If you grip the bar correctly on Deadlifts, you’ll minimize callus formation, won’t need straps or gloves and can even add a few extra pounds to your max. This post will teach you how to grip the bar correctly on Deadlifts.

Where to Grip The Bar. The shorter the movement, the more weight you can lift. A wide grip — like a snatch grip — forces you to pull the bar higher than a narrow grip does. A wide grip also makes you start from a deeper position.

The most efficient way to Deadlift is with your arms perpendicular to the floor. Narrow your stance so your legs don’t get in the way of your arms. The picture at the top shows the correct way to grip the bar on Deadlifts.

How to Grip The Bar. Use a normal grip — both palms facing your body — as much as you can. This strengthens your grip.

• Bar Close to Fingers. You’ll minimize callus formation by putting the bar close to your fingers instead of in your palm. Lower the weight until you get used to the new grip technique if it feels weird.
• Avoid Gloves. Gloves add inches to the bar which makes grip harder. Let grow calluses, your skin will toughen up.
• Avoid Straps. Deadlifting with straps because you have a weak grip further weakens your grip. Lose the straps. Add grip training if needed.
• Use Chalk. Chalk minimizes callus formation by filling your skin folds. It also keeps your hands dry from sweating. Use chalk if your gym allows, you’ll be able to Deadlift more weight.
• Squeeze The Bar Hard. Put your left hand on your right shoulder. Make a fist with your right hand. Tighten your right fist and feel the tension in your shoulder/biceps. The harder you squeeze the bar, the harder your surrounding muscles work.

The Mixed Grip. When both palms face your body you have 8 fingers on 1 side of the bar and 2 thumbs on the other side. Your thumbs will give out first with heavier weights. The solution is to switch to the mixed grip.

• 1 Palm Facing You, 1 Palm Facing Away. This puts 4 fingers & 1 thumb on both sides of the bar. Both thumbs are supported by 4 fingers. Check the picture at the top for an example of the mixed grip.
• Face Your Dominant Hand Away. Tends to be the strongest position. Use it on your heaviest set. Alternate the supine/pronated hand on each of your submaximal sets to avoid muscle imbalances.

Some lifters use the hook grip for Deadlifts. Benefits: symmetry and your lockout drops by a few inches. The problem however: it hurts. Try it: start light, add weight gradually and maybe you’ll end like this guy.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

I see both errors over & over in the Forum: rounding back, hitting knees, hitting knees again, more back rounding & another pair of knees that will hurt the day after. Here’s how to lower the bar correctly on Deadlifts.

How NOT to Lower The Bar on Deadlifts. If you don’t lower the bar correctly on Deadlifts, you’ll rarely Squat correctly neither.

• Rounding Your Back. Puts anterior pressure on your intervertebral lumbar discs, which can cause spinal injuries like herniated discs.
• Hitting Your Knees. Hurts and puts the bar away from your shins. You’ll pull with your shoulders above the bar, turning Deadlifts into Squats.

Here’s a video of how NOT to Deadlift. I hit my knees on the way down which puts the bar away from my shins. Unless you pull the bar against your shins, your shoulders end up above/behind the bar with your hips too low.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Why You Don’t Lower The Bar Correctly. This is where individualization comes in. There are lot of reasons why you could do things wrong.

• Bad Technique. You forget to keep your shoulder-blades back & down and chest up. You look at your feet on the way down. You don’t know how to lower the weight using your hips.
• Tight Hips. You lack hip mobility: tight hamstrings & glutes. You feel your hamstrings pull when you lower the bar.
• Bad Posture. If you have posterior pelvic tilt, your lower back will round when bending over. This is linked with tight hips and weak Psoas / abs.

How to Lower The Bar Correctly on Deadlifts. Move your hips first on the way down, not your knees. Push your hips back as far as you can. Flex your knees once the bar reaches knee level to bring the bar back to the floor.

• Keep Your Chest Up. If your upper-back is straight, rounding your lower back gets harder. Chest up, shoulder-blades back & down.
• Head up. Looking at the ceiling will hurt your neck. Looking down rounds your back. Keep your neck inline with your spine. Don’t look at your feet.
• Bend Your Hips First. Lower the weight by bending your hips first, not your knees. Use the same technique as when you Squat down.
• Push Your Hips Back. Think of sitting on a toilet. Push your hips back as far as you can. Flex your knees once the bar reaches knee level.

