# How do you hold the bar ?



## Milky (Nov 30, 2008)

Dave has expressed concern at the way l hold the bar.

I dont wrap my thumb around it, l have all my fingers and thumbs on the one side of the bar...

Dave calls it " the suicide grip "

I have never seen it as a problem before but he told me a few stories of bars slipping..

Anyone else do this and is it such a bad habit ?


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## phoenixlaw (Mar 5, 2012)

That would feel unnatural to me!! Whatever works for you, as long as you dont have sweaty palms that is.


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## G-man99 (Jul 15, 2008)

When benching I wrap my thumb around the bar and also shoulder press but for triceps and side and front delt and also for back then I go thumbless


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## C.Hill (Nov 21, 2010)

This is why it's dangerous as fcuk-


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## Mingster (Mar 25, 2011)

It's a grip that a lot of people favour for pressing as it seems to focus the lift in a more direct way through the forearms. It's called 'suicide' because if the bar rolls forward you won't be able to counter this and it will fall on you. No spotter will react in time to stop this.


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## Mighty.Panda (Oct 5, 2011)

Surely its a bit stupid during pushing movements? On pulling movements like deads and rows I can understanding it not being a problem because the bar cant slip "up" your palm.


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## Milky (Nov 30, 2008)

C.Hill said:


> This is why it's dangerous as fcuk-


I aint watching it mate Dave had me paranoid enough !


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## supermancss (Dec 2, 2008)

G-man99 said:


> When benching I wrap my thumb around the bar and also shoulder press but for triceps and side and front delt and also for back then I go thumbless


Same as this, I feel too nervous using "suicide grip" with bench from the videos ive seen. Ive done it light weight and I agree it hits my chest more for some reason.

Close grip bench I cant physically do it with thumb around the bar, wrists wont bend that way enough!!


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## C.Hill (Nov 21, 2010)

Milky said:


> I aint watching it mate Dave had me paranoid enough !


Mate it's pretty dangerous I feel, especially when the plates start piling on, They don't call it the 'suicide grip' for no reason lol


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2012)

Makes me cringe when I notice it :death:


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## Milky (Nov 30, 2008)

Mighty.Panda said:


> Surely its a bit stupid during pushing movements? On pulling movements like deads and rows I can understanding it not being a problem because the bar cant slip "up" your palm.


I really dont feel right with my thumb around as its the only way l have ever lifted.


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## C.Hill (Nov 21, 2010)

Dave said:


> Makes me cringe when I notice it :death:


I'd be too scared too watch lol


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## Mighty.Panda (Oct 5, 2011)

Milky said:


> I aint watching it mate Dave had me paranoid enough !


Watch it milks, its not graphic but it shows how easilly you can drop a 100kg barbell on yourself and potentially collapse your sternum. Change it bro only nagging coz we care


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## Heath (Mar 3, 2011)

Milky said:


> Dave has expressed concern at the way l hold the bar.
> 
> I dont wrap my thumb around it, l have all my fingers and thumbs on the one side of the bar...
> 
> ...


Yates tells the guy in the blood and guts training vids to grip the bar properly

That's good enough for me


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## MattGriff (Aug 21, 2012)

It is called suicide grip for a reason - I have had 260kgs drop from my hands like this and **** me across the chest. I rapidly learnt to wrap my thumbs around the bar, its not gonna stop the bar falling if that's where it is gonna go but buys time for the spotters to save you.


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## jayDP (Jan 31, 2012)

i know some one that used "suicide grip" while doing EZ skull crushers 50K, and it rearanged his face

iv never tried it on bench press, cant bring my self to do it

my gym also has a safty squat bar, which you dont have to hold on to but i cant bring my self to let go ha


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## Milky (Nov 30, 2008)

I am sat here. wife pi*sing herself as l try to eminate holding the bar and my thumbs just feel weird stuck out.


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## DiggyV (May 6, 2011)

I use it exclusively for all movements EXCEPT when the weight got heavy. It feels more natural to me. However when I used to lift anything over 100K, then thumbs locked around the bar. not a problem right now though, as have only just got back to 100K, and I'm not sure I want to go a lot heavier than this now I'm an old ****er. Possibly 120K - just to say "Yeah I still got it!" :lol:


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## guvnor82 (Oct 23, 2011)

thumb around the bar 4 me wouldn't feel right other way.

bloody good thing after watching that. :nono:

also seen few people open there hands after each rep


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## The Project (Jul 21, 2007)

Up when ****ed


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## gav76 (Feb 26, 2011)

ive been using the suicide grip (although i didnt know it was called that) after watching that vid i'll be wrapping my frigging thumb round, ouch!!


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## Speedway (Nov 25, 2011)

I have just tried holding a bar with no thumb wrapped around, no way would I lift like that, I would drop it at some stage for sure, glad the other, safer way came natuarly to me first.


