Compare your grip against published norms by age and sex — and see why researchers call grip strength one of the best simple predictors of long-term health.
Approximate averages pooled from published Jamar dynamometer reference studies of healthy adults. "Weak" and "strong" mark roughly one standard deviation below and above the mean.
| Age | Weak | Average | Strong |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 – 29 | Under 38 kg (84 lb) | 38 – 56 kg (84 – 123 lb) | Over 56 kg (123 lb) |
| 30 – 39 | Under 38 kg (84 lb) | 38 – 57 kg (84 – 126 lb) | Over 57 kg (126 lb) |
| 40 – 49 | Under 36 kg (79 lb) | 36 – 55 kg (79 – 121 lb) | Over 55 kg (121 lb) |
| 50 – 59 | Under 34 kg (75 lb) | 34 – 52 kg (75 – 115 lb) | Over 52 kg (115 lb) |
| 60 – 69 | Under 30 kg (66 lb) | 30 – 47 kg (66 – 104 lb) | Over 47 kg (104 lb) |
| 70+ | Under 24 kg (53 lb) | 24 – 40 kg (53 – 88 lb) | Over 40 kg (88 lb) |
| Age | Weak | Average | Strong |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 – 29 | Under 24 kg (53 lb) | 24 – 36 kg (53 – 79 lb) | Over 36 kg (79 lb) |
| 30 – 39 | Under 25 kg (55 lb) | 25 – 37 kg (55 – 82 lb) | Over 37 kg (82 lb) |
| 40 – 49 | Under 23 kg (51 lb) | 23 – 35 kg (51 – 77 lb) | Over 35 kg (77 lb) |
| 50 – 59 | Under 21 kg (46 lb) | 21 – 33 kg (46 – 73 lb) | Over 33 kg (73 lb) |
| 60 – 69 | Under 18 kg (40 lb) | 18 – 29 kg (40 – 64 lb) | Over 29 kg (64 lb) |
| 70+ | Under 15 kg (33 lb) | 15 – 25 kg (33 – 55 lb) | Over 25 kg (55 lb) |
Sources: pooled reference values from the Bohannon et al. (2006) descriptive meta-analysis of Jamar dynamometer norms and the JOSPT (2018) US normative study covering adults 18-85. Individual studies vary by a few kg; treat bands as guidance, not diagnosis.
Grip strength is one of the most-studied single fitness measurements in medicine. Large cohort studies — including the international PURE study of nearly 140,000 adults — found that lower grip strength was associated with higher all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, with each 5 kg decrease linked to a meaningful rise in risk. Grip isn't magic: it's a convenient proxy for total-body muscle mass and neuromuscular health, which is what actually drives the association.
That's also why clinicians use it to screen for sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss). The commonly used EWGSOP2 cut-offs flag possible sarcopenia below 27 kg for men and 16 kg for women.
Heavy compound pulling does most of the work: deadlifts, rows, and weighted carries train grip with loads no hand-gripper can match. Dead hangs from a pull-up bar (build toward 60+ seconds), farmer's carries, and simply ditching lifting straps on warm-up sets round it out. Track your pulling strength gains with our One Rep Max Calculator, and if you're building muscle, measure progress with the FFMI Calculator and Lean Body Mass Calculator.
A bathroom scale squeeze (grip the sides and squeeze) gives a rough proxy, and a dead hang for time is a practical field test — most healthy adults under 50 should manage 30+ seconds, and 60+ is strong. For tracked numbers, cheap digital dynamometers are accurate enough for trend-tracking even if their absolute calibration varies.
Yes — the dominant hand is typically about 10% stronger in right-handed people. Interestingly, left-handed people tend to show nearly equal strength in both hands. The charts above are for the dominant hand.
The association is robust across dozens of large studies, but it's a marker, not a cause. Strengthening only your grip won't add years — maintaining total-body muscle and strength as you age is what the grip measurement is standing in for.
Rule of thumb: double-overhand deadlifting starts failing around 60-70% of your best deadlift for most lifters — that's a grip issue, not a back issue. If dead hangs under 30 seconds are limiting your pull-ups, grip work will directly add reps.