Check the video below. Hips go back first on the way down. Knees flex once the bar reaches knee level. The bar doesn’t hit the knees. The pull starts with the bar against shins and shoulder- blades above the bar.

Click here to view the embedded video.

If You Still Can’t Lower The Bar Correctly. Chances are your lower back will keep rounding even though you do all of the above.

• Improve Hip Mobility. If you have posterior pelvic tilt, exercises like the Seated 90/90 Stretch & Knee Hugs will help a lot. Check the hip mobility post & magnificent mobility for more.
• Lower The Weight. Some people Deadlift with a round lower back for years without getting injured. They’re exceptions. Lower the weight to practice technique rather than taking risks.
• Rack Pulls. Substitute Deadlifts by Rack Pulls until hip mobility improves. Do lots of dynamic stretching. Get back to Deadlifts as soon as you can.

Never substitute an exercise by another because you can’t do it correctly from the start. Spend time practicing technique. If you don’t see any improvements after several weeks and you did your best, then consider switching.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Benefits of Rack Pulls. Rack Pulls strengthen your glutes, hamstrings, core, grip and upper-back. Rack Pulls are especially good at building upper-back thickness.

• Deadlift Substitute. If your lower back keeps rounding on Deadlifts, you could do Rack Pulls while working on hip mobility.
• Overload. Depending on the height at which you start and your sticky point, Rack Pull can let you hande heavier weights than Deadlifts.
• Hip Power. Correctly performed Rack Pulls start from a dead stop with little knee extension. This builds a strong, explosive posterior chain.

Rack Pull Starting Position. Set the safety pins so the bar starts below your kneecaps. Get used to this height before trying different ones.

• Foot Stance. Shoulder-width stance with toes slightly out. Curl your toes up. Jump up a few times: that’s the stance for Rack Pulls.
• Shins Vertical to The Floor. Neglecting to do so involves your quads. Put your shins perpendicular to the floor when looking from the side.
• Grip Width. Too small & your hands touch your legs on the way up. Too wide & you have to pull the bar higher. Use about 51cm/20″ grip width.
• Gripping the Bar. Put the bar close to your fingers, not in the palm of your hands. This will minimize callus formation & torn skin.
• Straight Arms. Pulling with bent arms can tear your biceps muscles. Keep your arms straight. Tighten your triceps.
• Bar Against Your Shins. The closer the bar, the easier the lift. Put the bar against your shins, just below your kneecaps.
• Shoulder-blades above The Bar. When looking from the side: shoulders in front of the bar and shoulder-blades above the bar.
• Chest Up. Shoulder blades back & down, chest up. Imagine someone puts a pen between your shoulder-blades and you try to squeeze it.
• Straight Neck. Safer for your cervical spine. Keep your neck inline with the rest of your spine.

How to Perform Rack Pulls. Once you’ve set up correctly, the Rack Pull is like a Deadlift: push the floor away from you until lockout.

• Push Through the Floor. Curl your toes up and push through the floor. Think of pushing the floor away from you.
• Keep the Bar Close to You. The closer, the safer & easier. Start with the bar against your shins. Roll it over your thighs until lockout.
• Bring Your Hips Forward. Push from the heels & squeeze your glutes hard. This prevents pulling with the lower back.
• Lock Your Hips. No need to roll your shoulders or hyper-extend your lower back. Rack Pulls end when your knees & hips are locked.

Lower the bar by pushing your hips back until the bar hits the safety pins.

Common Mistakes on Rack Pulls. The biggest mistake is the shoulder & shin position: bad positioning kills posterior chain emphasis.

• Dropping Your Knees Forward. Involves your quads instead of your hips. Put your knees perpendicular to the floor. Push your hips back.
• Shoulders over The Bar. Usually coupled with knees forward. Shoulders in front of the bar, shoulder-blades above the bar.
• Looking Forward. Hyper-extending your neck increases risks of cervical spine injury. Keep your neck inline with the rest of your spine.
• Bending Your Arms. Can tear your biceps when pulling heavy weights. Pull with straight arms, tighten your triceps.
• Bending Your Back. Harder to do here compared to Deadlifts, but still possible. Big chest, shoulder-blades back & down, tight upper-back.
• Hyper-extending at The Top. Posteriorly stresses your lumbar discs. Lock your hips at the top, and come back, no need to hyper-extend.

