What do i do?

[Hoppa]

Hi guys. im currently sumo deadlifting 145kgs for 5s using the alternate grip. I however am only able to lift the bar up to full lockout when i grip the bar with my right palm is facing me. I make it a habit to switch grips every rep to train both arms. However, when its turn for me to grip the bar with my left palm facing me, im not able to pull it to lockout, i fail halfway and sometimes cant even lift the bar up. It has nothing to do with sweaty palms, just weak grip. I could feel that my back could still take more weight. My question is whether to continue training with ONLY the dominant grip or slow down on the weight increment to let the weaker arm catch up on grip strength. Opinions please! =)

Some information that may help:

Currently increasing weight 2.5kg (1.25 each side) per session(I DL once a week). If i have to slow down, that would mean 500 grams incremental each side per week.

Squatted 172.5 kg for 5 today.

[veryhrm]

i vote for keeping it even, but not changing every rep. I do (on normal DLs) RRRLL one time and LLLRR the next. That's already more switching than recommended. Most people here will just say to stick w/ dominant.

Also, why are you doing sumo ? Do you compete that way? why not do normal DLs?

Generally it is not great that your squats are so far ahead of your DLs either... how did THAT happen ?

[borzoi06]

Gonna go out on a limb here and say lack of depth is how that happened.

[borzoi06]

Nevermind, Hoppa. I just saw a few of your earlier posts and noticed you had some pretty good depth on the squats. I have had success using straps for a few sessions just to get the bar up. Then switched back to doing it without straps and did fine. I rarely, if ever, use straps, but it has helped me before to resort to a bit of an assist for my grip for a couple sessions.

[Hoppa]

i vote for keeping it even, but not changing every rep. I do (on normal DLs) RRRLL one time and LLLRR the next. That's already more switching than recommended. Most people here will just say to stick w/ dominant.

Also, why are you doing sumo ? Do you compete that way? why not do normal DLs?

Generally it is not great that your squats are so far ahead of your DLs either... how did THAT happen ?

Ive been on linear progression for 1 and a half years. I injured my back doing regular DLs early 2011 when i started SS. Had no idea how to do it, no one was there to teach me, did exactly what Rip described on the book, but still fail at it. Did the starr rehab thing for a couple of weeks and i thought it got better so i tried DL again and re-injured myself. took a couple months break and decided to give it a go again and again i re-injured myself. That kept going on and on for a couple of times as i did not want to give up on it if i want to compete. So yeah, told myself i'll try one last time early this year before giving up on the conventional. FAILED AGAIN. So i switched to sumo, i can do it no problem with no aches nothing. Back in the days when i did the conventional i often had a pinched nerve after EVERY session. It was annoying. The injuries only prevented me from deadlifting, i was able to continue with my linear progress on the squat. I think thats a good enough explanation for why im doing sumo and why my squat is higher than my DL.

My bench is pretty low too. only at 91kg. Sorta the same explanation as the above.

Oh yeah, Rip recommends only doing a set of 5 on the deadlift. so i cant do the RRRLL one time and LLLRR the next that you do. =/

Gonna go out on a limb here and say lack of depth is how that happened.

Had form checked on the forums. Was told my depth was perfect. =)

[Sevag]

I saw Mr. Rippetoe suggest in a thread once that if grip is really becoming an issue and you don't need to fix it (i.e. you're not going to compete at a meet), use straps for your deadlifting to not stop deadlift progress. You can do separate forearm/grip training on deadlift days.

[veryhrm]

Ive been on linear progression for 1 and a half years. I injured my back doing regular DLs early 2011 when i started SS. Had no idea how to do it, no one was there to teach me, did exactly what Rip described on the book, but still fail at it. Did the starr rehab thing for a couple of weeks and i thought it got better so i tried DL again and re-injured myself. took a couple months break and decided to give it a go again and again i re-injured myself. That kept going on and on for a couple of times as i did not want to give up on it if i want to compete. So yeah, told myself i'll try one last time early this year before giving up on the conventional. FAILED AGAIN. So i switched to sumo, i can do it no problem with no aches nothing. Back in the days when i did the conventional i often had a pinched nerve after EVERY session. It was annoying. The injuries only prevented me from deadlifting, i was able to continue with my linear progress on the squat. I think thats a good enough explanation for why im doing sumo and why my squat is higher than my DL.

My bench is pretty low too. only at 91kg. Sorta the same explanation as the above.

Oh yeah, Rip recommends only doing a set of 5 on the deadlift. so i cant do the RRRLL one time and LLLRR the next that you do. =/



Had form checked on the forums. Was told my depth was perfect. =)

It seems very strange to me that you can do below parallel squats w/ no problem, but that DLs at less weight hurt your back, but it is what it is.

Also, i do RRRLL one workout and LLLRR the next workout, my warmup sets are still dual overhand. One thing you could try is to maybe do one of your warm-up sets in the weak position to get more practice at it.

[Hoppa]

It seems very strange to me that you can do below parallel squats w/ no problem, but that DLs at less weight hurt your back, but it is what it is.

Also, i do RRRLL one workout and LLLRR the next workout, my warmup sets are still dual overhand. One thing you could try is to maybe do one of your warm-up sets in the weak position to get more practice at it.

I may be able to deadlift more than i squat, i dont know. Like i said, grip strength is holding me back from catching up.

It doesnt make sense to me to do RRRLL one workout and LLLRR the next workout. For example, i fail at RRRLL at 145 kg, dont think ill be able to progress with a higher weight next session with LLLRR.