Deadlift Grip
BklynFitGuy
Posts: 712 Member
I've been doing my deadlifts with an overhand grip. I've noticed in many videos the lifter is using one over and one underhand. Is there a reason or benefit to this type of grip? Have I been doing it wrong?
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Replies
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No, you're not doing it wrong. The main reason I know of for reverse grip (such as in my case) is it makes your grip stronger and thus makes it easier to go heavier.0
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double overhand grip is the normal grip most people will use, there is nothing wrong with it if you can move the bar off the ground.
What you are seeing is people doing a mixed grip (one over, one under). This allows you to lift more because the bar rolls out of one hand and into the other. With the double overhand it just rolls out of both at once and you lose the bar.
There is also the hook grip (thumb under fingers) and that also increases how much you can lift by preventing the bar from rolling out of your fingers. I've tried using this, but don't find it comfortable and I have very tiny hands. I may work my way up to using this, but it is mixed grip for now for me.
One thing you can do is double overhand grip all of your warmup lifts, and then switch to a mix grip for your working set (or even once you fail in your working set). This allows you to work on grip strength and still increase your deadlift at the same time.0 -
You're fine. I tend to do mixed grip (and switch reversed hands each set) because I have tiny hands and my grip isn't great.
If my grip is still failing before the rest of me I'll use straps and overhand grip because I sure as heck ain't competing.
nordlead covered it well.0 -
Sounds good. Thanks all for the feedback.0
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MikeDee_ny wrote: »I've been doing my deadlifts with an overhand grip. I've noticed in many videos the lifter is using one over and one underhand. Is there a reason or benefit to this type of grip? Have I been doing it wrong?
Mixed grip is for top sets when you are training for strength. If your sets are more than 5 reps you should use straps or overhand (pronated) grip. Mixed grip can cause muscle imbalance if it is used for hypertrophy (8-12 rep programs).0 -
MikeDee_ny wrote: »I've been doing my deadlifts with an overhand grip. I've noticed in many videos the lifter is using one over and one underhand. Is there a reason or benefit to this type of grip? Have I been doing it wrong?
Mixed grip is for top sets when you are training for strength. If your sets are more than 5 reps you should use straps or overhand (pronated) grip. Mixed grip can cause muscle imbalance if it is used for hypertrophy (8-12 rep programs).
I'm not disagreeing with you cuz you know your *kitten* too, my suggestion would just be to rotate the over/under grip (one week = left under / right over, next week left over, right under) to reduce those issues. When I deadlifted I rotated my over/under and it was never an issue for me.
Anecdotally I had read something, I believe on EliteFTS, a long while back that said if you're going to use a mixed grip to use it on all sets so your muscles are warmed-up before those top-sets. I don't have anything scientific to back that up but it seemed reasonable to me at the time. I want to say it was in-response to a question about biceps injuries related to mixed-grip deadlifting, but it was a few years back.
12-rep deadlifts, that's cardio! LOL j/k0 -
Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »MikeDee_ny wrote: »I've been doing my deadlifts with an overhand grip. I've noticed in many videos the lifter is using one over and one underhand. Is there a reason or benefit to this type of grip? Have I been doing it wrong?
Mixed grip is for top sets when you are training for strength. If your sets are more than 5 reps you should use straps or overhand (pronated) grip. Mixed grip can cause muscle imbalance if it is used for hypertrophy (8-12 rep programs).
I'm not disagreeing with you cuz you know your *kitten* too, my suggestion would just be to rotate the over/under grip (one week = left under / right over, next week left over, right under) to reduce those issues. When I deadlifted I rotated my over/under and it was never an issue for me. Anecdotally I had read something, I believe on EliteFTS, a long while back that said if you're going to use a mixed grip to use it on all sets so your muscles are warmed-up before those top-sets. I don't have anything scientific to back that up but it seemed reasonable to me at the time. I want to say it was in-response to a question about biceps injuries related to mixed-grip deadlifting, but it was a few years back.
12-rep deadlifts, that's cardio! LOL j/k
Bicep injuries do happen in mixed grip. Sometimes it is a warm up issue and sometimes it's because people flex as though they are curling the bar (I do this on barbell rows).
I do all high rep now, so I just use straps.0 -
Mike....just impressed that you are doing DL. It's the King of weightlifting exercises, even better than squats. So regardless how you do them, hats off that you are doing them!0
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Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »MikeDee_ny wrote: »I've been doing my deadlifts with an overhand grip. I've noticed in many videos the lifter is using one over and one underhand. Is there a reason or benefit to this type of grip? Have I been doing it wrong?