Check the video below on how NOT to perform Rack Pulls. 3 errors: shoulders over the bar with knees dropped forward, hyper-extending the lower back at the top and hyper-extending the neck. Avoid all of these on Rack Pulls.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

The prime movers during Deadlifts are your quadriceps, hamstrings & glutes. Your lower back, upper-back, traps & forearms perform isometric contractions: they stay contracted during the whole lift.

That’s how Deadlifts strengthen your lower back: you must keep your back rigid against a load. Unfortunately many don’t strengthen but hurt their back doing Deadlifts. Here are 5 ways to avoid lower back pain from Deadlifts.

1. Keep Your Lower Back Straight. Deadlifting with a bent back puts anterior stress on your lumbar vertebrae. This increases the risks of back injuries like hernia. You must Deadlift with a straight lower back.

• Chest Up. Your back can’t round if you keep your chest up. Put your shoulder-blades back & down and keep your chest up at all times.
• Bend Your Hips. Lower the weight to your knees by bending at your hips first. Unlock your knees once the bar reaches knee level.
• Hip Flexibility. Tight hips will make your lower back round on Squats and when lowering the bar on Deadlifts. Do Leg Swings & Squat Stretch.

2. Use Your Glutes. The deadlift is a pull exercise. However pulling with your back increases the stress on your lower back. Pulling back is also inefficient as it means you’re not using your glutes properly.

• Push Through Your Heels. Curl your toes up if needed. This makes it easier to engage your hamstrings & glutes.
• Bring Your Hips Forward. Don’t pull back using your lower back. Bring your hips forward by squeezing your glutes as hard as you can.
• Squeeze Your Glutes. If you have problems engaging your glutes, do glute activation exercises and check your posture for lordosis.

3. Don’t Hyper-extend Your Back. This is as bad as Deadlifting with a bent back. Hyper-extending your lower back puts posterior stress on your lumbar vertebrae, which also increases the risks of back injuries like hernia.

The Deadlift ends when your hips & knees are locked. No need to hyper-extend your lower back at the top. Lockout the weight by bringing your hips forward & squeezing your glutes hard.

4. Keep The Bar Close to You. The further the bar from your body, the greater the torque on your spine. You need to keep the bar close to you at all times.

• Bar Against Shins. Start with the bar against your shins, shoulders in front of the bar & shoulder-blades directly over the bar.
• Bar Against Thighs. Let the bar roll over your shins, past your knees. Bar stays in contact with your thighs at all times.

Check Eric Cressey’s 650lbs/295kg Deadlift: bar against shins & thighs.

Click here to view the embedded video.

5. Use Your Legs. Deadlifts are not Stiff-legged Deadlifts. You can’t use your legs if you start with your hips too high or let your hips rise faster than your shoulders. Your lower back will be forced to do all the work.

Hip height depends on the length of your legs & torso. However the rules are the same for everyone. Bar against shins & shoulder-blades directly above the bar. Keep your chest up & push through the heels.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

Posted by Jason Papillon in reply to Proper Hip Position on the Deadlift:

The guys at Westside Barbell advice to keep your shins off the bar and keep the shoulders in front of the bar.

I read an article by Sakari Selkäinaho from a finnish bodybuilding magazine just few hours ago, the article was about Deadlift. He said one of the mistakes is to let the shoulders go forward.

Shoulder Position on the Deadlift. The shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line. You can’t pull in a perfect straight line, but you should strive to.

The only way to pull in a straight line is by starting with the bar against your shins & shoulder-blades directly over the bar. This puts your shoulders in front of the bar, not over the bar.

Why Shoulders over The Bar Doesn’t Work. Your shins & knees are in your way. You’ll avoid hitting your shins/knees by making these errors:

• Stiff-legged Deadlift. Starting with the hips too high. Hips lift the bar, knees can’t help. You’re stronger if you use all your leg muscles.
• Bar Far Away. Bar far from shins so you don’t hit them. This increases the torque on your lower back, meaning less strength.
• Hips too Low. Deadlift are not Squats, start with the hips higher. You’ll usually couple this one with the bar far away from shins.

Correct Deadlift Starting Position. And this is regardless of whether you have long/short legs and a long/short torso.

