How To Improve and Increase Your Deadlift Grip Strength
The grip is a key factor in a deadlift. We need to keep our grip strong and tight. A weak grip can prevent us from lifting maximum weights.
How can you increase your deadlift grip? It is important to hold the maximum amount of weight for a longer duration of time. This is the best way to increase grip strength. Also, you will need to choose an effective grip: double overhand, hook grip, or mix-grip.
Grip strength is the make-or-break point of a successful lift. Having a strong grip is crucial not just on the field, but also it is needed off the field.
Having a strong grip means better control of handling external as well as internal loads. Without having a strong grip, an athlete can barely fulfill their potential.
What are the benefits of having good grip strength?
Grip strength exercises have many benefits. There are many types of training that can be done to increase finger strength and hand power. There are many benefits, from social and health benefits to training and other reasons. Here are some of the benefits of handgrip exercise:
Tendinitis can be prevented by grip strength
Tendinitis refers to the inflammation of a tendon. Tendons are thick fibrous connective tissues connecting muscle to bone. Tendinitis is a condition that causes pressure and tenderness around the joint.
Tendinitis can occur anywhere there are tendons. However, tendinitis can also be found in the elbows, wrists, and knees. Tendinitis can be prevented by performing hand gripper exercises correctly.
There are ways to reduce your chances of developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Carpal tunnel syndrome, also known as median nerve compression, is a condition that causes weakness, tingling, and numbness in the hand. The median nerve runs along the length of your arm and passes through the carpal tunnel, which is located in your forearm. It then ends on your side.
These exercises can help reduce the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. They also strengthen your arms and hands.
Lessens your chances of developing Arthritis.
Arthritis refers to swelling and tenderness in one or more joints. Arthritis is characterized by joint pain and fatigue that often worsen with age. The most common forms are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid, and rheumatoid.
These exercises will increase your hand strength and motor skills.
You can perform better and bigger lifts.
You will be able to lift heavier weights at the gym if you have a stronger grip. Likewise, you can use forearm-strengthening exercises to strengthen your gripping capability, and improve your training results, especially in pulling movements like pull-ups, deadlifts, chin-ups, and rows.
You will have better endurance if you have a stronger grip.
Furthermore, you will be capable of doing more repetitions if you have a stronger grip than someone with weak hands. This means that you can do more repetitions, sets, and a higher frequency of exercises per week, which will result in more calories being burned, more fat loss, and more muscular gains.
Greater durability from injuries
Connective and muscle tissues that are stronger will be more resistant to injury. Tissues with better healing abilities will also help you get back in the game quickly. This is especially important for players involved in contact sports.
Hands play a crucial role in their success. In the case of basketball and football players, simple weak forearms mean poor throwing and grabbing abilities. Or pain in one’s wrist can severely hinder their performance and result in them being placed on the bench.
A stronger grip can also mean a better quality of life later on.
Grip strength can be used to predict the quality of old-age life. Research conducted on the subject found that handgrip strength was highly predictive of disability and functional limitations in healthy men aged 45 to 68 years old, as well as 25 years later.
By giving people a higher safety margin than the disability threshold, good muscle strength during midlife can help them to avoid old age impairment. View.
We now know that grip training is more than just using your hands, and how important it can be for you to have a strong grip. So let’s move on to the next step.
How to increase deadlift grip strength: The basics
Below, I have also included some more suggestions on how to improve your deadlift grip strength. This is how to improve your grip for all deadlifts through all deadlift variations. This enables you to continue building strength and pushing your grip to the limit.
However, there is a side to this story regarding the use of straps. While this article is focused on deadlift grip strength, there is another side to it. This exercise is for total body strength. Therefore, after all, other grip options have been exhausted, it is prudent to use straps to allow the body to experience the strength benefits of heavier deadlifts.
These are my five tips to improve grip strength:
- Remove or reduce the chalk usage – This is a simple, but effective idea that you can immediately put to use. You can lift without chalk, and your grip strength will increase faster than if you do use chalk.
