Raising the American Weakling

http://nautil.us/issue/45/power/raising-the-american-weakling

by jontas • 9 years ago

185 165 9 years ago

xwowsersx• 9 years ago

Well yeah. Use it or lose it, as they say. In weightlifting and powerlifting, grip strength is something that some people focus on in their training...can help a lot with deadlifting and such. Things like farmer's walk or just single-handed static barbell holds can help improve grip strength a ton.

Afton• 9 years ago

If you're interested, head over to /r/griptraining. One of the most frustrating things about grip, is how specific each kind of grip strength is. Pinch grip (tripod pinch) vs static holds vs ulnar grip, all require specific training.

0xcde4c3db• 9 years ago

As far as I know strength in general follows a fundamentally similar pattern (i.e. strength gain doesn't translate much among different movements); I assume the difference is that there are more joints in your hands and hence more permutations of angles under tension.

Y201K• 9 years ago

+1 for separating the two sports. Grip strength is rarely a limiting factor in weightlifting though.

Neliquat3• 9 years ago

For noobs it often is. Also other sports like pole, climbing, gymnastics, etc require much more than iron.

tammer2• 9 years ago

I find practicing yoga to be surprisingly helpful in building grip strength. Many balancing postures are really good for this.

colordrops• 9 years ago

Which postures increase grip strength? Binds? What form of yoga do you practice?

09bjb• 9 years ago

All the arm-balance poses and handstanding are dependent on grip strength, at least to do properly. Maybe I'm conflating finger/forearm/wrist strength with "grip", but they sure feel related. The crow pose and handstanding seem to help my DL, and visa versa.

nooron2• 9 years ago

A few simple grip trainers from Amazon did wonders for my weightlifting.

A couple years ago, I was a novice with barbells. After a month of failing to progress on barbell lifts, I realized that my grip strength was lacking. The trainers solved the problem.

I'd highly recommend anyone start with basic grip training with a barbell routine. Made a huge difference for me.

kbart• 9 years ago

Any specific recommendations? I've tried few, but wasn't impressed.

tomsthumb4• 9 years ago

Captain of crush gets recommended fairly often. Rice buckets would likely not be bad for straight hypertrophy which you could turn around with some recruitment into straight strength.

nooron2• 9 years ago

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C1DW2UO/. If you are male, start with the 60, 80, and 100 lb strengths. If you are female, start with 40, 60, 80. Cap'n of Crush is great, but will also grate your hands and forms callouses. I don't like being covered in callouses all the time. Also, these are more innocuous and will make you look like less of a meathead in public.

monkmartinez• 9 years ago

Have you seen how many people complain about carrying a 2 to 5 lb laptop a few miles? No wonder strength is down across the board.

Go dig a hole every now and again. Do some sandbag training. Play on the monkeybars with your kids. DO SHIT and lift heavy stuff when you can.

stuckagain• 9 years ago

I'd be surprised if the average American alive today has ever walked a few miles in his life.

rexreed• 9 years ago

All at once or do you mean over their lifetime? In the first sense, possibly correct but probably not. In the second sense, without a doubt incorrect.

rusk4• 9 years ago

Go dig

Without a doubt, one of the most satisfying all-body compound exercises you can do. Spend a day digging and you'll have pains in places you didn't even know you had muscles.

throwanem• 9 years ago

Or just wander all over the place. It's not just good exercise; you might half-slide, half-tumble down a hundred-foot hill and find this at the bottom: http://i.imgur.com/2zfbnc9.jpg (And a nest of bees at the top, on the way back up! There is nothing I know of that'll send you up that last twenty feet of 45° slope faster than to bump into a deadfall log and hear it start angrily humming.)

Those blue jeans you might make so much of wearing to work every day? This is the sort of thing they are made for. Give them a workout, and yourself as well. You'll feel a lot better for it!

nicolas_t2• 9 years ago

I'm in France currently and it's been a while since I've seen monkey bars in a kid playground. Along with swings and sand, they've been deemed too dangerous by the authorities.

