Why You Need Better Grip Strength

As we get older, our grip strength tends to diminish. As crazy as it sounds, overall grip strength could potentially be even more important than you think. A 2021 British study found that there may be a correlation between grip strength in midlife and whole brain volumes and nonverbal reasoning in later life. 

There are also practical advantages to having a strong grip, whatever age you are. If you’re an athlete, you need a strong grip to strike that ball with a racket or perform deadlifts safely. Likewise, non-athletes benefit from having a strong grip as it helps to reduce the likelihood of injuries and problems like tendinitis.

Join us as we take a quick look at how you can improve your grip strength and the benefits you’ll gain along the way.

What Can Cause Grip Strength to Diminish?

There are twenty muscles in the forearm, plus tendons, and nerves. The most common things that go wrong are related to the nerves that come down from your neck to your hands. They can get pinched and cause you to lose your grip strength.

Nerves can also get trapped close to the hand in a common condition called carpal tunnel syndrome. Even if you don’t play sports, you can develop a tennis or golfer’s elbow. These are both types of tendinitis- inflammation of the tendons in the elbow that can lead to a weak grip.

How Can You Improve Your Grip Strength?

The good news is that you can improve your grip strength. Resolving the issues mentioned above will help. If your grip strength has diminished because of lack of use, grip strength exercises can help. 

Grip Strength Trainer

Hand grippers are one of the simplest and best ways of improving your forearm strength. They come in a variety of tensions and should be genuinely difficult to close.

Start with a few sets of 8-10 reps on light hand grippers. As you get stronger, switch them out for stronger ones. 

Farmer’s Carries

Grab a dumbell or kettlebell in each hand and, keeping your elbows slightly bent, walk around 20′. Try doing this several times. It not only helps you develop strong hands, but it’s a great workout for your core as well. 

Plate Pinches

This is a great way to develop finger muscles by training your pinching grip. 

All you need is a pair of weight plates. Stand straight and tense your core. Take a weight in each hand, pinching it with your thumb and all of your fingers. 

Bring them up and hold them tight for 20 to 30 seconds before slowly putting them down. Try four reps. In time you can move on to heavier weights. 

The Benefits of Strong Hands

Strong hands don’t just mean a more impressive handshake (are we still doing those, or are they taboo these days?). It helps you in a range of everyday tasks, from painting your bedroom walls to impressively opening jars. 

You’ll also improve your endurance in the gym and your overall athletic performance. The muscles that tend to fail you first when weight lifting are your gripping muscles. Don’t let the rest of your body down by not strengthening your grip.

Time to Improve Your Grip Strength

At CONDITIONerd, we understand the correlation between grip strength and gym performance.

Our 100% online personal training programs can help you achieve real results. You’ll get an individualized, structured program along with advice on nutrition and supplementation.

Let Us help You Out

At CONDITIONerd we are here to help you achieve better physical and mental health through exercise. Check out the plans we offer to our customers and see if you could benefit from working with our team. And if you have questions, you can always contact a CONDITIONerd team member. 

Personal trainers, like those found here, can help guide you on your pathway towards reaching your fitness goals, whether that is getting bigger, stronger, faster, more lean, or just generally feeling better.

We can get you setup with a periodized workout plan, supplement