Grip Strength: A Powerful Biomarker of Health, Longevity, and How to Improve It
- Samuel Falkson MD
- Dec 12, 2025
- 11 min read
Updated: Dec 13, 2025
What if one of the most powerful biomarkers assessing your long-term health were completely free and easy to measure on your own time? It is: grip strength.
Checking it can be as simple as hanging from a pull-up bar and timing how long you last, or squeezing a small hand dynamometer (a device that measures how strong you squeeze). Despite its simplicity, research consistently shows that grip strength correlates with mortality, cardiovascular health, mobility, cognitive function, overall quality of life, and more.
In this post, we’ll explore three aspects of grip strength:
1. The major health outcomes linked to grip strength,
2. The mechanisms researchers believe drive this relationship, and
3. Evidence-based strategies you can use to improve your grip strength.
Read on to learn more about this important topic.
Grip Strength and Health Outcomes
Across numerous studies, grip strength repeatedly emerges as a powerful predictor of long-term health. A 2021 umbrella review found that higher grip strength was associated with a 28% lower risk of all-cause mortality, a 16% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality, and a 24% lower risk of future disability, based on millions of participants across multiple included studies (1). The same review noted additional associations with faster walking speed, better balance, lower rates of hospitalization for heart failure, and lower cardiovascular-related deaths, underscoring grip strength as a broad indicator of health status (1).
Other research expands this picture. Bohannon’s 2019 review highlights that grip strength correlates closely with total muscle strength, mobility, and the ability to perform daily activities (2). Further, low grip strength is linked to poorer bone mineral density, higher fracture risk, and increased fall risk (2). Lower grip strength is also associated with worse metabolic health, including higher inflammation and poorer glucose control, as well as diminished cognitive performance, higher rates of mild cognitive impairment, and greater depressive symptoms (2). Quality of life findings reinforce these patterns. A 2025 study of older adults reported that higher grip strength was strongly associated with better overall quality of life, especially in the social and environmental domains - areas linked to independence, mobility, and a sense of safety (3).
All together, these findings show that grip strength acts as a simple, noninvasive marker that reflects and predicts a wide range of health outcomes, from mortality and cardiovascular disease to functional independence and quality of life.
Why Grip Strength Predicts Health and Longevity
Several mechanisms may explain why grip strength tracks so closely with major health outcomes. One perspective, sometimes referred to as the “human baseline” hypothesis, proposes that grip strength reflects a person’s long-term physiological development - shaped by early-life nutrition, physical activity, growth patterns, and genetics - as well as their current neuromuscular health (4). Rather than being solely a measure of hand or forearm strength, grip strength appears to integrate lifelong influences on muscle mass, nervous system function, metabolic health, and overall physical capacity (4).
Early-life factors appear to play a central role in shaping this baseline. Birth weight, maternal nutrition, placental environment, childhood physical activity, and growth patterns all influence the development of muscle fiber number, neuromuscular function, and overall musculoskeletal capacity. These developmental factors create long-term differences in strength and may partly explain why lower grip strength predicts higher mortality decades later (4). Genetic influences also likely contribute, with heritability estimates suggesting that up to two-thirds of grip strength variability may be genetically determined, independent of adult behaviors (4).
Grip strength may also function as a marker of underlying disease burden. Low strength can reflect subclinical chronic disease, reduced neuromuscular integrity, diminished metabolic reserve, or systemic inflammation. Muscle mass itself serves as a protein and energy reservoir during illness or trauma; individuals with less baseline muscle may have reduced resilience in the face of physiologic stress, helping explain the strong association between low grip strength and mortality, disability, and hospitalization (4).
Finally, grip strength serves as a practical summary metric of global functional capacity. Because it integrates nervous system function, muscle quality, structural biology, and lifetime health exposures, it captures declines in overall health, muscle mass, frailty, and mobility long before disability manifests. In this way, grip strength acts less as an isolated measurement of the hand and more as a compact, accessible indicator of overall physiological function and health across the lifespan (4).
How to Measure Grip Strength (At Home or Clinically)
There are multiple ways to assess grip strength. Below, I have described a formal, research-validated method using a dynamometer (the method used in many studies on grip strength), and a simple pull-up bar dead hang, which you can do anywhere you have access to a pull-up bar.
Formal dynamometer protocol (research standard):
This method follows the American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT) guidelines, as described in the Kaczorowska study (3):
• Use a handheld dynamometer (this is a small machine that one squeezes to get a quantitative measure of grip strength. You can buy one for as low as $25 on Amazon).
• Sit upright in a chair.
• Position the arm according to ASHT recommendations:
– Shoulder adducted and neutrally rotated
– Elbow flexed at 90°
– Forearm in neutral position
– Wrist neutral (0–30° extension) (Kaczorowska)
• Hold the dynamometer device without the device touching the body.
• Squeeze maximally for 1–3 seconds .
• Perform 2–3 trials with about 1 minute of rest between attempts.
• Record the highest value as your score.
