Deadlift grip VS straps

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  • FatWithFatness
    FatWithFatness Posts: 315 Member
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    If you're not competing why not use straps? Mix-grip can cause imbalances in trap development. Hook grip can get painful and shorter fingers does affect it.
  • MilesAddie
    MilesAddie Posts: 166 Member
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    Do you have access to a woman’s Olympic lifting bar? They are thinner than men’s bars by 5mm, if I remember correctly, but it’s pretty noticeable in your hands, not by looking at though.

    The bar is only 35 pounds, and it obviously spins, but could be an option still. Rogue sells them with factory blemishes for 100 bucks off, look for Boneyard Bars.
  • Rottweiler17
    Rottweiler17 Posts: 116 Member
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    I have had a problem with straps in that I lose grip strength so I stopped using them but that’s my experience
  • FatWithFatness
    FatWithFatness Posts: 315 Member
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    Rottweiler17 wrote: »
    I have had a problem with straps in that I lose grip strength so I stopped using them but that’s my experience

    I do other things without them, farmer's walk, weighted chins, barbell rows, etc

    Deadlift isn't the only way to train your grip.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,216 Member
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    I've not tried hook-gripping and have taken to alternating mixed grips for anything over about 85% 1RM. It takes a little getting used to going from normal all the time.

    I also rarely will do anything more than a triple after being diagnosed with L4-L5 facet arthritis last fall; keeping volume low but intensity high doesn't cause me any issues but too much volume on DLs and I have pain for 2-3 days.
  • Shawshankcan
    Shawshankcan Posts: 900 Member
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    I use straps and I have pulled close to 7 and done farmers walks with well over 300.
  • bisonpitcher
    bisonpitcher Posts: 519 Member
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    I use over/under on mine. I switch every set which hand is over to change pressure points on my hands.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
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    cgvet37 wrote: »
    Just looking for others thoughts from personal experience.

    mine is very limited since i couldn't get used to straps, the one time i tried. i also know i have a left-right strength offset and it bothers me enough that i'd rather attack that directly than do the over-under thing.

    i'm playing around with unevenly weighted carries as part of my warmups rn. i take two kettlebells that are 'next' to each other in weight and walk a circuit, switch hands and repeat. then i trade the smaller of the two for the next weight up and do it again until i get to whatever the left hand's upper limit feels like. i keep track to the extent of always ending with the greater load on the left side, so as not to just widen the gap. it's a little early yet to know whether this is even a good idea, but i kind of like this kind of possibly-pointless thing and it lets me really notice how well the left hand is performing. i also like the core activation bang that i get for the same buck.

    another thing that really narrowed the gap was making a rule for myself a few years ago: only using spring clips for i think about a month. no collars, AND always using my left hand to deal with them. that had a pretty dramatic effect, but that's probably partly because the springs where i lift are so suck.
  • curlsintherack
    curlsintherack Posts: 465 Member
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    OP I've seen some of your other lifting numbers in your feed. I think for now you need to stop and concentrate on grip strength over strapping up. If you workout at home there are fat bars availaboe that will help with your grip strength. simply hanging from a pullup bar after your workout for as long as you can will do wonders for grip strength. If your training at home your barbell might be larger than normal too many cheaper bars are 30mm or more in diameter.
  • susanp57
    susanp57 Posts: 409 Member
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    Being female, I really do have small hands. Short Stubby fingers. Have you tried gloves?
  • MilesAddie
    MilesAddie Posts: 166 Member
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    Could try an Axel bar as well.
  • PWRLFTR1
    PWRLFTR1 Posts: 324 Member
    edited October 2017
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    I use good old fashioned chalk, but I compete and gloves and straps are not allowed. If you compete, then yes work on grip strength, if not, it doesn't matter what you use. Except gloves, gloves will do more to hinder your grip than help it.

    ETA: My warm-up sets are hook grip, I switch to over-under for my working sets.
  • FatWithFatness
    FatWithFatness Posts: 315 Member
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    There's lots of people that compete that also just stop using them a few weeks out from competition.
  • mjwarbeck
    mjwarbeck Posts: 699 Member
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    I don't have large hands...probably some would consider small for my frame. I don't use straps or gloves (or a belt).

    Still adding 5lbs or so a week--last week was 5x335lbs.

    I find that my hands are getting slippery now, so will start with chalk.
  • juliewatkin
    juliewatkin Posts: 764 Member
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    I'm another proponent of hook grip. My hands are not terribly large and I find it a much more efficient way to pull than mixed. It's the grip I use in competition. Having said that, I train most of my working sets with straps. My hands get really chewed up if I don't.
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
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    I got to 380 with no use of straps on my conventional deadlift. I will use them every couple months for accessory work. I sure can't handle the hook grip for my deadlift but more power to those who can. I don't do much other deadlift grip work but I do CrossFit a couple of days a week so that probably takes care of a lot of it.
  • deputy_randolph
    deputy_randolph Posts: 940 Member
    edited November 2017
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    Have you used a trap bar? I started using it as an accessory for speed and a stronger lock out. I hold the last rep for grip strength.

    My grip strength hasn't been an issue, but can tell that it has increased. I'm switching to mixed grip further into my working sets.
  • beckygammon
    beckygammon Posts: 73 Member
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    I over-under and I switch hands each set. I used to use straps but have since stopped. I think you are better off using chalk... it actually works great! I love chalk. :)
  • mike_bold
    mike_bold Posts: 140 Member
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    I like to follow a "raw" training ethos, so no belt or straps for me, just chalk.
    Double overhand on warm up sets until failure, then switch to hook grip until my thumbs feel like they will dislocate and finish the top work set with alternating mixed grip.
  • cgvet37
    cgvet37 Posts: 1,189 Member
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    I have been using double overhand until my grip starts to fail, which is when I get above 225 lbs., then I use straps. My grip is getting stronger from doing heavy rows, and using a gripper on my off days at work. I like doing farmers walk, but I have been avoiding accessory work, as my training days are very taxing. Also, I do my deadlifts at the end of my workout. I'm doing Stronglifts 5x5. So it's squat, OHP, then deadlift. By the time I get to deadlift, I'm exhausted.

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