Thread: hand grip for bench press.

I've never actually done it that way, but it sounds awesome to try.

i've been benching using a suicide grip my whole life, feels more natural to me.

All depends on what feels more natural/comfortable to you. I use a regular grip, thumbs around the bar. The others don't feel comfortable to me.

fyi you can always try new grips when your lhjo

Originally Posted by LAM

i've been benching using a suicide grip my whole life, feels more natural to me.

I'm against the suicide grip because by allowing the bar to be cradled in the palm without the thumb wrapped around the bar, the lifter is unable to grip the bar with maximal tightness.

A tight grip allows one to tense the hands and forearms which translates to overall body tightness -- body tightness facilitates efficient power transfer from the legs.

One can certainly bench press with the suicide grip but the grip will invariably cause a 'power leak'.

Yeah, without that ultra-tight grip, I don't feel like I'm using my lats and traps nearly as much as I would while gripping the bar very tightly.

I've always used the conventional grip.

Originally Posted by MDR

I've always used the conventional grip.

Seems like it would be nice for me just to try and different grip and see if I lift more or less.

suicide grip for me

Here is how I hold the bar. I bench 325-350lbs regularly, ocassionally 385lbs and I have never had any problems like this guy. Man, i hope i did not just curse myself.

See, this guy has no problems at 500+ lbs.

Suicide in the past but have changed to conventional. Mainly because of this: One time while using high load with a suicide grip, one of my wrist tried to straighten because of the muscular contractions of the rest of my body and the bar slightly rolled toward the edge of my wrist. After I racked the weight, I thought, "What if..." and have benched conventional ever since.

Originally Posted by Marat

I'm against the suicide grip because by allowing the bar to be cradled in the palm without the thumb wrapped around the bar, the lifter is unable to grip the bar with maximal tightness.

A tight grip allows one to tense the hands and forearms which translates to overall body tightness -- body tightness facilitates efficient power transfer from the legs.

not everyone wants to squeeze the bar with maximum tightness, some squeeze to much which fatigues the lower arms before the set is done. same happens with many when training with the back they squeeze to hard on the bar and the lower arms fatgue early and the grip fails.

I startding working out at 13 and first used the conventional grip then got hurt in a car crash and changed by grip/technique to a more PL form with suicide. was benching 405 at 18 and used the same grip when I hit 567 raw on the bench in my 30's, certainly hasn't hurt me.

Originally Posted by pyes

See, this guy has no problems at 500+ lbs.

You don't really think that's 585 do you?

Safety first...then efficiency. Its like taunting a lion.

So no....conventional grip for me.

Originally Posted by Merkaba

You don't really think that's 585 do you?

No man, i just watched another video with a girl doing the same thing...i think I have be swindled...lol....I think they are aluminum plates. They plates are stillmetal, but do not sound like steel or iron. I was originally focusing on his grip.