deadlift grip

[ironanimal]

what kind of grip does everyone prefer for deads?? Over/under/both?? What about wide vs. narrow?? which grip allows you to pull the most weight?? I've been experimenting with different grips but was wondering what most people have more success with.
thnx

 

[Dave949]

One hand over and one hand under and most likely using wrist straps if your going heavy and doing reps because no matter how strong your grip will get it will never be as strong as your back and your hand/grip/forearms muscles will give out before your back does and you won`t be able to lift the bar after a few reps if you can`t hold it. If your curious about wrist straps check out the following website. www.prowriststraps.com
As far as grip width, that would be a personal preference and some experimention on your part would be required. Personally, I go with a medium or just slightly wider than medium grip where my hands are about 6 inches or so on the outside of each leg standing with my feet planted at approx. shoulder width.

 

[PlatnumKowboy]

I'm actually gonna take a differnet opinion than Dave949 I'd stay clear from wrist straps. Also I would re-set after each rep for safety reasons.

 

[Atomic Punk]

One hand over and one hand under and most likely using wrist straps if your going heavy and doing reps because no matter how strong your grip will get it will never be as strong as your back and your hand/grip/forearms muscles will give out before your back does and you won`t be able to lift the bar if you can`t hold it. If your curious about wrist straps check out the following website. www.prowriststraps.com

What a load! I have held 500+ with a lock-grip on many occasions. NO competitive powerlifter uses straps either. So your statement that "no matter how strong your grip is blah blah blah", is crap. Maybe with you, but certainly not for those who train with that grip from the first time they start to deadlift.

 

[endpoint]

Im gonna say the complete opposite.

I have said it before......and ill say it again, i honestly believe every person has the ability to build enough grip strength to out pull their back, legs and what ever.

most people neglect certain areas of their hands......and dont put an effort in.

Including straps anywhere in your training will minimize your capabilites in the gym

 

[Dave949]

Are you guys talking moderate to high reps here or low reps or both ??? I can understand doing low reps without the need for straps but whenever I do moderate to high reps (6 - 12) I need straps. Call my grip weak but I do what I gotta do. Atomicpunk says he has held 500+ without straps. Thats great dude....I`m impressed but are you talking reps here or singles/doubles/triples ???? If you can do 8 to 10 reps with 500+ without straps your a much stronger man than I. To say no serious powerlifter utilizes straps.....ummmm.......sorry, I don`t buy that. With all due respect......did you take a poll of all the lifters in the country ????

 

[overhead]

Not sure about that guys, I have seen some pretty darn strong guys use straps while training. Using straps all the time, or before your grip is already shot is not a good idea, but if I do max effort rack deads, then move on to barbell shrugs or something the straps are the only way I will be able to get the work in I need on my upper back. And, by the way one of the group of people that I saw using straps was the westside guys on there max effort squat video. I think they classify as pretty good powerlifters

 

[endpoint]

Im gonna say the complete opposite.

this was written being written the same time as the rest of the posts.

Atomic Punk, PlatnumKowboy I agree with you.

 

[Atomic Punk]

Are you guys talking moderate to high reps here or low reps or both ??? I can understand doing low reps without the need for straps but whenever I do moderate to high reps (6 - 12) I need straps. Call my grip weak but I do what I gotta do.

I've done #405 for 12 reps with no straps. When I said "no competitive powerlifter", I meant powerlifting in competition. There have been plenty of 7-8-900 pound deads performed, and NONE of them involved straps.

 

[overhead]

I understand that, but if you are doing rack deads 6 or 7 inches off the floor working up to a max, you would be handling weight that is greater than what you would on your normal deadlift. If you are doing say sets of three working up to a one rep max then stopping do to your grip giving out does not make a lot of sense. Should you work on building you grip if it is lacking, yes. Should you do all pulls with straps, no. I rarely use straps, but if my grip is stopping me from moving weight that my back and legs can handle than I think it would be silly to not use straps. Then maybe work on grip during a different part of the workout. But I guess that is a personal preference.

 

[Dave949]

I wasn`t refering to COMPETITION in my original response nor did I say they were USED in comp, It was training in general. Obviously...some people use straps and some don`t.

 

[Atomic Punk]

I wasn`t refering to competition Atomic, It was training in general.

So was I. I made references to both if you read what I said again. The point was, that your blanket statement doesn't apply to me. Others agree.

 

[spatts]

Dave, I don't know what people are like where you train, and I'm assuming based on your location, and the location of prowristwraps, that there's a reason you're pushing the strap idea so hard (not just on this thread, but others), but in MY gym no one uses straps and a lot of the guys hold well over 500 pounds on a regular basis, for both 1-3 rep max movements, as well as higher rep movements (dimels, reverse bands deads, rack pulls, etc...).

If I had to choose between wraps and chalk, I'd take chalk.