With the current playgrounds, I don't think kids have a lot of opportunities to build up strength. Less than we did as a kid.

aptwebapps2• 9 years ago

Sand? What's the danger with sand? Eye injuries?

rectangletangle• 9 years ago

Grip strength has strong ties to overall cardiovascular health. Since a strong developed heart can adequately supply the blood flow necessary for a strong grip. Focusing on grip strength isn't terribly important, relative to focusing on overall cardiovascular health. Grip strength is a good example of correlation, since it's a byproduct of overall health.

Working a sedentary desk job, it's really important to deliberately make time for proper exercise. Running, swimming, biking, or whatever, It's important to exert yourself. That being said, I don't think it would hurt too much to do some hand exercises regularly.

bashinator• 9 years ago

I'm a musician - I use many different grip-strength trainers on a regular basis at the desk. One of my favorites is power putty, but the traditional one-per-finger squeeze tool is good too.

warcher• 9 years ago

I'm at the phase of my musical career where my desk routine is mostly stretching against RSI injuries. But even back in the day, nothing but hours on the instrument ever helped my hand strength. The motor skills are just too fiddly and specialized-- you lift, you row, et cetera, mostly I found I played worse.

theparanoid• 9 years ago

"We can even now read of pro athletes unable to complete a single pull-up" is very disingenuous. I won't extol on the benefits of exercise since the first principle is to not fool yourself.

_yvjs2• 9 years ago

relsted to the secular decline in testosterone (whatever's causing that)?

brokenmachine• 9 years ago

Secular??

alexmat• 9 years ago

"(of a fluctuation or trend) occurring or persisting over an indefinitely long period. "there is evidence that the slump is not cyclical but secular""

dyim• 9 years ago

I've heard finance-types use "secular" to mean "long-term" (as opposed to "non-religious")

_yvjs2• 9 years ago

*related

since this doesn't seem familiar to people, a little more detail:

http://slatestarcodex.com/2015/02/16/did-falling-testosteron...

https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article-lookup/doi/10.1210/jc....

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17895324

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323394504578607...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/active/mens-health/10695991/W...

Serum testosterone levels and sperm count and quality seem to be declining. Not entirely clear it's real and not all clear why it would be happening.

Some contrary evidence: http://www.harryfisch.com/pdf/Declining%20Worldwide%20Sperm%...

cik2e• 9 years ago

I think it's more like if you're close to dying you might also have some trouble grabbing on to stuff.

> Grip strength was not only “inversely associated with all-cause mortality”—every 5 kilogram (kg) decrement in grip strength was associated with a 17 percent risk increase"

Statements like this one need a min/max, better yet some quartiles, to even start to make sense. The relationship can't possibly be linear.

aisofteng• 9 years ago

"I think it's more like" and "can't possibly be" are useless layman speculation unless backed by hard data.

andrenotgiant• 9 years ago

I'm not able to access the full study, but I'm impressed that they could get statistical significance with 237 people. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26869476

ASpring• 9 years ago

Why? If you can't get significance with 237 people your effect size is likely so negligible that it's not worth studying anyway.

allemagne• 9 years ago

If you want to simulate our "arboreal ancestors" to improve grip strength then you could probably do no better than joining a rock climbing gym. Every time I visit mine I leave with my forearms aching and plenty of freshly torn calluses. It's fun as hell, maybe in part because we as humans used to need an inborn propensity for it.

brianmwaters_hn2• 9 years ago

Totally anecdotal here, but I would not hesitate to wager that many climbers' grip strengths lie way outside the normal range. The sport has a higher grip exercise-to-cardiovascular exercise ratio (however you might measure that) than probably any other sport that exists today.

rangibaby• 9 years ago

Another way of building your grip strength is deadlifting raw, although that is anaerobic.

sandworm1018• 9 years ago

Maybe for 'gym rat' climbers. Gyms have larger holds and steeper walls. Climbing in the real world is more about balance and legs/feet. You almost never hang off your hands. Instead you are gripping tiny flakes of rock in an effort to keep weight over your feet. Hands and fingers will get abused in cracks (something gyms dont have) but im not so sure about grip.

ryanSrich• 9 years ago

Judo and Ju Jitsu as well.

