Living with no regrets: Learning the "hook" grip

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Learning the "hook" grip

"Hook Grip"

One of the most important components of lifting anything is grip. I have smallish, pudgy hands. The bigger the hand, the better the grip - Not a good thing for me. But so what... I have to work at it more thats all no excuse. I do static holds (just hold a heavy barbell 80kg or more in each hand for time) and wrist work. BUT the main thing that has helped my grip especially in the olympic lifts is a technique called the "hook" grip. As you can see in the picture above, the thumb goes UNDER the fingers, and the first and second finger press down on the thumb. This prevents the bar from "rolling" out of your hands. Thats GREAT news. The bad news is that it HURTS to do this. But with practice, the pain becomes normal and tolerable (took me 3 weeks of practice 3x a week to not notice the pain, but its 3 weeks well spent!).

Whats very helpful is chalk. I like the brand below I think its a rock climbing brand. Climbing/Lifting Chalk (not blackboard type) makes the fingers less slippery and the hook easier to perfrom. Be careful that you dont't leave a mess. Gyms are whiny about that.

Worlds cheapest "gold" $4 per block

With this grip the bar feels really tight and secure in the hands. I believe the body knows this and will allow you to control a heavier weight. I used to need lifting straps to do snatches but with the hook grip those are history!:)

85KG power snatch with hook grip @81kg bodyweight