Grip Strength Observation

Theoldguy1
Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,496 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Interesting observation. Went to a small town harvest festival Saturday. The was a carnival booth near the music stage. The contest was, pay $10, hang from a pullup bar for 2 minutes and win $100. During the first part of the evening high school kids were trying, generally lasting around 45 seconds. Later, after the beer tent had made some sales, the older guys were trying, longest time I saw was about 60 seconds. When we got home did a bit of research, per this T-Nation article: If you're a serious lifter and you're not carrying excessive body fat, you should be able to hang comfortably from an overhead bar for a minimum of 60 seconds. Ideally longer." Thinking the guy seldom pays out the $100 😂 https://www.t-nation.com/training/the-ultimate-grip-strength-test

Replies

  • pierinifitness
    pierinifitness Posts: 2,226 Member
    I did 2:08 over a dozen years ago and 1:21 two months ago. Time for another test, thanks for reminder.
  • pierinifitness
    pierinifitness Posts: 2,226 Member
    Inspired by this discussion, today I decided to test my hang time and did 1:33. Would be nice to get to 2:00 again and maybe that'll be one of my Fall 2019 fitness training goals. We'll see.
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,496 Member
    GaryRuns wrote: »
    They had one in downtown Vegas when I was there a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't going to wait in line to try it, but just glancing at the bar I believe it had a pretty large diameter, way more than a typical pull-up bar. My guess would be that maybe a serious rock climber could hang by their fingers on a bar that thick for that long, but nobody else.

    Bet they weren't paying out either
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    I have seen these recently.

    I would hazard a skimmer experienced powerlifter that utilizes hook grip could hit that time with a some practice but who trains that time? Hence why they run the game.
  • GaryRuns
    GaryRuns Posts: 508 Member
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    I have seen these recently.

    I would hazard a skimmer experienced powerlifter that utilizes hook grip could hit that time with a some practice but who trains that time? Hence why they run the game.

    I only watched one person, a female, and perhaps she had small hands, but the diameter of the bar looked too large for anyone to use a hook grip.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    Yes I can see that part of the odds now you mention it.
  • TheBigFb
    TheBigFb Posts: 649 Member
    Lot of things going on there

    i am guessing the bar is fatter than a bar in a gym, so hand size would come into it. Lot of people dont work on grip strenght as such, use wraps, hooks. and a lot I see use over under all the time. I would say he makes his money easily enough
  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
    pierinifitness wrote: »
    I did 2:08 over a dozen years ago and 1:21 two months ago. Time for another test, thanks for reminder.

    At first i read this and said 2 hours!!!??? LOL!!!
  • born_of_fire74
    born_of_fire74 Posts: 776 Member
    I tried this today. Didn’t do as well as I’d hoped; not because my grip was weak but because my hands are soft as baby’s butts and it HURT SO MUCH. I have a giant blister on my left palm at the base of my ring finger from hanging one handed for not even 6 seconds. The hands are still strong(ish) from my time as a mechanic but I have no callouses now that I’m not working in the shop anymore :(
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
    Interesting, I want to try it now too! I doubt I'll be able to hang for long. I wonder, was any grip allowed? Like could one do one reverse one normal grip, like for deadlifting? Would that help perhaps?

    The Ninja Warrior sign up site thingy for Australia says you need to be able to hang off a bar for 2 mins to get in.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    I believe both hands have to face the same way hence why I thought a hook grip would be lthe best chance for those who train using it.
  • pierinifitness
    pierinifitness Posts: 2,226 Member
    edited September 2019
    I’ve done my fair share of hanging over a dozen years but with no regularity. Never ever thought of testing with a deadlift grip. My gut tells me it wouldn’t add much to total hang time. If I can remember, I’ll test in a couple days.
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
    pierinifitness wrote: »
    I’ve done my fair share of hanging over a dozen years but with no regularity. Never ever thought of testing with a deadlift grip. My gut tells me it wouldn’t add much to total hang time. If I can remember, I’ll test in a couple days.