Grip and hand fighting are very integral to both combat sports. A sport like Ju Jitsu helps improve not only your grip strength, but foot dexterity and prehensility.

tomsthumb4• 9 years ago

Jiu Jitsu is very concept oriented to boot. Strategy and understanding run deep. Honestly it would surprise me if jiu jitsu black belts weren't intellectually on the level of chess masters (obviously translated into the physical domain).

dota_fanatic• 9 years ago

Something to aim for with rock-climbing is no thick calluses, and especially not torn ones. All this requires is more care when going for / leaving a hold, by using the exact right angle and applied force for friction as needed. Letting go of the hold completely before falling instead of trying to defy the fall is also big for this.

Not only will this save your skin, but this careful attitude will also minimize chance of serious injury, which is unfortunately all too common with rock climbing. It can be hard to say no to the wall, even when you know you're done ;)

artlogic• 9 years ago

I started indoor climbing 3 months ago and it's done wonders for my grip strength, as well as my overall health. I can't recommend it enough for engineers and other problem solving addicts. I was, frankly, bored by weight training and other more traditional exercise routes. Now I look forward to a nice change of pace - solving physical problems as opposed to logic problems.

brianmwaters_hn2• 9 years ago

The problem-solving aspect of climbing (esp. bouldering) is definitely one of the best parts. Very easy to get sucked "into it" once you get started.

caconym_• 9 years ago

I second your recommendation. For various reasons I haven't been doing it the last few years, but it was really good for me and I'd like to get back into it.

nitrogen• 9 years ago

Another non-team sport that has good problem solving aspects but on a faster pace is trail running. You don't get the same thinking through a route you might have with rock climbing, but leaping over rocks and ruts requires some quick subconscious analysis and careful pacing that can be quite exhilarating.

burger_moon• 9 years ago

Deadlifts seem to be doing wonders for my grip strength. For a while my grip was the limiting factor on my dead lift. Actually most pulling exercises are going to work your grip strength. By the end of my pull days I struggle to hold on to light dumbbells for a whole set.

jboggan• 9 years ago

I made the mistake of deadlifting the morning before trapeze practice once.

hudibras• 9 years ago

For those looking to geek out on grip training: https://www.reddit.com/r/GripTraining/wiki/faq

maxcan5• 9 years ago

Many of the comments here seem to be focussing on increasing grip strength but that misses something the article could have delved into more. Grip strength is strongly correlated with health and longevity, but its not directly causal - simply increasing your grip strength wont really add many years to your life. Instead grip strength is strong correlate with overall musculo-skeletal mass and strength, which does have a highly causal relationship with health and longevity. So, focussing purely on grip strength will do more to break the correlation than give you a long life.

If you want to have a healthy, long life focus on overall strength. Squats, deadlifts, odd-object carries etc. If you're new to lifting, have someone who isn't show you proper form. Or just read Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe. Its the bible of heavy lifts.

Source: I can deadlift more than 3 times my bodyweight while still having a 7 min mile.

Hydraulix9893• 9 years ago

That puts you in the most elite category for fitness (at least for strength): http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/DeadliftStandards....

The bar is a lot higher for mile times, but 7 minute mile still is top ~25% of the American population, given we're all so sedentary.

pyromine• 9 years ago

That's absurd, I had surgery and couldn't do anything for 3 weeks, once finally cleared my second run I ran a 6:30 mile.

How is it that as a society we've devalued physical health so strongly.

sandworm1018• 9 years ago

Top 25% doesn't sound all that great given how many are totally incapable of running a mile in any time. I once looked up my swimming pace for a typical workout (15min x 5km). That's well within the top 0.1%. Navy SEALs dont swim that well. But given that probably less than 1% of the general population swim any laps regularly, it isnt saying much.