- Utilize Static holds – This is the basis of many strongman events. As a finishing touch to a deadlift workout, I program holds at the top of the deadlift position. These static holds can be performed for different time durations, grip widths, sets, and reps. Chris Duffin does a static hold with over 700lbs.
- One-Handed Barbell Deadlifts/Holds – These are great for developing the hook grip. You will soon discover that a standard grip is not enough to hold a heavy bar. This is a great example of the strength and versatility of this grip. You can do one-handed deadlifts either straddling the barbell, or you can hold it straight in front of your face like a regular deadlift.
- Fat Bar/Fat Grips If you have never deadlifted using a heavier object, you will be amazed at how much more difficult it is to do so with a fatter bar. A pair of fat gripz (thick grip pads used to lift weights to make the forearms work harder to grip) is a good option if you don’t have a strongman axle (thick barbell used by strongman athletes). After a few sessions, gripping a standard bar should feel effortless.
- Build the Chain – Remember that your whole body is one interconnected kinetic chain, which can explain why your grip might be failing during deadlifts. Your grip may not be as strong as it should be if your entire body isn’t tight.
Before you lift the bar off of the floor, make sure your core, legs, and lats are strong. Your body will use your hands to lift the weight. Before you blame yourself, take a look at your entire deadlift technique.
This is the final tip. Keep your grip as natural as possible, for as long as you can. This will help you to get a better grip. You can also use natural methods to strengthen your grips, like jamming your thumb between the bars and your fingers for the hook grip. These are the best ways to get the most out of your deadlift.
Grab the bar with whatever grip you prefer. Then, make it your sole business to lift the bar.
Increase your Deadlift grip strength with these training tips
Extensive holds with the barbell are the best way to improve grip.
You now know how to grip. What happens if your grip isn’t working? How can you make it stronger?
The competitor only cares about holding one rep while you wait for the referee’s down command. To improve your grip, you can hold your last deadlift for a prolonged hold of 5-10 seconds. If you have 5 sets of 5 reps each, for example, hold the bar at the top of each set for 5-10 seconds before dropping the weight.
You could also try the following protocol. It’s what I used to improve my as well as my clients’ grip strength.
Perform the following:
Week 1: 70% of 1RM * 10-20 Second Hold * 3-5 Sets
Week 2: 70% of 1RM * 15-30 Second Hold * 3-5 Sets
Week 3: 90% of 2RM * 40-60 Second Hold * 2-3 Sets
Week 4: 75% of 1RM * 10-20 Second Hold * 3-5 Sets
Week 5: 75% of 1RM * 15-30 Second Hold * 3-5 Sets
Week 6: 90% of 2RM * 40-60 Second Hold * 3-5 Sets
If you are able to complete all three sets of holds, only increase your weight. Start at a lower weight and work your way up. Start at 60%RM and work your way up.
It is important to create a measurable progression from week to week. Your regular deadlifts should feel easier. You can also use a timer to help you count, or ask a friend to do it for you. 10 seconds can seem like an eternity when you are lifting maximum weights.
Why Should You Train Your Grip This Way?
Static Holding Exercises like—Barbells, dumbbells, kettle-bells, and plate holds are the best way to train your grip for deadlifts.
Coach Liam
The “Specific Adaptation of Imposed Demands“—(SAID) principle is a key concept in strength training. This is the principle that you must impose specific demands if you want your stimulus to work.
While you can use other techniques to improve your grip, if you don’t put them into practice in the context of what you want, it won’t get any stronger.
Should Straps Be Used in Training?
You can use straps to lift heavier sets of deadlifts, but only if your grip is not strong enough. You are not strengthening your grip if you wear straps all the time.
This is why almost all top lifters have a set of lifting straps or a “figure 8 lifting straps” in the gym bag.
How to increase deadlift grip strength with these coaches-recommended 5 Exercises
Exercise 1 – Weighted Static Holds
Exercise 2 – Farmer’s Walk
Exercise 3 – Suitcase Holds + Carries
Exercise 4 – Plate Pinches
Exercise 5 – Kettlebell Bottoms Up
FAQ
Why is my deadlift grip so weak?
