Posted on 08/10/2016 6:24:50 PM PDT by SamAdams76
Think you’d beat your dad in an arm wrestling competition when he was your age? Bad news: he’d probably kick your ass.
Men today are weaker than they were 30 years ago, research in the Journal of Hand Therapy found.
In the study, men aged 20-34 have lower grip and pinch strength – which measures how strong your hand and upper extremities are – than the same aged guys did three decades ago.
In fact, the average grip strength for men ages 25-29 is nearly 12 kilograms lower today than it was before.
Your grip may not seem super important unless you’re a competitive arm wrestler, but it actually serves as a good proxy of your overall strength.
In fact, a 2011 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that grip strength was predictive of strength in push-ups, leg extensions and leg press.
What’s more, research in previous generations has linked lower grip strength to a variety of serious health problems including arthritis, heart disease, stroke and neurological conditions, says Fain.
It’s not clear whether grip strength actually makes people healthier, or if healthier people are just stronger.
So why are men today so much weaker?
They are less likely to be employed in manual labor jobs, such as in the manufacturing and agricultural fields, than they used to be, says study author Dr Elizabeth Fain, an assistant professor of occupational therapy at Winston-Salem State University in the US.
Working on an assembly line, for instance, requires repetitive tasks handling weighted objects, which can strengthen your hands, she says.
That day-in, day-out grind likely plays more of a role increasing grip strength than weight training – which may only be a few times a week – would do.
It’s also more helpful than the repetitive hand motions we’re more likely to do today, like texting or typing, which tend to activate smaller muscle groups, she says.
Your move, then, is to work on your own grip.
If you’re not working with your hands, you need to make training grip more of a priority.
Yes, but we all have our “hard-earned paycheck”.
Manual labor is frowned upon today. And, in fact, manual labor is not really needed as much.
I’m 41 now. I’m willing to bet 30 years ago, when I was eleven, I was stronger than most of those beta male bearded hipsters walking around. Today? I’m recovering from a broken arm and could still out perform any bearded hipster in manly work.
BUT, they’d beat me at pokeman go.
Boys today are weak. Can’t even call them men and getting a grip is just part of their shortage.
I asked him politely if I could ask his age. He was 40. My Military career is 37 which I respectfully relayed to him..
I explained to him, I'm a throwback from a bygone era. I also recounted the fact that I still love my first 1SG. He was a big burly MAN with a handle bar mustache and a bad ass attitude.
And he did not care one F ing bit about your "Feelings" !
Check out this months Army Times Headline. Melenials, demand praise, question leadership, and are ruining our Army.
Candy A$$es.
I’m 61 and recently a youngster (over 21) got in my grill ... he became a foot taller while I demonstrated my grip on his throat.
His Grandmother (my Friend) and his Uncle were on either side of me, I apologized to them and dropped him.
He calls me Sir now and does not back talk his Grandma anymore, (She is in her 80’s and he lives in her house) I had fears for her safety but Grandma and Uncle say that the punk is moving.
Adrenaline can make you much stronger than you think you are but kids these days are like wafers, I felt no weight and he was at least 6” taller than me.
In retrospect my actions were VERY DUMB ... I learned the lesson many years ago ... NEVER interfere or involve yourself in Family disputes ... I was lucky it turned out the way it did.
(stupid punk screwed up stuck his finger in my chest and asked “What YOU gonna do?” My “Stupid” took over)
I’m a single guy - I’ve got incredible grip strength! ;-)
little girls are hitting puberty at 9-10 or earlier.
fertility is way down.
Gender confusion is rampant.
Heck, young people barely seem interested in the opposite sex these days.
honestly.... I think something is in the water, female hormones or some such.
Well, I certainly am. Thirty years ago I was 43.
I’m 30 and my testosterone is through the floor low. Sleep apnea could be the cause of it though.
Some of the reasons more men are not bothering with women are false rape accusations (lots of high profile cases), no-fault divorce, women monkey-branching from one man to another of higher status and so on.
I’m not going to bother with dating at all.
My 30 year old would have more grunt, today’s me has more strength. Haven’t grunted recently, though. Who knows, maybe my PT does...
Thirty years ago I was in my 20’s.
In my day PE was mandatory in Jr.-Sr.high schools.
Gymnastics, track, wrestling, football, softball, basketball and calisthenics were cycled through every school year.
The coaches made sure everyone broke a sweat.
Lockers with stinky gym clothes were a fact of life unless you remembered to bring clean ones.
At what point was mandatory PE removed from schools?
My parents both born in 1918 worked harder than I can imagine. Daddy would plough behind a horse from early morning to noon. He would then take two hours off. He would eat lunch then rest for an hour then back to plowing or other strenuous farm work. Mother may have worked even harder.
Despite that, I can recall Daddy talking about Mother’s Father. He worked a thousand acre farm. Daddy thought his Father-in-Law was an even harder worker than he was. Grandpa Mac was born in 1865.
How much grip do you need to flip burgers?
“Service society” strikes again.
Well I meant to say that he would plow behind a horse. Not sure where I got plough.
Thirty years ago, I was 20. I was pretty strong then - farm raised - but I might be stronger at 50. Certainly I’m smarter!
Pajama Boy’s
Ya, I know I wouldn’t want to wrestle an alligator.
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