Training results depend on the correct choice of grip

What grips are there?

Grip strength plays an important role when performing exercises that require holding weight in your hands, most often for pushing, pulling or carrying. Many athletes only think about grip strength when performing barbell exercises, but considering grip orientation is also important when using other implements such as dumbbells, kettlebells, and specialized equipment (such as trapeze bars).

The most common grips in weightlifting are pronated (overhand), which is typically used for pull-ups or strict deadlifts, and supinated (underhand), which is typically used for exercises such as pull-ups and dumbbell curls. Other variations include an alternate or mixed grip, in which one hand is pronated and the other supinated, often used by weightlifters when deadlifting, and a neutral grip, in which both palms face each other (such as a hammer curl). For experienced athletes, there is a hook grip, which involves hooking your thumb between the bar and wrapping your index and middle fingers around it for a more secure hold.

This is why your grip is important to your performance: even minor changes in hand position during the lift can completely change which muscles are used. Take dumbbell curls for example. Using a standard supinated grip engages the biceps, but if you rotate your hands 90 degrees to a neutral position, the emphasis shifts to another elbow flexor, the brachialis. If you rotate your hands 90 degrees again (into a pronated grip), you will engage another elbow flexor, the brachioradialis muscle.

There is also the issue of safety. As you move up to heavier weights in compound exercises like barbell deadlifts, you may find that you have difficulty holding the bar—in other words, the point of failure is in your grip rather than the muscles you're directly training. If your end goal is to build muscle in your lower body or perform the heaviest possible lift, you may want to switch from a standard pronated grip to a hook grip or a mixed grip (especially if you don't intend to use devices like straps or handles) to support the weight.

Pronation vs. supination

How to choose between a pronated and supinated grip? This largely depends on the exercise. For example, you won't perform a standard deadlift with a supinated grip because it will limit your ability to hold the bar—you'll choose between a pronated or mixed grip. Aside from comfort, the main difference between the two grip types will be the slight difference in muscle recruitment, which in turn will result in a change in focus on the target muscle groups.

An excellent example is the bent-over barbell row

Many athletes use this exercises with a more traditional pronated grip. This is good, and this way you are using the core muscles of your back that you rely on when holding a barbell. However, if you switch to a supinated grip, you will use your biceps more. Not only will you get a subtle arm pump as a bonus for building back muscle mass, but you'll also be able to lift heavier loads during deadlifts thanks to the help of your biceps, which will help increase strength and muscle mass.

A similar dynamic is observed when choosing between pull-ups with a pronated grip or with a supinated grip. Changing your palms to an underhand grip will engage the biceps more, providing additional resistance that will likely make the reps easier. However, if you are more focused on developing the large trapezius and latissimus dorsi muscles, then pronated pull-ups will be your preferred option.

How to use different types of grip during training

Change your grip for any exercise in which you have not seen significant improvement for at least four weeks. For example, if you're stuck doing pull-ups, switch to regular pull-ups to eliminate the stress on your biceps and get your back working. If you're stuck with the same weight when doing dumbbell curls, swap them out for hammer curls, which work the strongest of the three elbow flexors, the brachialis.

If the classic bent-over barbell row with pronation is no longer suitable for you, use a reverse (supinated) grip to instantly increase the load (due to more active use of the biceps) and achieve new strength results. Just be careful with heavy exercises like presses and don't experiment with Olympic lifts.

In weightlifting, it is often the smallest changes that lead to the greatest results.

Based on materials from https://www.menshealth

Xrust Training results depend on the correct choice of grip