or normal (as in, thumb wrapped around bar) grip?
is there any difference as to the amount of weight lifted vs how the mechanics of a lift will change when one varies the grip between these two? not talking about pronated or supinated grip difference, but a simple modification of either using the thumb or not when, say, doing bench presses?
I don’t know the answer to that question, but you gotta ask yourself if increasing the risk of dropping a barbell on your face or neck is worth the possibility of being a little bit stronger.
Thumbless grip is an unnecessary danger in my opinion.
I cringe every time I see someone bench with a thumbless grip. I can just see it crashing down on their chest. All 100 lbs of it.
I’ve never seen anyone put up any respectable weight using a thumbless grip.
No.
[quote]A_W wrote:
No.
holy… arite man, point taken, case closed. 
that was naasty!!
[quote]A_W wrote:
No.
First response: shock
Second response: laughter
I think that guy tried to regrip the bar once he unracked it…wow
[quote]burning ice wrote:
or normal (as in, thumb wrapped around bar) grip?
is there any difference as to the amount of weight lifted vs how the mechanics of a lift will change when one varies the grip between these two? not talking about pronated or supinated grip difference, but a simple modification of either using the thumb or not when, say, doing bench presses?
[/quote]
Would this be a good time for me to be a smartass and ask how you lost your thumbs?
[quote]A_W wrote:
No.
[/quote]
Oh crap, does anyone know if he was okay?
And even before I saw that video I would say ‘no’. How does making yourself weaker and eliminating the use of several forearm muscles help.
If you believe in the concept of irradiation, the more muscles involved in a lift, the stronger you will be. And if you don’t believe in it, you still must see that it’s more efficient to train more muscles at once than less, unless it means that to do so your form will injure you.
Along this same line. I saw a couple people benching today, and their wrists were totally crooked. As a musician, I try to keep my wrists in good shape, and I cringe when I see people executing movements with such unnatural looking wrist placement. But, for all I know there might be a reason for having your wrists crooked back? I can’t imagine there is… but if anyone could chime in?
How can you: a) squeeze the fuck out of the bar b) pull the bar apart c) keep your wrists over your elbows, with a thumbless grip? Answer, you can’t.
[quote]BigAlSwede wrote:
burning ice wrote:
or normal (as in, thumb wrapped around bar) grip?
is there any difference as to the amount of weight lifted vs how the mechanics of a lift will change when one varies the grip between these two? not talking about pronated or supinated grip difference, but a simple modification of either using the thumb or not when, say, doing bench presses?
Would this be a good time for me to be a smartass and ask how you lost your thumbs?[/quote]
haven’t lost anything. was looking at the Animal ‘Chest’ Training Dvd. the guy in there was using a thumbless grip. hence my q. 
[quote]burning ice wrote:
BigAlSwede wrote:
burning ice wrote:
or normal (as in, thumb wrapped around bar) grip?
is there any difference as to the amount of weight lifted vs how the mechanics of a lift will change when one varies the grip between these two? not talking about pronated or supinated grip difference, but a simple modification of either using the thumb or not when, say, doing bench presses?
Would this be a good time for me to be a smartass and ask how you lost your thumbs?
haven’t lost anything. was looking at the Animal ‘Chest’ Training Dvd. the guy in there was using a thumbless grip. hence my q.
[/quote]
I don’t know if Vince Gironda started this idea but he is an advocate of it. Saying how using a traditional grip, stance, and bar placement on the way down is a cheating move in order to lift the most weight possible. It doesn’t completely isolate the chests and he is right to an extent.
He says to lift up your legs onto the bench, and lower the bar to your neck, using a thumbless grip. The only thing i agree to is the lowering to the neck with a wide grip. That’ll hit your pecs pretty good.
[quote]That One Guy wrote:
burning ice wrote:
BigAlSwede wrote:
burning ice wrote:
or normal (as in, thumb wrapped around bar) grip?
is there any difference as to the amount of weight lifted vs how the mechanics of a lift will change when one varies the grip between these two? not talking about pronated or supinated grip difference, but a simple modification of either using the thumb or not when, say, doing bench presses?
Would this be a good time for me to be a smartass and ask how you lost your thumbs?
haven’t lost anything. was looking at the Animal ‘Chest’ Training Dvd. the guy in there was using a thumbless grip. hence my q.
I don’t know if Vince Gironda started this idea but he is an advocate of it. Saying how using a traditional grip, stance, and bar placement on the way down is a cheating move in order to lift the most weight possible. It doesn’t completely isolate the chests and he is right to an extent.
He says to lift up your legs onto the bench, and lower the bar to your neck, using a thumbless grip. The only thing i agree to is the lowering to the neck with a wide grip. That’ll hit your pecs pretty good.[/quote]
huh?
[quote]OneEye wrote:
I cringe every time I see someone bench with a thumbless grip. I can just see it crashing down on their chest. All 100 lbs of it.
I’ve never seen anyone put up any respectable weight using a thumbless grip.[/quote]
I bench with a thumbless grip and put up 530 raw with a pause. It works for me…
meat
I’ve used a thumbless grip for several years now after splitting a tendon in my wrist forced me to use that grip, as wrapping my thumb around the bar was causing too much pain. I haven’t noticed a difference.
[quote]maraudermeat wrote:
OneEye wrote:
I cringe every time I see someone bench with a thumbless grip. I can just see it crashing down on their chest. All 100 lbs of it.
I’ve never seen anyone put up any respectable weight using a thumbless grip.
I bench with a thumbless grip and put up 530 raw with a pause. It works for me…
meat[/quote]
From what I know, and it isn’t much, many or most elite lifters use the thumbless grip.
I use thumbless grip because my trainer told me about it once I got past the beginner stage of learning the movements. His reasoning was that with this type of grip, the pressure of the bar goes straight down the forearm is distributed better and creates a better surface, or something like that.
As of last summer he benched 415 paused at a bw of 210 so take that for what it’s worth. I have done it since then and it has caused no problems with me.
[quote]IronDude17 wrote:
I use thumbless grip because my trainer told me about it once I got past the beginner stage of learning the movements. His reasoning was that with this type of grip, the pressure of the bar goes straight down the forearm is distributed better and creates a better surface, or something like that.
He is a smart man… It does provide better leverage. the bar lines up with the bones of the forearm.
what I see happen a lot with the thumb over grip is the wrist will bend back thus putting the bar behind the forearms during the press. you can help correct this with wrist wraps but I bench in raw competitions where they are not allowed.
meat
Most of the strongest guys at my gym use the thumbless grip as well.
[quote]maraudermeat wrote:
IronDude17 wrote:
I use thumbless grip because my trainer told me about it once I got past the beginner stage of learning the movements. His reasoning was that with this type of grip, the pressure of the bar goes straight down the forearm is distributed better and creates a better surface, or something like that.
He is a smart man… It does provide better leverage. the bar lines up with the bones of the forearm.
what I see happen a lot with the thumb over grip is the wrist will bend back thus putting the bar behind the forearms during the press. you can help correct this with wrist wraps but I bench in raw competitions where they are not allowed.
meat[/quote]
Glad to know you agree! And this is a trainer at my L.A. Fitness btw. haha