An athlete's grip strength will dictate their success with the deadlift. Unlike the squat or bench press, where the weight is loaded onto the body, the deadlift requires an athlete to lift the barbell off the ground. Without proper grip strength training, athletes risk slowing their deadlift progress. 

In the sport of powerlifting, the deadlift often accounts for a large part of the total for most athletes. If grip strength is lacking, this can result in athletes bombing out from competition or totaling much less than they are truly capable of—all because they are unable to hang on to the deadlift bar during max-effort lifts. 

At Westside, Lou has always reinforced the importance of grip strength. In our gym, many powerlifters deadlift over 800lbs so it is safe to say the Westside Barbell approach to grip strength training works. How much grip training is performed will depend on the individual, with some athletes needing more grip work than others. 

However, grip strength can never be strong enough. Everyone should train grip strength to some degree, whether you have a naturally strong grip or struggle with grip strength. 

Below, we will cover the basics of deadlift grip strength and some ideas for improving grip strength and advancing competition deadlift performance. 

The Basics of Deadlift Grip Strength

Developing strong deadlift grip strength requires an athlete to train the muscles of the hands and forearms. This includes the finger flexors, thumb muscles, wrist flexors, and extensors. Below is a list of hand and forearm muscles that directly impact deadlift grip strength. 

Hand Muscles

– Flexor Pollicis Longus 

– Flexor Digiti Minimi 

– Flexor Pollicis Brevis 

– Opponens Pollicis 

– Opponens Digiti Minimi 

– Adductor Pollicis 

– Palmar and Dorsal Interossei

Forearm Muscles

– Flexor Digitorum Profundus 

– Flexor Digitorum Superficialis 

– Flexor Carpi Ulnaris 

– Flexor Carpi Radialis

– Extensor Digiti Minimi

– Extensor Digitorum

– Extensor Carpi Ulnaris

– Extensor Carpi Radialis Longus

– Brachioradialis 

You may read these lists and think you'll have to perform many exercises to address all involved muscles. Fortunately, this is not the case. Since these muscles work in concert, we can train them by implementing basic grip exercises. 

Now, we will discuss exercises to help train and improve the strength of the muscles listed above. 

Key Exercises to Improve Deadlift Grip Strength

Grip strength training can be achieved in various ways. One thought process is the idea of active versus passive grip training. This refers to active grip exercises, which involve actively squeezing a barbell or implement, and passive grip exercises, which involve holding onto a barbell or implement. 

For instance, we can focus on grip strength with active work using a hand and forearm developer machine or an exercise such as a wrist curl. We can then add more grip work into the equation with passive grip exercises such as dead hangs or pull-ups. 

It is important to note that we can passively train the grip in many ways. We can add in exercises such as dead hangs or pull-ups, which will help to train grip strength passively. We can also choose to avoid using lifting straps as another means of achieving passive grip training.

Regularly including grip-focused training in the mix is the key to improving grip strength. Like any other strength, grip strength falls under the use it or lose it category. While every human has a baseline level of grip strength decided by genetics, gains in grip strength are only made and maintained if athletes do the work. 

If we begin ignoring grip strength training, any gains made will swiftly be lost to detraining. 

Here is a list of our go-to grip training exercises at Westside Barbell.

Hexagonal Dumbbell Squeeze and Hold for Time

This exercise involves gripping one end of a hexagonal dumbbell with the hand and fingers. The goal is to hold the dumbbell in this fashion for a specific time. The time goal of each set will dictate the weight used. 

Plate Pinch for Time

The plate pinch is similar to the dumbbell squeeze and hold, focusing significantly on the fingers and hands. The idea here is similar to the DB squeeze and hold for time; we will use our fingers to pinch two plates together for a set amount of time. 

Wrist Curl (Pronated/Supinated)

This exercise is a basic movement that strengthens the wrists and forearms. It can be executed using a dumbbell, barbell, or kettlebell. 

Grip Devices (Low to High Level)

These devices utilize coil springs to force an athlete to exert specific amounts of force to touch both ends of the gripper. Often, these devices have various levels, as well as training-specific devices.  

Axle Bar Hold for Time 

This exercise helps to improve the strength of the forearm and hands, considering the diameter of the barbell. While we aim to utilize the axle bar, some athletes may have to use a squat barbell, depending on hand size. 

Forearm Curl

This is another basic movement in which an athlete holds the barbell behind the back with a pronated grip and performs a forearm curl. This movement is a common approach to forearm training in old-school bodybuilding programs. 

Forearm Roller

This exercise utilizes a dowel, rope, and a weight attached to the rope. The idea is to roll the weight up and unroll the rope in a controlled manner until the weight returns to the floor. Some specialized grip machines also mimic this exercise.  