Fyi, if you want to feel good about your swimming, lookup the youtube vids of the navy seals swimming standards. I know 12yo kids who could pass them. Their pace wouldnt even qualify for the 'fast' lane at my local lap pool (50m/minute).

martinko• 9 years ago

TL;DR: Do deadlifts.

rusk4• 9 years ago

I'd love to, but my knees are banjaxed. Making do with leg press, bench and other compound exercises with heavy weights. If you can't squat, deadlift etc. for whatever reason just lifting heavy weights (free weights if at all possible) is the next best thing.

test12352• 9 years ago

... and squats to sort out the problems caused by sitting all day at office jobs.

u_wot_m8• 9 years ago

As a former D1 athlete I don't think anyone should do deadlifts. Seen lots of people have their form slip on one rep and take a trick to snap city.

darkerside• 9 years ago

Grip strength is actually not a terrible place to start regardless of direct causality. When most people start weight training, particularly the major pulls (deadlifts, pull ups), the grip is the first part of the lift to fail.

yummyfajitas• 9 years ago

Depends on physiology. I have very big hands, and that makes gripping a bar really easy. To train grip I need to use Phat Gripz (this thing: http://amzn.to/2kG9XSf just look at the pic) when deadlifting for reps.

Some years back I was practicing martial arts. Certain disarms just didn't work on me simply because of how far around the weapon my fingers went.

gadders2• 9 years ago

Farmers Walks are good as well. I've done 80kg in each hand for 20m (at a bodyweight of 105kg).

//edit// and at the age of 45.

maxcan5• 9 years ago

They're excellent. Also, much more of a full body, compound movement than people realize.

hutzlibu• 9 years ago

"If you want to have a healthy, long life focus on overall strength. Squats, deadlifts, odd-object carries etc."

... or do something that applies your strength in the outside world, like climbing ;) Bonus points for fresh air and awesome view ...

ekidd2• 9 years ago

If you're new to lifting, have someone who isn't show you proper form.

I cannot emphasize this enough. And even then, be extremely careful with heavy lifts (anything more than, say, what your body weight would be at 20% body fat).

I worked regularly with an extremely good Rippetoe-certified coach. My form was better than most of the beginners you see in the gym. At 40, I was stronger than I was as a high-school athlete, and it was an amazing feeling.

But one day, a 245x5 squat set went very slightly weird. Two days latter, I had tingling and numbness in my foot soles. It turns out that I'd aggravated a relatively minor disk bulge at L4/L5 (about half the population has a disk bulge there). And now I've been in moderate pain for close to three months with very slow improvement.

The long-term prognosis is excellent, as far as I know. I will almost certainly heal. I know plenty of people who've done worse to their backs and who are fine today.

But heed my example: If you're going to do heavy lifts, especially deadlifts or squats, make sure your form is as close to perfect as you can get it, and remember that you can't eliminate all risk.

One thing I have noticed: There are no 55- to 70-year-old powerlifters in the gym. But there are old bodybuilders who've been lifting for 40+ years with only the rarest of injuries. They're careful, and they say things like, "I don't like the risk/reward on heavy squats." When I return to serious lifting, I'm considering on giving up on powerlifting and switching to a more bodybuilding-centric program.

autokad2• 9 years ago

squats are extremely dangerous, and I dont think anyone should do them. it only takes 1 set of bad form to permanently damage one's back or knees.

that doesnt stop body builders from spreading the gospel of squats, even as they have copious knee and/or back problems.

Icedcool• 9 years ago

"One thing I have noticed: There are no 55- to 70-year-old powerlifters in the gym. But there are old bodybuilders who've been lifting for 40+ years with only the rarest of injuries."

I've noticed this as well, and I've heard it correlated to having an aim in the gym vs sticking to your regimen. That the body builder has an aim, and if something hurts a bit they'll work around it and let it heal. While a powerlifter will push through it (sticking to their routine) inevitably ending in injury.

The point being, don't give up power lifting.. but listen to your body and move away from the PUSH IT/Deviation from routine is failure, kind of attitude.

The idea is explored here by the glute boss, Bret Contreras: https://www.t-nation.com/training/why-bodybuilders-are-more-...

ChemicalWarfare3• 9 years ago

> One thing I have noticed: There are no 55- to 70-year-old powerlifters in the gym

I don't see too many people over 50 in ANY gym. When I hung around PL gyms however I did see older lifters doing their thing, obv. concentrating more on reps but still competing. The kicker is in that age 50+ group just getting out on the platform gets you some kind of a trophy :)

Back injuries suck. Get an inversion table if you don't have one yet.

gonzo• 9 years ago

Last March I had a upper right glute spasm while squatting my second set of 260lbx4. I finished the rep, but not the set.

It took months to get back to weight. PR a couple weeks ago of 308lb. Bench 290lb, DL:423lb.