I also agree that blanket statements about the effectiveness of certain moves or techniques are faulted by definition (whether it's a front squat or a wrist wrap).

 

[sinjinsmythe33]

i dont like straps either, but 500 pounds for dimel deadlifts? that is impressive.

 

[Dave949]

Spoken like a true gentleman Spatts and I appreciate your input as well as the civility in your post........

For the record..... I have nothing to do with prowriststraps in any way, shape or form. I only have recommended them because they simply make a quality product. They are located in Virginia, I am located in Southern California. I`m not sure what you were suggesting concerning their location and mine or what the relevancy was.

As far as the type of people who live and train where I live, I don`t have a clue how they train here because I no longer train at a commercial gym. Besides.... I train with what works for me not how the general workout population or the way the "other guys" train. The only places that would be geographically practical for me to train is places like Bally`s or Family Fitness or L.A. Fitness and I just can`t handle those places, so about 5 years ago I turned my garage into my own home gym/dungeon........complete with wrist straps.

Also...I am a newbie on this site. I also have no problem accepting constructive criticism concerning the wording of my posts. Obviously I have to word my responses in a way that they do not come across as blanket statements which appear as though I`m speaking for all. After reading your post and going back and re-reading my original response to the thread starter, it is an obvious broad and blanket statement and should have been worded differently. I stand corrected on my blanket statements. Live and learn.........

However, I will stand by my basic premise for using wrist straps. If my grip strength, for whatever reason is lacking and always seems to lag behind my deadlifts and power cleans, to sacrifice my deadlift and power cleans poundages because wrist straps are un popular and scoffed at by some people would be foolish. Some of us just don`t have good forearms and/or grip power and some things we just cannot change about some muscles no matter what we (I) do and IMHO I can`t see allowing the poor genetics of one bodypart hold back other body parts by not using a simple piece of equipment, aka wrist straps.

 

[Crazy03]

I've heard good things about using a hook grip and chalk for deadlifts, mainly reducing the risk of bicep tears and eliminating assymetrical loading

 

[Liftbig]

quality product or not, imho wrist straps are for the birds. i have never once had a problem with my grip. never has my back been so strong that i cant hold on to the weight. now this may not be the case with most people, but i think wrist straps are counter productive. if you use them all the time, how is your grip going to get stronger. get your hands stronger. strong hands will help you in alot of lifts, like bench press, and even squatting. stop using wrist straps. get a pair of strong hands.

 

[spatts]

Spoken like a true gentleman Spatts.

*Spatts adjusts herself*



Seriously, I figured you are either sponsored by them, or work for them. If not, you should be.

In asking about what it's like where you train, I was referring to the commercial gym atmosphere. I know at the old "fitness center" I used to train in, the bars were all slicked up pretty chrome with just enough knurling to make them look like barbells. I deadlifted about 100 pounds less there, and used straps once, just to save my poor ego. I like big old rusty bars with knurling that cuts through your hand.

...and some chalk.

Reading back over the thread, it seems that some clarification could be made for the word "straps." There are straps, then there are wraps.

When you have guys in your crew deadlifting 800-900 pounds, a 500 pound dimel is really only 56%-63% of max.

 

[Mike_Rojas]

I think people with small hands might benefit from straps. I've read about some powerlifters that are limited in deadlifts by their hand size.

From http://www.planetmuscle.com/articles/3_3/strongest_man002.html about Paul Anderson:

"Anderson was not much of a deadlifter. By all accounts he made about 725 lbs. to 750 lbs. since his hands and fingers were small and stubby like many others built like him, although he claimed 820 lbs. and actually 1,000 lbs. when he attached special hooks to his hands for his grip!"

I don't use straps myself.

 

[Dave949]

*Spatts adjusts herself*

Now I`m really confused !!!! How about spoken like a true gentleperson

 

[spatts]

lol...I'm a girl. You're plat so you can see my gallery. That should clear up some confusion.

 

[Dave949]

lol...I'm a girl.

WOW......that was a girl picking on me like that !!!
Dammmmnnnnn......... your pretty tough, lol

 

[Lord_Suston]

I use to use straps all the time and finally thanks to some crazy members on this board i ditch them about a year ago, My grip has improve greatly and my back developement has improved as well. The only problem was by using straps my grip was severely weakened and this lead to a weaker back in my training due to the point that I would go a little lighter so the straps would cut into my arms

 

[wildonsquats]

I also started out with straps, and then from reading this board i decided to go just raw with chalk. At first i couldnt even do 3 reps with 255, now im up to 7 reps with 365 in less than 4 months. The bonus out of all this is that grip strength has increased dramatically (along with coc grippers) and had helped with almost every exercise that i need to grip the bar tightly, esp with pullups.

Grip still fails me on rack deads though, but if i can ever get used to the hook grip (too much tension on my thumbs) im sure that i can get over it.