Zottman Curl 

This exercise utilizes both a supinated and pronated grip, making it an effective way to strengthen the biceps and forearms. We can perform this movement standing, seated, or with a preacher curl pad. 

Farmer's Walk

Not only is the farmer's walk a valuable GPP exercise, but it is also a great way to develop grip strength. We can also perform this movement as a static hold, focusing on loading the implement and removing the movement aspect of the exercise. 

Pull-Ups (all variations)

This is a simple way of training grip strength while achieving quality back training. We recommend starting with pronated and supinated pull-ups and moving on to towel pull-ups and other more difficult options as strength improves. 

Dead Hang for Time

This exercise involves an athlete gripping a pull-up bar and hanging from it for a set time. If this becomes too easy, we can raise the training intensity by hanging weight from a power belt, wearing ankle weights, or wearing a weighted vest. 

These are just some of the exercise options available to an athlete needing to focus on grip strength development. Any exercise that is not performed for time is performed until failure. Each of these exercises can be performed for 3-6 sets, depending on the athlete's level of fatigue. 

Typically, we will focus on grip strength training during upper body training days. However, if an athlete has a particularly weak grip, we can add an extra day or two of grip training, depending on the situation. While four days of grip training per week may seem like a lot, it is doable considering the resilience of the muscles of the hands and forearms. 

There will also be athletes with a naturally strong grip who never have issues dropping a barbell during the deadlift. These athletes may train grip once per week or not really focus on grip training at all and instead avoid using lifting straps whenever possible.

Different Types of Deadlift Grips

The deadlift affords an athlete a few choices regarding grip styles. The first grip an athlete will deadlift with is the overhand grip. This is where the athlete grips the barbell using a pronated grip without using the thumb to secure the barbell. 

The overhand grip is relatively safe in terms of arm or shoulder injuries. However, what limits its use is the amount of weight an athlete can lift with it. Typically, athletes will begin to fail using the overhand grip when training at weights above 75-80% intensity. 

Next, we have mixed grip. This is when an athlete grips the barbell with an over-and-under hand or a pronated and supinated grip. 

The mixed grip is often the first specialized deadlift grip style an athlete uses when moving heavier weights. Due to the escalation in training weight, overhand has become impossible at this point. 

While a mixed grip will certainly help an athlete hold onto the barbell, there is some risk associated with this grip style. A bicep tear can occur if an athlete does not properly lengthen the arms and instead keeps tension in the biceps. However, if an athlete can learn to use the arms more like hooks, the risk of bicep tears will be reduced. 

As athletes learn the mixed grip, it is important to drill arm positioning to ensure no bad habits form. This often involves training at 70% or below and getting reps in. It may be boring work, but this repetitive training will help athletes learn how to use their arms during the deadlift without significantly emphasizing the biceps. 

The final deadlift grip style is the hook grip. This involves a pronated grip similar to the overhand grip but with a slight difference. Instead of wrapping the fingers around the barbell and squeezing, the hook grip calls for an athlete to wrap the fingers around the barbell and then secure the thumb by locking it under the index and middle fingers. 

This is how an overhand grip becomes a hook grip, with the thumb locking underneath the index and middle fingers. This effectively locks the hands to the barbell and is a very secure grip, provided athletes have developed the fingers and thumbs for the grip style. 

Similar to a mixed grip, a hook grip can pull serious weight. Many of the strongest deadlifts in the world today are executed using a hook grip. The main benefit and reason most people use this style of deadlift grip is the lowered chances of injury to the bicep tendons. 

There is an additional grip style, the snatch grip, which is typically not an option when pulling a heavy deadlift. Snatch grip usually means we are performing a snatch grip exercise, a special exercise focused on deadlift strength development.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How can I improve my grip for deadlifts?

A: You can execute grip-specific exercises such as wrist curls, forearm curls, plate pinches, or hexagonal dumbbell holds. You can also limit or void the use of lifting straps when training. 

Q: Does grip strength affect my deadlift performance?

A: Yes, grip strength will directly impact deadlift performance. Without proper grip strength development, athletes cannot reach their true peak deadlift strength. 

Q: How often should I train grip strength?

A: We typically recommend grip training twice per week during max and dynamic effort upper. However, if necessary, it can be executed up to four times per week. 

Q: Can I wear wrist wraps to help improve grip strength?

A: While wrist wraps won't help grip strength development, they can help to keep the hand closed during a heavy deadlift. 

Q: Can chalk be used during grip strength training?

A: Yes, chalk should be used when executing grip-focused exercises. 

For more information on deadlift and grip strength development, check out the WSBB Squat and Deadlift Manual and the WSBB Blog. 

Sources:

Simmons, L. (2007). Westside Barbell Book of Methods. Westside Barbell.