Genghis Fitness · Strength Training

Grip Strength: Why It Predicts Health Outcomes, How to Test It, Training Methods That Work, and When to Use Straps

Updated 2026  |  By Team Genghis Fitness  |  23 min read

Grip strength is one of the most studied physical performance metrics in epidemiology, and the findings are remarkable: grip strength measured with a hand dynamometer is a stronger predictor of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and disability than many standard clinical biomarkers. For athletes, grip strength is simultaneously a training outcome worth developing directly and a performance limiter that constrains how much you can train the larger muscles of the back, legs, and arms before grip fails first. Understanding why grip strength matters, how to develop it systematically, and when to use lifting accessories to bypass its limitation is the complete knowledge set for any serious strength athlete.

Why Grip Strength Predicts Health

A landmark prospective study published in The Lancet measured grip strength in over 140,000 adults across 17 countries and found that each 5 kg reduction in grip strength was associated with a 17 percent higher risk of cardiovascular mortality and a 16 percent higher risk of all-cause mortality, independent of physical activity levels, BMI, and other health factors. The association between grip strength and health outcomes was stronger than the association with systolic blood pressure, one of the most established cardiovascular risk markers.

The mechanistic explanation is not that weak grip muscles directly cause disease. Grip strength is a proxy for overall musculoskeletal health, lean mass adequacy, and the physical activity levels that maintain both. People with higher grip strength tend to have better overall body composition, higher levels of habitual physical activity, and the neuromuscular integrity that indicates systemic health. Improving grip strength as part of a comprehensive strength training program therefore reflects the same health-supportive adaptations that make grip a health predictor.

For athletes, grip strength below normal values for age and sex indicates that the hand, wrist, and forearm musculature has not kept pace with the development of larger muscle groups. This gap creates performance limitations across every pulling exercise and many pressing exercises that place wrist stability demands on the forearm extensor muscles.

Types of Grip Strength and Which Exercises Build Each

Crushing grip: The ability to close the hand forcefully against resistance closing the fingers and thumb toward the palm. This is what most people mean by grip strength and what dynamometer tests measure. Developed by heavy deadlifts, barbell rows, pull-ups with double overhand grip, and specific implements like thick-bar training, plate pinches, and hand grippers.

Supporting grip (open hand grip): The ability to hold an implement in an open-hand position for sustained duration without the fingers closing. This is the grip demanded by farmer carries, barbell holds, and extended sets of deadlifts. Research published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research identified supporting grip as the specific grip quality most often limiting deadlift performance, as the hand cannot generate sufficient closure force at supramaximal loads and the bar rolls in the fingers.

Pinch grip: The ability to hold an implement between the thumb and fingers without the palm. Developed by plate pinches (holding weight plates by their rim between thumb and fingers), pinch grip deadlifts, and specialty pinch implements.

Wrist strength and stability: The ability of the wrist joint to maintain position under load. Developed by wrist roller exercises, reverse curls, and pressing movements. This quality is supported by wrist wraps for maximum loads.

Best Exercises for Building Grip Strength

Double overhand deadlifts without straps: The most effective grip strength exercise for most athletes because the loads used are substantial and the grip challenge is direct. Training the deadlift exclusively with straps prevents grip from being challenged, removing the training stimulus that develops it. Use double overhand grip without straps for warm-up sets and moderate-load working sets; reserve straps for maximum-load sets where grip genuinely limits performance. The complete guide to this approach is in our grip strength exercises guide.

Farmer carries: Picking up heavy dumbbells or barbells and walking for distance. Few exercises develop supporting grip as effectively as loaded carries because the sustained isometric hold trains the endurance component of grip that brief barbell lifting does not fully address. 3 to 4 sets of 30 to 50 metre carries at a load that challenges grip by the end of each carry.

Dead hangs: Hanging from a pull-up bar with a full bodyweight load for maximal duration. A basic but effective supporting grip exercise. Progress to weighted hangs (using a dip belt to add weight) as bodyweight hangs become easy. Target 60 to 90 second hangs as a baseline standard.

Plate pinches: Hold two 25 lb (10 kg) plates pinched together between thumb and fingers, smooth sides out, for 30 to 60 second holds. One of the best thumb and pinch grip exercises. Progress to heavier plates or three plates as strength improves.

Hand gripper progressive training: Captains of Crush style rated grippers trained with sets of 5 to 10 slow closes with 3 second holds at full close. Progress through resistance levels systematically rather than using the same gripper indefinitely.

When to Use Straps (and When Not To)

Lifting straps are not a substitute for grip strength development they are a tool that allows the primary target muscles of a pulling exercise to be trained beyond the point where grip would otherwise limit the set. The correct use of straps: apply them for the maximum-effort sets where grip genuinely cannot hold the load needed to provide adequate stimulus to the back, legs, or other primary muscles. Avoid using straps for sets where grip is not the limiting factor, because those sets are providing grip training stimulus that you are eliminating unnecessarily.

A practical protocol: perform warm-up sets and moderate-load working sets without straps to develop grip concurrently with the primary muscles. Use lifting straps for the final heavy working sets where the load exceeds grip endurance. This hybrid approach builds grip over time without sacrificing maximum training stimulus on the primary exercises. The broader guide to strap use and grip training integration is in our straps vs chalk guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Is Grip Strength Tested?

The standard clinical measurement uses a hand dynamometer (Jamar or similar) squeezed at maximum effort 3 times in each hand, with the highest value recorded. Normal values by age and sex are published by multiple health organisations. For athletes, a useful field test is the bodyweight hang to failure test: hang from a pull-up bar with double overhand grip and time until grip fails. Under 30 seconds indicates poor grip endurance. 60 to 90 seconds is solid. Over 2 minutes with bodyweight indicates excellent grip endurance.

How Quickly Does Grip Strength Improve?

Grip strength responds relatively quickly to targeted training because the forearm and hand muscles are small with high neural plasticity. Beginners typically see 20 to 40 percent improvements in grip strength within 8 to 12 weeks of consistent direct grip training. Advanced athletes see smaller percentage improvements but can still make meaningful progress over 16 to 24 weeks of progressive grip training. Including grip work in 2 to 3 sessions per week, with progressive overload (heavier loads or longer durations), is the most effective approach.

Does Grip Training Cause Forearm or Elbow Problems?

Excessive grip training volume, particularly with grippers, can contribute to medial epicondylitis (golfer’s elbow) by overloading the finger and wrist flexor tendons at their elbow attachment. The key is progressive overload and adequate recovery, not maximum daily volume. 2 to 3 direct grip sessions per week with 48 hours between sessions provides adequate stimulus with adequate recovery. Athletes who experience elbow pain during grip training should reduce volume and frequency and consult a physiotherapist if symptoms persist.