Anyone else have a hard time getting their hands on the bar when squatting? I tend to usually grab out on the ends where the weights go. Was trying today to get my hands in instead, but it was killing my wrists. Anyone else have this problem? Any tips to resolve this issue?
When you grab wide your wrists are probably in a straight line with your forearms. There’s no load on them. But when you bring them in, any lack of flexibility in pecs and delts makes it harder to keep wrists straight. That means the weight of the bar is now resting on your hands (instead of your shoulders where it belongs), putting a lot of pressure on your bent wrists.
Try stretching your pecs before you squat. Also, gradually move your hands in over a few workouts, easing you into the narrower grip. And always, always focus on keeping your wrist joints straight and palms resting on top of the bar.
Flexibility should come pretty quickly.
[quote]ironmike7707 wrote:
When you grab wide your wrists are probably in a straight line with your forearms. There’s no load on them. But when you bring them in, any lack of flexibility in pecs and delts makes it harder to keep wrists straight. That means the weight of the bar is now resting on your hands (instead of your shoulders where it belongs), putting a lot of pressure on your bent wrists.
Try stretching your pecs before you squat. Also, gradually move your hands in over a few workouts, easing you into the narrower grip. And always, always focus on keeping your wrist joints straight and palms resting on top of the bar.
Flexibility should come pretty quickly.[/quote]
Thanks for the info. I’ll try to gradually move my hands in.
I did when i started squatting(limited shoulder mobility) i could not get my hands in enough to keep the back tightness. I started using sort of a false grip, with my palms on the bar, it let my shoulders up just enough to get solid. This allowed my wrists to be straight and it got support from the rest of the arm when you give a good squeeze(Blades back, pushing the bar almost into your back).
I tried going back to a thumbs around grip some time ago, ended up having the bar pulling back on the fingers and extending the wrist, reminded me why i used false grip for so long.
I experimented with different grips while working on mobility and i found this to be best. I hope i’m actually answering your question, if i’m misreading the question let me know, my english can be sketchy from time to time.
I can move my hands in closer when I use a false grip. I’ve only started experimenting with it recently.
There’s a thread about this same shit literally right on the first page.
[quote]UrbanSavage wrote:
There’s a thread about this same shit literally right on the first page.[/quote]
Well OK then. Thanks a lot for that insight.
[quote]ironmike7707 wrote:
[quote]UrbanSavage wrote:
There’s a thread about this same shit literally right on the first page.[/quote]
Well OK then. Thanks a lot for that insight.[/quote]
X2… very insightful!
TRY A PINKY-LESS GRIP.
[quote]Singingbear78 wrote:
[quote]ironmike7707 wrote:
[quote]UrbanSavage wrote:
There’s a thread about this same shit literally right on the first page.[/quote]
Well OK then. Thanks a lot for that insight.[/quote]
X2… very insightful! [/quote]
Go fuck yourselves.
Anyway, my mistake. There actually were TWO other threads already actively discussing these issues on the front page, not one.
Here are my posts addressing shoulder flexibility, grip width and wrist position from those two threads.
[quote]UrbanSavage wrote:
[quote]shawn105 wrote:
Ive read that you should keep your hands on the bar at close a distance as possible. SO, i have done this for a long time. I feel stable but almost all the competition squats I see on video of guys moving big weight have their arms spreadout to the end of each side of the barbell…Are they just so big that they cannot comfortable get a closer hand position or am I missing something. [/quote]
Someone else can probably provide a more technical explanation, but basically all the benching done while powerlifting can often lead to very tight shoulders. Some “bench only” guys have such big and tight shoulders that they have to use the safety squat bar and giant cambered bar for their squats and even a trap bar to deadlift. Some guys end up squatting high-bar even though they would prefer to be squatting low-bar, because of a lack of shoulder flexibility. In general, a lot of powerlifters use a low-bar position to squat and that’s a position that requires more flexibility in the shoulders.