    I thought of it coz I was watching some Netflix "get fit" show recently (possibly called Strong? I can't remember - it was a bunch of women who got paired up with a trainer and they did fitness stuff and challenges to win) anyway, some dude was a good hanger and always won the hanging stuff, and in one challenge they had to keep hanging and some people would do deadlift grip hangs.

    I ended up forgetting to try it out at the gym today. Next time!
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,496 Member
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    I have seen these recently.

    I would hazard a skimmer experienced powerlifter that utilizes hook grip could hit that time with a some practice but who trains that time? Hence why they run the game.

    Actually while we were watching some guy wanted to use a hook grip and was told it wasn't allowed. Looking at the guy, didn't think it would have made any difference as far as getting to 2 minutes.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    At my last firm they implemented wellness program and I was surprised to see pull ups and grip strength as part of the evaluation. Essentially if one could not perform a pull up they measured hang time.

    Grip and hanging is what elimates many from the elite military schools for the same reason - they use a large diameter bar. It helps if you have some dirt/sand on your hands.

    I imagine he cleans up - not too many I know can hang for 2mins outside of rock climbers.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    edited September 2019
    Now you guys made me go try. 1:25. I might have been able to hit 2min prior to breaking my fingers, but I'm still re-building my grip strength. If the bar was super thick however, I could see that being an issue. Prior to injury I used to do sets of 60sec bent arm hangs for isometric bicep work.
  • angmarie28
    angmarie28 Posts: 2,885 Member
    they have this at our state fair, the bar turns too and they dont allow mixed grips (one over, one under) its either both over or both under. my son who is very athletic tried the kids version which is half the time, and only could do 45 seconds because the bar kept rotating
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    I have recently worked up to being able to hang for over a minute. It is hard. Don't think I could make two!
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    angmarie28 wrote: »
    they have this at our state fair, the bar turns too and they dont allow mixed grips (one over, one under) its either both over or both under. my son who is very athletic tried the kids version which is half the time, and only could do 45 seconds because the bar kept rotating

    Yep, this is a well known carnival game - because the bar rotates it’s next to impossible to hang on without using a mixed grip, which is against the rules. Sometimes there’s even a shill who uses the bar to show how easy it is, with the rotating part locked, but then it’s unlocked for suckers.

    While it is possible to go 2 minutes, the usual payout time, it requires serious training while using a rotating bar. There’s a guy on YouTube who did it after training, you may be able to find his video series by searching.

    A non-rotating bar should be easy peasy for anyone with moderate upper body strength. I’m a 51 year old woman who can’t even do a single pull-up and I can deadarm hang for two minutes.
  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,614 Member
    I can do 2.01 mins but on a normal width bar. It was using a normal grip but I do oly lifting so hook grip everything usually - don’t know if that’s improved my grip? My programme also has hanging leg raises and pull ups with leg raises so that must all help I guess!
  • Spadesheart
    Spadesheart Posts: 479 Member
    I remember reading something recently that said that grip strength is heavily correlated with back strength. If true, I have to imagine those guys that dead-lift all day everyday are basically monkeys with their grip.
  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,614 Member
    Spadesheart wrote: »
    I remember reading something recently that said that grip strength is heavily correlated with back strength. If true, I have to imagine those guys that dead-lift all day everyday are basically monkeys with their grip.

    That’s interesting - I do have a strong back 🤔
  • pierinifitness
    pierinifitness Posts: 2,226 Member
    claireychn074 wrote: »
    Spadesheart wrote: »
    I remember reading something recently that said that grip strength is heavily correlated with back strength. If true, I have to imagine those guys that dead-lift all day everyday are basically monkeys with their grip.

    That’s interesting - I do have a strong back 🤔

    Always admire the posterior chain musculature of an Oly lifter. Trained in the lifts a dozen years ago and what a great experience and memory.

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