How tight do you grip the bar while lifting?

[chillin408]

While doing pushing movements (bench, shoulder presses, etc.), do you just let the bar sit in the palm of your hand and grip it just enough to keep it balanced or do you grip/squeeze the bar tight throughout the set? If you do the former, have you ever noticed any pain a little past your wrist on the side of your lower arm?

 

[Hannibal]

In a pressing movement I gripped the bar as tightly as possible...I also try to "pull the bar apart"...pulling my hand out towards the plates. This activates more more muscles and makes you more stable.

 

[CollegeKid]

suicide grip?

while we're on the subject of gripping bars, what's the deal with the "suicide grip"? in a few books i've seen ronnie and the likes bench pressing huge amounts with their thumbs OVER the bar, instead of under like any normal person would do. what's the point of this grip? it just seems like it'd be easier to lose grip of the bar and have it crash on you.

-CollegeKid

 

[goldenone]

Re: suicide grip?

while we're on the subject of gripping bars, what's the deal with the "suicide grip"? in a few books i've seen ronnie and the likes bench pressing huge amounts with their thumbs OVER the bar, instead of under like any normal person would do. what's the point of this grip? it just seems like it'd be easier to lose grip of the bar and have it crash on you.

-CollegeKid

The open grip is supposed to activate the tris a little more. Most people that bench with a open grip have big hands.

 

[ASALT]

I grip as tight as possible, makes me feel stronger.

 

[p03t1c]

i try to grip the bar as hard as i possibly can. keeping tight really makes a difference when going for the big numbers.

 

[SAGAT]

tight as possible for me

 

[Pineapple Devil]

sometimes too tight. i'll squeeze the dumbells so tight that i'll end up loosing my grip.

 

[DrBones]

I kind of like the suicide grip every now and then...
It makes me feel like im pushing the weight harder...
But on most exercises, especially deads, I squeeze the bar like i'm trying to kill it..
Thanks
Ryan

 

[flex123]

suicide grip for benching. It feels like your pushing the weight and getting more out of each rep.

 

[lowerbackman]

when using a tight gripi somestimes (often when i just finished the set) feel "electric shocks" in my arms just a few cm from my wrists.... anyone else got the same? or is this toooo tight?

 

[erickthegreat11]

suicide grip for me. First time I tried it, I never went back to closed grip for pressing. Feels like more of your energy goes to pressing. Never lost the bar. Just takes getting used to I guess......... then again I do my pressing movements in a power rack.

 

[Exodus]

just on a side note to this post here is an observation that i have noticed...............1 people with the longest fingers usually have the best grip for deadlifting........... but it is people with large hands not necessarily long fingers that are great for suicide grip benching.

i bench like this, easily, but my grip on dead and pullup sucks.

X

 

[erickthegreat11]

LOWERBACKMAN: You're squeezing way too tight. Might be pinching nerves or something. Do you use an alternating grip?
(palm up, palm down)

 

[lowerbackman]

i dunno.... it's most often occurs when training the obliques with dumbells or cable.. so no palm changes at all then..... however the weight and above all the cable pulls the most on your hands

 

[erickthegreat11]

I thought you were talkin' deadlifts. Not sure what exercises you're referring to, but if your wrist is in a stretched position while performing it, try to keep it straight it will probably solve it.