Mixed grip is for top sets when you are training for strength. If your sets are more than 5 reps you should use straps or overhand (pronated) grip. Mixed grip can cause muscle imbalance if it is used for hypertrophy (8-12 rep programs).
I'm not disagreeing with you cuz you know your *kitten* too, my suggestion would just be to rotate the over/under grip (one week = left under / right over, next week left over, right under) to reduce those issues. When I deadlifted I rotated my over/under and it was never an issue for me. Anecdotally I had read something, I believe on EliteFTS, a long while back that said if you're going to use a mixed grip to use it on all sets so your muscles are warmed-up before those top-sets. I don't have anything scientific to back that up but it seemed reasonable to me at the time. I want to say it was in-response to a question about biceps injuries related to mixed-grip deadlifting, but it was a few years back.
12-rep deadlifts, that's cardio! LOL j/k
Bicep injuries do happen in mixed grip. Sometimes it is a warm up issue and sometimes it's because people flex as though they are curling the bar (I do this on barbell rows).
I do all high rep now, so I just use straps.
Yeah, I ran into that issue with RDL's actually and somebody suggested I use straps too. That's the only time my straps see the light of day. lol
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Thanks @TiberiusClaudis !!!! I'm doing Stronglifts 5x50
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i use mixed grip otherwise the bar will roll out of my hands.0
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Use over hand grip as much as you can to build grip strength don't use straps unless the weight is literally to heavy for you to hold. And switch to over under when you can't pull a weight with double over hand.0
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Nice article from T-Nation that discusses grip. Explains how to do a hook grip.
https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-dont-use-a-mixed-grip-when-deadlifting0 -
Packerjohn wrote: »Nice article from T-Nation that discusses grip. Explains how to do a hook grip.
https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-dont-use-a-mixed-grip-when-deadlifting
My hands literally are not big enough to do this.
I should say, my fingers are not long enough to do this.
At least not with the bars at my gym.
I have pretty short fingers as I'm 5'9 and my fingers are maybe 1/4" longer than my 5'2 wife's.
Now I sort of want to revisit trying it to see if it was just my noobishness that was causing the issue, but I just remember not being able to pull it off at all.0 -
Packerjohn wrote: »Nice article from T-Nation that discusses grip. Explains how to do a hook grip.
https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-dont-use-a-mixed-grip-when-deadlifting
My hands literally are not big enough to do this.
I should say, my fingers are not long enough to do this.
At least not with the bars at my gym.
I have pretty short fingers as I'm 5'9 and my fingers are maybe 1/4" longer than my 5'2 wife's.
Now I sort of want to revisit trying it to see if it was just my noobishness that was causing the issue, but I just remember not being able to pull it off at all.
I can't do it. I have long enough fingers, but hook grip caused more damage than it saved me from. Straps are a decent option and switching the mixed grip from side to side works too. Competitive powerlifters don't even bother with caring about imbalance because it works in their favor.0 -
I can't do it. I have long enough fingers, but hook grip caused more damage than it saved me from. Straps are a decent option and switching the mixed grip from side to side works too. Competitive powerlifters don't even bother with caring about imbalance because it works in their favor.
Yeah, I'm not too worried about it and good to know that its rough for those with long fingers too. lol0 -
I'm not going to enter into the debate over grip, however, what I found that has helped my grip strength -- whether double over or switch -- is to hold my last rep of my worksets for 5 seconds or longer at lockout. The advantage, you sneak in some grip training and work on your lockout.0
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nakedraygun wrote: »I'm not going to enter into the debate over grip, however, what I found that has helped my grip strength -- whether double over or switch -- is to hold my last rep of my worksets for 5 seconds or longer at lockout. The advantage, you sneak in some grip training and work on your lockout.
When I am working up towards a powerlifting meet I hold all my reps at the top. During bodybuilding training my tempo is dictated already and I use straps to stick to what I have to.0 -
Makes sense. When I work in hypertrophy sets (4x8 or 5x10) on accessory DL (like RDL or SLDL) I do this too, except I try not to use straps -- but I have my days when I need them.nakedraygun wrote: »I'm not going to enter into the debate over grip, however, what I found that has helped my grip strength -- whether double over or switch -- is to hold my last rep of my worksets for 5 seconds or longer at lockout. The advantage, you sneak in some grip training and work on your lockout.
