So a few years ago I was benching at my local gym, and a guy comes up to me and says “It is far more efficient to put your thumbs behind the bar than to curl them around it.” Ever since then I’ve been doing it that way and it definetely lets me lift more weight.
Are there any downsides to doing it this way? I’ve heard that If I’m lifting more weight for the first time this style can be dangerous.
It could slip out and fall on you.
Other than that, no biggie.
Its often called a false grip or suicide grip. I find I have to use it when my hand spacing is less than about 30 inches on the bench or overhead press. But I think I’m a bit weird in the way my arms supinate/pronate.
Yeah, really the only downside is saftey. I personally use a thumbless grip on close grips because it puts less stress on the wrists.
Personally though, unless you’ve got a good spotter (or two) I wouldn’t use it on regular BB benches. Smith benches would be fine to do without a good spotter though.
At least that’s my opinion.
[quote]Sentoguy wrote:
Yeah, really the only downside is saftey. I personally use a thumbless grip on close grips because it puts less stress on the wrists.
Personally though, unless you’ve got a good spotter (or two) I wouldn’t use it on regular BB benches. Smith benches would be fine to do without a good spotter though.
At least that’s my opinion.[/quote]
smith benches aren’t fine.
[quote]Sentoguy wrote:
Yeah, really the only downside is saftey. I personally use a thumbless grip on close grips because it puts less stress on the wrists.
Personally though, unless you’ve got a good spotter (or two) I wouldn’t use it on regular BB benches. Smith benches would be fine to do without a good spotter though.
At least that’s my opinion.[/quote]
smith benches aren’t fine.
[quote]zephead4747 wrote:
Sentoguy wrote:
Yeah, really the only downside is saftey. I personally use a thumbless grip on close grips because it puts less stress on the wrists.
Personally though, unless you’ve got a good spotter (or two) I wouldn’t use it on regular BB benches. Smith benches would be fine to do without a good spotter though.
At least that’s my opinion.
smith benches aren’t fine.[/quote]
I agree with that. Besides all the other reasons not to use smith machines, if you drop the bar, it will hit your chest just as hard. You have to have your hands on the bar to engage the safety.
[quote]zephead4747 wrote:
Sentoguy wrote:
smith benches aren’t fine.[/quote]
[quote]zephead4747 wrote:
Sentoguy wrote:
smith benches aren’t fine.[/quote]
So good you said it twice! (No less true neither!)
[quote]stuward wrote:
zephead4747 wrote:
Sentoguy wrote:
Yeah, really the only downside is saftey. I personally use a thumbless grip on close grips because it puts less stress on the wrists.
Personally though, unless you’ve got a good spotter (or two) I wouldn’t use it on regular BB benches. Smith benches would be fine to do without a good spotter though.
At least that’s my opinion.
smith benches aren’t fine.
I agree with that. Besides all the other reasons not to use smith machines, if you drop the bar, it will hit your chest just as hard. You have to have your hands on the bar to engage the safety.
[/quote]
When was the last time that you dropped a Smith machine bar? In fact, how would you even go about doing that by accident? I think you’d pretty much have to make up your mind that you were going to drop the bar on your chest to do so (unless maybe you blew out your shoulder, in which case regardless of what type of bench you’re doing you’re gonna get hurt).
And are you actually suggesting that you’d have more of a chance of dropping a bar that moves in a fixed plane of movement than you would of dropping a bar that could move in any plane of movement?
And seriously, what is with some people’s hatred of the Smith? If we were looking at this from a powerlifting perspective, then yeah I agree that you’d want to do BB benches. But from a BB’ing or general strength training perspective there is nothing wrong with doing benches on a Smith.
Besides, I didn’t tell the guy to only do Smith Benches, just that using a thumbless grip on the Smith would be safer than doing it with a free barbell.
I used to do it for years and it seemed to work great till I dropped 225 on my chest when my lift off let go. I still do it on close grip but thats about it.
I use the thumbless grip all the time. I don’t see any real danger to it.
