RDL Grip Problems

Since I am very tall, I usually only do the RDL, so my legs won’t get in the way. My problem here is that as soon as i add heavier weights, my hands hurt and I cannot complete my reps. I’ve tried different grips but after a few reps it hurts and I cannot hold the weight anymore.
Any ideas on how to fix that?

I don’t do grip specific work. I just keep at it until I am going to lose my grip, then use wrist straps on subsequent sets.

personally i dont needs many reps for my deadlift to increase, but try putting the bar in your palm instead of your fingers, if that makes sense. kinda like a bench press instead of a row.

also keep your arms and forearms tight, dont just hold the bar but squeeze it, but do NOT bend your arms, just keep em tight and straight.

those two helped me lots , my grip doesnt hurt and my callouses dont break as often

Yeah, get straps. Unless you’re a powerlifter and need to have good grip, don’t let your grip hold you back from training as hard as you can. Of course, you want to keep on improving your grip so you don’t need to rely on straps as much.

As for being very tall and Deads. Are you hitting your knees on the way down?

I personally do a control lean forward as I bend down so the bar clears my knees then meets my shins on the way down. I have a feeling you might be in too much of a squat position.

thanks.
yes, i have very long legs. I am 6’5 and my legs are just always in the way.

For the hand issue, try using straps. They will definitely take the weight off your hands/wrists and put it more on your arms and…what the lift is meant for, hams and lower back.

I suggest you try using the hook grip (don’t be afraid to google it). If you click “I’m Feeling Lucky” on the google page after you type it in, you’ll get a good picture.

Basically, your thumb goes on the bar first, and your other fingers wrap around it as well as the bar.

It hurts like a bitch, but grip is not a problem once you get used to it.

[quote]Gerkin wrote:
I suggest you try using the hook grip (don’t be afraid to google it). If you click “I’m Feeling Lucky” on the google page after you type it in, you’ll get a good picture.

Basically, your thumb goes on the bar first, and your other fingers wrap around it as well as the bar.

It hurts like a bitch, but grip is not a problem once you get used to it.[/quote]

A hook grip doesn’t really add too much to your grip over the conventional grip in my experience. The hook grip is used in Olympic weightlifting so prevent the bar from rotating. The only reason I can see using a hook grip out of the Olympic lifts would be to acclimate your hands to using a hook grip for the Olympic lifts. Otherwise I’d go with regular grip or mixed grip.

On straps, I realize a lot of people love them but I personally would say use them as a last resort. After using straps for all my heavy lifts for a while, I noticed that what grip strength I had before the straps had decreased. I still use them but very sparingly for things like rack pulls…etc.

Is using a mixed grip on the RDL too uncomfortable? Or does it not seem to help at all?

i would avoid using a mixed grip on rdls, can lead to too many imbalances. as much as it pains me to say this, you are beter off just using straps. this is one of the few scenarios where straps really do serve a positive purpose.

[quote]robo1 wrote:
i would avoid using a mixed grip on rdls, can lead to too many imbalances. as much as it pains me to say this, you are beter off just using straps. this is one of the few scenarios where straps really do serve a positive purpose.[/quote]

I use the opposite grip from deadlift to counteract this, but in all seriousness, it probably isn’t going to cause an imbalance unless you do this everyday for an extended period of time.

To the OP. You can get straps if you want, but you just need make your hands more leathery. Fuck, my whole hand is a callous at this point. Just keep beating the shit of them and they will toughen up eventually. A strong grip will help tremendously. The less the bar slips in your hand the less pain it causes.

I use an alternate grip for RDLs once it starts failing on a normal grip. If I don’t I start short changing my reps worrying that the weight is going to fall.

Rack Pulls, I start and end using an alternate grip. I only add the straps as a very last resort.

[quote]robo1 wrote:
i would avoid using a mixed grip on rdls, can lead to too many imbalances. as much as it pains me to say this, you are beter off just using straps. this is one of the few scenarios where straps really do serve a positive purpose.[/quote]

What sort of imbalances? I am curious because I prefer the mixed grip, but I also make sure to switch the orientation of my hands (from underhand to overhand) for every new set.

If you switch the orientation you won’t get imbalances.