The first time you held a barbell, you were probably confused on how to hold it properly. You scan the room and noticed that everyone has a different way of holding them. Or maybe, you were watching an Olympic weightlifting match and you observed that each lifter have their own preferred grip style. And then you begin to ask yourself, what's the proper grip type?
Well, the truth is, there are plenty of barbell grip variations and it usually depends on the lifter what's his/her preferred grip type. The type of weightlifting workout that you intend to perform also plays an important role in choosing the grip type.
In this article, we'll be discussing various grip types and their key features.
Overhand
This grip type is among the basic where the palms are facing away when gripping the bar. The overhand grip is often used when doing pulldowns, barbell rows, and chin ups.
Underhand
Another basic grip type is underhand. With this grip type, the palms are facing towards you and it's the perfect grip type for lifting exercises such as reverse grip chin-ups, underhand lat pulldown, and barbell bicep curls.
Hook grips
Hook grips are used when doing snatches, deadlifts, and power clean.
To do the hook grip, you have to wrap your thumbs around the bar and then use your index, ring, and big finger to pin your thumb to the bar.
This will help the lifter hold the bar more securely
Wide Grip
Wide grip basically means that the length of grip is wider than shoulder width. There are three common widths when holding the bar - shoulder width apart, narrow, and wide.
Hammer
When the palms are facing each other, that grip type is called the hammer. It's mainly used for bicep curls and chin-ups.
Alternate
With this type of grip, one hand is placed under and the other hand is placed under. Usually, the strong hand is placed over and the weak hand is placed under.
The alternate grip is considered as the best grip for deadlifts as it is a popular belief that an alternate grip can help lifter carry more weight when doing deadlifts.
Fitness accessories such as hook grip tapes, lifting straps, and wrist wraps are specifically created to help lessen the pain and help you carry more weight. Here at Nordic Lifting, we have a wide array of wrist wraps and lifting straps that you can choose from. We even have an innovative product – the StrapWrapz – that acts like a wrist wrap and lifting strap. Don't hesitate to check them out!
