Jump to content
GD DYNO-200 giveaway! ×

Squeezing a bathroom scale to 280+ pounds


Recommended Posts

Posted

Hello. I don't know much about grip strength, and I'm hoping somebody on here can help give me some perspective.

How good is your grip if you can squeeze a bathroom scale to 280+ pounds? My uncle says that he did this when he was 17. I know this is a good grip. The video embedded below suggests that it's exceptional. My uncle is not a macho or braggadocios guy, and I would assume that he's telling the truth. At worst, he could be misremembering.

I understand that squeezing a scale is an unscientific test, but have any of you tried it? What's a good scale squeeze? Approximately what captains of crush gripper would you imagine somebody could close if they can squeeze a scale to 280 pounds?

 

  • Like 1
Posted

I've seen my dad max out a scale that went to 125kg/275lbs, he was close to 60 when he did this. I can't remember off the top of my head what his "max" was, I know it's something he often did with friends/colleagues in his prime years. I'm pretty sure it would have been 300+ lbs though, something I probably still can't beat even with 2 years of dedicated grip training.

  • Like 1

Certs done: MM1 | Griffkraft (143RGC TNS) | Golden Grip LVL 6 (TNS) | Armlifting Greece Olympian (30mm block - 23 reps) 

Goals: #3 cert & GHP 8 cert

Posted

That's like using a ruler to measure an earthquake

  • Like 1

186 PB350 MMS, 183 CoC 3.5 MMS, 180 CoC 3.5 38 mm, 178 GHP8 30 mm, 175 GHP8 CCS

Posted

Welcome to the forum!

I guess it can be fun to do with friends if you understand that scales are not designed for that type of force and "weight" distribution; you're not really measuring grip strength as with a dyno, etc. And of course, two different brands of scales should never be compared

3 hours ago, graumand said:

Approximately what captains of crush gripper would you imagine somebody could close if they can squeeze a scale to 280 pounds?

It's impossible to tell for many reasons. But your uncle was probably a strong guy 🙂

  • Like 2
Posted (edited)
17 hours ago, EmilBB said:

I've seen my dad max out a scale that went to 125kg/275lbs, he was close to 60 when he did this. I can't remember off the top of my head what his "max" was, I know it's something he often did with friends/colleagues in his prime years. I'm pretty sure it would have been 300+ lbs though, something I probably still can't beat even with 2 years of dedicated grip training.

If you have access to the right kind of scale, you should give it a squeeze and report back! My best squeeze on my bathroom scale is 185 pounds. This is in-the-ballpark consistent with my closing power on my recently purchased GD Iron Grip gripper, which I can close at 104 pounds.

Edited by graumand
  • Like 1
Posted (edited)
14 hours ago, matek said:

And of course, two different brands of scales should never be compared.

Oh yeah, I agree that you wouldn't expect super consistent results between scales, but FWIW I've tested my grip on my bathroom scale and the scale at my in-laws house. They are a very different shape and thickness, but if I adjust my hands I squeeze them both to the same number, within 5 pounds.

Edited by graumand
Posted
14 hours ago, matek said:

Welcome to the forum!

And thank you!

Posted (edited)
20 hours ago, graumand said:

If you have access to the right kind of scale, you should give it a squeeze and report back! My best squeeze on my bathroom scale is 185 pounds. This is in-the-ballpark consistent with my closing power on my recently purchased GD Iron Grip gripper, which I can close at 104 pounds.

Grip doesn't work like that. It's not like squat and deadlift where there are a lot of similarities to the lifts. Grip is much more specific than anything else. Squeezing a scale will not tell you anything at all when it comes to closing a gripper. It's completely diffrent types of stength/skill.

It will tell you  a little bit how strong you fingers are in general but that's about it.

Grippers are by far the worst way of testing someones grip strength if you're new to it because it's by far the most neurological thing in grip sport. It's like the olympic weigthlifting of grip. It's a super specific type of strength.

Edited by Fist of Fury
Posted

I am informed that grip feats cannot be indexed against each other. Still, if anybody happens to have access to an analog scale, I'd appreciate it if they would squeeze it and let me know what numbers they get. Thanks!

Posted
7 hours ago, graumand said:

I am informed that grip feats cannot be indexed against each other. Still, if anybody happens to have access to an analog scale, I'd appreciate it if they would squeeze it and let me know what numbers they get. Thanks!

I get 95 kg but l'm not really trying because it hurts in the fingers. I think I have done 105 kg a long time ago.

  • Like 1

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy policies.