If Smiths are good enough for Dante and DC training - I’m probably going to take his word over idiots on this site.
[quote]rainjack wrote:
I use the thumbless grip all the time. I don’t see any real danger to it.
If Smiths are good enough for Dante and DC training - I’m probably going to take his word over idiots on this site. [/quote]
so you think the smith is on the same level as a babrell in producing gains for someone posting about a thumbless grip in the beginers section?
I call bullshit
[quote]rainjack wrote:
I use the thumbless grip all the time. I don’t see any real danger to it.
If Smiths are good enough for Dante and DC training - I’m probably going to take his word over idiots on this site. [/quote]
I agree rj, though DC training isn’t exactly a beginner program either. 
Honestly, all that really should matter is that the exercises that the OP does produce results. If that involves using the Smith, so be it. If it doesn’t, just as well. It’s simply a matter of preference and goals.
I see lots of BB’ers (or just big guys in general) who use the Smith. It seems to work for them (rainjack mentions Dante Trudell and DC training as good examples). I also see lots of Powerlifters using barbells and not using the Smith, and also getting good results. Both work. Just experiment and find out what works best for you.
[quote]zephead4747 wrote:
rainjack wrote:
I use the thumbless grip all the time. I don’t see any real danger to it.
If Smiths are good enough for Dante and DC training - I’m probably going to take his word over idiots on this site.
so you think the smith is on the same level as a babrell in producing gains for someone posting about a thumbless grip in the beginers section?
I call bullshit[/quote]
I have never seen a smith machine, a barbell, or a dumbell put a single pound of muscle on anyone. I thinks that is up to the trainee. All three can facilitate hypertrophy. All three can be useless crap.
I have never used a regular grip.
So I am wondering what you are calling bullshit on.
[quote]rainjack wrote:
zephead4747 wrote:
rainjack wrote:
I use the thumbless grip all the time. I don’t see any real danger to it.
If Smiths are good enough for Dante and DC training - I’m probably going to take his word over idiots on this site.
so you think the smith is on the same level as a babrell in producing gains for someone posting about a thumbless grip in the beginers section?
I call bullshit
I have never seen a smith machine, a barbell, or a dumbell put a single pound of muscle on anyone. I thinks that is up to the trainee. All three can facilitate hypertrophy. All three can be useless crap.
I have never used a regular grip.
So I am wondering what you are calling bullshit on.
[/quote]
For real! I say every machine has its time and place. Anyway, I would rather use a Smith than any other machine. Incorporate it all! If you want to claim flat bench is the end all chest exercise then you might be surprised that heavy decline DB bench has been shown to increase more fibers than flat BB.
[quote]Force wrote:
For real! I say every machine has its time and place. Anyway, I would rather use a Smith than any other machine. Incorporate it all! If you want to claim flat bench is the end all chest exercise then you might be surprised that heavy decline DB bench has been shown to increase more fibers than flat BB.[/quote]
I agree. I personally like DB’s most out of all bench variations, but that doesn’t mean that I think BB, Smith, Hammer Strength, and other variations are crap or don’t produce results. It’s not as black and white as “BB works, Smith and other machines suck and should be avoided at all costs.”
I regularly use the “traditional” grip (wrapping your thumbs), but I have tried the “thumbs behind” method. I definitely prefer the traditional grip though, as I feel I have a better contorl over the bar and can “push through” the bar just as well.
The only real negative to thumbs behind is a little less safety as a result of a little less control over the bar.
As for the smith machine debate, I will stick to regular free weights, but smiths definitely have their place in training.
I went through the same thing where a guy told me behind the bar was better, because wrapping can tire your grip or forearms.His reasoning was that while pushing heavier you would grip the bar harder in you strain and fatigue those muscles. He was an amateur PL so I took his advice, not sure if his reason was right, but I agree that safety is probably your biggest concern. I have been using it for awhile and prefer it to traditional
Well, I used a variation (Thumbs pointing towards each other resting on the bar) but not anymore after watching that video.