Lifters on the internet sometimes say that long-term use of the hook grip for deadlifts is likely to cause permanent desensitization of the thumb and loss of fine motor control. The proposed mechanism is nerve damage. Have you seen this in your coaching/lifting experience, and do you find this claim physiologically plausible?
Thanks for your time, and for sharing your knowledge.
I’ve been using the hook grip for a couple of years now without any issues. Highly doubt that that there would be any nerve damage. I mean surely there’s more pressure onto the thumbs coming from two sides but there’s significant pressure onto the other fingers as well and nobody is complaining about desensitized fingers from deadlifting right?
The very end segment of your thumb (“tip”) it what gets brutally crushed.
The rest of thumb is just under tension.
I could be wrong, but I think the nerve would have to get damaged way “upstream” from there to shut your thumb down.
muscle wise too…the stuff that moves your thumb mostly is not in your thumb. (its mostly tendon toward the end/tip)
But I will say my thumb tips feel slightly tingley from anywhere from 3-6 hours after my ‘heavy’ deads (only 405x5).
They work fine … I’m typing right now
not a Doctor or any kind of medical professional really.