This setup is used in both research and clinical practice and reflects maximal voluntary contraction, providing a valid, reproducible measure of grip strength.
Simple pull-up bar hang (easy at home or gym alternative):
• Find a stable pull-up bar.
• Use a shoulder-width overhand grip.
• Hang with arms fully extended and body still.
• Start a timer as soon as your feet leave the ground.
• Hang as long as safely possible, then stop the timer. (If you don't have an assistant, you can simply place a running stopwatch on the ground and within sight. Note the time you start your hang and the time you end your hang so you can calculate your total hang time).
• Use your best time as your benchmark and retest periodically.
Hang duration correlates with grip strength because it requires sustained activation of the same finger flexor and forearm muscles used during dynamometer testing, making it a practical at-home proxy.
How to Improve Grip Strength Using Science-Based Training
Even though grip strength reflects long-term physiology and overall health, it does appear to be a trait that can be improved with targeted, consistent training. We even have peer-reviewed evidence identifying specific training methods and loading strategies that meaningfully increase grip strength.
One of the clearest findings comes from a randomized controlled trial comparing suspension training with traditional resistance training. Suspension training involves performing exercises using TRX-style straps anchored to a fixed point. Because your hands maintain constant tension on the handles and your bodyweight becomes the resistance, the finger flexors and forearm musculature remain engaged throughout each movement. In the 12-week trial of older men performed by Campa et al, the suspension-training group showed significant improvements in grip strength, while the traditional resistance-training group did not (5). Suspension exercises in this program included TRX rows, chest presses, biceps curls, squats, and rotational movements - moves that require continuous gripping of the handles, which likely contributed to the improvement in grip strength (5).
We also have insight into the optimal loading parameters for improving grip strength. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating resistance-training variables in older adults with sarcopenia found that moderate-load, higher-volume training produced the greatest improvements in grip strength (6). Across the analyzed trials, grip strength improved most when training was performed at roughly 50% of one-rep max in the 15–20 repetition range. More specifically, the authors calculated that about 1,400 repetitions per week across various exercises generated the most favorable grip-strength outcomes (6). While these recommendations are helpful for optimizing grip strength specifically, many people will need to balance them against other fitness goals - such as building maximal strength, power, or endurance - which may call for different loading strategies. Still, the overall insight remains clear: moderate weights performed for higher repetitions appear to provide the strongest stimulus for improving grip strength.
Practical Recommendations for Improving Grip Strength
Putting the research together, suspension-based training (such as TRX exercises) performed in the 15–20 repetition range appears to be an especially effective way to apply what we know about improving grip strength. Suspension training requires constant grip engagement throughout each movement, while the moderate-load, higher-repetition structure aligns with the training parameters shown to optimize grip-strength gains. Exercises like TRX rows, chest presses, curls, and triceps extensions place sustained tension on the finger flexors and forearm musculature, making them well-suited for building grip strength while also training multiple muscle groups. More broadly, the key principle is consistent loading of the hands and forearms through movements that emphasize sustained muscular engagement rather than brief maximal efforts.
Traditional resistance exercises can also be employed to build grip. Deadlifts, kettlebell swings, farmer’s carries, and heavy dumbbell holds all demand strong grip activation and can double as both strength and conditioning work. For exercises performed in reps - such as deadlifts or kettlebell swings - using moderate loads in the 15–20 repetition range can help target grip strength specifically, reflecting the training parameters shown to be effective in the research. For movements based on time or distance, like farmer’s carries, the same general principle applies - choose a load that forces the hands to work hard for an extended duration, emphasizing sustained grip engagement rather than brief maximal efforts.
Finally, one of the simplest and most effective grip practices requires nothing more than a pull-up bar. A dead hang involves holding onto the bar for as long as possible. An overhand grip is a traditional way to hold the bar, but any grip of the bar will effectively build grip strength. Dead hangs provide both a training stimulus and an easy way to track progress. I use this regularly by testing my maximum dead hang time each week and aiming to increase it by at least one second. Some weeks I don’t progress, and when that happens, I continue training at the same target time until I can surpass it. This slow, steady progression helps ensure that grip strength is consistently improving over time and provides immediate feedback on whether training is moving in the right direction.
Progress can also be tracked more formally using a handheld dynamometer. Periodic measurements provide an objective, quantitative way to monitor changes in grip strength over time. Measurement with a dynamometer is the method most commonly used in clinical and research settings.
What Are “Good” Grip Strength Metrics to Aim For?
One of the most common follow-up questions after learning that grip strength predicts health is simple: what numbers should I be aiming for? Fortunately, large population studies have established clear reference ranges for grip strength measured with a dynamometer.
One of the most comprehensive datasets comes from a pooled analysis of over 49,000 participants across numerous studies, which produced age- and sex-specific percentile curves for grip strength across the entire lifespan (7). Rather than defining a single “ideal” number, this work shows how grip strength changes with age and where an individual falls relative to peers.
