or held straight up above one's head. Grip strength is not optimal if one's arm is extended backwards beyond the resting position at the body's sides.It can be concluded that grip strength is affected via the different arm muscles and their ability to contract.

In medicine[edit]

Grip strength is often used in medicine as a specific type of hand strength. The purpose of this testing is diverse, including to diagnose diseases, to evaluate and compare treatments, to document progression of muscle strength, and to provide feedback during the rehabilitation process as a measure indicating the level of hand function. For example, it is used to indicate changes in hand strength after hand surgery or after a rehabilitation program. By asking subjects to maintain a maximum contraction for longer periods, it can be used as a measure of fatigue. It is also able to predict a decline in function in old age.^[4] Since the above-mentioned grips involve the action of a large number of different joints and muscle groups, grip strength is not always very sensitive to measure individual muscle groups in medicine. For this purpose, dynamometers have been developed that provide more specific information on individual muscles in the hand such as the Rotterdam Intrinsic Hand Myometer (RIHM).^[5][6] In medicine, doctors sometimes use grip strength to test a patient's mentality, as grip strength directly correlates to mental state.^[7] Grip strength is also used to measure the degree of rehabilitation from injuries; all other things being equal, it will vary with general condition. Additionally, grip strength can be used to determine a patient's physical stability. Measuring this in intervals allows a doctor to determine if a patient is making progress or if different methods need to be used. There is a direct correlation between grip strength of older people and their overall body strength.^[8] This correlation helps doctors with treating the elderly a lot, because it allows doctors to see how well an elderly person is functioning. Strengthening the grip strength helps players recover from sport injuries such as tennis elbow.^[8]

In sports[edit]

Hand grip is an important, though often overlooked, component of strength in sports. However, the grip strength is most often a secondary or auxiliary function of the sport. Sports in which grip strength are included within the secondary focus include the following: movement-based climbing, calisthenics, gymnastics, pole dancing, horse racing, powerlifting or professional arm-wrestling; ball-based baseball, gridiron football, rugby, canoe polo, badminton or tennis; and combat sports such as brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, fencing, judo or wrestling. In sports, hand grip strength is a major factor in a player's strength, determining how easily a ball can be caught or how effectively equipment can be used. Hand grip strength is directly linked to hand-eye coordination: when a person is looking at the thing they are gripping, hand grip strength intensifies because of this synchronization.^[9]

Hand grip strength is very important when it comes to sports.^[10] Before a player begins playing a hand grip strength test is important for determining a player's workout.^[8] Hand grip strength determines a player's readiness for sports. In golf, hand grip strength is used to control the power a golfer hits a golf ball. The angle at which a golfer hits the ball determines how far the ball goes. ... In football, the quarterback uses hand grip strength to throw accurate passers to receivers. The receivers use hand grip strength to catch and maintain control of the football. ... In hockey, hand grip strength is used to angle the shot of the puck, whether they are passing the puck or shooting for a goal. Hand grip strength is essential for the execution of skills in hockey.^[11] In martial arts, hand grip strength is a key use in mastering techniques.^[10] [2] Hand grip strength determines the success of arm functionality, such as speed and precision.

As a separate discipline[edit]

From their beginnings as odd performances at fairs and circuses, grip feats have recently gained acceptance as a sport in their own right, with competitions being held with increasing regularity. Events include one-arm deadlift, nail bending, the closing of torsion spring hand grippers, v-bar (vertical bar) lifting, and standardized pinch apparatuses. Other common events may include Rolling Thunder lifts, thickbar deadlifts, and 'Blob' lifting.

The major contests are:

• The King Kong Grip Challenge
• North American Gripsport Championship
• World's Strongest Hands
• A Gripmas Carol
• Champion of Champions
• European Grip Championships
• Mighty Mitts
• Britain's Strongest Hands
• British Grip Championships
• Münsterland Grip Challenge
• Global Grip Challenge
• Loddekopinge Grip Challenge
• Australian Grip Championships
• German Grip Championships
• Backyard Bastard Bash
• Metroflex Mayhem at Metroflex
• The National Capital Grip Championship
• The South Jersey Grip Contest
• The Southern Squeeze

Feats of strength[edit]

Although grip strength lends itself to impromptu performances that might feature a unique implement or cater to a particular individual or a small group, performances on standardized, widely available tests carry more weight. One such feat involving world class grip strength is officially closing a No. 3 Captains of Crush Gripper, first accomplished by Richard Sorin in 1991.^[12] Card tearing is a traditional feat of grip and lower arm strength that has a rich history,^[13] and top performances include John Brookfield tearing three decks of cards at once^[14] and tearing 50 decks of cards in less than a minute.^[15] Brookfield has explained the technique for tearing cards in both his MILO article on the topic,^[16] and in his book The Grip Master's Manual^[17]

Training methods[edit]

Grip strength training requires a different type of training regimen than other muscular training. The reasons are primarily based on the interplay of the tendons and muscles and the lack of 'down time' or rest that most people's hands get.

