The deadlift is one of the most demanding and rewarding exercises in the fitness world. For many who perform this exercise regularly, the "mix grip" is a familiar technique. This grip involves placing one hand in an overhand grip (palm facing you) and the other in an underhand grip (palm facing away from you) on the bar. But what are the advantages and disadvantages of this grip? Let's take a closer look at it.
Advantages of the Mixed Grip:
- Stronger Grip: The mixed grip allows you to improve your grip strength. This can be crucial, especially when lifting heavy, as it reduces the risk of dropping the bar.
- The bar stays in the same position: The mixed grip helps prevent the bar from rolling as the two hands grip the bar in different ways.
Disadvantages of the Mixed Grip:
- Skewed Load: The mixed grip places a skewed load on the shoulders and back, which can increase the risk of imbalance and injury over time.
- Asymmetrical Muscle Development: Uneven load and can in rare cases lead to a skewed development of the back and shoulder muscles.
- Risk of injury: Due to the biased load, the mixed grip can potentially lead to overuse injuries and pain in the forearms.
So what should you choose?
The choice between the mixed grip and the double overhand grip or underhand grip depends on your goals and your physical characteristics. Here are some guidelines:
- Use the mixed grip if you struggle with grip strength and want to lift heavier weights.
- Consider double overhand grip for symmetrical muscle development and reduction of injury risk.
- Alternate between the two grips to avoid overload and bias in your training.
- Switch between which hand you use the overhand and underhand grip with.
- Lifting straps: If you experience challenges in maintaining a firm grip on the bar and want to focus more on your back and leg muscles, lifting straps can be a good addition. These straps help relieve stress on your forearms and grip so you can pull heavier weights without worrying about dropping the bar. You can possibly start by warming up without lifting straps and when you go for the heavy lifts of 1-4 reps you can use a pair of lifting straps.
