It’s a funny issue because many experts give conflicting advice on this topic (e.g. a recent article by CT saying to use thumbless for bench press and full grip for overhead pressing, which is the opposite of what Jim Wendler has advocated in the past).
So I just do what feels best – I always wrap thumbs around bar when doing bench and incline presses. Overhead I will use thumbless about 50% of the time, depending on the lift (e.g. push presses generally always use thumbless). Also use thumbless for CG bench press and bent-over rows.
I think a thumbless grip is a real slap in the face to all of our pre-hominid ancestors who got eaten, starved and all died horrible deaths so we could one day evolve opposable thumbs, conquer the planet and develop strength training technology.
I use them for all barbell work except squats, which I do thumbs-over the bar.
[quote]LankyMofo wrote:
I don’t feel like dying or getting my chest crushed in, so I use my thumb to its fullest extent. [/quote]
Is that your only reason? Because that can be easily remedied with the right set-up. I use chains as a spotting mechanism for this reason. Give it a try sometime.[/quote]
I have no access to any kind of spotting mechanism. I’ve never tried thumbless in case I like it.
I do the exact same set-up with thumbs and remove thumbs as I move under the bar to unrack it for presses. I find setting up with thumbs keeps a nice tight grip, but going thumbless puts the weight right over my wrists and forearms, putting me in a stronger position. I’d do the same on bench but IPF doesn’t allow it.
I use both in training but I’m stronger across the board with a full thumb-around grip. Possibly because that’s how most of my training has been done.
I feel like I get a stronger grip that way, and I feel like the angle/groove/whatever changes slightly on pressing movements with grip changes, so it’s a nice minor way to variate lifts.
Also more power to people that disagree, but I will never ever bench heavy with a false grip unless I’m in a rack (which is how I bench at home anyways). As a risk/reward decision I don’t see adequate payoff, regardless of what other even more experienced guys will say.
[quote]David98 wrote:
I use thumbless on presses. On deadlift, I use a switch (alternated) grip and thumbless. Weird, yes, but it works[/quote]
how much have you deadlifted this way?[/quote]
I managed a 515lb pull like that before switching to thumb around way back in the day with mixed grip. It was what I thought a “hook grip” was, haha. Depending on how long your thumbs are, it can actually work out pretty well. You can basically use the thumb joint to hook onto the bar like an extra finger. I’ve used it on thick grip farmer’s before.
I have the tiniest little girly hands ever. To give you an idea of how tiny, my girlfriend is 5’ 1", 110lbs and has hands the same size as me. I’m 5’ 11".
So thumb around every time for me. I’ve seen what happens when a bar slips, although I think that’s probably more commonly due to people being idiots than because they were necessarily using the false grip.
I use thumbs around just because of competitions. A couple yrs ago, I switched to thumbless for a couple weeks when one of my elbows was flaring up, and it seamed to help, but I switched back when the elbow was better.
[quote]Yogi wrote:
I have the tiniest little girly hands ever. To give you an idea of how tiny, my girlfriend is 5’ 1", 110lbs and has hands the same size as me. I’m 5’ 11".
So thumb around every time for me. I’ve seen what happens when a bar slips, although I think that’s probably more commonly due to people being idiots than because they were necessarily using the false grip.[/quote]
Thumbless almost exclusively for barbell pushing motions. I feel “softer” if I use my thumb around it, and feel like at least a bit of the energy is lost in the small amount of wrist flexion.
[quote]Yogi wrote:
I have the tiniest little girly hands ever. To give you an idea of how tiny, my girlfriend is 5’ 1", 110lbs and has hands the same size as me. I’m 5’ 11".
So thumb around every time for me. I’ve seen what happens when a bar slips, although I think that’s probably more commonly due to people being idiots than because they were necessarily using the false grip.[/quote]
[quote]Yogi wrote:
I have the tiniest little girly hands ever. To give you an idea of how tiny, my girlfriend is 5’ 1", 110lbs and has hands the same size as me. I’m 5’ 11".
So thumb around every time for me. I’ve seen what happens when a bar slips, although I think that’s probably more commonly due to people being idiots than because they were necessarily using the false grip.[/quote]
Your girlfriend has man-hands.[/quote]
she actually does have surprisingly large hands![/quote]
I’ve always preferred girls with small hands, better for the ego.
[quote]David98 wrote:
I use thumbless on presses. On deadlift, I use a switch (alternated) grip and thumbless. Weird, yes, but it works[/quote]
how much have you deadlifted this way?[/quote]
Sorry for the late response. But it keeps up with my sets, so I see no loss in strength. I pull around 400 with this grip. I’m not terribly strong but its the weight that I’m currently at and looking to increase
[quote]Yogi wrote:
I have the tiniest little girly hands ever. To give you an idea of how tiny, my girlfriend is 5’ 1", 110lbs and has hands the same size as me. I’m 5’ 11".
So thumb around every time for me. I’ve seen what happens when a bar slips, although I think that’s probably more commonly due to people being idiots than because they were necessarily using the false grip.[/quote]
Your girlfriend has man-hands.[/quote]
she actually does have surprisingly large hands![/quote]
When I used to bench in gear, I used a full grip exclusively. Since going raw all the time, I’ve switched to a false grip (set up like Tate’s video though).
I’ve always pressed overhead with a false grip. All DB work is full grip, back work is a little of both.
