GRIP issues

[flyfreefit]

Hey Ladies,

I've noticed lately that grip has been my limiting factor in my lifts (deadlifts, pull-ups, rows, etc.)...

I keep going up in weight for squats and bench presses and my tricep dips are getting better, but for exercises mentioned above, the weight slips out of my hand before I exhaust the muscle I'm working on.

So I figure I can tackle this in one of two ways:

1. Work on my grip and slowly build up from there (stick to lower weights until my grip strength catches up)
2. Use different grip techniques to bypass the grip issue (gloves, chalk, over/under grip etc.)

I've also been adding "grip building" exercises to my workouts to improve grip... I just take heavy weights and hold them in my hand until they slip out. But I'm not gaining strength there as quickly as I'd like. I want to move up in weight on my deadlifts already!! And I also realize that I should be using over/under grip anyways at heavier weights in set for deadlifts, but even at my warm-up weight my grip slips... I don't want to "cripple" myself by always using gloves/mixed grip.

What do you guys think?

[rdferguson]

I don't think people really should be doing over-under/mixed grip on their deadlifts, except perhaps when testing 1RM, because having your hands in different positions puts your arms in different positions puts your shoulders in different positions puts different loads on the muscles on each side. A left-right imbalance from deadlifting can only be expected. I've found using a hook-grip provides about the same advantage as mixed grip does (although if you want to implement it, you'll probably want to start with a deload on your deadlift so that your thumbs can adjust to the pressure that'll be placed on them from pulling this way), and it prevents these imbalances from occurring.

You should also look at where in your hand you're placing the bar, the quality of the bar itself, and make sure you're using chalk on the heavy sets.

I've found that farmer's walks tend to work well for building grip strength, as do RDLs and shrugs. I've also recently started doing fat gripz rows and higher rep deadlifts for more sets; it'll be interesting to see how this affects grip.

How often during your training week do you perform exercises where grip is a major factor? My current program has me training 4 days a week, upper/lower. On the upper days I do pull ups and rows, on the lower days I do deadlifts, so I'm using my grip strength every session. I can imagine that if I was only really using it once a week, which could be expected on a legs/push/pull/shoulders split, then my grip strength may fall behind. So how you organise your entire program may also be a factor here.

[flyfreefit]

I find myself doing less of the exercises that require grip. It's really discouraging to feel weak cause you can't hold on to a damn bar. My split is legs/chest+tri/back+bi/shoulders. I used to do deadlifts with legs and eventually started doing deads with back... gotta reorganize my split it seems. Can you be more specific about your split?

Gonna also try the hook grip, thanks for the tip.

[Botika]

I don't think people really should be doing over-under/mixed grip on their deadlifts, except perhaps when testing 1RM, because having your hands in different positions puts your arms in different positions puts your shoulders in different positions puts different loads on the muscles on each side. A left-right imbalance from deadlifting can only be expected.

If you swap hand each set, wouldn't that alleviate any imbalance? I currently use mixed grip and that's what I try to do. I also suffer grip issues. I used 40kg to do SLDL a few weeks ago and nearly dropped it because my hands started to give out.

[Squatticus]

If you swap hand each set, wouldn't that alleviate any imbalance? I currently use mixed grip and that's what I try to do. I also suffer grip issues. I used 40kg to do SLDL a few weeks ago and nearly dropped it because my hands started to give out.

idk why people dont just use damn straps, unless youre training for powerlifting/strongman even they use straps sometimes. and if people say its for forearm development...well you can always train forearms directly

[Partyrocking]

I just alternate my mixed grip. No problem for me.

[ilovethe80s]

idk why people dont just use damn straps, unless youre training for powerlifting/strongman even they use straps sometimes. and if people say its for forearm development...well you can always train forearms directly

This^^.
If you aren't training for power, I wouldn't let the grip keep you from progressing. I mean I think that there is a minimum you should be able to hold, say if you are faltering with 1/2 your body weight on the bar or something, that would be something to work on.

Otherwise, chalk helps tons. Straps work, too. I really loved my versa grips, they are wrist wraps with a grip attached and it grips the bar really well. I think I was having grip issues starting around 1.5x bodyweight on the deads and started using grips. Not for every single set, went without till grip started to fail. Now I can pull 2.5x bodyweight with just chalk, never use grips and never incorporated any specific grip training. Not to say that grip training doesn't work, I'm sure it does, but I never did it and my grip caught up anyway.

