{"id":74153,"date":"2024-01-10T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-10T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carolineci-08283ad4cf-hfd4hchkb6g4gudz.a01.azurefd.net\/?p=74153"},"modified":"2024-01-10T01:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-01-10T01:00:00","slug":"new-year-stronger-grip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carolinescircuits.com\/blog\/2024\/01\/10\/new-year-stronger-grip\/","title":{"rendered":"New Year, Stronger Grip!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This is the year to be strong; to build strength and commit to future proofing your body. Now when we think of strength training we usually think dumbbells, squats, lunges, bicep curls and maybe some press ups. These are all essential exercises in our programs and 100% should not be ignored but have you ever considered the importance of grip strength and what that really means?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firstly what is Grip Strength? Grip strength is how firmly and securely you hold onto things and in turn how heavy these things can then be.  Your grip strength relates to the muscular strength in the forearms, wrist and hands \u2013 did you know that when you close your fist and grab something you are recruiting more than 35 muscles?! Improving grip strength is just as important as strengthening the bigger muscle groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is grip strength important? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Working to improve strength in any muscles of your body will have far reaching health benefits. It has been shown that people who complete 60 minutes of strength training per week do tend to live longer and have reduced bone fractures, insulin resistance and cognitive decline. You can read more about strength training benefits in my previous blog here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BUT<\/strong> research has shown that grip strength specifically is an important indicator of longevity and a direct correlation with overall health and muscular strength. This is partly due to the fact that it is the driver of many well known exercises such as deadlifts, pull ups, biceps curls etc  \u2013 just think, if your grip strength isn\u2019t strong enough, how can you increase the weight? How can your technique be correct? If you don\u2019t work to improve your grip strength your fitness will decrease in other areas and allow injury to creep in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Developing your grip strength is also a form of functional training which as you know I am a huge advocate of \u2013 you can read more about that here<\/a>. This means that it translates into tasks we do everyday in our lives \u2013 think opening a jar, carrying the food shopping, mowing and vacuuming. As we age we lose muscle mass and strength and one of the first areas we notice this is in grip strength – SO by building strength in our grip we can help ensure these everyday movements stay strong as we get older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how do you go about strengthening your grip?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are lots of exercises you can do both in the gym and at home to work on your grip strength. As with all strength training the key is starting gently and building up the weight gradually as your strength improves, and of course consistency! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are 3 major types of grip strength you can improve:<\/p>\n\n\n\n