• Bar Against Shins. Bar must touch your shins in the starting position.
• Shoulder-blades over Bar. Above the bar when looking from the side.

This puts your shoulders in front of the bar & your hips at the correct height.

How to Achieve Correct Shoulder Position. Some tips to learn the correct starting position on Deadlifts.

• Tape Yourself. Use a video camera & tape yourself while doing Deadlifts. Check your form between reps & adapt from there.
• Ask Help. Ask someone to tell you if your shoulder-blades are over the bar when doing Deadlifts. It’s easier if that person can Deadlift.
• Practice. Technique comes with practice. Lower the weight & focus on technique. The more you Deadlift, the better you become.

Practical Example. Andy Bolton Deadlifts 455kg. His shoulder-blades are over the bar, shoulders in front of the bar. Note that Bolton uses a mixed grip. The shoulder of the hand facing away is less forward than the other one.

Click here to view the embedded video.

More Info. If you don’t have Starting Strength, read Mark Rippetoe’s Analysis of the Deadlift on CrossFit. Read also the comments answered by Mark Rippetoe.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

My coaches tell me when you Deadlift your hips must be below your knees like a Squat and explode. When you pick it up the bar must go up against the shins. Right now my shins are filled with scabs. I want to know: am I doing Deadlifts right?

The Deadlift is Not a Squat. While the Deadlift & Squat movements are similar, Deadlifts are not Squats:

• Squat. Hips go lower than knees to break parallel.
• Deadlift. Hips higher than knees. Like a half Squat.

Why Low Hip Position is Bad. Look at the Squat position in the picture above. Imagine you Deadlift from that position, here’s what happens:

• Strength Loss. The knees are over your toes, shins more diagonal. Start with low hips, and you’ll usually bring your hips up anyway. The bar loses contact with your shins, ending in front of you. You’re not pulling in a straight line, meaning less weight.
• Scraped Shins. You’ll hit your shins/knees if you don’t bring your hips up. That explains why Dorian’s shins are filled with scabs.

The Deadlift is not a Stiffed-Legged Deadlift. Start with the hips too high and your hips do all the work, meaning less weight. Use your knees: start with your hips lower like if doing a half Squat.

How to Find the Proper Hip Position for Deadlifts. Exact hip position depends on your build: long/short legs, long/short torso. Your hips will be higher if you have long legs than if you have short legs. But these rules always apply:

• Bar Against Shins. Bar touches your shins at the start of the Deadlift.
• Shoulder-blades over Bar. Put your shoulder-blades directly over the bar, close to perpendicular with the floor when looking from the side.
• Shoulders in Front of Bar. Happens automatically if you put the bar against your shins & your shoulder-blades over the bar.

Example of Proper Hip Position. I have long legs & arms and a short torso. Here’s my starting position on Deadlifts. Notice the shoulders in front of the bar, shoulder-blades over the bar, bar against shins.

Deadlift hip position: shoulder-blades over the bar, shoulders in front of the bar.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

Deadlifts build back strength. Deadlifts teach you to keep your lower back rigid against a load. Keeping your back straight is critical to avoid injuries when lifting heavy objects from the floor.

But that’s also why Deadlifts have bad reputation. Rounding your back during Deadlifts increases risks of spinal disc injuries like hernias. You need to Deadlift with proper technique. This article will help you out.

What’s a Deadlift? Pull the barbell from the floor with both hands until your body is fully extended. Deadlift by pushing from the heels, and bringing your hips forward. Not by pulling with your lower back.

Here’s a video of myself doing Deadlifts. The 4th missed rep is my grip giving out. Notice I never pull back. I Deadlift by bringing my hips forward while pushing from the heels. This is proper Deadlift technique.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Benefits of the Deadlift. Deadlifts work your back, legs & forearms. Deadlifts don’t develop your legs like Squats do: your hips start higher. That’s why you can substitute Squats for Deadlifts in case of knee injuries.

• Back Strength. Your back stays straight while the weight of the bar tries to bend it. Keeping your back rigid builds back strength.
• Leg Strength. Bringing your hips forward strengthen your hamstrings & glutes. Straightening your knees strengthen your quads.
• Grip Strength. You need to grip the barbell hard so it doesn’t roll out of your hands when doing Deadlifts. This builds forearms & grip strength.