Have read plenty of things where people say that your grip will lag if you rely on grip aids, but I have personally found the total opposite - the grip catches up. Even with an assist, you are still gripping and moving that weight with the rest of your body. I think for grip, it would be kind of the same acclimation effect as doing walkouts or static holds for squats/ benches with heavier weight.

I just alternate my mixed grip. No problem for me.

I mix grip my deads, too. I would think this would be lesss dangerous if you have good arm flexibilty and don't use actively use them in your pulls, and most dangerous if you are one of those deadlifters who tries to finish the lift/ muscle up the weight with that little arm pull thing? Sometimes read about 'bicep tear' injuries at meets or in training deads, and pretty sure that is a big contributor. I can hook deads up to about 90% of my max but I have to hang out a few seconds longer in the bottom of the dead to do it, which doesn't work for me and max pulls.

[illiniStrive]

I mix grip my deads, too. I would think this would be lesss dangerous if you have good arm flexibilty and don't use actively use them in your pulls, and most dangerous if you are one of those deadlifters who tries to finish the lift/ muscle up the weight with that little arm pull thing? Sometimes read about 'bicep tear' injuries at meets or in training deads, and pretty sure that is a big contributor. I can hook deads up to about 90% of my max but I have to hang out a few seconds longer in the bottom of the dead to do it, which doesn't work for me and max pulls.

Agreed, and I've never switched up my grip either.

However, I never do high rep deadlifts and don't really like them anyways, which means for the most part I'm using this grip for heavy warm-ups and 1-5RMs.

[Botika]

idk why people dont just use damn straps, unless youre training for powerlifting/strongman even they use straps sometimes. and if people say its for forearm development...well you can always train forearms directly

It's a bit embarrassing but I'm not sure how to use them! I actually think they would be useful for me.

[wakechica]

Lot of people recommend versa grips.
A shed load of chalk really helps. Im bad at the moment and don't alternate my grip, I really should TBH (I used to, every set or every workout).
For grip as well, over had assisted pull ups, just hanging from a pull up bar for as long as you can. It improves quickly.

It's a bit embarrassing but I'm not sure how to use them! I actually think they would be useful for me.

AFAIK you put the wrist bit on then take the far end of the strap, wrap once round the bar then rotate it with you hand until it's tight. Versa grips are probably the best option

[whatevergirl]

do you have long nails? acrylic or real...that can definitely make lifting heavier, a problem. i had to let go of the acrylics last year, and keep my nautral nails short.
had the same issues with grip strength.
if you don't have long nails...then, try farmers walks. can help with improving grip strength. (edit, just noticed someone else mentioned them)
good luck!

ps--i see your OP, and gloves actually hindered my deadlifts. you might find they help, but i never got a firm enough grip wearing them.

[ilovethe80s]

It's a bit embarrassing but I'm not sure how to use them! I actually think they would be useful for me.

There are youtube vids too on how to do the straps. Don't feel embarassed, its not intuitive Versagrips are really easy though, you just strap them on and you are good to go. Though I have also heard of people just getting that rubbery portion of the grip at Home Depot and using that between their hand and the bar! Saves a few bucks I guess.

[MrB1g]

Get the two lowest Captains of Crush grip trainers and a climbing donut:

http://www.rei.com/product/496308/bl...orearm-trainer

Train your grip everynight. It will catch up quickly. Before I injured my hand quite badly I could conventional double overhand near to my max.


I don't personally agree with the attitude about using straps. You will always have a limiting factor on any lift. Simply because the forearms are small doesn't mean it's good to regularly use assistance to overcome that limitation. If you can't lift it, you can't lift it. With the same attitude as with straps, you could say your glutes are giving out before your quads at the bottom of a squat and stick a spring under your ass to overcome that problem...

[New Evolution]

idk why people dont just use damn straps, unless youre training for powerlifting/strongman even they use straps sometimes. and if people say its for forearm development...well you can always train forearms directly

This.



OP, just get a pair of this and problem solve.

[rdferguson]

If you swap hand each set, wouldn't that alleviate any imbalance? I currently use mixed grip and that's what I try to do. I also suffer grip issues. I used 40kg to do SLDL a few weeks ago and nearly dropped it because my hands started to give out.

