# The strong and the \*truly\* strong. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 7, 2006, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strong-and-the-truly-strong/371818 "2006-09-07T19:21:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strong-and-the-truly-strong/371818/21 "2006-09-08T15:58:49Z")
[QUOTE=mrklutz] Yarrr, I ran into that after I spent a couple summers as a deckhand on a salmon boat in Alaska. I’m a skinny guy, but I came back with Popeye arms from handling the nets, ropes and fish. It looked funny, but G.I. Joe had nothin’ on my kung fu grip. [/QUOTE] Actually, I’m starting to believe that _really_ strong hands are more related to occupation and genetics than working out. Other than kyaking the hardest thing I have to grip is usually a pen. The uber grip meisters in the videos mostly look like outdoor lifestyle, hard working, contractor type guys. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strong-and-the-truly-strong/371818/22 "2006-09-08T16:09:16Z")
[QUOTE=Mindfield] Okay. You win. But I _will_ seek my revenge! Crush! Crush! [/QUOTE] “I’m crrrrushing your post! I’m crrrushing your post!” ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strong-and-the-truly-strong/371818/23 "2006-09-08T16:12:28Z")
[QUOTE=Surly Chick] **astro** honey, you need to get out more. What exactly is the _point_ of having an uber-strong grip? It’s not like chicks go “Oooooh look at the hands on that dude! They’re totally ripped!” [/QUOTE] Interestingly, the last two women I dated complimented me on what nice hands I had. When I asked why this was an item of interest, the first said “A woman imagines that the guy she’s with will touch her with his hands at some point, and it can be a real turn off if he’s got weird hands”. I didn’t ask what qualified as “weird hands”. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strong-and-the-truly-strong/371818/24 "2006-09-08T16:28:24Z")
[Vansart, the Man with the Iron Grip,](http://www.sandowmuseum.com/page86.html) is said (by David Willoughby, in his book _The Super Athletes_ to have been able to squeeze a new tennis ball until it burst. And the book _Grips_ (in the Ippon Masterclass series, some advanced instructional manuals on judo) mentions a match in 1979 between V. Kunetsov of the USSR (6’10", about 290 lbs.) and Sumio Endo of Japan (5’7’, 280 lbs.) Both men were penalized for stalling several times. But during that match, _they tore up two brand-new, double-weave canvas jackets **apiece** _. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strong-and-the-truly-strong/371818/25 "2006-09-08T16:36:42Z")
[QUOTE=astro] I’m a reasonably strong guy and can bench press around 290 [/QUOTE] Way to go. You come off sounding modest, and yet imply most of us (who probably couldn’t bench-press 290) are wimps. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strong-and-the-truly-strong/371818/26 "2006-09-08T16:45:22Z")
[QUOTE=Surly Chick] **astro** honey, you need to get out more. What exactly is the _point_ of having an uber-strong grip? It’s not like chicks go “Oooooh look at the hands on that dude! They’re totally ripped!” [/QUOTE] It’s a muscle. It can be used for many things. Such as climbing, or helping in lifting weights. It’s not like we do everything we do only if girls like it, you know. I play around with [one of these](http://www.powerballs.com/). Probably not as good strength building-wise, but more fun. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strong-and-the-truly-strong/371818/27 "2006-09-08T17:53:00Z")
[QUOTE=astro] [I’ve been playing with these hand grippers for](http://www.ironmind.com/ironcms/export/IronMind/Main/captainsofcrush1.html) the better part of a year, and can just about close the # 2 gripper, and the # 3 is just for laughs (as in it laughs at me). I’m a reasonably strong guy and can bench press around 290 but these hand grippers blow me away. [And then I look at videos of guys](http://www.cyberpump.com/gallery/albums.php) (and not huge guys either) [doing this kind of thing](http://www.cyberpump.com/albums/albun00/aaa.wmv)(15 repeated closes with a # 3). It’s so depressing. I feel like a little girl looking at these videos. [Here’s a guy tearing cards](http://www.cyberpump.com/albums/albun01/aaa.wmv) [Skinny guy closing a #3 and then a more difficult one!](http://www.cyberpump.com/albums/album100/aah.wmv) [/QUOTE] That would explain the hairy palms!! ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strong-and-the-truly-strong/371818/28 "2006-09-08T18:04:57Z")
[QUOTE=Beware of Doug] Way to go. You come off sounding modest, and yet imply most of us (who probably couldn’t bench-press 290) are wimps. 😃 [/QUOTE] Not when I can’t quiiite close the # 2 metal to metal yet, and skinny little 180 pounders can. I feel like the weasel. [Besides one doper has a large penis _and_ large breasts, no one can compete with that no matter how much they bench](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7752171&postcount=22)! ---
**Author:** ![Surly\_Chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strong-and-the-truly-strong/371818/29 "2006-09-08T19:32:29Z")
[QUOTE=mr. jp] It’s not like we do everything we do only if girls like it, you know. [/QUOTE] You lie! You lie! The very reason for your gender’s existence is to please us girls. That’s what my mom told me and I choose to believe her. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strong-and-the-truly-strong/371818/30 "2006-09-08T19:38:27Z")
[QUOTE=Surly Chick] You lie! You lie! The very reason for your gender’s existence is to please us girls. That’s what my mom told me and I choose to believe her. [/QUOTE] Hmm, now that I think about it, perhaps you are right. Maybe I train my lower arm muscles, so that I can become a better climber, so that I can climb more, so that I can become in better shape, so I am more attractive to girls. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strong-and-the-truly-strong/371818/31 "2006-09-09T02:40:27Z")
