# Deadlift grip



## Sully (Aug 28, 2016)

I'll preface this by saying that I don't deadlift anymore because of multiple back injuries, and I would like to avoid having back surgery in the future. 

Has anyone here gone to using a double overhand grip when deadlifting? I read an article a while back that said that the new "correct grip" for deads is double over, instead of the traditional over/under. There were several reasons, but the 2 main reasons were that it doesn't cause left vs right side imbalances like using an over/under grip can if you don't switch hands regularly. 

The other reason, and the main reason I'm even posting this, is that it helps prevents bicep tears during heavy pulls. I just watched a 5 minute YouTube video of bicep tear compilations, and that shit was gruesome. And ever single time, it was the arm with the underhand grip that popped the bicep. A couple were from atrociously bad curl form, and one from arm wrestling, but primarily from deadlifting. 

When I did deadlift, I always used a double overhand grip. The over/under always felt wrong to me, and i could feel the imbalances in my body when I was pulling with it. Because this board has more vets and focuses more on long term health, I would highly encourage anyone that still deadlifts to try switching their grip to a double overhand grip. Biceps tears can be truly catastrophic injuries that many never truly recover from. Some injuries are going to happen no matter what, but if we can make small changes that can help prevent them, it's foolish not to try.


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## srd1 (Aug 28, 2016)

I've always done deads with a double overhand....over under just never felt right for some reason always felt unnatural for some reason.


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## psych (Aug 28, 2016)

Bicep tears happen when you dont keep your arms locked.....


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## chicken_hawk (Aug 28, 2016)

Lil' Sully said:


> I'll preface this by saying that I don't deadlift anymore because of multiple back injuries, and I would like to avoid having back surgery in the future.
> 
> Has anyone here gone to using a double overhand grip when deadlifting? I read an article a while back that said that the new "correct grip" for deads is double over, instead of the traditional over/under. There were several reasons, but the 2 main reasons were that it doesn't cause left vs right side imbalances like using an over/under grip can if you don't switch hands regularly.
> 
> ...



Good post, Sully. First, I preface the rest by sayingI do not think the average lifter/bber should dead lift. Unless, you compete it's functionally impractical putting stress on the lower back robbing one of energy and strength for other lifts. It has the tendency to feed the ego of young and weak lifters who could build the posterior chain with any number of other exercises which are less likely to tear a bicep.

BTW...why do asshats post their PRs if they never plan to compete? If you want to show off to the world, do it where the men do it. Rant over.

That being said and I could say more, the double overhand is clearly the better choice from an anatomical viewpoint. One problem that can arrise is that people will tend to lift with straps and therefor end up doing reps and weights they might otherwise avoid.

Hawk


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## srd1 (Aug 28, 2016)

chicken_hawk said:


> Good post, Sully. First, I preface the rest by sayingI do not think the average lifter/bber should dead lift. Unless, you compete it's functionally impractical putting stress on the lower back robbing one of energy and strength for other lifts. It has the tendency to feed the ego of young and weak lifters who could build the posterior chain with any number of other exercises which are less likely to tear a bicep.
> 
> BTW...why do asshats post their PRs if they never plan to compete? If you want to show off to the world, do it where the men do it. Rant over.
> 
> ...



I'm surprised to hear this I've always viewed deadlines as a core staple in lifting, good proper form deads make everything grow....course I completely get what your saying though, I've rarely seen proper form when watching guys deadlift at the gym seen way to many dudes in the gym all hunched over screaming their asses off trying to lift 100+ pounds more than they should be lifting thinking their kicking ass but all their doing is wrecking their spine and joints. :action-smiley-064:


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## rAJJIN (Aug 28, 2016)

I have always used a double over hand grip.
Cant say I have ever even tried the over under.


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## psych (Aug 28, 2016)

Pulling double over is a HERESY!! Using straps is an abomination!!!

Deadlift is the one of the best mass builders.  Injuries happen. A good powerlifter is only good when he can win while injured....but you guys are bodybuilders...so fuck it 
 [ame]https://youtu.be/UtM6dLvQOms[/ame]  This is irrelevant to the topic but still funny!


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## Sully (Aug 29, 2016)

I know it's all family here, but let's not turn this into a debate over the merits of deadlifting. That's another discussion for another thread. And besides, Psych seems a little cranky today. He might get his feelings hurt. Wait, do powerlifters even HAVE feelings? 



psych said:


> Bicep tears happen when you dont keep your arms locked.....



I don't know Psych. I agree that they definitely can happen from not keeping your arms locked, but I wouldn't go as far as to say that that's the only time they happen. There's enough anecdotal evidence to indicate that it might have something to do with the grip. 

I've never known or seen anyone that pulls double over that has torn a bicep mid pull. Nor have I ever known or seen anyone pulling over/under that has torn the bicep of the hand with an overhand grip. Obviously my sample size is small, and my memory is fallible, and other people have known way more dead lifters than I have. I'm not saying they don't happen, I just think they are probably much more rare. If anyone has seen those things happen, please speak up. 

I know that if I just out my arm straight out in front of me, palms down, I feel virtually no stress or strain on my biceps. But, just rotating my hands to a palms up position automatically creates a slight stretch in the lower biceps. And when coupled with large amounts of weight, I personally see it as a recipe for disaster. 

Do I think that if someone lifts with a double over grip it's impossible to tear a biceps during a lift? Absolutely not. Do I think that someone that only lifts over/under is guaranteed to tear a biceps at some point? Absolutely not. Do I think that is might be safer, even if only marginally, to pull with a double over grip? Absolutely. 

