Grip Strength

[brentkrause]

Hey everyone,

Right now I’m currently stalling at 285 on deadlifts because my grip is failing me. I am still running SS and still putting weight on squat, bench, and press, but last two training sessions I’ve failed my set of t on deadlift due to my grip.

I would prefer not to use alternate grip, and have tried the hook grip with some moderate success.

My question is should I reset a certain % and go more reps to get my grip strength up, or continue on at 285 until I can complete the set?

Thanks a ton.

[Royce Nichols]

So...are you using hook grip, mixed, or double overhand for your worksets? And do you use chalk?

[brentkrause]

Sorry should’ve clarified. I am using standard overhead grip at the moment. And no chalk.

[Royce Nichols]

Use chalk and hook or mixed grip for your work sets dummy

[Mark E. Hurling]

You have three options if you want to continue to add weight to your deadlift:

1. Work on your hook grip.

2. Use an alternating grip. Yes, I know about the drawbacks.

3. Use straps if you don't really care about developing your grip strength and don't ever intend to compete.

Letting your hands hold back the overall strength and development of most of the rest of your body is not a plan for success.

[John Weaver]

Chalk will help immensely.

[Adam Skillin]

It's a huge mistake to limit your deadlift strength to that which you can double-overhand grip. Definitely chalk up and keep training to pull heavier weights DOH (but these will be your warm-ups once you put another couple hundred pounds on your deadlift), but in order to progress, you're going to have to either get used to using hook grip or use straps if you refuse to use a mixed grip.

[OZ-USF-UFGator]

Not sure if you are an intermediate yet, but one strategy I had a while back was to program heavy and light deadlifts. Heavy deadlift day, I used wrist straps. The ones with dowels are amazing. Light day I did a lot of volume but in my mind, I considered this session "grip" training. I worked up to a double at405 eventually, but in full disclosure, that was another gym and the bar was 43 pounds, thinner and had the perfect level of patina and knurling. I also chalked the hell out of my hands on that day.

[OZ-USF-UFGator]

Not sure if you are an intermediate yet, but one strategy I had a while back was to program heavy and light deadlifts. Heavy deadlift day, I used wrist straps. The ones with dowels are amazing. Light day I did a lot of volume but in my mind, I considered this session "grip" training. I worked up to a double at405 eventually, but in full disclosure, that was another gym and the bar was 43 pounds, thinner and had the perfect level of patina and knurling. I also chalked the hell out of my hands on that day.

to clarify, light day was double overhand with no wrist straps.

The G'dam bars we use at my YMCA now are thick, shiny, low knurling and slick. UGH!

[A Schenck]

Hopefully this isn't an issue, but it's worth asking: Are you using a decent bar? Some gyms have a good selection of quality bars and most gyms seem to have bars that are ok but not great... but every once in a while you encounter a thick, poorly knurled, slippery, chromed monstrosity that feels impossible to get a good grip on.