Get A Grip

 

Grip Strength Is the Single Best Predictor of How Long You’ll Live

Grip strength isn’t just about opening jars.

According to one of the largest health studies ever conducted, it predicts your risk of dying... better than age, blood pressure, or almost anything else doctors normally measure.

Here’s exactly what the landmark PURE study found — and why it should make you start training your forearms today.

The PURE Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology Study at a Glance

Published November 2015 in The Lancet

Original 2015 Paper Link - (Table 3 has the exact 14–17% numbers)

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)60326-9/fulltext

Participants: 142,861 adults aged 35–70

Countries: 17 countries on 5 continents (Canada, Sweden, UAE, China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Bangladesh, etc.)

Follow-up: Average 4 years (later papers now >10 years)

Measurement tool: Jamar hand dynamometer (the gold-standard squeeze device)

Average grip strength in the study:

→ Men ≈ 40 kg or 88 pounds

→ Women ≈ 25 kg or 55 pounds

The Shocking Results

Every 5 kg (11 lbs) lower grip strength was linked to:

- 14% higher risk of dying from any cause

- 17% higher risk of dying from heart disease

- 16% higher risk of dying from stroke

- 9% higher risk of heart attack (fatal + non-fatal)

Grip strength beat systolic blood pressure, smoking status, and many other classic risk factors as a predictor of death.

Real-world example from the data:

A 60-year-old man with 45 kg (99 lbs) grip has a much lower 10-year death risk than a 60-year-old with 30 kg (66 lbs) grip — even if the weaker man has perfect cholesterol and blood pressure.

Why Does Grip Strength Matter So Much?

The researchers concluded grip strength is a near-perfect summary of:

- Overall muscle mass and strength

- Lifetime physical activity levels

- Nutritional status

- Cardiovascular health

- Low chronic inflammation

- Nervous system efficiency

In short: Strong hands = strong everything else.

Updates from 2018–2024 (Same People, Longer Follow-Up)

Newer PURE papers confirm:

- Weak grip at baseline → 2–3× higher mortality over 10+ years

- People who improved their grip over time lived longest

- Grip predicts disability, dementia, and loss of independence just as well

- Same Result in every country — rich or poor.

The Bottom Line

The PURE study is the strongest proof we have that grip strength is a true biomarker of aging.

Improving it by even 5–10 kg (very doable in 3–6 months with dead hangs and towel pull-ups) could lower your all-cause mortality risk by 14–28%.

That’s bigger than most blood-pressure or cholesterol drugs deliver.

Start training your grip today. Your 80-year-old self will thank you.

The Best Calisthenics Exercises to Build Life-Extending Grip Strength

(Bodyweight-only, no gym required)

Science says: Every +5 kg of grip strength = ~14% lower risk of dying.

Here are the most effective calisthenics moves to add 5–15 kg to your dynamometer score in 3–6 months — ranked from beginner to advanced.

1. Dead Hangs (The Foundation)

- Why it works: Pure isometric forearm endurance — exactly what the longevity studies measure.

- How-to:

– Grab a pull-up bar (overhand or neutral grip)

– Hang with shoulders relaxed (passive) → then shoulders packed down (active)

- Progression:

10 sec → 30 sec → 60 sec → 90 sec → 120 sec +

→ One-arm hangs (use a towel for the assisting hand)

- Goal: 60–90 seconds active hang = excellent for most adults

2. Towel or Fat-Grip Pull-Ups (The Game-Changer)

- Why it works: Forces crushing grip + thick-bar training = fastest forearm growth.

- How-to:

– Throw two towels or a thick beach towel over the bar

– Hang → scapular pull-ups → full towel pull-ups

- Progression: Towel dead hang 30 sec→ 3–5 towel pull-ups → 8–12 reps → weighted towel pull-ups

- Pro move: Single-arm towel hangs or towel muscle-ups

3. Standard Pull-Ups & Chin-Ups (With Grip Upgrades)

- Regular pull-ups are great, but add these twists:

– Wide grip → L-sit pull-ups → archer pull-ups → typewriter pull-ups

– Use Fat Gripz, wrapped towels, or rock rings to make every rep brutal on the forearms

4. Inverted Rows with Fat Grips or Towels

- Why: Horizontal pulling + constant grip tension

- Setup: Rings, bar, or TRX with towels wrapped around

- Progression: Feet on floor → feet elevated → one-arm rows

5. Fingertip Push-Ups & Planche Leans

- Why: Trains the finger extensors (prevents imbalances and elbow pain)

- Progression: Knees → full → pseudo planche push-ups on fingertips

Bonus: Bar Traverse / Monkey Bars

Walk sideways hand-over-hand on any playground bar.

30–60 seconds = insane grip endurance.

Simple 3x/Week Program (12–20 min)

| Exercise | Sets × Reps/Time | Rest |

| Dead Hangs (active) | 3–5 × max time | 90–120 s |

| Towel/Fat-Grip Pull-Ups | 3–4 × 3–8 reps | 2 min |

| Inverted Towel Rows | 3 × 8–15 | 90 s |

| Fingertip Push-Ups | 3 × 8–20 | 60 s |

→ Add 5–10 seconds or 1 rep every session.

→ Use a timer and a cheap hand dynamometer ($20 on Amazon) every 4 weeks — you’ll see the needle move fast.

Extra Credit Tricks

- Wrap everything in towels or use Fat Gripz

- Finish every workout with 30–60 s of rice bucket digs or rubber-band finger extensions (extensor balance)

- False-grip hangs on rings (wrist over the ring) = forearm destroyer

Start with dead hangs today.

In 90 days you’ll have stronger hands, thicker forearms, and — according to the biggest studies on the planet — a meaningfully longer life.

Your move. Go hang….you’ll live longer.

from the Substack of Clif High (pictured above) on November 22, 2025