[QUOTE=astro] Actually, I’m starting to believe that _really_ strong hands are more related to occupation and genetics than working out. Other than kyaking the hardest thing I have to grip is usually a pen. The uber grip meisters in the videos mostly look like outdoor lifestyle, hard working, contractor type guys. [/QUOTE] I agree with this, if only from experience. My paternal grandfather could rip a Los Angeles phonebook in half and make it look simple right up until he got sick in his late 60s, and he never lifted weights a day in his life. He built fences until sometime in his 30s or 40s, at which time he got an office job but seemed to keep most of his strength. I’m about average strength for my weight but my forearms are disproportionately strong, and I think it’s got to be hereditary. I’ve opened jars for guys who are **considerably** stronger than me in all other aspects. I’ve had my eyes on these professional grippers for a little while now. I recently got some “heavy” ones from Wal-Mart (probably not half as difficult as the easiest pro-gripper) and I can close them about 100 times in a row with either hand. I’d like to see how I’d stack up against the real ones. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strong-and-the-truly-strong/371818/32 "2006-09-09T03:50:23Z")
I can see using time to build up a grip if it is for some _purpose_ such as improving musicianship. And I wished I didn’t have to turn to my husband to open every jar for me. My 93 year old arthritic mother has a better grip than I do. I think muscle-building is a thing that guys do to impress each other and improve their self-confidence. Most women don’t have “muscular” near the top of their lists of most desirable traits. If it makes you happy, go for it. But there will always be someone stronger. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strong-and-the-truly-strong/371818/33 "2006-09-09T04:06:27Z")
[QUOTE=Zoe] I can see using time to build up a grip if it is for some _purpose_ such as improving musicianship. And I wished I didn’t have to turn to my husband to open every jar for me. My 93 year old arthritic mother has a better grip than I do. I think muscle-building is a thing that guys do to impress each other and improve their self-confidence. Most women don’t have “muscular” near the top of their lists of most desirable traits. If it makes you happy, go for it. But there will always be someone stronger. [/QUOTE] Quite possibly, but the ladies I’ve been going out with over the last year or so have been most emphatic in telling me that they _really_ like the fact that I have a hard, muscular “man’s body”, and how it’s so much better and more virile than the pillowly bodies of their ex-boyfriends/husbands/SO’s. The thing that keeps me from being at all smug in this is that until April of 2005 when I lost some serious weight, and started working out, I would been in the “pillowesque” category myself. I still need to drop about 20 lbs or so to get to my ideal (IMO) weight, but the effects of the weightlifting have been a huge plus overall. ---
**Author:** ![the\_chicken\_of\_exeter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac8455/32.png) [@the\_chicken\_of\_exeter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_chicken_of_exeter)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strong-and-the-truly-strong/371818/34 "2006-09-09T04:21:02Z")
psssh. i hate those stupid gripper things. my rowing coach made me use them a while back, for no apparent purpose as far as i can tell (i can already open jars and hold oars), and ever since i have had weird dents in my wrists, i think where the tendons stick out, which get worse if i clench my fist. very strange looking. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strong-and-the-truly-strong/371818/35 "2006-09-09T05:44:34Z")
[QUOTE=astro] Actually, I’m starting to believe that _really_ strong hands are more related to occupation and genetics than working out. Other than kyaking the hardest thing I have to grip is usually a pen. The uber grip meisters in the videos mostly look like outdoor lifestyle, hard working, contractor type guys. [/QUOTE] Perhaps **ultrafilter** can confirm this, since he always seems knowledgeable about these things, but more specifically, hand strength really comes more from the muscles of the lower arm than anywhere else. You can build those muscles up, and should probably do other movements besides working the grippers, such as wrist curls and reverse wrist curls. But if you look around your gym you’ll not see many people doing those excercises, because the average person just doens’t have the time. For most amateur gym rats it’s upper body, core, quads, hams and glutes, and calves if you have the time. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strong-and-the-truly-strong/371818/36 "2006-09-09T05:45:54Z")
[QUOTE=astro] Quite possibly, but the ladies I’ve been going out with over the last year or so have been most emphatic in telling me that they _really_ like the fact that I have a hard, muscular “man’s body”, and how it’s so much better and more virile than the pillowly bodies of their ex-boyfriends/husbands/SO’s. . [/QUOTE] Understandable, but do most ladies focus that much on the strength of your grip? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strong-and-the-truly-strong/371818/37 "2006-09-09T05:54:11Z")
[QUOTE=Spectre of Pithecanthropus] Understandable, but do most ladies focus that much on the strength of your grip? [/QUOTE] Nah… the grip stuff is just pure fun stuff, plus the gripper is small enough you can horse around with it at our desk. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strong-and-the-truly-strong/371818/38 "2006-09-09T10:48:18Z")
Have you tried using [Powerballs](http://www.powerballs.com/)? They’re meant to be good for grip strength, and are fun to boot. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strong-and-the-truly-strong/371818/39 "2006-09-09T11:07:26Z")
[QUOTE=Spectre of Pithecanthropus] Understandable, but do most ladies focus that much on the strength of your grip? [/QUOTE] My husband used to do “squeezies” every day. He’s got a grip like a vice. Neither attractive nor unattractive unless there are pickle jars that need to be opened. In that respect, the strong grip is a godsend. ---
**Author:** ![nd\_n8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/439d5e/32.png) [@nd\_n8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nd_n8)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strong-and-the-truly-strong/371818/40 "2006-09-09T16:34:09Z")
You know what they say about guys with big hands. As the proud owner of a couple of decent sized meat hooks I can say it is absolutely true. We really do wear big gloves 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strong-and-the-truly-strong/371818.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strong-and-the-truly-strong/371818.md?page=3)