Grip Strength

[Dillman]

Andy,
I just got 315 on the Deadlift for the first time. I got the first rep with the hook grip the on the second rep I slipped. I quickly changed to the mixed grip and the next 4 reps went up fine.
I would like to be able to deadlift heavy with a hook grip but obviously my grip is limiting.
How do you program for training grip strength? (fat bar, fat grips?)
Thanks

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

I never really got into the hook grip, so I can't really comment all that authoritatively on its usage.

I have my clients use a double overhand grip for as many warm up sets as possible on their deadlift sets and switch to and over/under grip as soon as they can't double overhand it any more. Almost all working sets are done with the alternating grip. Sometimes we will do a back off set of 5-10 as heavy as possible with an overhand grip to train grip strength.

Thats really about it.

With my elderly clients and some older adults, we do timed dumbbell holds to build up grip strength. These are done for 2-3 sets of 60 seconds at the end of a workout.

[JTA762]

Rock climbers probably have the best grip strength of anyone. Check out some of their training techniques:

http://allirainey.suite101.com/handg...imbing-a178038

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

I would say that if you don't hook frequently it's hard to develop it well. When I was snatching and.cleaning 4-6x a week I could hook anything I could pull from the ground. Now that I've switched to les frequent o lifts I'm back to mixed at anything over 440.

Plate pinches and iron minds grip crushers are cool too.

[rjgrigaitis]

My grip was always the limiting factor in my deadlift. I'd keep going until my fingers let go. Then, around a year ago, I started to do kettlebell swings. Now I deadlift until I can't stand up for another rep, or leave one in the bank. When I stand up for my last rep, I hold the bar for 10 or 15 seconds. I feel like I could hold 405 all day.

[simonsky]

Dumbell Side bends are a good exercise. Don't use straps and go really heavy for a lot of reps(15+). Grip strength is just an added bonus to trunk strengthening.

[jillingworth]

I think it's pretty normal for grip strength to be an issue at various times in dead lift progression. My grip was a problem for quite awhile (now I think my weak link is my upper back). As with anything else when it comes to lifting, make sure you eat enough and get enough rest. Some aggressive stretching and deep-tissue massage helped me quite a bit. For a lot of people, it's easy to over load the grip so take a close look at your training and make sure you aren't beating your hands to death.

Other things that I've found can throw off grip is if the bar isn't straight. An even slightly bent bar can take dozens of pounds off of a max pull. Make sure you're using chalk (this applies to the hook as well) as this helps to keep the bar from slipping. If you haven't had your form checked recently, do so. You may be doing something else squirrely (like curling the bar a bit) which could be compromising your grip.

[Alexis]

I never fail with the mixed gripping, not even using chalk. My hands are always really dry though. To keep working gripstrength I always have been working up with DOH until I get to the highest workset(s), then I switch to mixed.

[David_G]

you should get a weightlifter tape(basically a normal tape) on your thumb, and use some magnesium chalk, the hook takes a lot of pressure from the actual muscles, only limitation would be a grip issue.

[Immortal_k]

Andy, I've read that using the same over-under mixed grip can unevenly load the back muscles, increasing the strength and size of one side more than the other. Any truth to this? and would just switching hand positions in the mixed grip sufficient to prevent such a thing from happening?

I've begun using DOH for my warmups and straps for my worksets.