At a high level, grip strength rises through childhood and adolescence, peaks in early adulthood, remains relatively stable through midlife, and then gradually declines with age. In this dataset, men reached a peak median grip strength of approximately 51 kg between ages 29 and 39, while women reached a peak median of roughly 31 kg between ages 26 and 42 (7).
A practical way to interpret the wealth of information from this dataset is to think in percentiles. Being near or above the 50th percentile for your age and sex reflects average or better grip strength, while falling toward the 10th–25th percentile range may indicate low grip strength and reduced physiologic reserve. For readers interested in a more granular breakdown - including 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles by age and sex - the original publication provides a detailed table and centile curves and is worth reviewing directly (7). You can be directed to the full text at this link.
A brief overview of the data from this publication is shown below, where the numbers presented are the 50th percentile (meaning if you score higher than this value, then your grip strength is higher than average for that age and sex). The dynamometer score is listed in kilograms (kg), which is the unit that the dynamometer outputs (or it may output the value in pounds, which can be converted to kilograms by dividing the value in pounds by 2.2).
Grip Strength Normative Reference Values
Approximate grip strength reference values measured with a hand dynamometer. Values represent roughly the 50th percentile for each age group and are intended for general reference only. For full percentile distributions, see Dodds et al (7). These values are intended as general reference points rather than strict cutoffs, and grip strength should be interpreted in the context of age, sex, body size, and overall functional capacity.
Age Group | 50th Percentile (Men, kg) | 50th Percentile (Women, kg) |
20–29 years | ~40–51 | ~28–31 |
30–39 years | ~51–50 | ~30-31 |
40–49 years | ~50–48 | ~31–29 |
50–59 years | ~48–45 | ~29–27 |
60–69 years | ~45–39 | ~27–24 |
70–79 years | ~39–32 | ~24–19 |
≥80 years | ~32–25 | ~19–14 |
For those without access to a dynamometer, dead hang time from a pull-up bar offers a simple and convenient proxy for grip strength and grip endurance. Unlike dynamometer testing, dead hang cutoffs are not as well studied in large epidemiologic cohorts, and no universally accepted clinical thresholds exist. However, experience from sports science, climbing research, and functional fitness suggests that being able to hang for approximately 30 seconds reflects basic grip endurance, around 60 seconds reflects above-average capacity, and 90 seconds or more reflects well-developed grip strength and fatigue resistance.
One advantage of the dead hang is that its difficulty naturally scales with body weight, making these benchmarks broadly applicable across different body sizes. More importantly, dead hangs are great as a tracking tool, not a pass-fail test. Repeating the test regularly and working towards gradually extending hang time provides clear, objective evidence that grip strength is improving over time, which can be even more meaningful than any single absolute cutoff.
Conclusion: Grip Strength as a Trainable Biomarker of Health
Grip strength stands out as an important metric in health and performance: simple to measure, strongly tied to long-term outcomes, and improvable with some easy-to-implement strategies.
Whether your goal is longevity, resilience, or maintaining independence as you age, incorporating grip-focused training into your routine is a practical, evidence-based step. Consistent practices - like suspension training, higher-rep resistance movements, or regular dead hangs - can add up over time.
If you’re interested in learning more about how to apply science-driven strategies to optimize health and performance, follow BlissElla (@blissandella on Instagram) for ongoing insights, practical tools, and evidence-based guidance.
—
📞 857-728-8871
📸 @blissandella (Instragram)
Disclaimer: The information on this site is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It does not create a physician–patient relationship with BlissElla Physiologic Arts, PLLC and/or the medical providers working for this practice. Always consult your personal healthcare provider before making medical decisions. If you are experiencing an emergency, call 911.
References:
1. Soysal P, Hurst C, Demurtas J, et al. Handgrip strength and health outcomes: Umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses of observational studies. J Sport Health Sci. 2021;10(3):290-295.
2. Bohannon RW. Grip strength: an indispensable biomarker for older adults. Clin Interv Aging. 2019;14:1681-1691.
3. Kaczorowska A, Kozieł S, Ignasiak Z. Hand grip strength and quality of life among adults aged 50-90 years from South West Poland. Sci Rep. 2025;15(1):882.
4. Buckner SL, Dankel SJ, Bell ZW, Abe T, Loenneke JP. The association of handgrip strength and mortality: what does it tell us and what can we do with it? Rejuvenation Res. 2019;22(3):230-234.
5. Campa F, Schoenfeld BJ, Marini E, Stagi S, Mauro M, Toselli S. Effects of a 12-week suspension versus traditional resistance training program on body composition, bioimpedance vector patterns, and handgrip strength in older men: a randomized controlled trial. Nutrients. 2021;13(7):2267.
6. Hua-Rui L, Shouliang H, Zhengze Y, et al. Optimal dose of resistance training to improve handgrip strength in older adults with sarcopenia: a systematic review and Bayesian model-based network meta-analysis. Front Physiol. 2025;16:1564988.
7. Dodds RM, Syddall HE, Cooper R, et al. Grip strength across the life course: normative data from twelve British studies. PLoS One. 2014;9(12):e113637.
Comments