It is generally considered that all aspects of the hand must be exercised to produce a healthy and strong hand. Only working on closing grip will cause an imbalance between closing and opening (antagonist) muscles, and can lead to problems such as tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome.^{[citation needed]}

For closing grip[edit]

• Thick bar and Thick Grip^[18] work on a two-inch or thicker bar—such as deadlifts, pullups, and the farmers walk—trains the support grip.
• Grippers train the crushing grip.
• Plate pinches grabbing plates smooth side out and pinching them.
• Sledgehammer lever — levering a sledgehammer using the wrists to train fingers and wrists.
• Plate curls/wrist curls — grabbing a plate and doing wrist curls or regular curls with them with the fingers on the bottom and thumb on top, trains the wrists and fingers and thumb for pinch grip.
• Blockweights — cut off ends of hex dumbbells that are grasped in a pinch grip fashion from different sides of the blockweight with one end grasped by fingers and other by thumb; trained with either singles, timed holds, or tosses from hand to hand.
• Hangboard can be used for training the full-crimp grip, half-crimp grip and open hand grip, required in climbing.^[19]

For opening grip[edit]

• Extensors; these are the muscles that oppose the flexors of the hands and should be trained to achieve a good balance between opposing muscle groups; extensor muscles are key in grip because they must contract aggressively to support finger flexion. Shoving your hand in something like rice and extending it, or placing something such as rocks in a coffee can, putting your hand in there, and extending it to pick up the coffee can, are ways of training your hand extensors.
• Some grip companies, such as IronMind Enterprises Inc., sell high-resistance rubber bands which work the extensor grip. Another option, is a weight based machine like 'The Gripper' offered by Fitness Specialties U.S.A.. This type of plate loaded machine will not only strengthen your grip but also your forearm strength.
• As finger flexor/extensors serve a function as wrist flexor/extensors, doing wrist extension exercises (sometimes called 'reverse wrist curls') would also stimulate the finger extensor fibers.
• Doing fist pushups on the backside of the first fingerbone would increasingly put pressure on the extensor muscles as weight was shifted from knuckle-end to the further joint. When in a tight fist, the flat of the fingernails can dig into the palm and push the skin down to create a bridge to stabilize the first structure and prevent hyperflexion of the knuckle joints (which can be observed by doing pushups with the entire backside of the fingers flat on the ground, fingers pointing towards the opposite hand).

For stabilization[edit]

• Fingertip pushups would utilize both opening and closing grip muscles to keep the finger from sliding, as well as more focused bone density in the hand, though they are very strenuous and dangerous unless approached progressively.
• Hand stands free from a wall with fingers pointing behind would use gripping stretching to stabilize the hand to prevent the body from falling towards the front, and extensor muscles to prevent the body from falling towards the back.
• Metal-rod exercises strengthen the grip indirectly but very effectively through strength training using a metal rod or pole.

Notable grip strength athletes[edit]

• Joe Greenstein / Mighty Atom (Oldtime Strongman)
• Dennis Rogers (Oldtime Strongman / Stan Lee Superhumans / former arm wrestler champion)
• Magnus Samuelsson (strongman/arm wrestler)
• Mark Felix (strongman)
• Phil Pfister (strongman)
• Thomas Inch (classic strongman)

