So why should I care about my grip strength?
Sure I will be able to lift heavier things, carry my grocery bags over long distances, open my own jars, possess a formidable handshake and improve my athletic performance.
While certainly no harm will come from any of these benefits, there is much more to grip strength than meets the eye. Here are just a few benefits that are well supported by research that may make you rethink and re-prioritize grip strength.
Grip strength has been identified as a key biomarker of anti aging, increased longevity and extended health. Consider the following findings when comparing those with a relatively feeble grip strength to people of the same gender and age range.
- Those with low grip strength show signs of accelerated aging of their DNA
- Poor grip strength predicts risks for early death better than blood pressure
- Genes appear to be growing old faster in those with weak grip strength
- Low grip strength has a stronger association with cardiovascular disease than blood pressure and physical activity
- Poor grip strength is a strong predictor of cardiac death, death from any cause, and hospital admission for heart failure.
- Grip strength is an indicator of concurrent overall strength, upper limb function, bone mineral density, fractures, falls, malnutrition, cognitive impairment, depression, sleep problems, diabetes, multimorbidity, and quality of life.
- Grip strength is a predictive link of all-cause and disease-specific mortality, future function, bone mineral density, fractures, cognition and depression, and problems associated with hospitalization.
We’re not talking about folding up frying pans or tearing phone books. All of these incredible benefits occur up to a threshold of only 42 kg in men and 25 kg in women.
How Do Thick Grips Work?
The TRX Thick Grips are designed to integrate with your Suspension Trainer and most standard size handles found on dumbbells, barbells, pull up bars, cable attachments and more. By easily slipping over and Increasing the diameter of these implements, Thick Grips prevent the user from closing their fingers completely around a bar or handle and forces an open hand grip where the fingers and thumb do not overlap. Without this mechanical advantage, a much higher activation is required from the muscles of the hands, forearm, upper arm (biceps and triceps) and even of the shoulder and rotator cuff. This increased activation results in enhanced results at all areas and the ability to simultaneously improve grip strength with the rest of your normal training regime. The ease of integration also allows the participant to slip the thick grips on or off in seconds as fatigue sets in, to challenge certain sets or simply to move from one modality to another to create the optimal training environment.
When considering both the performance and the fundamental health benefits, grip strength training is a critical element of any conditioning program.
Check out the TRX Training Club for specific workouts on how to best use the TRX Thick Grips
