Do you know how to grip the bar or dumbbell when you lift?
While this seems like a basic question, in my years as a trainer, I often see people default to a grip that doesn’t suit the act of lifting weights. A weak grip equals to weakness, period. You won’t be able to lift as heavy, or get pull-ups if you hold a dumbbell like its a fragile, crystal bowl.⠀
Here’s a mini how-to on how to get a proper grip, with the logic behind it.
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MAJOR DON’T
The bar or dumbbell should not be held or placed at the top part of your hand.
When you make a fist and start to fatigue, that bar will start to slip to your fingers, which simply isn’t strong enough to carry those bigger and heavier weights around.
MAJOR DO:
Instead, place the bar or dumbbell across the palm of your hand. This gives you a firmer, sturdier grip, even as you fatigue, and can help prevent tears in the skin.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Of course there are fancier grips – hook grip, mixed grip – but those don’t apply to every situation and are more advanced for Olympic weightlifters or those lifting very heavy weights!
Grip the bar like you wanna kill it, that’s my motto!