I’ve noticed that a lot of the guys in the IPF keep their hands close together on the bar, even when using a low-bar position. Malanichev is a great example of a squatter who keeps his hands close together when squatting low-bar, despite his size.
[quote]UrbanSavage wrote:
[quote]canada wrote:
[quote]Fletch1986 wrote:
I tried it for bench for a month and my numbers using the false grip were still way lower. It seems to cause more triceps activation and less chest and is easier on the shoulders. [/quote]
Yeah i watched a vid of tate on youtube and he said there will be more stress on the arms/triceps and less on the pecs and delts with a false grip. I really don’t plan on using it for bench presses. Squat and push presses i plan on working on it.[/quote]
I use the false grip for strict/military pressing, but not when push pressing. I think that the false grip helps the most, when it comes to overhead pressing, in the first half of the press. For push presses and jerks, your sticking point will come in the second half of the lift. So, I don’t think it’s as important to use a false grip when push pressing but it’s still ideal when military pressing.
When it comes to squatting, I feel that the hand/wrist positioning you use will be determined by bar placement. Rippetoe recommends the false grip because he trains all of his lifters to squat low-bar. When squatting low-bar, wrist flexibility/strength will become more of an issue and the false grip works well as a quick fix. For high-bar squatters, wrist flexibility and hand placement aren’t as big of a concern because most lifters can comfortably use a standard grip with that bar placement. Basically, if you’re squatting low-bar, a false grip is probably better. If you’re squatting high-bar, use the grip that’s most comfortable, which usually is the standard grip. [/quote]
UrbanSavage has spoken, so I guess we can just end the thread. Everybody gives a shit what that guys says.
hey this really doesnt have anything to do with this thread, but the hand pain thing made me think and i dont really wanna make a whole thread just for this. so i was doing reverse grip bench the other day and i got a bruise on the palm of my hand. its right below where you get callouses a lot, in between my pinky and the finger next to it. its not a VISIBLE bruise, and normally it wouldnt bother me and i would either train through it or wait on it to heal before i did heavy sets, but i have a meet coming up in about 6 weeks so i need all the training time i can get. some additional background, i have hemophilia, i think thats why the bruise wont go away, and im doing a westside style template, so you can see why im a little hesitant about skipping the heavy sets. any advice?
I don’t know if it work or not, but I would try wrapping that up along with your wrist.
wrap my hand and wrist up? you think thatll help?
I know one way to find out.
safety squat bar and cambered bar.
[quote]Iron_Acadian wrote:
I did when i started squatting(limited shoulder mobility) i could not get my hands in enough to keep the back tightness. I started using sort of a false grip, with my palms on the bar, it let my shoulders up just enough to get solid. This allowed my wrists to be straight and it got support from the rest of the arm when you give a good squeeze(Blades back, pushing the bar almost into your back).
I tried going back to a thumbs around grip some time ago, ended up having the bar pulling back on the fingers and extending the wrist, reminded me why i used false grip for so long.
I experimented with different grips while working on mobility and i found this to be best. I hope i’m actually answering your question, if i’m misreading the question let me know, my english can be sketchy from time to time.[/quote]
I appreciate the info. I’m gonna try some different grips. Thanks.
[quote]rbowl24 wrote:
[quote]Iron_Acadian wrote:
I did when i started squatting(limited shoulder mobility) i could not get my hands in enough to keep the back tightness. I started using sort of a false grip, with my palms on the bar, it let my shoulders up just enough to get solid. This allowed my wrists to be straight and it got support from the rest of the arm when you give a good squeeze(Blades back, pushing the bar almost into your back).
I tried going back to a thumbs around grip some time ago, ended up having the bar pulling back on the fingers and extending the wrist, reminded me why i used false grip for so long.
I experimented with different grips while working on mobility and i found this to be best. I hope i’m actually answering your question, if i’m misreading the question let me know, my english can be sketchy from time to time.[/quote]
I appreciate the info. I’m gonna try some different grips. Thanks.[/quote]
No problem. Glad to help.