Strength calculator
Grip strength calculator
See where a handgrip dynamometer reading puts you against adult population norms for your age and sex. Free, instant, no sign-up.
Grip is trainable — the coach can work carries and holds into the plan you already run.
What is grip strength testing?
A handgrip dynamometer measures how much force you can squeeze out of one hand, reported in kilograms. It takes seconds, needs no warm-up, and is one of the most studied single measurements in adult health — which is why it turns up in clinical assessments far more often than any barbell lift.
How this calculator works
Your reading is compared against the age- and sex-stratified norms published by Massy-Westropp and colleagues (BMC Research Notes, 2011), a population study of 1,366 men and 1,312 women. Within an age band, grip force is close enough to normally distributed that your distance from the band mean, measured in standard deviations, converts directly into a percentile.
What the percentile means
The 50th percentile is the middle of the general adult population for your age and sex — not an athletic standard. Being above it is unremarkable for anyone who lifts. What matters more is the direction of travel: grip peaks in the 20s to 40s and declines from there, and low grip strength in older adults is a well-replicated marker of overall muscle function and frailty risk. If your number is well below the band average, that is a reason to train, not a diagnosis.
Testing it properly
Sit with your elbow bent to about 90 degrees and tucked to your side, forearm neutral, and squeeze hard for three seconds without swinging or leaning. Take three attempts per hand with a short rest and record the best. Use the same dynamometer and the same grip-span setting every time — switching devices changes the number more than a month of training does.