You’re not alone; many people have this issue when they start deadlifting heavy weights. Most of us don’t have well-developed grip strength, leading to a weak grip deadlift. Grip takes much longer to develop than leg and back strength, as your legs and back can lift more weight off the floor than your hands can hold onto!
Will better grip strength increase my deadlift?
It’s pretty common for lifters to struggle to hold onto the bar as they progress in weight. Luckily, you can actually improve your ability to deadlift by focusing on specific exercises and techniques that will increase your grip strength so you can get out there and pull some seriously heavy weight.
Can grip strength be increased?
Yes, just like any other skill set, the more you do something, the better you get at it.
“Most people will dramatically increase their grip strength just by lifting regularly,”
Does grip strength matter in a deadlift?
In strength sports, grip strength is one of the most critical attributes a strength athlete can develop. No matter if you are a powerlifter trying to lock out a heavy deadlift or a strongman performing a static hold, having a grip strong enough to break a hand during a handshake should be a goal in your training.
How do I improve my weak deadlift?
Let’s go into these tips in greater detail.
Practice Quad-Dominant Deadlift & Squat Variations. …
Pick a Weight Where Your Hips Don’t “Pop Up” …
Cue “Push The Floor Away” …
Pull The “Slack” Out Of The Barbell Before Lifting. …
Play To Your Individual Deadlift Leverages. …
Increase Your Deadlift Frequency.
What causes poor grip strength?
Poor grip strength can be a sign that the muscles are undergoing wastage or atrophying. In most cases, this is caused by a lesser use of the hands and fingers, but it can also be a sign of other major and minor medical issues.
Which grip is easiest for deadlifts?
Double overhand grip: A double overhand grip (also called a pronated grip) is the most common type of grip used in Olympic deadlifting. To perform the double overhand grip, simply reach down and grip the barbell with your left hand and right hand with both of your palms facing toward you.
What are 3 ways to improve grip strength?
1. Direct Grip Work
2. More usage of hands and fingers
3. Playing combat sports or other strength-based athletics.
Is mixed grip deadlift cheating?
There’s nothing wrong with a mixed grip. Most people use them in training and competition if they don’t use a hook grip. A clean grip, double overhand, only goes so far when the weight starts to get really heavy. The only real “cheating” in deadlifting is using straps.
Does grip strength come from forearms?
Yes, grip strength does come from forearms, as they are the muscles that hold stuff, flex, and extend your wrists. Thus, grip strength comes from forearms – bigger and stronger forearms can help you to hold and carry things for longer.
Should you deadlift with or without straps?
It depends upon your goals – If you are planning to participate in a powerlifting competition then using straps is not ideal for you as you need to develop your raw grip strength. However, if your goal is just muscle hypertrophy then using straps can help you lift more weight for more reps and sets and for a longer duration without your grip failing you, thus improving your chance to maximize muscle mass.
Do bigger forearms mean a better grip?
Strong forearms translate to stronger grip strength. This can allow you to squeeze harder, engage more muscles, and generate more force during your workouts. The flip side is that when forearms or wrists are underdeveloped or weak, it can limit how hard you’re able to train other body parts.
Do wrist curls improve grip strength?
Wrist curls not only train a part of the body that is often neglected, but they also help improve grip strength and encourage stronger wrists. 2 Grip strength allows you to get a firm grasp on weights and bars when working out at the gym. A strong grip also benefits you during many sports and exercises.
Conclusion
Your goal should be to maximize the size of the forearms to improve and increase your deadlift grip strength. Direct grip training along with a focused bout of dedicated grip work with the above exercises will ensure you have killer grip strength.
👋 I am Rakesh Sonawane, a personal trainer with around half a decade of working experience. I have been fortunate enough to have trained people from all walks of life.
I created this site to simplify the path of getting fit and healthy as the internet is filled with too complex and useless info.
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