The usefulness of making funny faces when we lift

It turns out making funny faces when we lift is useful, jaw clenching can increase your grip strength by 16% :

"There is a lot of studies that showed a strong relationship between hand and mouth muscles. But this one in particular show precision and power grip are systematically connected to motor processes involved in making articulatory gestures.

This otherstudy showed that jaw clenching increased grip strength by almost 16%, they concluded that "jaw clenching resulted in acute strength improvements"."

https://shop.thebarbellbeauties.com/blogs/news/why-we-make-funny-faces-when-we-lift-weights

Interesting

Replies

  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,311 Member
    Yes! I knew there was reason for my ugly lifting face! 🤣💪
  • GaryRuns
    GaryRuns Posts: 508 Member
    To some degree, prior to the pandemic, I attempted to control my facial expressions when I lifted. When the pandemic hit and the gyms here eventually opened up with mask requirements that all went out the window. Why bother when nobody can see most of your face anyway? Now that masks are once again off I really have to be careful. The faces I made at first were scary. And let's not talk about the fact that lip syncing the songs playing on my ear buds can be embarrassing so I had to stop that too. I mean who wants to see the old guy lip syncing T-Swift? :D
  • cupcakesandproteinshakes
    cupcakesandproteinshakes Posts: 1,091 Member
    What about making odd noises? Any research on grunting. Plenty of that goes on where I train.
  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,311 Member
    What about making odd noises? Any research on grunting. Plenty of that goes on where I train.

    Pretty sure that adds about 10% to the amount you can lift 🤣 have to admit I’m not the quietest lifter, and the noises range from strangulated squeaks to an aggressive hippo.
  • Mellouk89
    Mellouk89 Posts: 469 Member
    What about making odd noises? Any research on grunting. Plenty of that goes on where I train.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcoVwO2gRcE
  • Mellouk89
    Mellouk89 Posts: 469 Member
    GaryRuns wrote: »
    To some degree, prior to the pandemic, I attempted to control my facial expressions when I lifted. When the pandemic hit and the gyms here eventually opened up with mask requirements that all went out the window. Why bother when nobody can see most of your face anyway? Now that masks are once again off I really have to be careful. The faces I made at first were scary. And let's not talk about the fact that lip syncing the songs playing on my ear buds can be embarrassing so I had to stop that too. I mean who wants to see the old guy lip syncing T-Swift? :D

    My facial expressions are hard to control when I train arms, and it has 100% something to do with that study :D .
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 7,342 Member
    What about making odd noises? Any research on grunting. Plenty of that goes on where I train.

    Lololol. At our yoga studio we often focus on not making faces or clenching jaw.

    And noises? OMG. The…ummmm…. lady who has a …..uhhhhh……blushing loudly here……really good time in every pose has come back after being gone since lockdown.

    It’s very disconcerting to me when she has her Harry Meets Sally moment-every third breath or so.

    At least you don’t hear that in a gym.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,721 Member
    TMJ. No, not TMI, TMJ. I gotta try not to clench when I work out. 🙄