Eli5: How do weightlifters’ hands keep up with the increased burden when there’s almost no muscle in them?

Question

Eli5: How do weightlifters’ hands keep up with the increased burden when there’s almost no muscle in them?

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Answer 1

I rock climb but this crosses over into hand strength for weight lifting.

Grip strength comes from forearm muscle strength and hand connective tissue strength. In rock climbing, you should wait for two years before hangboarding (finger strengthening exercises) because the tendons/connective tissue gets stronger slowly. Your forearms can become so strong they pull the connective tissue in your hands apart. Even after that they regularly suffer finger injuries so you have to scale back at the first signs of injury or risk severe injuries that require surgery to fix.