Relative Grip Strength

[3djim]

Has crushing grip strength data, taken from a dynamometer, been published and normed for bodyweight?

It would be interesting to know how the various classes of athletes/occupations compared, say rock climbers to gymnasts to brick layers,,, etc. My best guess is the elite gymnasts would rate highest.

It would be interesting to know what some of these values are for those on this grip board as well.

For example, if one weighed 150lbs and rated a one hand squeeze on a dynamomter of 170 lbs of force, then thestrength to bodyweight ratio would be:

170/150 ~ 1.13

[denver]

This was done several years ago for an article in Climbing or Rock & Ice. The case group was a bunch of random rock climbers with a few professionals thrown in. The author went around to a buch of popular crags and had each climber weigh in, then sqeeze a hand-dynamometer. The article got most of its attention from it's comparison between two climbing stars (Chris Sharma and Dave Graham). They both had the best grip-weight ratio except for one ramdom "no name climber" with Dave Graham just beating Chris Sharma. I will look through my old mags to see if I can find that article. All in all I remember the article being okay with nothing all that interesting in the results.

I think the real interest would be in a comparison like you proposed...between athletes from different sport genres

Edited August 26, 2004 by denver

[Clay Edgin]

Dale Harder has some excellent information regarding this. He has tested Olympic weightlifters, bodybuilders, strongmen, highland games athletes, and the occasional grip guy or two. He says that, by and large, highland games athletes have the best grips.

[bencrush]

Very interesting Clay. Do you think they get their grip from their gym training or from hanging on to the implements? I would not have guessed that they were the best, although I would have put them very high.

[Tom of Iowa2]

Can't remember where but I remember that out of main stream sports((baseball,track &field,football players,basketball players,wrestling,etc.)that basketball players had the best (measurable grips)...IF I'm remembering correctly? it is probably because the Basketball players ALL have huge hands.....(and are known for their ball handling :laugh )Seriously.I think this article was about 'elite'athletes Pro? or at least D1 College.I can't remember where wrestling ranked but as a former wrestler I was suprised that they weren't the highest? Of course wreslting has weight classes and other then the top 3 weight classes wrestlers are actually small....so that might bring the readings(average) down.

I remember a post by John Wood about a kid (7 ft. kid)skinny basketball player and he lifted up the INCH replica...and walked,some distance, with it effortlessly.Thats thick bar-not a hand dyno.But .....the basketball player i think he described was a scrub...not an elite or pro basketball player.

May have misintrepreted the calibre of player he was.But an indication that the B-Ball players may indeed have strong hands?

When they took into account a lot of other sports I think it was Rodeo bull and bronc riders and Motocrossers that had excellent grips/very high readings.Both had pronounced 'dominant'side but had great grips pound for pound.

Unlike Dale Harders records this 'report' I'm referring to(that i am vaguely rmembering)wouldn't have included highland games guys or strongmen.....which are probably the strongest "athletes"(grip wise)nvolved in an organized sport.

Also they didn't mention rock climbers...which of course would have great grips also.

Edited August 27, 2004 by Tom of Iowa2

[JustinH]

If the guy was 7ft tall then he must have really big hands. His hand size would probably be a lot to do with him lifting the not so thick to him inch db.

[Zevich]

Although I have never seen it in print I would think international class Judo players would rate high. Hours on end on a mat tugging and pulling on a thick Judi gi especially in the heavier weight catagories would include Judoka. Tendanitis in the fingers is a problem for heavy weights as they get older.

[MikeP]

Clay, my little "carry the grippers around and try to find somebody who can close it" experiment would support the highland games theory. I work on oil rigs and no man yet has closed the 2, although lots are within a 1/4" and nearly everyone pretty easily closed the 1. The only man, so far, that I have had close my 2 first try was my cousin who is a 250lb shot/hammer thrower formerly for wichita state. He mashed the T, 1, and tried the 2 and got within a 1/8" and said oh thats tough so he grabbed it like he meant it and smashed it too. He was distracted by his young son the first time. I was definitely impressed. Told him next xmas I am bringing a 3 and we'll have a go. I better get cracking, cause his was basically no set and I still can't handle a 2 that way the way he did. I asked him what he did for grip and he said nothing. The hang cleans (365, not too shabby) and hammer throwing were the only things he could think of that really got his grip pumped. Said they hang clean all the time.

[SqeezeMasterFlash]

I remember in an Milo from sometime last year a Highland games athlete who didn't specificly train grip but tried a dyno one day and was higher than some of the certified COC's that were around, so he gave it a shot and closed the #3. He said hanging onto the weight for height was all the grip training he needed.

[OldGuy]

I have have read that Timber Sports competitors have immensely strong hands and forearms.

[foggymountainmuscle]

Anybody who can do single rafter pullups would have to have a high relative grip strength.

[SqeezeMasterFlash]

I have have read that Timber Sports competitors have immensely strong hands and forearms.

That would make sense. It would take some pretty serious grip strength/endurance to do what those guys do, especially as fast as they do it.

Edited August 27, 2004 by SqeezeMasterFlash

[oldtimer]

Regarding testing grip strength with the dynamometer--the beauty of it is that it can be adjusted for any hand size so that big hands is no advantage as it is in the Inch lift or in a hand gripper. Conservatively I've tested at least 300 people, but more likely 600. I only record the more noteworthy marks at given age levels for both genders, and sometimes someone at a lighter bodyweight. I did find one judoka who tested about 90 kg, but the highland games athletes I've tested at the pro level average over 90 kg-- with Clay Edgin's 116 kg the best (btw he's not in the pro class yet). When I went to the world's weightlifting championship last year at Vancouver--some very big names wouldn't try it but the best guy wasn't the heaviest but Dobroth of Bulgaria, bodyweight about 94 kg (207 lb) who squeezed 98 kg. This mark beat all of the heavyweights and superheavyweights who tried it, but I won't name them at this time. I would think that rock climbers, wrestlers, and martial arts guys would be strong as well but I need to test a lot more of them--actually I haven't tested anyone yet who claims to be a pro rock climber.

[jad]

I agree, I think Timbersports would be high. I think armwrestlers would be up there as well.