In theory, yes, that would work, and for some people it does. In my experience, however, and I know I'm not alone in this, one combination of over-under works (for me it's right over/left under) and the other combination doesn't (if I do left over and right under, I can't even deadlift what I can get with double-overhand). There's probably various individual issues that affect this, but I know that when I tried alternating which hand goes over and which hand goes under with each set, it didn't work at all.

I find myself doing less of the exercises that require grip. It's really discouraging to feel weak cause you can't hold on to a damn bar. My split is legs/chest+tri/back+bi/shoulders. I used to do deadlifts with legs and eventually started doing deads with back... gotta reorganize my split it seems. Can you be more specific about your split?

Gonna also try the hook grip, thanks for the tip.

My split's fairly simple. I won't got into details on volume because the number of reps varies leading up to my PL comp in April, but most things are 3 sets, iso's are usually 2 sets.

Mon -- Heavy BP
Bench Press
Close Grip Bench Pess
Body Weight Pull Ups
Heavy Fat Gripz Rows
Bi/Tri isos if my arms are up for it

Wed -- Light Squat/Heavy DL
Front Squat
Deadlift
GHR/Trap Bar Shrug
Calf Raise/Hanging Leg Raise

Fri -- Light BP
Incline BP
OHP
Weighted Pull Ups
Light Fat Gripz Rows
Arms

Sat -- Heavy Squat/Light DL
Squats
Speed Pull (coach recommended RDLs, which would be better for grip strength, but I'm being a rebel...also if I don't do at least a little speed work each week I'll get the itch to go full retard)
DB Lunge
Calf Raise/Abs

[flyfreefit]

Wow, thanks for all the help everyone! I will reply individually to a few of you that got me a bit curious, but for now, this...

do you have long nails? acrylic or real...that can definitely make lifting heavier, a problem. i had to let go of the acrylics last year, and keep my nautral nails short.
had the same issues with grip strength.
if you don't have long nails...then, try farmers walks. can help with improving grip strength. (edit, just noticed someone else mentioned them)
good luck!

ps--i see your OP, and gloves actually hindered my deadlifts. you might find they help, but i never got a firm enough grip wearing them.

I do have semi-long nails, sometimes natural, sometimes acrylic, and never thought that could be the problem! Any theories about why this interferes with grip? Because my nails don't directly get in the way of anything, as I grip with my palm (near fingers). My fingers/nails don't reach all the way around the bar.

[whatevergirl]

Wow, thanks for all the help everyone! I will reply individually to a few of you that got me a bit curious, but for now, this...



I do have semi-long nails, sometimes natural, sometimes acrylic, and never thought that could be the problem! Any theories about why this interferes with grip? Because my nails don't directly get in the way of anything, as I grip with my palm (near fingers). My fingers/nails don't reach all the way around the bar.

If the bar is thicker around, your nails may not touch...then, their length wouldn't be much of an issue, but my longer nails would press into the top/mid part of my palm area, and would cause my grip to loosen up. When I started going heavier with deadlifts, it became evident that cutting my nails was the best thing to do. Had the same issues with shrugs. My grip is much better having cut my nails down pretty short, (I don't have the acrylics anymore either, waste of money if I'm keeping them short lol) yet I stilldo farmers walks, to strengthen my grip. The more consistently you deadlift, the better your grip will become, too. But, thought I'd just throw that thought out there about the nails, because that was the main cause for my grip loosening up with deads.

edit to add...i do a mixed grip, now...so like others have said, that can help.
re: using straps. i have read some stories on here, and have seen a few at the gym (guys) who can deadlift twice their body weight w/out straps. so...i wonder why some use them, some don't. idk. i've been lifting for roughly two years, so still relatively new at it all, but this has just been my observations and experience with it.

[Madi-J]

Found this while looking for opinions/recommendations on gloves, etc... Interested in Versa Gripps, just wish they weren't so expensive!

I'm in a similar boat to OP, but most of what I want gloves, etc for is my tender little hands... Some of the gripping surfaces on equipment that isn't used often hurt like bloody hell because they are so rough, and I am trying to keep my hands as callus-free as I can. Starting to wonder if that is even possible, as lately I am getting them through my gloves from pulling exercises; though the gloves are small, my hands are even smaller. For those who have used Versa Gripps; do they provide so much assistance that your grip doesn't get worked on at all? Is there something else out there that I should try? Or should I give up on having soft hands and build some calluses...lol.

