Back for a bit part 3...Grip Dyno

When we were setting up etc on Thursday the guys, Charles and Gary Rinaldi, showed me their Baseline Grip Dynometer (see image). We had a LOT of fun this weekend with it. As well as having visitors to our stand try out their Heavy Grips we got them to test their strength. The little booklet that comes with it suggest that the mean average for all age groups is, in what I assume to be the untrained population, 115lbs or a little over 52kg.

Throughout the three days we had a load of guys, who obviously lift weights, hit 65-kilos or 140lbs. Now I am sure we did not get them to hold it as per how a sports scientist might, nor did we (for the most part) adjust the handles, but 25lbs better than average consistently is a decent enough indicator.

The climbers among the visitors got higher numbers than you'd expect for their relatively light body-weights and also had as good a crush grip number (slow but steady powerful squeeze until then red needle stopped) as they did ballistic (just a snap like pull). Those who did combat got wide differences (weight trainers would get 5-15kg difference, combat athletes 10-30kg spreads). The handful of women that tried also scored (with only one below - but she was a wee lass) above the mean average. Of course we also had some awesome numbers - one was an old mucker of mine from Liverpool who hit numbers very close to mine. We didn't get the chance to test any high level pro strength guys.

I also noticed, just from my own efforts, peaks and troughs through the day. The closer together my efforts and those of others were the worse the drop off. However, my average crush was 100-kilos with lows of 90-kilos and a peak of 120-kilos. My ballistic efforts averaged off the scale (130kilos being the max) with the best going all the way back to zero and a low of 120-kilos. A few visitors were so impressed they videoed these efforts as the needle went so fast. It was even suggested I was using a secret button!!

Much like the arm wrestling tables and boxing machines both guys and yes gals like to test themselves against the big guys and the dyno was a harmless but fun way for them to do so.