Dave Tate - False Grip

[George Noble]

Interesting different perspective as I'm sure we're all familiar with Rip's opinion on the matter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOBKGesyFwk&feature=player_embedded

[Sal Webber]

Very interesting video. I won't be switching grips anytime soon but I could see where it makes complete sense for an experienced powerlifter to use the grip. That takes quite a bit of thumb flexibility to do correctly. I have 15 yr old tendon injuries on my left thumb and I'm pretty sure there's no way I could even get into the correct thumb position as he describes it. I have seen people in gyms use the false grip and I've never seen anyone approach it the way he does in the video... so I guess I've seen it used incorrectly 100% of the time I've seen someone use it.

[Raskolnikov]

Tate: "The false grip is not for beginners, it's for advanced lifters."

Context is everything...

[Sal Webber]

Yeah, he doesn mince words does he? ie "Anyone mis-using this grip deserves to have all of their teeth knocked out"

[Raskolnikov]

Nope. That's what I love about Tate.

It's a bit like people who say squats are bad for your knees, or deadlifts are bad for your back. If you perform a squat or deadlift incorrectly, you don't get to blame the exercise for your fucked up body. Likewise, if you are stupid enough to bounce the bar in your hands while using a false grip, you don't get to blame the grip when the bar slips and knocks your teeth out. The false grip is just a training tool, and when it is used properly and in the right context, it is perfectly safe.