So I'm closing in on 1,000 lbs combined. (Just haven't done it all in one day.)

As to your no old power lifters comment, I'll be 55 in May. While I'll never be a competitive power lifter, I still enjoy lifting.

I have no plans to "give up".

graeme3• 9 years ago

I've been coming to this train of though myself. I still want to lift, to have my bone system deal with weight pressing on it. But I don't want to injure myself. I've had a few small things that kicked me out of the gym for 1-2 months. I worry what a bigger one would look like.

Does your 20% heuristic change at all for the type of lift? For me that would lead to a bench press near my PR, but a squat and deadlift far below. So bench would feel a bit overpowered if they're all the same. But then again, bench seems less risky.

careersuicide• 9 years ago

The same thing happened to me about 4 months ago except it was deadlifts. I think I somehow let my back rotate a bit when I was on my way down. An MRI revealed a slightly bulging/dehydrated L4/L5 disc. My leg days have since been infrequent and very light with no deadlifts at all. My chest is looking better than ever though...

The sad thing is I haven't been doing a powerlifting routine at all. I decided a couple of years ago when I started lifting that I'd rather look good than be able to lift super heavy weight. I was only deadlifting about 1.2 times my body weight.

maxcan5• 9 years ago

Sorry to hear about your back, glad that you're gonna heal.

One note about 55-70 year olds powerlifting vs body building is that they tend to be a lagging indicator since people don't usually start late in life. Also, in the 80s and 90s, bodybuilding was far more popular than powerlifting, so it would make sense that there'd be fewer people in that age category powerlifting.

There are exceptions though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zjhSlJN-Qw

sonthonax2• 9 years ago

How heavy are you may I ask? I am 90kg, I can do a mile in 5.45 (tested in an army reserves fitness test) and don't feel I can deadlift more than 220kg safely, but then again I can do many reps of that.

necrobrit• 9 years ago

That's an excellent deadlift if you are doing it for reps.

Handy for reference: https://symmetricstrength.com/standards#/90/kg/male/-

ChemicalWarfare3• 9 years ago

even a single 485 @198 lbs is more than decent.

if you're repping it and your max is probably somewhere the mid 500s then you're approaching "elite" level according to USPA: https://www.lift.net/2013/05/09/classification-standards-for...

pdog• 9 years ago

Is this a joke? Heavy lifters and bodybuilders don't live a healthier or longer life—they generally die younger and have more health problems.

The scientific consensus is that endurance exercise like walking or running is much better for you than lifting (in terms of longevity, cardiovascular and health benefits).

cesarbs• 9 years ago

Do you have any sources for that?

markatkinson• 9 years ago

I used to do a lot of lifting. Did the Starting Strength which was awesome and definitely the most enjoyable regime.

However I just got a bit bored of it all and kind of felt like I always had my ear on the ground for something more interesting, or technical (I do miss squats).

To get to my point I started climbing a few months back and it has totally hit the spot for me. It is incredibly technical, you have both indoor and outdoor options, and you also build incredibly functional strength. Including improving your grip strength more so than in any other sport.

This is totally anecdotal, and of course climbing gyms are not as common as normal gyms. But just in case someone is reading this and wants to give something else a try I highly recommend it.

Also you get to buy some cool gear which is always nice.

and0• 9 years ago

Also started climbing a month ago, after having enjoyed trying it like ~5 years ago (but no gyms where I lived).

It's incredibly satisfying. A mix between problem solving and physical exertion. I've never been a gym rat but I'm excited for my skin and grip strength to return so I can go back every 2-3 days and nail that next level of difficulty.

at-fates-hands• 9 years ago

> But just in case someone is reading this and wants to give something else a try I highly recommend it.

Completely agree.

I just started out and we have several indoor climbing places where I live. I've been trying to find an alternative to having my body being beat up playing hockey two to three times a week and thought this was a good alternative.

First of all, it doesn't cost a lot to get involved. I've found it works my whole body out, engages my brain in a way hockey simply can't and has really made me focus on how my body moves since my grip strength just isn't there yet. So far, I like it a lot and would also recommend it to anybody.

