Deadlift Grip - Female

[bandego]

Hey coach,
my girlfriend trains at the gym using a men's Elieko bar. There are no bars for women. She uses your model for the pull, but this places her grip mostly on the smooth. She's already dealing with a bar that is a bit too "fat" for her small hands.
Would you recommend placing the hands a bit wider? Obviously she can get stronger gripping the smooth, but from my experience when I don't get a good grip the pull is harder.

Thanks.

[Mark Rippetoe]

A women's bar is only used in Olympic weightlifting. Is her bar chrome, and is she using chalk? She should be able to get some of her fingers on the knurl unless she is using a non-standard bar.

[bandego]

A women's bar is only used in Olympic weightlifting. Is her bar chrome, and is she using chalk? She should be able to get some of her fingers on the knurl unless she is using a non-standard bar.

She has about two fingers on the knurl. She uses chalk, the bar is chrome.
So I understand this is just something smaller women have to deal with?

Thanks.

[Mark Rippetoe]

More fingers on the knurl or a better bare-steel bar are your options.

[Trewarin]

A light cloth tape, like strapping tape used by physiotherapists; wrapped around the bar where her hand sits is another option. A small amount wrapped discreetly won't make the bar noticeably thicker and improve grip substantially.
I've used this many times on slippery doubles trapeze bars, not recommended on flying trapeze because it works so well it will tear your calluses clean of your hand taking extra skin and blood with it.

fine for a deadlift though.