A question about deadlifts

[Yarg!]

Why do people grip the bar with one palm facing in to your body while the other palm faces out? I use this grip, but only cuz alot of the others are doing it. it has perplexed me since i started DLing.

 

[RusPA81]

Your grip is much stronger this way. You can hold a lot more weight and do not have to rely on straps.

 

[Toozee]

That grip feels incredibly uncomfortable to me. I'm sure I'll have to use it eventually as the weight increases. Either that or the locking grip thing.

 

[JLA]

Yarg!-
The reason it helps is that if your palms face the same way, the bar tries to roll off your finger tips. If they are facing each other, the bar's tendancy to roll out of each hand cancels out.

 

[spatts]

Springfield, MO, huh? You're right down the road!

 

[FatRat]

Yarg!-
The reason it helps is that if your palms face the same way, the bar tries to roll off your finger tips. If they are facing each other, the bar's tendancy to roll out of each hand cancels out.

bingo

 

[JLA]

spatts-
yep, Springfield. I went to school w/ Ish in Kansas. He said you guys are going to Tulsa this weekend? congrats, btw on your recent meet.

 

[spatts]

Thank you!

Are you going to come train with us this weekend??

 

[JLA]

Probably won't make it this weekend - sounds good though...

 

[RottenWillow]

Your grip is much stronger this way. You can hold a lot more weight and do not have to rely on straps.

Slightly off topic but if anyone saw Fear Factor last night you may have noticed that the first person up in the first event was a female fitness competitor with some pretty respectible muscle.


She used the DL alternating grip on the bar when she was dragged at 40mpg across a lake by a helicoptor. Held on for 32 seconds I think. A few of the guys watching remarked on her grip and then low and behold copied her.

 

[Yarg!]

thanks guys for the replies

 

[Nonerz]

I'd recommend switching it up...I used to only mix with left hand palm down and right hand palm up. Now I use a regular grip until I HAVE to mix it up...and I alternate my grip to keep things even. I still prefer LH down, RH up and use that grip on my 1 RM attempts.

 

[WalkingBeast]

Having a mixed grip is best for developing one side of the body bigger then the other, but also makes it 20 times easier to grip the heavy weights. I use a mixed grip with straps or chalk.

 

[casualbb]

When you guys say alternating grip, do you refer to thumbs around the bar? What I do is use an alternate grip, but have my thumbs on the same side as the fingers, kinda like a "monkey bars" grip. It's sorta like the hook grip CCJ described but thumbs not tucked under the fingers. I can hold 150+ above my current deadlift max comfortably with this.

Side question, is that PL-legal?

 

[thebrute]

Your grip is much stronger this way. You can hold a lot more weight and do not have to rely on straps.

this is true. one grip reinforces the other during the deadlift. tb

 

[theoak01]

I tried the alternate grip last week and I got 235 up,but with a overhand grip on both hands I got 255,I find the latter to work best for me

 

[Nonerz]

Having a mixed grip is best for developing one side of the body bigger then the other

I don't think the intent is to create a muscular imbalance (unless you're TRYING to correct one)...plus you can switch it up, flip flop, which shouldn't cause one side to be bigger than the other. Maybe I'm just not reading your post in the way you intended.

casualbb - I wasn't referring to the monkey grip that you mentioned. I don't feel stable that way. With your thumb wrapped around the bar, it's kinda like you are making a fist with a fat ass roll of quarters in your hand (feels solid) vs. giving the ole' Cub Scout salute!

 

[b fold the truth]

If you are pulling with straps...pull double overhand. I can pull with a longer arm if I pull double overhand...but anything around or over 600 tends to fall out of my hands with a double overhand.

B True

 

[RusPA81]

I personally cannot switch hands. I have to go left hand over and right hand under. If I switch hands I actually can hold less then double overhand.

 

[bignate73]

Having a mixed grip is best for developing one side of the body bigger then the other,

i used the same mixed grip for years, heard that i could possibly develop some imbalances and had no problems alternating mixed grips each time.

 

[Nonerz]

I personally cannot switch hands. I have to go left hand over and right hand under. If I switch hands I actually can hold less then double overhand.

I know what you mean...I use the less comfortable grip when I'm working my way up to my heavier pulls. This way, I am not exclusively using one way...if you can pull more with double overhand then by all means, do so!