Bartweiss2• 9 years ago

I recommend climbing on so many levels, and for some reason it seems to 'click' particularly well for a lot of programmers.

Most obviously, it offers some whole-body fitness that I don't find boring. But I've gotten a lot of secondary benefits that are hard to pass up. It's gotten me into normal weightlifting because "to climb better" is a clearer motivation than "to be healthier".

And it's a fantastic way to build strength comprehensively. As soon as one body part (bicep, wrist, hip flexor, whatever) taps out you'll struggle to keep going, so you tend to develop whatever is weakest. There's a lot of incentive to work flexibility, too, which can be dangerously ignorable for new weightlifters.

maxcan5• 9 years ago

To be honest, I got a bit bored of pure strength training a few years ago and moved to crossfit. Since then my lifts have almost doubled and my form has improved too.

I think you're doing the absolute right thing with climbing. Its not about finding the most optimal physical return on investment for an hour of work but finding something you love so its not work at all.

andrewljohnson• 9 years ago

If you want to live a long life, weight lifting is counterproductive, especially if you become very massive.

Instead, you want to be small, fit, and not eat much (which means not doing unnecessary exercise). For example, this paper discusses how caloric restriction extends life spans for rodents, primates, and humans across the board: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568163716...

scotch_drinker• 9 years ago

Living a long life isn't the goal. Living as long a life as you can while at optimal health is. Being a small runt who doesn't eat much and who is always sick isn't a very admirable goal. The inverse correlation with grip strength and all cause morbidity is likely related to people with strong grips are sitting at their desk with Captains of Crush grip exercisers. They are likely in the gym, doing deadlifts, working with physically demanding objects, etc.

Our push to extend life span has resulted in us being old, pathetic weaklings. A long life that has the last 20 years spent in a variety of sicknesses sounds awful.

Bartweiss2• 9 years ago

Thanks for this. I was baffled to see so many comments explaining how to "fix your grip strength".

It's not a bad thing to do, as a climber I care a lot about grip strength, but it's not a significant total-health goal. Grip strength is highly predictive partly because people don't train it, and so it represents overall fitness and muscle development. Working hand strength in isolation just breaks that predictive relationship without producing the overall health improvements that come from an active life and whole-body fitness.

maxcan5• 9 years ago

Second thought - many of the problems faced by modern society could be solved if everybody spent a few hours a week under a heavy barbell or picking one up.

pc86• 9 years ago

Many of the problems faced by modern society could be solved if everybody spent a few hours a week doing something other than sitting in a chair, lying down, or staring at a screen.

AngelicaAurora• 9 years ago

Break rocks with a sledge hammer. Best workout ever.

Terr_• 9 years ago

Pound per pound, babies are remarkably strong.

So are ants: How much of that baby-power is just the square-cube law applied to smaller-humans?

guard-of-terra2• 9 years ago

I thoroughly hate the idea of exercise. It's when you are pretending that you're accomplishing something that requires physical load, while in reality doing nothing. This whole busy work is so mind-bogglingly boring.

I would rather trek for five hours than one hour of "exercise". However, I have no idea what to do with my arms. Not much useful applications to muscular strength in modern world.

It's a disgrace that workout is not automated yet, and there's no signs to it. Make some box or some pill that will keep my body in the shape without me noticing. We solved transportation, why can't we do something here?

literallycancer• 9 years ago

I would rather trek for five hours than one hour of "exercise". However, I have no idea what to do with my arms. Not much useful applications to muscular strength in modern world.

You could try going up a steep mountain or a rock, might be more fun.

Broken_Hippo• 9 years ago

I, too, hate the idea of exercise. So much so that while I really like walking places, the idea of walking for exercise alone is a turn-off. Even when I know I enjoy it once I'm out.

So for me, I have to find motivation. I walk as a primary means of transportation, even to the grocery store.

I can keep up on short-length yoga stretches since I notice a difference in the way my body feels and I can find uses for flexibility. Since it isn't any more time than a shower, it isn't so bad.

And the same thing with arms: Do some pushups daily. Commit to this for about 5-6 weeks. It isn't much time per day, after all. Then see if you notice some differences. Maybe that case of water doesn't seem so heavy or you carry more in one spurt. Maybe a usually stubborn package is easier to open. And if there isn't a difference, don't worry so much so long as you've adequate strength. Or set a goal that will require the strength, like rock climbing, cave exploring, or so on.