One thing I know for sure is, no matter what age we are, we're all getting older. And with that, comes an increased risk of injury and longer recovery times. And sometimes it even means that we'll never really recover from certain injuries. Staying healthy, active and injury free is much more important to me know than it ever was when I was young and indestructible, especially since I've had a few injuries that have negatively impacted my overall quality of life. 

I'm not trying to preach to anyone, just throwing something out there to think about. I believe heavily in personal responsibility. In the end, we all have to make our own decisions and live with the outcomes. I just hope everyone stays safe and lives to lift another day. :action-smiley-030:


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## psych (Aug 29, 2016)

Sully I agree that it's not a guarantee that a bicep will tear with over under, just more common. 
1. More people who are gonna deadlift heavy will use that.
2. I swear it's the bent arms. Every guy I know that has torn one has had a dominant bicep thing where they bend their arms. Bend as in "row" the bar rather than just push with leg and keep back tight and locked.
3. Small forearms. Their tendons NEED to be thick and strong from years of pulling.  These kids hit their arms all the time and then use straps and shit.  Then, they go and try to have a pissing contest and deadlift. Thats how tears happen also. I've seen it....kinda funny 
4.  If you're going heavy enough to tear your bicep you either are being a fuck tard and got what was coming, OR a competitor and know the risks involved.
5. Bicep tears happen benching, power cleaning, squatting too.  More so when you're around powerlifter and strongman guys.  Budt tore his doing Atlas Stones...It's common in an uncommon sport


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## psych (Aug 29, 2016)

Sully I agree that it's not a guarantee that a bicep will tear with over under, just more common. 
1. More people who are gonna deadlift heavy will use that.
2. I swear it's the bent arms. Every guy I know that has torn one has had a dominant bicep thing where they bend their arms. Bend as in "row" the bar rather than just push with leg and keep back tight and locked.
3. Small forearms. Their tendons NEED to be thick and strong from years of pulling.  These kids hit their arms all the time and then use straps and shit.  Then, they go and try to have a pissing contest and deadlift. Thats how tears happen also. I've seen it....kinda funny 
4.  If you're going heavy enough to tear your bicep you either are being a fuck tard and got what was coming, OR a competitor and know the risks involved.
5. Bicep tears happen benching, power cleaning, squatting too.  More so when you're around powerlifter and strongman guys.  Budt tore his doing Atlas Stones...It's common in an uncommon sport


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## big_rich (Aug 29, 2016)

I've always done double overs. Feels most comfortable and natural to me.


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## Sully (Aug 29, 2016)

Here's the video I referenced above. I know it's not "proof" of anything. But, watch and tell how many of these guys you see that are bending their arms while pulling. And a few of these guys are world class deadlifters. And there's one in there during a stone lift, Psych. That's not ur buddy, is it?

[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pZgxkE-2QAw[/ame]

I tried to embed the video, but I have no idea how.


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## Sully (Aug 29, 2016)

Never mind. Figured it out on accident.


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## psych (Aug 29, 2016)

Almost every guy in that video deadlifting bends his arm when they are at knee level. It's a reaction before you start "hitching".  It's do to bad technique.  I watch guys work technique all day, that shit is something to look for and sticks out.  Except for a few guys on there...they just had shit happens LOL.

I had a partial tear in my bicep due to benching. Developed from doing heavy dumb bell shrug, had my arms bent.  

I know I lift alot heavier than most guys but at a certain level injuries come faster and more technique is needed.


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## Sully (Aug 29, 2016)

Like I said, I wasn't submitting that video as absolute proof. And I went back and watched it and a few were definitely starting to bend their arms. But, and this is the most important part to me, how many of them would still have torn their bicep if they were using a double over grip? I'm betting it would be few to none. In every single case, it was the underhand grip arm that tore. 

Psych, if your nephew/cousin/someone that you knew well and cared for came to you and asked you to teach them to deadlift, what grip would you teach them?


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## psych (Aug 29, 2016)

over-under hands down. 

If he has the arm length, grip strength, HAND SIZE, and patience I would teach him double over.  But it's just like a hook grip....If you can't do it, you can't do it.  Double over isn't something most people can do AND go heavy. If your doing it for a pump then it doesn't matter.

If your gonna compete you need to move the most weight.  Close friends I know that lift and ask for help, I tell them unless they compete don't deadlift or bench.  I worked a few times with competitive bodybuilders and learned alot more about strict techniques.  I learned ALOT about how to do a strict concentration curl....correctly.  I know it looks easy, but to do anything well you have to learn. Alot of lifters want to learn technique but just end up reading dumb shit on the net like elitefts, jugger, and rogue.

Those two lifts need coaching and technique.

And tears mostly have a preexisting condition.  My arm was fucked when it tore, so was my pec, and others too that I know tore something had an injury. I bench over 500 raw and never had shoulder pain.  Because I used strict technique...and my coach is a dick LOL.

Tears happen is all I'm saying.  If you want to compete do it, if you are not then don't.  EXAMPLE would be I never see guys do the snatch or power clean during a normal workout. OR they do cross fit, and get hurt ALOT. Because they use shit technique.


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## thebrick (Sep 17, 2016)

Double over grip only after tearing my right bicep years ago with the over/under grip. I used straps when getting real heavy. There was no warning at all with the alt grip, just a pop, pop, pop and it was over. I don't dead anymore though.


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## squatster (Sep 18, 2016)

I popped mine when my hand was pawm up picking up a big pcs. Of metal
Told the guy helping me leave your end down till I put mine on the truck.
Picked mine up and he pushed real fast
Pop pop pop pop
I put my end up and looked at my bicep
GONE


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