The purpose of this test is to measure grip or forearm muscle strength. Handgrip strength is important for any sport in which the hands are used for catching, throwing or lifting. Also, as a general rule people with strong hands tend to be strong elsewhere.
equipment required: handgrip dynamometer
description / procedure: The subject to be tested holds the
dynamometer in the hand to be tested, with the arm at right angles and the
elbow by the side of the body. The handle of the dynamometer is adjusted if
required. The base should rest on first metacarpal (heel of palm), while the
handle should rest on middle of four fingers. The subject squeezes the dynamometer
with maximum isometric effort, which is maintained for about 5 seconds. No other body
movement is allowed.
variations: The position of the hand can
vary. Various positions include the elbow being held at right angles as per the
above procedure, the arm hanging by the side, and the extended arm being swung
from above the head to by the side. The Eurofit Test Manual
recommends squeezing for 3 seconds.
scoring: The best of two
trials for each hand is recorded, with at least 15 seconds recovery between
each effort. The values listed below (in kilograms) give a guide to expected
scores for adults. They are the average of the best scores of each hand. Other
protocols will just use the score from the dominant hand. There are also
examples of some actual athlete results.
rating* |
males (kg) |
females (kg) |
excellent
|
> 64
|
> 38
|
very good
|
56-64
|
34-38
|
above average
|
52-56
|
30-34
|
average
|
48-52
|
26-30
|
below average
|
44-48
|
22-26
|
poor
|
40-44
|
20-22
|
very poor
|
< 40
|
< 20
|
* source and population group unknown
validity: The validity of
this test as a measure of general strength has been questioned, as the strength
of the forearm muscles does not necessarily represent the strength of other
muscle groups.
advantages: This is a
simple and commonly used test of general strength level.
disadvantages: The
dynamometer must be adjusted for hand size, how successfully this is done will
affect the accuracy of the measurement.
comments: It is also
useful to record whether the athlete is left or right handed, as this may help
in the interpretation of results. The non-dominant hand usually scores about
10% lower. The forearm muscles are easily fatigued, so the best scores are
usually achieved in the first or second trial.