Cthulhu_• 9 years ago

I'll admit the act itself can be a not very stimulating exercise (ha), but there's a few counterpoints. One, doing the work, breaking your previous achievement gives a lot of satisfaction. Second, you'll look better. Third, when you need it you'll have it - for example when you're moving house or helping someone do it, DIY work, etc. Of course, if you're affluent enough you can pay others to do it so you'll never realize when physical (and grip) strength benefit.

geoka92• 9 years ago

Maybe find a sport that's a game and fairly technical? And interesting for you. For example, when I play tennis I don't notice the time and fatigue, and I can be playing 5 hours non-stop in the summer.

guard-of-terra2• 9 years ago

I really liked throwing frisbee, unfortunately these days I have neither place nor company to do this.

GarvielLoken2• 9 years ago

Good thing I do Judo! Those higher belt guys got unbelievable grip strength, it is not something you simply strip off if they get a hold of you.

DanBC• 9 years ago

BBC Radio Four's Inside Health programme had an "exercise special" and the links between weakness and mortality were discussed, and "can you open a jam jar?" is used as a rough and ready diagnostic question.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06vkg24

eggy• 9 years ago

Pull ups build grip strength and they recruit a lot of other muscles. Hanging is one thing, but you need grip plus lat muscles to pull yourself up over something. I have Olympic rings that I have brought with me when working all over the world. I even had my baby almost two now hang from them when she was just one and a half years old. She held her own bodyweight for 10 seconds before my wife and in-laws flipped out. Same when I brought her swimming since birth. I lived in SE Asia for over 8 years. The last year I lived in a Javanese village in Indonesia. The average male weighed about 140 lb plus or minus, and they could lift 130 lb bags of rice and load a truck for hours on end. I could do it at 180 lb, but not as long a time as they could. The last part of lifting it above shoulder height for me to put it in the truck was the ultimate fatigue test. That was above their heads, and more like a full press for them. I admired their strength and smiles throughout all of this hard labor and poverty. Now I have returned to NY, and the number of obese people I see, and the number of walking aids, electric shopping carts, and other signs of malady are more striking and apparent to me. I was running barefoot 3 or more miles a day in the rice fields and jumping rope along with bodyweight exercises. I am 52 and I have never felt better physically or mentally. It only takes desire or willpower. Also I went vegetarian over 3 years ago, and cut eggs and dairy 2 years ago.

sp3322• 9 years ago

You see those people here because if they were in poverty in those other places they would be dead.

JoeAltmaier• 9 years ago

Not quite - if the weak here died, it would be almost 100% dieoff. Its more to do with lifestyle?

vram22• 9 years ago

Interesting comment overall.

cut eggs and dairy 2 years ago.

Cut, meaning reduced, or stopped?

bitL• 9 years ago

Basketball. If grip is your main concern, simply play basketball. I remember during fitness tests at my first university after I squeezed grip measuring device outside its scale, the coach remarked that I surely must be playing basketball, he was seeing it all the time.

atom-morgan• 9 years ago

What am I missing here? I wouldn't associate basketball with grip strength and I played a lot growing up.

jessaustin• 9 years ago

If you're just shooting hoops, it won't help. If you're actually playing the team sport with aggressive opponents (in pickup or with refs who "let 'em play"), the ball will get ripped out of your hands every time you pick it up, and then your grip strength will improve.

gerbilly• 9 years ago

I love my Rock Rings[1], I've been doing pullups on them a few times a week for years.

[1] (http://www.metoliusclimbing.com/training_giude_rock_ring.htm...)

mildbow• 9 years ago

I've been considering a training board, but it's too much hassle to put up. So, I've been using towels over my pull-up bar, but this seems great for $30.

Thanks. Bought!

orasis• 9 years ago

No affiliation, but I really like http://gmb.io. I'm a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, so I find dynamic body weight movements more engaging than weight lifting or yoga. The progressions on the site are fantastic - some of the best movement pedagogy I've seen.

Tycho• 9 years ago

Did they mention power steering?

Raising the American Weakling

Related Stories