Use small plates if needed to get the correct bar height for Deadlifts

Before You Deadlift. Basic stuff you need to know before you even think about trying to Deadlift with correct technique.

• Bar Height. Deadlifts start with the bar at mid-shin level. Put plates on the floor if you don’t have/lack the strength to use 20kg plates.
• Lifting Shoes. Shoes with air or gel filling are compressible, impairing power transfer & stability. Wear shoes with hard soles. Chuck Taylor’s, weightlifting shoes, socks or barefoot are better than running shoes.
• No Straps. Never use straps for Deadlifts. If your grip is weak, Deadlift more. Switch to an alternate grip (baseball grip) & use chalk.

Proper Deadlift Stance. Remember position of laces vs. bar. Note the toes out.

Setup for Deadlift. Don’t move the bar to get into proper position. Walk to the bar & position your feet correctly. Then grab the bar & Deadlift.

• Foot Stance. Shoulder-width stance with toes slightly pointing out. Curl your toes up. Jump up a few times: that’s the stance for Deadlifts.
• Bar Position. Bar should be 5 to 10cm (2-4″) from your shins when standing. Remember the position of your laces under the bar.
• Chest Up. Make a big chest & lift it up. Pull your shoulders back. Keep this position at all time & your back will never be able to round.
• Look Forward. Looking down makes your back round. Looking to the ceiling can cause neck pain. Look forward during the whole lift.
• Grip Width. Too small & your hands touch your legs on the way up. Too wide & you have to pull the bar higher. Use about 51cm/20″ grip width.
• Gripping the Bar. Put the bar close to your fingers, not in the palm of your hands. This will minimize callus formation & torn skin.
• Straight Arms. Deadlifting with bent arms can tear your biceps muscles. Keep your arms straight. Tighten your triceps.

Proper Grip for Deadlifts: bar close to the fingers, not in the palm of your hands.

Performing The Deadlift. Deadlift by pushing from the heels & bringing your hips forward. Not by pulling back with your lower back. If you Deadlift correctly, you’ll feel most stress in your upper-back, glutes & hams.

• Shoulder-blades over Bar. Put your shoulder-blades directly over the bar, shoulders in front of the bar. Your hips will be at the correct height.
• Bar Against Shins. Pull the bar up in a straight line. The closer the barbell to your shins, the better. No need to scrape your shins.
• Push From The Heels. Simple trick: curl your toes up. This automatically puts the weight on your heels.
• Bar Close to You. Keep the bar in contact with your body during the whole lift, rolling the bar over your shins & thighs. The closer the bar, the less stress on your lower back & the more weight you can Deadlift.
• Squeeze You Glutes. Bring your hips forward by pushing from the heels & squeezing your glutes hard. This prevents pulling with the lower back.
• Lock The Weight. The Deadlift ends when your knees & hips are locked. No need to roll the shoulders or hyper-extend the lower back.

Bringing the Weight Down. Don’t lose time bringing the weight down. Do it controlled but not slow. The rule: hips unlock first, then knees.

• Chest Up, Look Forward. Neglecting to do both will make your back round. Keep your chest up, shoulders back & look forward.
• Bar Close to You. Keep the bar in contact with your thighs until it reaches knee level. It’s friendlier on your back.
• First Hips, Then Knees. Flex at the hips first to return the bar below knee level. Then bend at the knees until the bar is on the floor.

Deadlift hip position: shoulder-blades over the bar, shoulders in front of the bar.

Common Deadlift Errors. Common mistakes you need to avoid to minimize risks of injuries when doing Deadlifts.

• Hips Too High. Use your knees: it’s not a Stiff-legged Deadlift. Put the bar against your shins with the shoulder-blades directly over the bar.
• Hips Too Low. It’s not a Squat. Put the bar against your shins with the shoulder-blades directly over the bar. Shoulders in front of the bar.
• Bending Your Back. Increases the pressure on your spine thus increasing risk of injury. Keep your chest up at all time & look forward.
• Hyper-extending Your Back. As bad as bending. The Deadlift ends when your hips & knees are locked. No need to arch at the top.
• Rolling the Shoulders. Dangerous & inefficient. Your hip muscles move the weight, not your shoulders. Extend your knees & hips, stop.
• Shrugging at The Top. Unnecessary. If you need more trap emphasis do shrugs or Power Cleans.
• Pulling with Bent Arms. You could tear your biceps by pulling with bent arms. Keep your arms straight, tighten your triceps.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

Unfortunately, scraped shins can turn into bleeding shins. Which will hurt. And when your shins hurt, you’ll deadlift with the bar away from the shins. Here are some ways to minimize shin scraping from deadlifts.

