I am currently on week 8 of the beginner template (I’ve been training casually for a few years and am now using the beginner template in order to get back to training following a few injuries).
I have just failed my top deadlift set due to grip strength (managed to get 3 reps with 112.5 kg at a bodyweight of 70 kg, age 20, and 179 cm in hight if it matters).
I am currently using a double overhand grip and my gym does not allow the use of chalk, so I was wondering where I can go from here in order to develop my deadlift further. I should add that I do not intend on competing and therefore was thinking of using straps.
From what I have gathered after reading about deadlift grips in this article that was written by Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum (The Grip Problem), these are my options and the setbacks in each option:
Hook grip - I have fairly small hands and therefore this might not be the greatest option for me. Additionly, as I do not intend on competing I am not sure whether the pain that comes with this grip is worth it, and whether I could even tolerate the pain of using a hook grip on my top sets.
Mixed grip - Again, as I do not intend on competing i’m not sure whether the increased injury risk and the asymmetry that comes with this grip is worth it. I have seen that it has been said that the injury risk is slightly overstated with this grip, though from what I have gathered the risk is still there.
Straps - I was thinking of using straps for my top set in order to keep progressing with the deadlift, though I don’t want to neglet my grip strength by using straps.
To summarise, I would like to know what are the recommendations for someone in my situation, where I do not intend on competing but in the same time I don’t want to neglet my grip strength by using straps?
If you are not interested in training with the hook or mixed grips, straps are your only real option here. This is completely fine if you are not going to compete.
If grip strength matters to you, you can still train that in other ways, such as with captains of crush grippers or other similar devices.
As for training with a mixed grip, whould you say the disadvantages (injury risk) outweigh the benifits of using this grip for a person who does not intend on competing, or are the risks involved with this grip overblown in your opinion?
As for lifting with straps, are there any in particular that you would recommend or any lifting straps will do?
Additionly, is there an optimal way to program the use of straps? For example, should I be using straps only for my top sets, or should I begin using them once I finish the warm-up sets?
As for training with a mixed grip, whould you say the disadvantages (injury risk) outweigh the benifits of using this grip for a person who does not intend on competing, or are the risks involved with this grip overblown in your opinion?
As for lifting with straps, are there any in particular that you would recommend or any lifting straps will do? And, is there an optimal way to program the use of straps, For example, should I be using straps only for my top sets, or should I begin using them once I finish the warm-up sets?
And finally as for the captains of crush grippers, is there a good resource that details a training program for them that I can follow?
The risk is non-zero, but does not seem to be exceptionally high. At the same time, I am not sure what specific “benefits” you’re getting out of it either if you have no plans to compete.
There is no specific optimal way to use straps. They would likely be needed for top sets, but if you calculate back-off work based on your top set, you may end up with sets that you still can’t pull exclusively double-overhand, and need to use straps for those too. If I had no intention to compete, did not want to learn hook grip, and did not want to accept any risk at all from a mixed grip, I’d just use straps for all deadlifting and train grip in a different way.
Googling “captains of crush grip program” will turn up lots of results you can experiment with.