The Grip Strength Test: Ways to Measure Your Grip (2023)

Performing an accurate grip strength test can be difficult and tedious. You don't have the fancy equipment, you don't know exactly what to do, etc. etc.

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But here are some easy ways to measure your grip strength.

Whether you have your own hand dynamometer or just a bathroom scale, let's measure your footprint and see how you stack up against everyone else.

Information on how to perform a grip strength test

Measuring your grip tells you how much force you are exerting when you make a fist. Some people use it to measure overall body strength, but there really isn't a good correlation there.[1]

The best way to measure your grip is to use ahand dynamometer, a special machine for testing grip strength. You can see a photo of one on the right and another below.

Both dynamometers were made to test full grip. There are other, more specialized grip strength tests of your pinch strength (your thumb pinches towards the other 4 fingers), but that's beyond the scope of what we're doing here.

Although most portable dynamometers are expensive ($150 and up), you can use them at a doctor's office or find them at your gym.

Don't throw away a ton of money without checking first.

sailing tensiometerThey are another type of gauges that are mainly used to measure force in other parts of the body, but you can also use them in the hand. You use a cable attached to a stationary object and contract your muscles and pull on it. Sort of like pulling on a scale you might find in the produce section of your grocery store.

They're less common than dynamometers, though they're also great for grip strength testing.

So off to the exams!

How to use a hand dynamometer
grip test

For this you need a manual dynamometer adapted to the size of your hand. The following method is described inFitness and wellness for life: a personalized program, and it is fundamental to measure the strength of the hand.[2]

• Position the middle finger bones so that they rest on the front end of the dynamometer handle, the part that you will be holding. (See photos above)
• With hand facing forward, hold arm at side of body, elbow at 90 degrees, elbow about 2 inches from body.
• Do 2-3 practice grips. Get a picture of how to hold the dynamometer.
• Squeeze your hand as hard as you can for a few seconds (3-5). Don't move any other part of your body, don't help other muscles, etc.
• Do 3 attempts, allowing about a minute to recover between each attempt.
• Use the highest test result as your grip strength.

Simple version #1:
Grip strength test with a bathroom scale

This is the poor man's version if you can't get hold of a dyno. You need more muscle control so you don't mess up the test.

You will need a scale, a hanging board (a bar or something to hold on to), and a stopwatch.[3]

• Stand on the scale and measure your body weight.
• Then, without bending your elbows, grab the bar/board andNoUsing a part of your body other than your hands, tense your hands and stand up for 5 seconds.
• Write down what the scale says during the 5 seconds that you tense your hands.
• How much you weigh - how much you weigh while holding your hands = your grip strength in pounds.

This will tell you how much grip strength you have with a little less precision than the dynamometer. If you are interested, you can use this method to find out what percentage of your body weight you can hold using this equation...

Your percentage of body weight gripped = 100 x [ 1 - (weight on scale when gripped / your body weight) ]

Example:

40.7% = 100 x [ 1 - ( 80 pounds / 135 pounds) ]

This is especially useful for people who use the handle to move their body weight, such as B. Climbers and gymnasts. This method was originally presented inbest climbingby Heather Sagar.

Simple version #2:
Grip strength test with a cable machine

For this method, you need a cable weight lifting machine and a friend. Take both and...[4]

• Lie on the ground with the fingers of one hand just touching the handle. The handle should be set to a light weight.
• Have a friend keep your torso down, support your body, and support your elbow. For the test, only his hand should shake.
• Bring your hands together and close the grip.

If you can easily close your hand, put a little more weight on the handle until you can no longer close the handle. If you can't close your grip, lighten it until you can close your hand. You get your score when you are at the limit of what your grip can close.

What is a "good" weight for a grip strength test?

It can be fun to know how your footprint compares to everyone else's. Here's an idea of ​​what is good and bad grip...

Back issues are great for "general" information. But it helps to be more specific.

If you're looking for a more comprehensive breakdown, take a look at the charts below. They break down various information by both age groups and gender.

Just remember that tack values ​​are forthe strength of the grips of both hands, added together.

Conclution

So... There are different types of grip strength tests you can do. Test how strong your hands are, make them stronger, show yourself crushing raw eggs at parties.

Just doing a grip strength test will get you nowhere. Work your grip really hard to make it stronger.

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• Click here for more information on the hand grip exercise!

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The Grip Strength Test: Ways to Measure Your Grip
References:
1. Hoeger, Werner W.K. y Hoeger, Sharon A. 2010.Fitness and wellness for life: a personalized program. Brooks/Cole Pub Co. S. 210.
2. Ibid.
3. Sagar, Heather Reynolds. 2001.Boost Your Best: Training to Maximize Your Performance. Mechanicsburg, Pensilvania: Stackpole Books. págs. 9
4. Ebd. pages. 10.
5. Heyward, Vivian H. 2010.Advanced fitness assessment and exercise prescription🇬🇧 Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. pages. 133.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid.
8. Ibid.
9. Ibid.
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid.