Thumb and bench?

[CarguyJB163]

Just wondering where you all place your thumbs when you bench? More under the bar or over the bar? Just curious.

 

[plouffe]

I place my thumbs under the bar [ basically a normal grip ] - I've read if you bench open handed it can mess up your wrists.

 

[racoon02]

Suicide grip. Ive always done, and always will do the suicide grip. Its just more comftorable for me, and it feels like I can get more power behind the lift.


And Ive never had any problems with my wrists, and ive been doin it for a while.

 

[BabsieGirl]

I keep my thumb grip either under the bar or to the side of the bar.

Curious now. Mister Thread Starter. What is your grip?

 

[I Are Baboon]

Under. I used to grip the bar with my thumb over it, but I injured my thumb mountain biking and was forced to use a thumb-under-bar grip to eliviate hand pain when benching. My thumb is fully healed now, but I have kept the under-the-bar grip.

 

[Mudge]

Regular grip seems more natural to me, I have tried it the other way though (suicide).

 

[BabsieGirl]

What is the suicide grip?

 

[Mudge]

Thumbs next to the fingers, giving some people the fear that the bar will roll out of thier hands.

 

[CarguyJB163]

i do my thumb under and sometimes on the side when pushing off for light weight. Kinda funny how everyone has thier own little ways about it

 

[BabsieGirl]

Mudge - That is suicide. NO WAY would I ever do that.

Car -- Yep. Everyone has their own little ways

 

[JerseyDevil]

I once read that the suicide grip gives better tricep recruitment. I do use it for military, skullcrushers, and CG bench. For whatever reason though, it has never felt right to me with regular WG flat bench, so I use a regular grip when benching.

 

[vanity]

I keep my thumbs firmly jammed up my arse.

 

[nikegurl]

and i do something really weird.....i lay them flat on the bar stretched out kind of. (i don't wrap them around or put them with the other 4 fingers) feels natural but people constantly tell me how odd it is.

 

[plouffe]

Originally posted by racoon02
Suicide grip. Ive always done, and always will do the suicide grip. Its just more comftorable for me, and it feels like I can get more power behind the lift.


And Ive never had any problems with my wrists, and ive been doin it for a while.

Honestly I've never done "suicide grip" long enough to find out wether or not it was bad for my wrists - but normal grip is comfortable for me, and also hearing that it's bad for your wrists kinda drove me away from that way of benching.

 

[maddog1]

Suicide grip allows the forearm bones (radius and ulna) to turn in slightly. This can provide a slight advantage for pushing out, but it has the tradeoff of possibly dropping the bar or having it pop out of your hand, which happened to me when I was using an old bar that had a bow in it.

 

[Dale Mabry]

I use suicide as it is the more ergonomically correct position. Don't know where any of you get that it would cause a wrist issue seeing how the purpose of it is to prevent one.

 

[Mudge]

I think it is obvious that the more natural grip is the traditional style, that is what the thumb is for. I however only find that suicide grip bothers me during curls.

I would almost become a full time reverse grip bencher it is so easy.

 

[Dale Mabry]

Originally posted by Mudge
I think it is obvious that the more natural grip is the traditional style

Yeah, what would I know, I only have a bachelors degree in Human Factors and Ergonomics


Anyway...
A grip utilizing the opposing thumb is only necessary in a PULLING movement since the force vector is in the direction opposite that of the hand. Without "gripping" the object in this manner, one would not be able to execute a pulling motion since the object would just fall out once the strength limit of the fingers is reached. When pushing, you need not have an opposing thumb grip on the object since the line of force is through the hand which would prevent motion in that direction.

 

[EvilEdDanzig]

OK,this may make me sound a little foolish,but I am curious as to exactly what you are calling the suicide grip.Is it the same as the traditional grip only with the thumb alongside the fingers,or is it thumbs alongside the fingers and hands positioned in the same manner that one would use for a barbell curl? Personally,I use the curl grip with my thumbs alongside my fingers for my regular (moderate weight) workouts,but when testing my 1RM,I use the traditional closed grip.

 

[Mudge]

Originally posted by Dale Mabry
Yeah, what would I know, I only have a bachelors degree in Human Factors and Ergonomics

Everything in the human body has a limited ROM, I am 6'2" and would say I prefer traditional grip, someone with smaller hands I can't comment on.

I do what feels natural and doesn't cause pain. So do you use a suicide grip when you row too? I can see the suicide grip being about like a pushup, which is usually pretty painless for most I'm sure.

 

[Mudge]

Originally posted by EvilEdDanzig
OK,this may make me sound a little foolish,but I am curious as to exactly what you are calling the suicide grip.

Think about it, what is going to have the bar "roll out of your hands" (not likely to happen at all), when your thumbs are next to your fingers not holding the 'other side' of the bar. Wrapping your thumb around the bar is a standard grip.

Make sense now?

 

[jcu_04]

I have been using a suicide grip for two or three years now and I experience wrist pain after every set of bench. I don't know if this is due to my grip though. Maybe they would hurt if i used a traditional grip too.

 

[HoldDaMayo]

mudge hit it on the head... you need to lift the way it feels the most natural/comfortable, while keeping proper form of course.

 

[EvilEdDanzig]

well,the bar could theoretically roll out when the heel of your hands are facing towards your face OR away from it.use a grip with them facing TOWARDS my head. Tell me,which way are you guys facing with the heels of your hands?

 

[Mudge]

Are you talking about reverse grip benching? That is not a "suicide grip," but I do those also and kind of like them.

 

[EvilEdDanzig]

OK then,now we are all clear, thank you. I do reverse grip on my lighter/moderate sets, traditional for my heaviest. I occaissionally use the suicide grip, but it's usually when I rep out with really light sets because it feels more natural and comfortable

 

[Dale Mabry]

Oh Mudge, I wasn't trying to change the way you bench. Psychological things can make or break a bench press. For example, if I don't secure the weights myself, I harp on that and generally fuk up. The most ergonomically way to sit is damn near opposite the way I generally sit, just dispersing information.

I do not use the suicide grip when I row because then my fingers are the weak link. I have done this before and it is one hell of a forearm workout, though.

 

[Mudge]

I could try it again, but I never felt anything special from the suicide grip. If anything I really like reverse grip benches, lately I only do incline and decline work and neither are well suited to reverse grip.