Sophrosyne newsletter

The Positive Correlation Between Testosterone & This Declining Longevity Marker

What My Grandfather Taught Me

In this newsletter, I will be explaining the importance of hand grip strength (HGS) as a man, and how to train it for maximum impact.

I will kick off with a short story.

When I was 12, my grandfather taught me how to shake a man's hands with intention.

But, my grandfather was from a different era.

An era shaped by turbulent economic despair, bloody war, and seemingly insurmountable times.

So, I remember him saying to me "you can tell a lot about a man by the way he shakes your hand."

He towered over me like a giant, looked me in the eyes, and shook my hand firmly.

It felt as if a Boa Constrictor was wrapped around my petite hand.

For a split second, my blood vessels were violently crushed.

But, keep in mind this man is 70+ years old at the time, and seemingly had the grip strength of a strongman.

He said, "that's how you shake someone's hand."

So let me ask you: have you ever shaken someone's hand and thought 'he's soft?'

You can tell, right?

The reality is - and perhaps, unfortunately - people DO make first impressions.

A firm, confident handshake will ensure you're respected and remembered after an interaction.

But, Hand Grip Strength (HGS) runs far deeper than simply shaking hands.

The Darwinian Purpose Of HGS

There are psychological, sociological, and physiological elements to HGS.

It is Darwinian in nature.

The effect HGS has on androgens like Testosterone suggests that it has been shaped through evolution.

Testosterone levels and grip strength are positively correlated.

But, evolutionary psychology has further posited that HGS is involved in social dominance, aggression, sexual behavior, and reproductive fitness.

All of the above objectively makes sense.

Your hands connect you to the external world.

They're your access point to everything outside you.

Think about the utility of HGS in Paleolithic times.

HGS would be useful for building tools.
HGS would be useful for hunting animals.
HGS would be useful for combat.
HGS would be useful for immediate and long-term survival.

Where Are We Now?

Modern life is inherently safer than it used to be, from an immediate survival standpoint.

But, we're seeing declines in the average grip strength amongst young and middle-aged adults.

So, the grip strength of a young adult in modernity is equivalent to a 60-year-old in the 1980s.

This should be of concern to you.

Why Do Men Neglect HGS?

Now, there are a few reasons men neglect HGS.

They don't do anything day-to-day with their hands
They don't do anything hand-specific in the gym
They're oblivious to how important HGS is
They see it as unnecessary

If you start training HGS, you will experience androgenic effects over time.

Remember, all the Darwinian physiological and psychological aspects I mentioned earlier - social dominance, reproductive fitness, and masculine appearance - are positively correlated with HGS.

Furthermore, Testosterone and HGS are also positively correlated.

Why would any man not want to train HGS after knowing this?

So, here's how to train HGS, step by step:

Warming Up

Warming up before any form of training is crucial - and HGS is no exception.

Start with some wrist rolls (it's exactly how it sounds): 30 seconds on each side
Close fist to open fist stretch (again, exactly how it sounds): 10 on each side
HGS trainer: ~ 5sets*20reps

I use a HGS trainer like this (below) to warm up.

It's old school, but it's incredibly effective.

You can also use it as a genuine muscle builder for your hand and forearms through high volume (EG. 5 sets of 100 reps).

Gym Specific Tools

Use fat gripz on lifts

Fat gripz force you to use a thicker diameter when gripping the bar. This activates more muscles in the hand and forearm. Some gyms have them for public use, or you can purchase them directly.

2. Thick barbells

These operate under the same premise as the fat gripz. Thicker barbells force you to use a wider hand diameter when lifting. Most gyms would have thick barbells lying around. Experiment with them.

Gym Specific Exercises

30-60 second bar hangs
Heavy Farmer carries
Reverse grip preacher curl
Deadlifts
Plate pinch, curl, and hold: this is a personal favorite of mine, and below is what it looks like.

I normally finish my regular training sessions with two of the above exercises.

At-Home Specific

Some of you might not be able to train at the gym.

But, that's fine because there are plenty of things that you can do around the house to train HGS.

So firstly, just use your hands more.

Build things, fix things, carry things, and move things.

Secondly, scrunch up unnecessary paper you have lying around.

It looks easy, but it's actually quite challenging if you do volume.

Thirdly, you can rip up stacks of unnecessary paper. This involves finding a pile of unnecessary paper, stacking them, and then trying them in half.

Synopsis

Hand Grip Strength (HGS) is a fantastic predictor of male fitness and longevity.

Scientific papers prove that HGS is positively correlated with social dominance, reproductive fitness, and physical masculine characteristics.

HGS is also positively correlated with serum Testosterone levels. Typically, the stronger your HGS, the higher your Testosterone.

But, in the last 40 years, HGS has declined on average to a concerning degree.

So, the average HGS of a young man nowadays is the same as a 60-year-old man in the 1980s.

However, HGS is trainable.

You can train HGS at the gym or around the house.

Gym exercises include; HGS trainers, farmer's carries, bar hangs, reverse preacher curls and plate pinch, curl & holds.

At-home exercises include; building things, moving things, carrying things, scrunching up paper, and ripping stacks of paper.

Build out those hands and forearms fellas.

(I don't necessarily like posting vanity flicks, but this is to show you that I practice what I preach - ignore my upper arm and focus on forearm/wrist/hand definition)