Grip training

[Mark Rippetoe]

I didn't use chalk and no one ever recommended me to use any so I didn't,

Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training | The Aasgaard Company

[mzanassi85]

I understand that now, I was simply saying that in my teens I didn't know anything about it. Since aking the question I've been thinking through your basic barbell training book, watching strating strength videos as well as others on YouTube. I still need to get some chalk though...

[Mark Rippetoe]

You didn't know anything about it when you made the OP.

[mzanassi85]

Fair enough but I'm trying to learn now though, better late than never I guess.

[Matt James]

Fair enough but I'm trying to learn now though, better late than never I guess.

A few thoughts. One, use chalk. Obviously. Two, if you want to strengthen your grip, you could hold the last rep of your warmups and work sets for a ten count or so. This will work with double OH or mixed. But your hands will be tired on your work set, so be prepared. This will strengthen your grip relatively quickly.

For what it's worth, I switch from DOH to mixed at around 315. (Current DL is 385). I'm sure some people can do DOH at those loads but I can't so I don't.

Hook grip needs to be trained, so if you're going to do it, you'll need to use it on all your warmups and work sets to get used to it. And it doesn't work well without chalk. So chalk is not optional no matter which direction you go.

[Dale Waters]

you could hold the last rep of your warmups and work sets for a ten count or so. This will work with double OH or mixed. But your hands will be tired on your work set, so be prepared.

Why not just hold the last rep of the work set?

[Mark Rippetoe]

If you can hold the last rep of your work set, why not just get your deadlift up?

[Fulcrum]

Hey coach I'm having trouble keeping my grip on my deadlift workset (latest was 320x5) and am looking for advice to improve it. Lately I've resorted to using straps on my workset as a temporary solution but would much rather not use them and I tried an alternating grip but found it to be cumbersome at best. Is the hook grip I use for the power clean a better option, or do you know a grip exercise I can use? As a side note I've been doing SSNLP for about 6wks and love the program getting stronger has made a big difference in my life already and I can't wait to see how it'll keep affecting me.

Main thing, yeah, use chalk.
Now that you are using chalk, maybe try to progress again with chalk + dual-overhand grip (DOH).
This way you are still working on grip strength to a degree.
You may have left some on the table so to speak.

THEN, switch to chalk+hook or chalk+mixed.
You might want to try mixed grip again .... with the chalk.
It might feel better than when you tried it before.

Also, another hint:
Do you lift in a commercial gym, with a shitty bar?
A lot of bars have crappy knurl.
And, more importantly, many globo gym have 32mm (oversized) bars, which are harder to hold and grip
especially if you have small hands.
Some gyms might have two different sizes, mine does. Crap bars, and actual Powerlifting or Weightlifting bars.

So see if you are using a 28 or 29 mm bar. (don't use a 25mm/15kg girl's Olympic bar)
Same idea, now that you are using a correct barbell, WITH chalk now, try DOH and see how much you get out of that.
Then switch to hook and/or mixed after that runs out.

[mzanassi85]

Do you lift in a commercial gym, with a shitty bar?
A lot of bars have crappy knurl.
And, more importantly, many globo gym have 32mm (oversized) bars, which are harder to hold and grip
especially if you have small hands.
Some gyms might have two different sizes, mine does. Crap bars, and actual Powerlifting or Weightlifting bars.

So see if you are using a 28 or 29 mm bar.

I go lift at my local YMCA they recently got some new equipment, mostly hammer strength racks, benches, plates, etc., Along with some xmark voodoo 20kg bars (can't find a listed diameter anywhere...). They do have some older bars with good knurling that seem like they're good bars so I usually just find the "best" one I can find that's not being used (and I do mean best very loosely since I really don't think I could tell a great bar from an ok one at this time)... I'd rather setup a home gym but just don't have anywhere to do it, that way I could use the same equipment every session...