Finger Lift

[AlexanderHowl]

So, I was bringing in the groceries last night and had picked up a 12 pack of sodas with my index finger and was wondering if anyone had formulated lift for each finger? I was thinking that it should be 0.5 BL for the thumb, 0.4 BL for the index finger, 0.3 BL for the middle finger, 0.2 BL for the ring finger, and 0.1 BL for the little finger. What do you think?

[tshiggins]

I think questions such as this explain why most table-top RPG players think of GURPS in the same way most computer RPG players think of EVE Online. :)

[shawnhcorey]

Index finger + middle finger = full body weight

When it comes to grasping, humans are incredibly strong. Don't forget our ancestors lived in trees and grasping was necessary to their lifestyle. Our hands have evolved to hold our full body weight and then some. It's more a question of fitness than strength.

[AlexanderHowl]

That is hanging, not lifting, and the average person can only hold on with two fingers for a few seconds before problems start to occur. I really doubt that anyone can lift their body weight with two fingers, at least not without involving the arm. Anyway, the maximum lift with extra effort for one arm is 2×BL, which would mean that the average person would have to have a ST 20 to lift themselves up with one arm, much less with two fingers.

[Maz]

Originally Posted by tshiggins

I think questions such as this explain why most table-top RPG players think of GURPS in the same way most computer RPG players think of EVE Online. :)

This made me laugh out loud :D
So true. And I am part of the problem! I once started rationalizing real world historical combat situations based on "because it would make sense in GURPS".


On topic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oYeKKQRT48&t=511s
This video have some muscle-dude try to lift using only fingers vs. some skinny rockclimbers. (I know next to nothing on the subejct - but found this video entertaining and interesting).
The link starts in the middle where they do the actual lift put you can see the video from the start - its actually quite fun.

[Hide]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

So, I was bringing in the groceries last night and had picked up a 12 pack of sodas with my index finger and was wondering if anyone had formulated lift for each finger? I was thinking that it should be 0.5 BL for the thumb, 0.4 BL for the index finger, 0.3 BL for the middle finger, 0.2 BL for the ring finger, and 0.1 BL for the little finger. What do you think?

Mh... You sure it was not your index finger working as a hook? And then, your hand and then your arm doing the rest of the work?

Each extra point to ST provides you with 4.5 LBS. to basic lift (more or less).
Then, 1 arm ST which costs 3 points, likely provides an extra 4.5 LBS. to basic lift with an arm.

So, let’s suppose your arm has full basic lift with ST 10 @ 20 LBS.

The power of your hands is not the same as the power of your arms, but the average hand has a grip power of 105-113 LBS., which is the basic lift for 23 ST, more or less.

Considering the pinky provides roughly 50% of your hand’s ST, let’s assume you have all of your fingers, but that each can employ only 50% of your hand’s full ST divided by 5 (because the other 50% comes in play when you employ the whole hand/fingers). This results in 10% your hand’s ST per finger, which is 2 ST. And if each point of ST provides you with 4.5 LBS. of basic lift… then you have roughly 9 LBS. of basic lift per finger (around 45% of your basic lift).

- Hide

[AlexanderHowl]

The index finger is much stronger than the pinky. In my case though, I am much stronger than average strength and, before my spine betrayed me a couple of years ago, I could pick up 100 lbs with one arm without straining. I still do finger exercises to keep up the strength in my hand though and use 15 lbs weights for my index fingers.

[Bengt]

What kind of exercise are we talking about here? Like hooking your finger in a weight and curling it? The video, while entertaining, was more about grip strength.

[AlexanderHowl]

More like having a weight on the floor and lifting it with just the strength of the finger (either through lifting the weight itself or a bag containing the weight). I generally hook then lifting with just the finger muscles to prevent the weight from rolling off. I find that most people cannot help but flex their hand and their arm when they first try it though, which is somewhat frustrating to them when they realize that their muscles have been programmed a certain way by their life experiences (musicians tend to have better control of their fingers).

I like doing the exercise because I feel that strengthening individual fingers is better than strengthening the grip, which also depends on the muscles in the hand (which are actually fairly strong already). When you practice exotic martial arts techniques that depend on using hooked fingers as striking surfaces, the finger strength matters because it prevents you from flexing while you strike. Many such exercises will result in broken fingers if used improperly but, since they have a hooking surface, distribute force differently from a normal strike, allowing someone to tear tendons, pop ligaments, and dislocate joints without grappling.

[Humabout]

Originally Posted by tshiggins

I think questions such as this explain why most table-top RPG players think of GURPS in the same way most computer RPG players think of EVE Online. :)

Originally Posted by Hide

Mh... You sure it was not your index finger working as a hook? And then, your hand and then your arm doing the rest of the work?

100% agreed.