[ilovethe80s]

For those who have used Versa Gripps; do they provide so much assistance that your grip doesn't get worked on at all? Is there something else out there that I should try? Or should I give up on having soft hands and build some calluses...lol.

For me personally, no. I started using them probably around a 225 pull, used them up to maybe 275 or so and then when I tried going without them, my grip had caught up. I can pull a little over 350 with just chalk now, and can lock out 400+ for rack pulls with chalk only - the versagrips just helped me get through a rough patch before my grip was up to snuff.

But yeah, get some callouses, too

[AngeCGibson]

I got SpudInc pink lifting straps for Christmas. I really like them so far now that I have broken them in. They were not nearly as pricey as the versa grips, but they are also much simpler. I only use them on my heavier sets so that my grip still gets work.

[EGdance22]

I have the same problem! I often have to set the weight down mid-set when doing deadlifts because my forearms are killing me... but, I refuse to use straps. Maybe I should haha, but I probably wont. I read this the other day and thought of this thread...

"Lifting straps may allow you to lift more weight because it is indeed the LIFTING STRAPS which are bearing the brunt of the weight, NOT you. When you go "raw dog", as I call it, you are forced to use the power in your hands, wrists and forearms to handle the weight. Without straps, there can be no momentary reprieve to re-adjust your grip mid-rep. It's a simple fact, the more you train a muscle, the stronger it will get. Many use straps because they do not possess the strength in their hands and forearms to handle the weight. You build that strength by NOT using straps; so "scrap the straps!" - Dave C Davis IFPA Pro

[elainedeluca]

Is there something else out there that I should try? Or should I give up on having soft hands and build some calluses...lol.

You may want to look into Fat Gripz. You attach them to db's/bb's and it widens the diameter of the grip, forcing you to work on your grip (there are other benefits as well). While you'll have to drop the weight, they are pretty effective. I think you can get them on the bb.com store.

[freebirdmac]

I have the same problem! I often have to set the weight down mid-set when doing deadlifts because my forearms are killing me... but, I refuse to use straps. Maybe I should haha, but I probably wont. I read this the other day and thought of this thread...

"Lifting straps may allow you to lift more weight because it is indeed the LIFTING STRAPS which are bearing the brunt of the weight, NOT you. When you go "raw dog", as I call it, you are forced to use the power in your hands, wrists and forearms to handle the weight. Without straps, there can be no momentary reprieve to re-adjust your grip mid-rep. It's a simple fact, the more you train a muscle, the stronger it will get. Many use straps because they do not possess the strength in their hands and forearms to handle the weight. You build that strength by NOT using straps; so "scrap the straps!" - Dave C Davis IFPA Pro

Huh? Straps bear the weight? How do they magically do this? The load is transferred to your wrists, bypassing your hands. That is all.

Versa grips are outstanding. You can work your grip separately doing many different types of exercises. Do know that even with versa grips your grip strength will increase. They do not wrap around the bar in the same manner as traditional grips. You do have to hold the tongue on the bar.

[Botika]

Versa grips are outstanding. You can work your grip separately doing many different types of exercises. Do know that even with versa grips your grip strength will increase. They do not wrap around the bar in the same manner as traditional grips. You do have to hold the tongue on the bar.

I may need to get some of these. My hands gave out again the other days while I was doing SLDL, before I was finished my reps.

[discdoggie]

I have nothing against people using them, i just personally never needed them.
My grip is freakishly strong and my forearms are Popeye-esque.

[flyfreefit]

I just started using my gloves again on my DLs... works like a charm. THANKS AGAIN to everyone!! 205x1

[MelnCrash]

I have a cheap version of versa gripps (address below). I have never used versa gripps so i cant say if these are as good as but they have helped me a lot.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/380358019...#ht_5090wt_952

They are actually currently out of stock that's why its showing 999 pounds. They are usually about $20

[schnauzers]

Just my experience with Fat Gripz....I bought them to try and improve grip strength. I tried to use them during rack pulls and the grip was too big for my small hand. I could hardly keep my hand around the Fat Gripz or the bar would slip out.

I found that farmer's walks were great for grip strength training, as well as just holding heavy DBs as long as I could.

[Romina81]

liquid grip helped me with rows and deads