Double your grip strength and halve your biological age—here are my favorite full-body exercises for longevity

"You have the grip strength of someone half your age."

I'd usually take mild offense to such a statement. But given I was in a comprehensive Bupa health assessment with an exercise scientist, after squeezing a dynamometer with all my might, it was actually a compliment.

"Grip strength is a fantastic indicator of biological health—it's definitely something people aren't necessarily aware of either," adds Oliver Morgan, who holds a BSc in Exercise Psychology and MSc in Sports and Exercise Nutrition.

Along with VO₂ max, grip strength, research shows, is one of the best indicators for biological age and a reliable predictor of overall health, resistance to sarcopenia (muscle loss), cardiovascular disease and even cognitive decline.

A long-term study published in 2024 on 14,178 men and women aged over 50, found that weak grip strength correlated with a 1.37-1.69 "higher hazard for mortality". The stronger their grip, the longer they lived.

Another study published in The Lancet found grip strength to be a stronger predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality than blood pressure.

Of course, a firm grip alone doesn't guarantee a long life. Rather, it reflects regular resistance training, which provides all these life-enhancing benefits.

So, what's the best way to strengthen your grip and overall health and fitness? Pulling exercises—whether that’s lifting weights or your own body weight.

Here are my favorite beginner-friendly full-body exercises that will not only boost your grip strength but your heart, lungs, joints, ligaments and muscle strength, too.

Best full-body exercises to boost grip strength

These exercises are split into two groups: home workouts and gym workouts. Start with minimal weight to master the move, then gradually increase resistance.

To build strength and muscle, aim for three sets of eight to 12 repetitions (or 30 seconds for the farmer's walk and dead hang) with 60 seconds of rest between sets.

Don’t worry if a pull-up or barbell deadlift is beyond you right now—they can be movements to aim for once you've built solid foundations.

Best pulling exercises for home workouts

Dumbbell / kettlebell deadlift

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12

• Hold a weight in each hand by your side.
• Keeping your back flat and chest facing forward, hinge at your hips to lower the weights to the floor. Allow a slight bend in your knees as you descend.
• Tap the weights on the floor, then drive through your heels and push your hips forward to stand tall.
• Kettlebells are preferable to dumbbells as their shape makes them easier to tap on the floor, so you don't have to bend down so far to reach them—which can reduce pressure on your lower back.

Dumbbell walking lunge

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 each leg

• Hold a weight in each hand by your side.
• Take a step forward and lower your back knee to gently tap the floor.
• Push through your front foot to come up to standing then continue forward into the next step, keeping your torso upright and chest facing forward.

Renegade row

Sets: 3 Reps: 4-6 each side

• Start at the top of a push-up position, with your hands gripping two dumbbells, palms facing each other, slightly less than shoulder-width apart.
• Keep the feet wide apart for a stable base and brace your core.
• Row one weight toward your ribs, keeping your hips stable.
• Lower with control and repeat on the other side. Continue alternating sides.

Upright row

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12

• From a standing position, hold a dumbbell in each hand by your thighs, palms facing you.
• Brace your core to keep your torso upright and lower back protected.
• Row both weights up to chest height, leading with your elbows. Keep the weights close to your body throughout.
• Pause, then lower with control and repeat.

Kettlebell swing

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12

• Stand with feel wider than shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell with both hands using an overhand grip.
• Hinge at your hips, keeping your back flat, core braced and knees slightly bent.
• Swing the weight between your legs, then push your hips forward powerfully to drive the weight up to shoulder or eye level. It might take a few repetitions to generate enough power for this.
• Keep your grip tight but arms relaxed. Allow gravity to pull the weight down for your next repetition and squeeze your glutes at the top.

Shop discounted home weights

The Amazon Big Spring Sale is underway and running until the end of the month with lots of great deals on home weights. Here are three recommended options to get you started.

Best pulling exercises for the gym

Farmer's walk

Sets: 3 Time: 30 secs

• Grab a pair of reasonably heavy dumbbells or kettlebells to mimic carrying bags of heavy shopping and place them on the floor.
• Stand between your weights, bend your knees, keeping your back flat and chest facing forward, and grasp the weights.
• Drive through your heels to stand, roll your shoulders back and stick out your chest.
• Walk forward (or in a figure of eight depending on space) for 30secs.
• If you need to reset, lower the weights to the floor, shake your hands, then go again until time's up.

Inverted row

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12

• Use a Smith machine or suspension trainer, like a TRX.
• Hold the bar or handles and lean back so your body is at roughly a 45° angle.
• Keeping your body straight, pull your chest toward your hands.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together, then slowly return to straight arms with control and repeat.

Dead hang

Sets: 3 Time: 30 secs

• Grasp a pull-up bar with an overhand grip (palms facing away).
• Hang for up to 30secs.
• Progress by shifting your weight from side to side, challenging one hand to bear more load.

Scapula pull-up

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12

• This is a progression for the dead hang and regression from pull-ups.
• Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip (palms facing away).
• Retract your shoulder blades, squeezing them down to lift your chest slightly.
• Return to a relaxed hang, then repeat.
• This will activate and challenge all the muscles in your upper back essential for pull-up strength.

Pull-up

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12

• Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip (palms facing away), hands shoulder-width apart.
• Keeping your legs together, engage your core.
• Retract your shoulder blades, then squeeze your shoulder blades and pull your chest toward the bar.
• Lower with control and repeat.
• Trainer tip: Maintain a slight hinge at your hips to help keep your full body active so you can channel more power into each pull-up attempt.

Need help? Here's how to achieve your first pull-up.

Barbell deadlift

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12

• Stand with feet hip-width apart, bar close to your shins.
• Grip the bar with a mixed grip (one overhand and one underhand) with hands shoulder-width apart.
• With a slight bend in your knees, neck neutral and back flat, retract your shoulders to engage your upper back muscles and keep your chest up.
• Drive through your feet to lift the bar. Once it passes your knees, push your hips forward to stand tall.
• Lower under control and repeat.