Grip Strength and the Deadlift

 

The deadlift is a classic exercise in the gym, one of the great competition moves in any power meet, and has allowed men and women to lift incredible amounts of weight when performed correctly. When you undertake to perform the deadlift you are setting yourself up to use your lower back and legs to their maximum ability, and tremendous power can be thus generated. Leg strength is rarely the limiting factor in a lift, as the legs can lift what the rigid back can support. If you are unable to lift the bar, then the problem is most likely either injury, lack of experience, insufficient strength or a problem with your grip. In today's article we are going to examine the deadlift grip, and ensure that it at least is not your limiting factor.

Grip strength is critical to the deadlift, and is worked the hardest by this exercise. Other major lifts and presses such as the bench or shoulder or power clean require good grip strength, but none of them allow you to handle as much weight as the deadlift. If your hands are too small or your fingers too short to grip the bar properly then you will have difficulty, as will an over reliance on straps early on.

The classic grip is a little wider than shoulder length and has your palms facing toward you. The bar should be allowed to hang into the fingers, not in the flesh of the palm, since this will cause your palm to abrade and develop calluses which will in turn then be torn off through use and further abrasion. This double overhand grip is usually what novices begin with, but ultimately heavy lifters will wish to alternate one of their hands so that their palm faces out.

The reason for this is because the bar tends to roll when you lift it, and by having your palms facing each other this rolling is controlled. Thus if all your warm up sets are done with a double overhand grip, you can reserve the cross grip for your final and very heavy sets, since this method will allow you to develop grip strength even as you grow in general strength. Remember, novices usually have hands that are stronger than their backs, which is why they can max out with the double overhand grip. As you progress you will find that the cross grip allows you to lift heavier weights as your grip strength increases.

 

 

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