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

1. ^Mathiowetz V, Kashman N, Volland G, Weber K, Dowe M, Rogers S (February 1985). 'Grip and pinch strength: normative data for adults'. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 66 (2): 69–74. PMID3970660. Archived from the original on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
2. ^Leyk, D; Gorges, W; Ridder, D; Wunderlich, M; Rüther, T; Sievert, A; Essfeld, D (2007). 'Hand-grip strength of young men, women and highly trained female athletes'. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 99 (4): 415–21. doi:10.1007/s00421-006-0351-1. PMID17186303. 90% of females produced less force than 95% of males
3. ^Effects of interface factors on the handgrip and pinchgrip force exertion capabilities, muscular contraction speed and endurance Winson W.S. LO, Alan H.S. CHAN, Michael K.H. LEUNG [1]Archived 2007-08-10 at the Wayback Machine
4. ^Rantanen T, Guralnik JM, Foley D, et al. (February 1999). 'Midlife hand grip strength as a predictor of old age disability'. JAMA. 281 (6): 558–60. doi:10.1001/jama.281.6.558. PMID10022113.
5. ^RIHM
6. ^Geere J, Chester R, Kale S, Jerosch-Herold C (2007). 'Power grip, pinch grip, manual muscle testing or thenar atrophy – which should be assessed as a motor outcome after carpal tunnel decompression? A systematic review'. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 8: 114. doi:10.1186/1471-2474-8-114. PMC2213649. PMID18028538.
7. ^Poitras, Colin. Grip Strength is good indicator of overall health. 6 June 2011. https://today.uconn.edu/2011/06/grip-strength-is-good-indicator-of-overall-health/#. 24 September 2018.
8. ^ ^abcShea, Jason. THE IMPORTANCE OF GRIP. 11 2014. https://www.onekidsplace.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Importance-of-grip-strength.pdf. 24 September 2018.
9. ^Pipal, Bhanu Priya. Correlation between Hand Grip Strength and Hand. March 2017. https://www.ijsr.net/archive/v6i3/ART20171552.pdf. 24 September 2018.
10. ^ ^abIermakov SS, Podrigalo LV, Jagiełło W. ' Hand-grip strength as an indicator for predicting the success in martial arts athletes.' Arch Budo (2016): 179-186. Volume 12.
11. ^A Brief Review of Handgrip Strength and Sport Performance. 31 July 2018. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319172114_A_Brief_Review_of_Handgrip_Strength_and_Sport_Performance. 24 September 2018.
12. ^http://www.ironmind.com/ironmind/opencms/Main/captainsofcrush3.html
13. ^Willoughby, David P. The Super Athletes. A.S. Barnes and Company: 1970
14. ^https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQBxSLCOBHk
15. ^https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oeFLUAPpns
16. ^Brookfield, John. Card Tearing. 'MILO: A Journal For Serious Strength Athletes,' Volume 1, Number 4 (January 1994), pp. 25-26. IronMind Enterprises, Inc.: Nevada City, California
17. ^Brookfield, John. The Grip Master's Manual. IronMind Enterprises, Inc.: Nevada City, California: 2002
18. ^http://www.ironbullstrength.com
19. ^Banaszczyk J., 'Steve Bechtel’s 3-6-9 Ladders hangboard finger strength training.' StrengthClimbing.com (2019): May 18, 2019. https://strengthclimbing.com/steve-bechtels-3-6-9-ladders/

References[edit]

• John Brookfield (2008). Mastery of Hand Strength, Revised Edition. Ironmind Enterprises. ISBN978-0-926888-81-4.
• John Brookfield (2002). The Grip Master's Manual. Ironmind Enterprises. ISBN978-0-926888-11-1.

A complex interplay of muscles, nerves, joints and bones allow for the degree of movement and dexterity of the human hand. Some 35 muscles in the hand and forearm control the movement of the hand. It is these muscles that give the hand the ability to move and perform tasks like gripping an object.

Hand Grip Strength Chart

When the muscles, or nerves controlling it, are diseased it can lead to overall hand weakness which may be most obvious as a weak grip. It is also important to note that the flexibility of the hand is made possible by the joints so joint diseases can therefore also affect hand movements.

Normal Hand Strength

The strength of the hands differs from person to person. Naturally a more muscular person will have a stronger grip as would more larger people in most cases. It is understandable that young adults will have a stronger grip than children or older adults most of the time, and even gender plays a role in individual grip. These factors (age, gender, body size, physical fitness, muscle mass) makes it difficult to define normal hand strength to a specific degree although there is an accepted range for what is average.

Equipment like a dynamometer makes it much simpler in putting a number to individual hand strength in pounds (lbs) or kilograms (kg). For men the average hand strength should be somewhere in the region of 105 to 112 lbs (48 to 51kg) whereas the average for adult woman is around 57 t0 65 lbs (26 to 29 kg) of pressure/force. It can be significantly higher or lower with variations in age and this may still be considered as normal. However even without specialized equipment, most of us know what normal hand strength or a normal hand grip should be.

If it is abnormally low meaning that the hand grip is weak, or if the weakness develops and progresses then it is necessary to have it assessed further. A weak hand grip can be due to various disorders and diseases. Short term hand weakness can be due to fatigue, alcohol intoxication or certain sedative medication. It will ease once the hand is rested or the substance wears off.

Causes of Weak Hand Grip

From the list of possible causes of hand weakness, most are due to nerve dysfunction and disease. This means that the muscles itself are not affected. Instead the nerve signals that causes the muscles to contract to different degrees are impeded in some way. Less commonly it may be joint diseases that are the root cause of a weak hand grip. In a small number of cases, bone, skin or blood vessel diseases could be responsible as well.