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## Queenie (May 30, 2013)

My training partner uses suicide grip on a few things. ive tried it, and i liked it, but i dont want to fall into bad habits  x x


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## Big_Idiot (Feb 14, 2012)

It's a scary grip is that, i wouldnt dare do it personally!

But i suppose if you've not had any trouble all this time........


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## alan_wilson (Feb 25, 2012)

I hold it the same way, it just works better for me.


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## big_skip (Aug 21, 2010)

Yep i am guilty too but never had a problem but i only use a smith machine these days :whistling:


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## MRSTRONG (Apr 18, 2009)

nothing wrong with suicide grip , i find i press slightly more kg`s .


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## lukeee (Aug 17, 2009)

Suicide grip. I feel it targets the chest better for some reason (it may not) i even do dumbell flys like this !


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## jayDP (Jan 31, 2012)

lukeee said:


> Suicide grip. I feel it targets the chest better for some reason (it may not) i even do dumbell flys like this !


dumbbell fly "suicide grip" sounds like errrr.....Suicide


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## Mighty.Panda (Oct 5, 2011)

I dont get how anyone could lift like this look at the physical mechanics of it you are making things harder unnecessarily and placing yourself at extreme risk of an injury. Its almost akin to the people who do press-ups on the backs of their wrists.


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## monkeybiker (Jul 21, 2010)

I always wrap my thumbs around the bar as I just don't see how you can justify the risk. Seen too many videos of people dropping it and you only need to be unlucky the once to do some damage.


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## Tassotti (Feb 27, 2011)

I think it should be called

'Crush a few ribs, maybe collapse a lung' grip.

Doubt anyone has ever died from it (could be wrong, no video nastys please)


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## Mighty.Panda (Oct 5, 2011)

Tassotti said:


> I think it should be called
> 
> 'Crush a few ribs, maybe collapse a lung' grip.
> 
> Doubt anyone has ever died from it (could be wrong, no video nastys please)


I reckon its possible, I mean whats the heaviest weight the worlds best can press? Something like 250kg isnt? Dropping that would surely crush a Gorillas chest.


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## Fatstuff (Mar 2, 2010)

its daft imo as bad as people who open their hands on the top of every rep


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## engllishboy (Nov 1, 2007)

I cringe when people use the suicide grip. I can't bring myself to watch them incase it slips.


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## Beans (Sep 1, 2008)

I use the suicide grip for almost all movements. Never slipped a bar and touch wood I never will LOL


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## WilsonR6 (Feb 14, 2012)

Video sent shivers

Think I'll go my full life without even attempting the 'suicide grip', I'd be the one to **** it up


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## monkeybiker (Jul 21, 2010)

Beans said:


> I use the suicide grip for almost all movements. Never slipped a bar and touch wood I never will LOL


You only need to drop it the once. I can't see how any little benefit you might be getting is worth the risk.


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## MattGriff (Aug 21, 2012)

Mighty.Panda said:


> I reckon its possible, I mean whats the heaviest weight the worlds best can press? Something like 250kg isnt? Dropping that would surely crush a Gorillas chest.


Erm not quite - try 487.5kgs


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## Dezw (May 13, 2009)

Which exercise or do you do that for everything?

Some things I have my thumb round the other way and some all on the same side.


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## Mighty Sparrow (Apr 10, 2011)

I use the thumb-less suicide grip for most bar lifts except benchpress. Have trained this way from when I first started. Feels comfortable to me and has helped to strengthen my grip.


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## Suprakill4 (Jul 11, 2008)

Suicide grip for me too, feels supported on wrist better and more comfortable!


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## mr.buffnstuff (Oct 22, 2009)

i hold it with my teeth, cuz im a double 'ard [email protected]!


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## BLUE(UK) (Jan 9, 2008)

I used to use 'suicide grip' for many years because it hurt my wrists when using the usual way. I even did powercleans with 'suicide grip' and can say I never had any problems with it feeling like it would roll off my hands.

I spent a few months going back to regular grip but found it best to hold the bar like you would if going to give a straight punch,it's how i have to imagine it for it to feel 'right'.

Give that a try.


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## H22civic (Oct 6, 2009)

I use the thumbless grip on every lift that I can ie. Bench press, cgbp, barbell shoulder press, dips, lat pull downs and probably more if I thought about it. To me if feels alot tighter, almost as if the bar is connected directly to your forarm and does away with any movement in the wrist joint. For me, it feels like more natural way to support the bar.

I agree that it could be dangerous if you didnt set your hands properly up on the bar or if you werent concentrating on when your spotter was lifting/letting go of the bar. However, when set up correctly, there is absolutely no way that the bar would slip off my palms when bench pressing for example.


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## F.M.J (Mar 23, 2009)

I used to go thumbless on all lifts apart from dumbbells. I used to keep my thumb across the bar I wrap it around now though. You get used to it after a while.


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