The Infinite Game of Life

Measure and improve your grip strength

July 20, 2025 · David Siegel

Those who have read Peter Attia’s book Outlive know that grip strength, along with VO2 max is one of the best indicators of how long you will live. You can measure your grip strength using a cheap dynamometer:

Here’s a chart of average grip strength for Americans, by age:

You want to improve grip strength. What you don’t want to do is get injured. Do NOT use something like this:

If you use this say five times a day, you’ll probably get tennis elbow, and that can hurt for months or even years. This is not the right tool for beginners. It should only be used twice a day max and is good for travel, not training at home.

Want to improve your grip strength? I have a program right here:

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