Squat grip

[5kgLifter]

I'll ask this here because I am a beginner when it comes to back squats.


This isn't about bar placement or grip width but about the placing of thumbs around or thumbs over the bar.


Does anyone have advice on the thumbs over the barbell placement? Is it safe/safer, in cases of needing to lose the barbell quickly in a crisis scenario etc?

All views appreciated.

[BendtheBar]

I kill quote Kyle Aaron on this:

Thumbless squat grip

I find it's good for people who have a tendency to try to support the bar's weight by a shoulder press, instead of simply holding it there and squatting. The round-bar grip lets them do that, the thumbless forces them to push the bar forward, push their shoulders back, chest up - and just squat.

However, they need good shoulder flexibility for this.

It's not for everyone, but good for some.

[Spartigus]

I always go for thumbs in direction of fingers (suicide grip for bench press). This lets the bar sit lower down my back, just down from the top of my shoulders (hard to explain because I forgot the terms). But having your hands like that pushes the bar into your back giving a lot of grip and a solid purchase on your back. Also it helps in tightening your back and I find it helps put your thoracic arch into extension (I think thats the term for it?).

[AdamF]

I also have always used a suicide grip for squats because when the weight gets heavy, two things seem to happen to me.

1. The weight kills the area between my index finger and thumb, I guess you would call that the thumb joint? Like some pretty heavy pain that subsides quickly but is not comfortable.

2. It also forces my wrists into a pretty awkward angle that I feel isn't very natural. It feels like it places a lot of load on the wrist and would hurt when the weight gets really heavy.

Although in Starting Strength Rippetoe recommends the suicide grip because of the natural wrists angle, I feel that the reason top powerlifters use the full grip is because even though it puts the wrist at a very awkward angle, it also pushes the elbows forward into the "correct position". Many articles on Elite talk about the elbows down and forward thing.

It all boils down to personal preference though. If you don't like the wrist angle go suicide. If you like the angle the elbows are in with the full grip, go for that.

[Spartigus]

Originally Posted by AdamF

I also have always used a suicide grip for squats because when the weight gets heavy, two things seem to happen to me.

1. The weight kills the area between my index finger and thumb, I guess you would call that the thumb joint? Like some pretty heavy pain that subsides quickly but is not comfortable.

2. It also forces my wrists into a pretty awkward angle that I feel isn't very natural. It feels like it places a lot of load on the wrist and would hurt when the weight gets really heavy.

Although in Starting Strength Rippetoe recommends the suicide grip because of the natural wrists angle, I feel that the reason top powerlifters use the full grip is because even though it puts the wrist at a very awkward angle, it also pushes the elbows forward into the "correct position". Many articles on Elite talk about the elbows down and forward thing.

It all boils down to personal preference though. If you don't like the wrist angle go suicide. If you like the angle the elbows are in with the full grip, go for that.

Good points!!!! I tend to hold my wrists close to my shoulders (also as Rippetoe says), whereas a lot of powerlifters have a much wider grip.

It all depends on your body and your goals and just about any factor you can think of.

[5kgLifter]

Thanks guys I'll bare those points in mind the next time I do back squats and see how I feel with both grip versions.

[AdamF]

Thought this little story would fit perfect in this thread. Might help some other people with getting tight.

So this past week I have been really trying to work on my squat form with the bar and sometimes with a PVC pipe. I have been scouring the net looking for how to squats, reading and re-reading SS and digging into archive articles on EliteFTS.

Last night I was watching the EFS squat/deadlift exercise index with Wendler. Watching the box squat part, Jim said something really profound that I haven't really though of yet. Something that almost no "How to Squat" article mentions is gripping the bar. Not in the sense of how and where to place your hands, but how HARD you should be gripping the bar.

At like 2am I ran down to the basement, took a full grip, tightened my traps and upper back up, squeezed that bar as hard as I could, unracked it, and did a perfect TIGHT squat. It was like a lightbulb moment for me.

I haven't been able to keep my low back tight especially when doing high rep sets. Just couldn't get it set and once I lost it, it was gone. It was because I was taking a suicide grip and just kinda holding the bar there. Wedging it against my back with my palms. Once I took a full grip and squeezed the life out of the bar. EVERYTHING else just tightened up on command. Perfect set up, and a perfect squat.

I am now a convert.

[Bodybygamma]

Originally Posted by 5kgLifter

I'll ask this here because I am a beginner when it comes to back squats.


This isn't about bar placement or grip width but about the placing of thumbs around or thumbs over the bar.


Does anyone have advice on the thumbs over the barbell placement? Is it safe/safer, in cases of needing to lose the barbell quickly in a crisis scenario etc?

All views appreciated.

I don't use thumbs on the squat it jacks my shoulder out of place. As long as you squeeze the bar hard, I actually pull it into position on my back. I also Squat with a low bar so it has less chance of rolling out any where, gets a little dangerous on explosive high rep sets but I still prefer it. Definitely safer for dumping the bar overhead, but that is very dangerous lol.

[5kgLifter]

Originally Posted by AdamF

Thought this little story would fit perfect in this thread. Might help some other people with getting tight.

So this past week I have been really trying to work on my squat form with the bar and sometimes with a PVC pipe. I have been scouring the net looking for how to squats, reading and re-reading SS and digging into archive articles on EliteFTS.

Last night I was watching the EFS squat/deadlift exercise index with Wendler. Watching the box squat part, Jim said something really profound that I haven't really though of yet. Something that almost no "How to Squat" article mentions is gripping the bar. Not in the sense of how and where to place your hands, but how HARD you should be gripping the bar.

At like 2am I ran down to the basement, took a full grip, tightened my traps and upper back up, squeezed that bar as hard as I could, unracked it, and did a perfect TIGHT squat. It was like a lightbulb moment for me.

I haven't been able to keep my low back tight especially when doing high rep sets. Just couldn't get it set and once I lost it, it was gone. It was because I was taking a suicide grip and just kinda holding the bar there. Wedging it against my back with my palms. Once I took a full grip and squeezed the life out of the bar. EVERYTHING else just tightened up on command. Perfect set up, and a perfect squat.

I am now a convert.

Thanks, every little helps

[5kgLifter]

Originally Posted by Bodybygamma

I don't use thumbs on the squat it jacks my shoulder out of place. As long as you squeeze the bar hard, I actually pull it into position on my back. I also Squat with a low bar so it has less chance of rolling out any where, gets a little dangerous on explosive high rep sets but I still prefer it. Definitely safer for dumping the bar overhead, but that is very dangerous lol.

It seems I also use the low bar position, yet to decide which grip I prefer but haven't yet tried the suicide grip anyway; thanks for the input though, I'll be sure to note how the shoulders respond to the different grips.