Get Closer to the Bar. If the bar is far from your shins, you’ll bend more from the ankles & hit your shins on the way up. Position yourself 5-10cm/2-4″ from the bar & push from the heels.

Protect Your Shins. Depending on your body type, scraped shins will be inevitable. Here are some ways to minimize shin scraping:

• Long Socks
• Long Pants
• Chalk
• Sports Tape
• Shin Sleeves
• Shin Guards

I always deadlift with long pants & pull my socks up.

Use Another Bar. Some bars have more aggressive knurling than others. Switch bar for a while to give your shins time to heal.

• Bar with less aggressive knurling.
• Bar with less wide knurling in the middle.
• Trap bar.

By the way. Scraped shins aren’t necessary. Some don’t get scraped shins at all. A lot depends on your body type: length of limbs & torso. As long as you keep the bar close to you’ll be safe. Whether you get scraped shins or not.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

I wrote earlier that a proper deadlift should be done by bringing the hips forward, not pulling back.

Ali asked: “Strengh training coaches like Pavel Tsatsouline & Dave Tate recommend pulling back. I’ve read Mark Rippetoe’s views and he echoes what u say. Could u explain further? I know the beginning of the Deadlift is like a Squat: keep hips down, extend the legs and then pull back. Is this correct or not?

What Pulling Back Isn’t. When I tell you not to pull back, I mean: don’t pull back with your lower back. If someone tells you he got a hernia from deadlifting, it’s probably because he was pulling with his lower back.

The only thing your lower back should do is staying rigid. The weight will try to bend your back. Keep your lower back straight. That’s how the deadlift will give you a strong back.

What Pulling Back Is. So what do Pavel Tsatsouline & Dave Tate mean when they advise you to pull back on the deadlift? Two things:

• Lean back
• Pull the bar toward your body

Dave Tate on leaning back: “What happens when the weight on one end is coming down? The other end goes up.” In other words: let your body fall backward & the bar will go up. No you won’t fall, unless your deadlifting less than you’re own bodyweight.

The closer the bar to your body, the less torque on your lower back. That’s why you should pull the bar toward you using your lats while bringing your hips forward. You’ll rarely feel anything in your lower back deadlifting this way.

Exercise a lot. Focus on your deadlift technique. Bar close to your body, shoulders back, hips forward. Do some glute activation. It takes some time to find the groove, but once you do, you’ll understand what pulling back means.

You have questions on the deadlift or other strength training exercises? Post them using the comments.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

If you want to increase your Deadlift, start with your grip. Here are 7 tips to improve your grip on the Deadlift.

1. Grip the Bar Correctly. Grip the bar close to your fingers. This leads to less calluses formation. The Deadlift can tear your skin if you grip the bar in the palm of your hands. Teared skin can take 2 weeks to heal. Don’t neglect this.

2. Squeeze the Bar. Grip the bar as hard as you can:

• The harder you grip the bar, the stronger you are.
• The less the bar moves in your hand the better.

3. Use a Pronated Grip. Deadlift as much as possible with both palms facing you. Perform your warmups using a pronated grip. Try to hold at the top for a few seconds. This will strengthen your grip.

4. Chalk. Chalk minimizes calluses formation from deadlifting. You’ll also avoid sweaty hands so the bar doesn’t slip through your hands.

5. Alternate Grip. Switch to an alternate grip when you can’t hold the bar using a pronated grip. One palm facing you, the other facing away. It doesn’t matter which hand faces you. You can change it up every set.

You can deadlift more with an alternate grip than with a pronated grip. With a pronated grip you have 8 fingers on one side of the bar, 2 thumbs on the other side. With an alternate grip it’s 5 fingers on every side. Your thumbs won’t give out as easily.

6. Lose the Straps. A solution when your grip is weak during the deadlift is to use straps. However this weakens your grip in the long run. Straps are also not allowed in competitions. Build good habits from the start.

7. Train your Grip. And at last, you can always train your grip. Check out The Basics of Grip by David Horne. It’s a great place to start.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.