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When you first start deadlifting, your main concern is likely the strain it places on your back, glutes, and legs. But as you get used to the motion, you'll realize another important factor: your grip. As the weights increase, your hands might struggle to hold onto the bar.
There are effective ways to boost your ability to maintain your grip during deadlifts, and we explain them here. Most lifters use an alternating grip (one hand overhand, one underhand) or a hook grip. Lifting straps are useful in various scenarios, but they are not allowed in powerlifting competitions. However, all these techniques require some level of hand strength to sustain the grip.
This grip style is referred to as a “support grip”
Remember how we discussed last week that there are various types of grips? The crush grip is activated when you squeeze a gripper. The support grip, on the other hand, is what you need for deadlifts. In this case, your fingers form a hook to hold the bar, and you don't move your fingers; it's a static effort rather than a dynamic one.
Support grip also comes into play when you're holding the bar during a pull-up or other hanging exercises. Ever notice your hands getting fatigued while carrying heavy grocery bags? That’s support grip in action too.
How to Build a Stronger Deadlift Grip
The foundation of your support grip will be holds. Simply hold onto the deadlift bar. Keep holding it. That’s the drill. r/griptraining offers an in-depth guide on deadlift grip exercises, which are similar to the techniques we're covering here.
You can incorporate these into your usual lifting routine. Every time you perform deadlifts or rack pulls, include some or all of the following exercises:
Challenge your grip by warming up with a tougher hold than usual, such as using a double overhand grip instead of the alternating one, or even a hook grip.
After finishing each set, hang onto the bar for as long as possible before letting go.
At the end of your session, reduce the weights, pick up the bar again, and hold it for timed intervals of around 30 seconds, or as long as you can manage.
If the warm-up makes your hands too fatigued to perform well in your heaviest deadlifts, consider using straps. They're a helpful tool in training, not a shortcut. Here's why: Without straps, you might avoid grip training to preserve your hands for the heaviest lifts, leading to weaker grip strength. Alternatively, you might only lift as much as your grip allows, which means your back and legs won't be fully challenged. By incorporating grip training into your routine a few times per week, and using straps during your heaviest deadlifts, you can maximize your strength gains in both areas. Just make sure to scale back on grip training when preparing for a competition.
When your grip is strong, you'll be able to show off impressive techniques like thumbless deadlifts. At one point, this was about 90% of my personal deadlift max:
How to improve your ability to hang from a bar
If you're more focused on hanging exercises and bodyweight movements, the principles remain the same, but in this case, you'll be hanging from the bar rather than having the bar hang from you.
Begin by practicing two-handed hangs. Simply grab the bar and hold on. Once this becomes easier, try incorporating these variations:
Weighted hangs. Add resistance by using a weighted vest, a dip belt, or even a dumbbell between your feet to make your hands support extra weight.
One hand hangs. Just as it sounds! For an added challenge, try removing a shirt or jacket while hanging from the bar.
Uneven hangs. These can be a good transition between one-handed and two-handed hangs. Place one hand firmly on the bar and hold the bar with just one or two fingers with the other hand. Alternatively, drape a towel over the bar and grab the towel with one hand while the other grips the bar.
We've already covered crush grip and support grip training. More techniques are coming, and well-rounded grip training will benefit all areas of hand strength. Stay tuned for more methods to enhance your grip, and let us know how your deadlifts or hangs are progressing!