When I am working up towards a powerlifting meet I hold all my reps at the top. During bodybuilding training my tempo is dictated already and I use straps to stick to what I have to.
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Packerjohn wrote: »Nice article from T-Nation that discusses grip. Explains how to do a hook grip.
https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-dont-use-a-mixed-grip-when-deadlifting
My hands literally are not big enough to do this.
I should say, my fingers are not long enough to do this.
At least not with the bars at my gym.
I have pretty short fingers as I'm 5'9 and my fingers are maybe 1/4" longer than my 5'2 wife's.
Now I sort of want to revisit trying it to see if it was just my noobishness that was causing the issue, but I just remember not being able to pull it off at all.
I can't do it. I have long enough fingers, but hook grip caused more damage than it saved me from. Straps are a decent option and switching the mixed grip from side to side works too. Competitive powerlifters don't even bother with caring about imbalance because it works in their favor.
Hook grip can go suck a ...
My hands are too small and I about tore my thumb nail from its bed trying to do this.0 -
_dracarys_ wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »Nice article from T-Nation that discusses grip. Explains how to do a hook grip.
https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-dont-use-a-mixed-grip-when-deadlifting
My hands literally are not big enough to do this.
I should say, my fingers are not long enough to do this.
At least not with the bars at my gym.
I have pretty short fingers as I'm 5'9 and my fingers are maybe 1/4" longer than my 5'2 wife's.
Now I sort of want to revisit trying it to see if it was just my noobishness that was causing the issue, but I just remember not being able to pull it off at all.
I can't do it. I have long enough fingers, but hook grip caused more damage than it saved me from. Straps are a decent option and switching the mixed grip from side to side works too. Competitive powerlifters don't even bother with caring about imbalance because it works in their favor.
Hook grip can go suck a ...
My hands are too small and I about tore my thumb nail from its bed trying to do this.
Hook grip not for me either. I can't really bend my thumbs that well. I blame my life as an office drone.0 -
If nobody has heard of "Kroc Rows" made famous by the former Matt Kroc, these are great for training the upper back and grip strength. It's basically high rep DB Rows with a little bit of "English" allowed, they're brutal.0
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In my case, the heaviest dumbbells I have access to are only 100 lbs. Although they are not Krocs, Meadows rows have become a fast favorite.Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »If nobody has heard of "Kroc Rows" made famous by the former Matt Kroc, these are great for training the upper back and grip strength. It's basically high rep DB Rows with a little bit of "English" allowed, they're brutal.0 -
Yeah, Kroc rows are brutal and awesome.
@nakedraygun I wish that being limited by 100lb dbs was my problem. lol
My gym has DBs up to at least 150 but they're on the rack I've never had the need to use.
Yet.
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nakedraygun wrote: »
In my case, the heaviest dumbbells I have access to are only 100 lbs. Although they are not Krocs, Meadows rows have become a fast favorite.Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »If nobody has heard of "Kroc Rows" made famous by the former Matt Kroc, these are great for training the upper back and grip strength. It's basically high rep DB Rows with a little bit of "English" allowed, they're brutal.
I'll have to YouTube that one, thanks.0 -
generally I'll use an over hand grip to start my DL session then switch to a mixed grip when that fails. Then within my top work set I will alternate hands every couple reps or so to try and keep it even.0
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I do double overhand until I start getting to the really heavy 1 rep max range and then start using the mixed. But I alternate so I don't build up one side more then the other.0
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I use DOH until I hit around 380. After that it's mixed or DOH w straps. I don't hook grip.0
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I use DOH until I hit around 380. After that it's mixed or DOH w straps. I don't hook grip.
All my strength work is done switched, from the first warm-up to the last heavy single. For me, its important to get locked-in and set-up in my "heavy pulling form" before I hit the heavy stuff.0 -
nakedraygun wrote: »I use DOH until I hit around 380. After that it's mixed or DOH w straps. I don't hook grip.
All my strength work is done switched, from the first warm-up to the last heavy single. For me, its important to get locked-in and set-up in my "heavy pulling form" before I hit the heavy stuff.
I've got to mostly agree with this. I switch to mixed grip far earlier then I have to, but I do my first couple warm ups double over.
Just noticed on video today that I tend to switch which hands over as I'm resetting between reps.
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