Grip strength measures the force you produce when squeezing an object with the hand (duh). When testing, the object you squeeze is called a hand dynamometer, which is simply a complicated term for “grip-strength tester”, and it immediately gives you a result. The test itself is very easy to perform, merely requiring you to squeeze the device as hard as you can for 6 seconds. The testing equipment is portable and relatively inexpensive. For those reasons, grip strength testing is frequently used in research and clinical settings.

Most importantly, the results of a grip strength test are strongly predictive of several important health markers, including longevity!

Grip strength testing directly measures the force production in a relatively small amount of muscle mass, your forearm flexors. Why, then, does it relate to mortality? The answer is that grip strength reflects more than just hand strength. It is a surrogate marker for overall muscle strength and physical function. Thinking about it, your grip is a vital link in any movement in which you push/pull or carry with your arms.

Consequently, grip strength is strongly related to force production in large-muscle-mass exercises such as deadlifts and bench presses, which involve the grip. Surprisingly, grip strength has even been related to activities that don’t directly involve the hands, such as vertical jump performance and better gait mechanics! Thus, grip strength testing is best viewed as a surrogate measure of overall strength. Consequently, low grip strength is associated with poor health outcomes across a variety of domains. 

Among them:

So the evidence is pretty compelling – a strong grip helps you live longer and better.

Strength training is the best method to build and maintain a strong grip. There is a plethora of training methods that allow one to focus specifically on improving grip strength. To name a few: squeezing tennis balls, using handgrip trainers, practicing heavy holds with exercises such as farmer’s walks and suitcase deadlifts, hanging from a bar to perform exercises like pull-ups or leg raises, practicing on a climbing wall. All of them directly contribute to a stronger grip. Conventional strength training exercises like deadlifts, bench presses, bicep curls, and rows can also help one to build a stronger grip. Which leads me to this – grip strength is the measure with the most research supporting its relationship to health outcomes. But bear in mind that much of this relationship is based on the ease with which grip strength is measured. 

Grip strength testing equipment is fairly cheap, portable, and easy to use. Researchers can easily measure grip strength in hundreds to thousands of subjects in a study. That is likely why grip strength keeps popping up as the measurement of choice in research evaluating the relationship between strength and health outcomes: it is cheap, easy, and it works. That doesn’t mean it is perfect. It is possible that other, more difficult-to-obtain indices of muscle performance could have a stronger relationship with health outcomes.

For example, a recent study published an analysis of data over a 10-year period in a sample of almost 4000 subjects, finding that relative muscle power measured using an upper-body rowing exercise was a substantially stronger predictor of mortality in middle-aged to older subjects than simple grip strength alone. Relative power is a measure of the product of force produced times velocity achieved during a movement, expressed as a ratio to one’s body mass.

As you may have gathered from the preceding, admittedly dry explanation, relative muscle power is a bit harder to obtain, express, and understand than good ol’ regular grip strength. But the fact that relative power provides a greater predictor of mortality in this study strengthens my (admittedly not worth much) gut feeling that a general strength training program, consisting of mostly large-muscle mass multi-joint movements, will do the best work to enhance your overall health, rather than a strict focus on training for grip strength alone.

Grip strength varies based on factors such as age, sex, body size, and activity level, so there isn't a single "ideal" number for everyone. Healthcare providers and researchers often compare your results to age- and sex-specific reference values. Tracking changes in your own grip strength over time can also provide valuable information about your overall muscle function and health.

Yes. Grip strength can improve with regular strength training and specific grip-focused exercises. Activities such as farmer's carries, deadlifts, pull-ups, rowing exercises, hanging from a bar, and using handgrip trainers or stress balls can all help build grip strength while supporting overall muscular fitness.

Grip strength reflects more than just hand and forearm strength. Research has found that it correlates with overall muscle strength, physical function, and mobility. Lower grip strength has been associated with an increased risk of frailty, disability, cardiovascular disease, and reduced longevity, making it a simple but valuable screening tool in both research and clinical settings.

For most people, a well-rounded strength training program naturally improves grip strength because many compound exercises require you to hold, pull, or carry weight. If your grip becomes the limiting factor during exercises like deadlifts or rows—or if you participate in activities such as climbing, racquet sports, or weightlifting—adding a few dedicated grip exercises each week may provide additional benefits.

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