The Truth About Support Grip Training
Hello DIESELS!
I hope you are going into the gym and just laying waste to all your old PR’s and establishing new numbers that most people would never think possible!!!
A Picture of Me Post-Workout after Laying Waste to PR’s
Today I have a quick video for you about Support Grip Training.
Support Grip is the method of gripping where the fingers are wrapped around a barbell, dumbbell, pull-up/chin-up bar, etc.
With Support Grip work, the thumb should only be acting as a secondary auxiliary digit, locking over the pointer and possibly the middle finger. For true support grip, there should be overlap, and no space.
A perfect example of Support Grip is the deadlift. You wrap your fingers around the bar and support its weight and then further wrap your thumb over your fingertips in order to help secure your grip.
Bill Starr – No Problem Holding onto the Bar
However, some trainees do not have the Support Grip to maintain a grip on the bar throughout the full range of motion of the deadlift. This leads to their thumb slipping off and their fingers opening up, and missing the deadlift.
Unfortunately, with many of the videos and articles I have seen available, the suggestions that are made are wrong. DEAD WRONG. They tell you to do things like using thick bars to increase your deadlift grip.
In my opinion, this is a mistake, and in speaking with countless people, it does very little to work the specific support grip needed for deadlifting.
Here is a video that covers exactly what I am talking about. In this video, I will tell you why fat bar training is limited in its ability to build true Support Grip Strength, and one method that I feel is much better.
Sign up here for my 8-Weeks of Grip Training Workouts.
If the implement is so large that you can’t wrap your fingers around it, then you are not training Support Grip, you are training Open Hand Grip. There is a huge difference and this is why after training with thick bars like Fat Gripz, people find their hands are strong as hell, but haven’t improved that much in the deadlift itself.
For the Record I LOVE Fat Gripz, and I use them all the time.
I just think there are better ways to train for True Support Grip
Of course, the method I tell you in the video is not the only way to increase your Support Grip Strength. I have lots more ideas that I’d like to share with you if you’d like to hear them.
Just put a comment in the box below if you want more Support Grip Strength Tips.
For example, let me know if you have trouble holding the bar in the deadlift, your hands give out during pull-ups, or if you have to cut your sets short on rows and other pulling movements and I can go into more detail on future posts.
And definitely don’t forget to get my 8-Weeks of Grip Training Workouts. I’ve got tons of Grip Training methods in that free video and PDF.
All the best in your training.
Jedd
P.S. Don’t forget to leave a comment below if you struggle with Support Grip.
Articles You Might Also Like:
- Continued Progress with the Double Inch Deadlift
- Fat Gripz Experiment: How Much Do They Affect Your Lifts
- Beginner Grip Training: Basic Thick Grip Training
- My Current Deadlift Training Program
- Equipment Review: Instant Fat Bar Handles
Tags: can't hold the bar, dropping the deadlift, improve support grip, losing grip on pullups chinups
August 18th, 2011 at 8:11 am
I love DO oly bar deadlifts for increasing my support grip. When you swith back to an alternating grip on deads, the weight just feels lighter.
August 18th, 2011 at 11:47 am
How about just stop using wraps and the strength will come as times goes?
I can get 200kg deadlift pretty easy without wraps.
I’ve never used wraps.
August 18th, 2011 at 2:49 pm
I have trouble with grip in pullups although it’s mainly endurance based as my grip is a lot stronger when I start them but my grip will give out before my lats and even biceps would love to know some more techniques for improving my support grip
August 18th, 2011 at 6:25 pm
The interesting thing you mention Jedd is in line with what neuro-scientist call body maps which in turn goes right along with the SAID (Specific Adaptations Upon Imposed Demands) principle which in a nutshell means your body will adapt specifically to the type of stress you place upon it. In this case it would be the opening width of your hand in a static position. As you train your grip at different handle diameters you create a body map (in the cortex of your brain) for that particular hand position. The more often you practice at that same position the body map grows. This is why you get better with practice. This is also why I also believe Jedd is correct. Thick bar training alone is not the most efficient way to train your supporting grip. There are factors that have to be accounted for and questions asked (mainly what your goals are)before deciding if thick bar training is even necessary.
TONS more I’d like to say but simply don’t have the time right now.
I’d love to write an article on this for your site if you’d like Jedd.
Thanks for bringing this important subject to light. This is just one of many myths in todays training that are being passed along as the gospel. Not so!
Have a Grip Day!!!
August 18th, 2011 at 7:20 pm
Great tip Jedd. I like doing partial deadlifts, which definitely help the support grip. Pulling heavier weights makes the regular deadlifts feel light but also makes gripping them easy.
August 25th, 2011 at 11:09 am
I agree with Jedd. It makes alot of sense. I am still in the process of making some homemade grip training tools but my funds are very limited. So I have been just using a inch dumbell replica (the one out of pvc pipe )as the primary tool for grip. I also do plate pinches and use an extensor bucket but I know I need to work more on my support grip.
I do pullups and deadlifts every week but noticed I have not increased my support grip at all. This right there tells me that the inch dumbell or even thick bar training does nothing for closing grip. I admit I have gotten stronger on the inch dumbell lift but that’s about it.
I am going to try using a sponge around the pullup bar. Maybe try “greasing the grove” and doing a few reps here and there throughout the week. Excellent article Jedd!
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