Nerve

Nerve damage and diseases may not only affect the hand grip but also cause problems with movement of the fingers and at the wrist. Since sensory fibers may also be affected in these nerves, a person may experience abnormal sensations like arm tingling, numbness or pain along with movement disorders.

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Compression of the median nerve as it passes from the forearm to the hand through a bony tunnel is known as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). This is often associated with repetitive hand movements and is a common condition these days with computer use.
• Brachial Plexus Injury/Disorder: Trauma and inflammation of the network of nerves arising from the neck region (brachial plexus) which branch off to provide sensation and movement to the upper limb. May occur with blunt or sharp force trauma, vehicle accidents, compression and other nerve diseases.
• Radial Neuropathy: The radial nerve controls the muscles responsible for the movement of the wrist, hand and fingers. It arises from the brachial plexus. Any nerve damage or nerve disease, collectively known as a neuropathy, can therefore affect these functions. It may present as wrist drop or finger drop. Radial neuropathy is also known as Saturday night palsy or squash palsy.
• Ulnar Neuropathy: The ulnar nerve also arises from the brachial plexus and runs down the arm to supply muscles of the forearm and hand. Any neuropathy (nerve disease or damage) will be seen with weakness or paralysis of the hand and the fourth and fifth fingers. It may also present with claw hand at rest. Cubital tunnel syndrome is one type of ulnar neuropathy where the problem lies at the elbow.
• Median Nerve Palsy: The median nerve also originates from the brachial plexus and is the only nerve to pass through the carpal tinnel to the hand. Any damage, disorder or disease of this nerve can lead to problems with moving the hand at the wrist and with thumb movements (“ape hand deformity”).
• Cervical Radiculopathy: The nerves that form the brachial plexus and ultimately gives rise to the nerves of the forearm and hand originate from the cervical (neck) nerves. Apart from numbness, tingling or pain and muscle weakness there may also be poor coordination and abnormal reflexes.
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, ALS is where the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It involves the degeneration of the nerves that control muscles (motor neurons) and is therefore also broadly referred to as motor neuron disease. Twitching, cramps and muscle weakness are some of the symptoms.

Weakness may also be seen with other nerve conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, Guillain Barre syndrome and multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuropathies associated with spinal cord injury, nerve infections like polio, toxins (alcohol, poisons), autoimmune diseases, diabetes (diabetic neuropathy) and a stroke.

Muscle

The muscles and its tendons are responsible for movement of the hand and fingers. Sometimes these muscles or its tendons are damaged or diseased despite there being normal nerve function. Muscle problems usually appear with weakness, paralysis and/or hand pain with certain movements.

• Myasthenia Gravis: An autoimmune disorder where there is weakness and rapid fatigue of the muscles. It is due to the immune system disrupting the communication between the nerves and muscles. It can affect most skeletal muscles (muscles under voluntary control) including those of the arm.
• Muscular Dystrophy: It is a group of muscle diseases where the muscle fibers are injured and gradually weaken over time. Muscular dystrophy is due to genetic factors. Some may be noticed early in life, even in infancy, while others may arise in the teens or early adulthood.
• Tendonitis: Inflammation of the tendons from muscles controlling the hands generally leads to pain upon movement. It can also cause some degree of weakness, although this may be more prominent with tears in the tendon. It usually occurs with acute trauma or repetitive movements over long periods of time.
• Polymyositis: A rare inflammatory disease of the muscles leading to weakness. It is believed to be due to autoimmune factors but the exact cause remains unknown. The weakness affects both sides of the body and gradually worsens over time. It is not isolated to weakness of the hand although the upper and lower limbs are mainly affected.
• Muscle Atrophy: Shrinking or wasting of the muscle may occur for a number of reasons. The loss of muscle mass subsequently leads to weakness. Atrophy of the muscles may occur for a number of reasons but is largely due to inadequate nerve stimulation of the muscles, impaired blood supply or malnutrition. It may also be seen in conditions like HIV/AIDS, cancer and other debilitating diseases.

There may also be other muscle conditions where weakness is one of the symptoms. For example, severe trauma as may occur with burns can lead to permanent muscle damage which results in weakness.

Other

Joint, bone and even ligament problems could also contribute to muscle weakness to some degree. Sometimes skin problems that reduce the elasticity of the skin or cause pain, as well as circulatory disturbances that reduce blood supply to the hand can lead to weakness. This may be seen with conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, fractured hand bones, arterial occlusion (usually a clot), burns, malnutrition and the long term us of certain drugs like corticosteroids.

Charting Hand Grip Strength

References

Omaha Hand Strength Chart

1. Radial Tunnel Syndrome. Cleveland Clinic
2. Traumatic Brachial Plexus Injuries. Medscape