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With the release of Grand Theft Auto Online for next-generation hardware, many new players are diving into the vast open world of Los Santos, ready to take on whatever the city throws at them. However, those starting from the bottom will soon find that the seedy underworld of the game can hit relentlessly hard and fast. Therefore, it's very useful to have the custom in-game player character in the best shape possible if one aspires to hit back at the opposition just as effectively.

For the uninitiated, increasing strength in GTA Online is handled a lot differently from what players have seen in previous entries of the franchise. For example, there are no usable gyms like in GTA San Andreas, so players will have to seek alternative techniques to increase strength this time around. On top of this, there are no physical changes that occur visually as one increases strength (like what would happen to protagonist Carl "CJ" Johnson), meaning it can be tricky to keep track of how strong the playable character is getting. With that said, some neat in-game tricks will marginally improve both of these elements.

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What Does Strength Do In GTA Online

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There are many skills in Grand Theft Auto Online that have major gameplay effects on the player character. Like the stats in Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, they are adjustable but less variable and specific. There are seven skills the player can improve - stamina, strength, shooting, stealth, flying, driving, plus lung capacity.

Although, from the bunch, strength is easily one of the most crucial for players as it boosts melee damage, speeds up ladder climbing, improves sporting capability, and reduces damage taken from various sources.

How to Increase Strength In GTA Online

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Increasing strength can be a tedious process in Grand Theft Auto Online as the overall task is incredibly time-consuming. However, unlike other skills, it is not particularly complicated to get the strength up, with the most common method being to simply get into brawls with either rival players or AI pedestrians. A good rule of thumb to remember is that, for every 20 punches the player lands on someone, their in-game strength skill will raise by 1%.

Another common technique used by players to increase strength is to head to one of GTA Online's many tennis courts or golf courses to boost their skills that way. While there is only one golf course, The Los Santos Golf Club at the GWC and Golfing Society, there are seven tennis courts located across Los Santos:

  • Chumash Hotel Courts, Great Ocean Highway
  • Richman Hotel Courts, West Eclipse Boulevard
  • USLA Campus Courts, Picture Perfect Drive
  • Vespucci Apartments Courts, Palomino Avenue
  • Vespucci Courts, Vespucci Beach
  • Vinewood Apartments Courts, Elgin Avenue
  • Weazel Courts, Dorset Drive

Best Ways To Increase Strength In GTA Online

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Maximizing strength can be a chore for even the most hardcore gamers, with most progress done simultaneously while the player carries out the many lucrative activities spread across Los Santos.

However, with this being the case, it comes as no surprise that the more scientific parts of the community have broken the process down to its fundamentals, then found out the single quickest way of increasing strength.

In short, this method requires two players in the same free-roam lobby. With one player waiting inside a parked vehicle, the other has to punch the car for around ten minutes to boost the strength stat. Not only will this count as the player dealing damage to an opponent, but neither of the participants receives any damage.

Grand Theft Auto 5 is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

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