The mixed grip deadlift problem

[ephs]

i can deadlift more weight with right underhand and left overhand than with right overhand and left underhand. i kept on changing the grip every week, but now it's a bit senseless to deadlift less weight every other week.

what would you do? keep on changing or only deadlift with right underhand and left overhand? can this cause imbalances?

[stuward]

You have a dominant side so one way will be stronger. I just alternate my grip for each set. Use your strongest grip when you get to your heaviest set.

[xshawnxearthx]

Here is what I do.

I do 5/3/1. I warm up with the standard grip, and then switch to mixed grip once I hit my first working set. THen I switch to mixed grip, and ONLY do it the one way. When I am adding in some volume work(ie boring but big template), I will alternate grips. Typically going back and forth between the different grips, focusing more on the grip I don't typically use.

[Kenny Croxdale]

i can deadlift more weight with right underhand and left overhand than with right overhand and left underhand. i kept on changing the grip every week, but now it's a bit senseless to deadlift less weight every other week.

Deadlift weight each week may be helping your grip strength.

However, it not doing much for anything else.

If you want to work you grip, there are other exercises you can employ.

what would you do?

1) Find an exercise that specifically works you grip.

2) Perform Deadlifts as a means of increasing your posterior chain strength and size (Glutes, Hamstsrings, etc)

3) Use a mixed grip that allows you to hold on the to bar to overload the posterior chain muscles.

4) Another alternative is to use writs straps.

Remember the Deadlift focus is a posterior chain exercise. It is NOT a grip movement.

keep on changing or only deadlift with right underhand and left overhand? can this cause imbalances?

Imbalances

You were born with imbalances and it NOT going to change.

As Stu noted, the majority of us have a right or left ham dominance...IMBALANCE.

Ambidextrous

Can you write with both your left and right hand?

Can you throw a ball with either hand?

Can you eat you food with either hand?

If NOT, you have an IMBALANCE.

Fixing IT

Are you working on becomeing Ambidextrous? If not, you are going to remain having an IMBALANCE.

The Perfection of Imbalances

Imbalances have a place in sports/life. They are a necessary component of excelling.

A right handed person throws better with their right hand then their left.

A right handed person excels at catching a baseball with their left hand rather their right.

The same thing occurs is coming out of the blocks in track. Each leg has a dominate imbalance that propels them faster out of the blocks.

Summary

Again, "Dominate Imbalance" have a place in sports and life.

Don't over think this.

Kenny Croxdale

[KenDowns]

To follow up on Kenny's detailed answer, I learned early that if I went underhand with left hand I got a weird pain at the top of my left shoulder, but going underhand on right (happens to be my dominant) works and I have no issues.

It has been well over a year doing that and I just don't think about it anymore. Don't know what that pain was on the left, don't care, and don't think about it.

Kind of a tangent, but the only move I use straps on is stiff leg deadlift (which my trainer calls "nearly stiff-leg deadlifts"), because I definitely get weird pains if I go mixed grip, and I cannot hold the bar for 8 reps if I go double overhand or even hook grip.

[ephs]

thx for the help guys.

i think i'm going to use the weaker side for easier sets and the strong side for the heavy sets. that should be the best at the moment.

[WeedGirl]

Don't let your grip strength limit your back exercises imo.

[Immortal2]

I recommend farmer's walks. By far the greatest exercise for Grip I have ever done. Also works your traps and abs. Just pick up 2 dumbells. Hold em at your sides. Puff your chest out and walk until you cant walk no more and repeat. After 3 weeks, your grip becomes stronger so you can either walk an even longer distance or even use more weight

[tostig]

For me the grip is the limiting factor of the deadlift. The first time I did the DL, boy did my forearm ache. I kept massaging them between sets. By the time I did it again a few days later, my arms didn`t hurt so much.

But usually I can DL at my heaviest weights until the bar slips off my fingers even with the reverse grip. I stay with that same weight session after session until my grip improves and the bar doesn`t try to roll off anymore. No gloves or straps for me. Only tissue paper for the callouses.

[Matt Z]

Rack Pulls and Barbell Holds are also good for grip. ... For both you'll generally be using more weight than deadlifts.

[jackthestrat]

Only tissue paper for the callouses.

This is interesting...what do you mean by this?