I have been doing deads with the clean grip for 5 years-ish. Now that I am working out with sets of 365 and into the mid 400s, my grip constantly fails. I assume that since people use the “hybrid” grip (I don’t know what the official term is) for PL competitions, it must be superior. Does it really help that much? My next workout is 2 days from now, otherwise I would just go to the gym and find out. I lift raw and I believe I could use some assistance. What is better for grip–wrist wraps, gloves, or chalk? I do forearm exefcises formally and uh…informally if you get my drift, so I am not neglecting them.
I haven’t ever used straps or anything, but I can testify to the effectiveness of the alternating grip. It takes alot of the strain off of your forearms. Just make sure you reverse the grip every set so you develop evenly.
My old football coach recommended to me that squeezing a tennis ball till your forearms cramped up would help out…it did.
snatch grip holds
Yeah, if you don’t alternate the grip you have to fight the bar “rolling” out towards your fingertips.
With the alternate grip this tendency is greatly reduced and you can lift a lot more weight. I got this advice not too long ago from people here and it really helped.
Personally, I’m planning to avoid grip assistance as much as possible.
I also use a pronated grip and I would like to continue, but once I start pushing my max, the bar starts rolling off the finger tips. Same thing if I’m doing multiple reps; after several reps, I can’t hold on even though I’ve got more in me.
From what it sounds like its just a given fact that everyone eventually switches to a mixed grip. Is this true? Will I eventually have to make the switch also, or is it just grip strength that can be trained?
use the mixed grip. Why wouldn’t you?
Yup, I am usually holding on for dear life with only the very tips (above the last joint) of my fingers. I will try the mixed grip.
I have the same problem as Rocket. When I’m doing deads, or rack pulls I know my back can handle more weight, but my grip fails. I’ve tried the alt. grip, but my right hand gives out at about 3-4 reps.
I bummed some straps from the football coach, but he discouraged me from using straps. He said something about ‘straps are for pussies’ - now I have this complex going.
Would straps be so bad if I am working on my grip strength at the same time? I deon’t want my back to suffer because of my girlie-man grip strength.
[quote]Nick H wrote:
Just make sure you reverse the grip every set so you develop evenly.[/quote]
I wouldn’t worry about this. Hopefully you are doing enough unilateral and matched grip back work so that it doesn’t matter if you do your deads with the same mixed grip every time. I personally found/find that one way is markedly more comfortable/feels stronger.
Make sure that when you change channels on the TV you alternate hands so as not to over-hypertrophy the finger flexors on one.
I would advocate never using gloves under any circumstances. They should be banned. Straps similarly, because they give idiots false confidence. Just last week I saw someone “shrugging” 315 who probably weighed about 150. Low and behold the strap broke and all 315lbs hit him right in the knee.
Use chalk, and if you seriously need to work on your forearm and grip strength, no offense but beating off isn’t going to do it unless you squeeze really really really hard.
I agree about not switching the hands orientation on the mixed grip. I supinate my right hand, but my whole movement feels strange if I switch it. While it would be cool to be amb-igrip-trous, I don’t think it’s that big a deal. I haven’t noticed any visible imbalances and my left side is as strong as my right on unilateral exercises. I say go with whatever feels natural.
I just posted this on another thread but it has merit here as well. It will increase your forearm strength tremendously. Below is a forearm/grip training workout that I used and have implemented with some top grapplers:
3 week Mesocycle:
Day 1: hard CNS training (strength)
Warm-up with cheap store grippers: x25reps
A) Heavy hammering: 6x8
B) Pinch grip: 4x20sec
C) C-O-C grippers Level 2: 6x4
D) C-O-C grippers Level 2 isometrics for time: 3x20sec
Day 2: light high rep training (recovery)
Warm-up with cheap store grippers: x25reps
A1) C-O-C grippers Level 1: 2x20
Day 4: off
Day 5: hard CNS training (strength-speed, speed-strength,and strength)
Warm-up with cheap store grippers: x25reps
A) Heavy hammering: 5x5 (as fast as possible)
B) Hammer juggling: 5x5 (pliometrics)
C) Pinch grip: 4x10sec (Try to develop as much force as possible)
D) C-O-C grippers Level 2: 5x3 (as fast as possible)
E) C-O-C grippers Level 2 or 3 (depending on strength level) Auto-regulating cluster:
8x1, 8 is the target number of reps, keep going until you can’t do another rep.
Day 6: light high rep training (recovery)
Warm-up with cheap store grippers: 25reps
A1) C-O-C grippers Level 1: 2x20
Day 7: off
After each session utilize Cryotherapy on your forearm muscles to enhance recovery.
The above is an awesome forearm strengthening program.
A caution to grapplers this program may be too much work for you especially if you roll more than 3 times a week! Implement wisely.
[quote]rainjack wrote:
I have the same problem as Rocket. When I’m doing deads, or rack pulls I know my back can handle more weight, but my grip fails. I’ve tried the alt. grip, but my right hand gives out at about 3-4 reps.
I bummed some straps from the football coach, but he discouraged me from using straps. He said something about ‘straps are for pussies’ - now I have this complex going.
Would straps be so bad if I am working on my grip strength at the same time? I deon’t want my back to suffer because of my girlie-man grip strength. [/quote]
Rain, I wouldn’t get a complex about that. What is it that you want to accomplish? For me when I deadlift I want to blast my spinal erectors and hamstrings, I’m not worried about my grip strength. My workout weight is 385lbs and with out my straps I would give out a lot quicker on the wrists before my back and legs give out! I’m sure I will hear the flames, but my back development is coming along smoothly, I’m happy with it!
Regarding the alternating of the mixed grip when deadlifting… it might not be very important, unless you tend to be extremely picky about performance. For example, when I started using mixed grip it occured to me that in an emergency situation such as a baby/parent/significant-other is trapped under a car/rock/obese-neighbor, I would not want to grab onto the offending item and then realize that I have to change my grip to be able to save the life of the victim. Sure this is an unlikely predicament, but you get my point.
The solution: I found the mixed grip that was stronger and used it ONLY for the last 1-2 sets of deads, thereby using my weaker grip for warm-ups and initial work sets. When the weaker grip became second nature during the warm ups, I began alternating on every other set. Now I use the warm-up sets to gauge exactly which grip is feeling stronger that day, and tend to use that grip on my final set.
People tell me that I’m too picky and strive for perfection when it’s not necessary. I say that is how I am, period. So, if that is how you are then my advice may be helpful. Otherwise just used the same mixed grip all the time, but more importantly… just LIFT IT.
If your training your grip by deadlifting, then don’t use straps or any other assistance. If your training your deadlift and your grip fails before your back, use straps.
You can say what you want, but if your weak link keeps you from training your main bodypart to it’s limit, why bother training at all.
If you doubt this, remember Chuck Vogepohl at Westside uses straps and deadlifts more than YOU and ME.
…i use thin rectangular pieces of rubber to assist grip. It doesn’t take any weight off your hands, but simply allows for more friction between flesh and steel. Works like a charm…
The hook grip is legal in PL, right?
My best recommendations are to buy Ironmind’s CoC grippers and/or the Rolling Thunder. Or if you don’t want to buy anything try doing SUPER HEAVY lockouts (like the last 2 inches of the lift) and just hold it for a few seconds.