Grip strength thresholds signal meaningful health risk

Full analysis

Andy Galpin says grip strength — measured with an inexpensive hand-grip dynamometer (roughly $25) — is one of the most important and accessible strength tests. For men, the minimum acceptable score is 40 kilograms of squeeze force; 60 kg or above is a strong result. For women, the cutoff is about 35 kg. He also notes that the non-dominant hand should be within 10% of the dominant hand, and that falling below these thresholds is a clear signal to begin targeted training. A dead hang from a pull-up bar is a free alternative: 30 seconds is the minimum, 60 seconds or more is the target, though very heavy individuals will find this harder to achieve regardless of fitness.