# thumbless grip



## fufu (Feb 9, 2006)

How many of you guys use a thumbless grip(I believe that is the correct term) on lifts like the bench press and shoulder press? What is the point of doing this? I do it on my close grip bench press because I just like the feel of it better and it hurts the joint of my thumb when I wrap my thumb around the bar, especially when I rack the weight.


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## GFR (Feb 9, 2006)

I did for years but lost my nerve, seems I have lost my nerve for many things now that I'm older.


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## Squaggleboggin (Feb 9, 2006)

I used to do thumbless, reverse grip, bottom bench presses (annoyingly long, I know) and I really liked them. I've heard that doing them with a reverse grip and that doing them with a thumbless grip somehow brings the triceps into play more. I just did it because it was harder than a normal bench press, but I'm sticking to DBs for now (or switching between them and bottom benches).


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## P-funk (Feb 9, 2006)

I don't.  I feel like it is to risky for injury.  My hands are more stable when they are closed around the bar.


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## Squaggleboggin (Feb 9, 2006)

Why not just do it in a power cage or something similar?


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## devildog88 (Feb 9, 2006)

I think it is a matter of comfort.  I use a thumbless grip because when I wrap my thumb on lifts like the bench press it seems my wrist won't bend back as far.  Which ironicly makes me feel more unstable with the weight.  It feels like my thumb is the only thing keeping it from rolling off.  Of course I am not using the poundage that some of you are.


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## Squaggleboggin (Feb 9, 2006)

devildog88 said:
			
		

> I think it is a matter of comfort. I use a thumbless grip because when I wrap my thumb on lifts like the bench press it seems my wrist won't bend back as far. Which ironicly makes me feel more unstable with the weight. It feels like my thumb is the only thing keeping it from rolling off. Of course I am not using the poundage that some of you are.



Shouldn't the wrists be kept straight during a bench press? Allowing the weight to bend them backwards seems like a good opportunity for injury.


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## devildog88 (Feb 9, 2006)

Mine are at a 90 degree angle when I am benching.  I put the weight right across the bottom of my hand.


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## Tough Old Man (Feb 9, 2006)

I use a thumbless grip. Never have had problems of any type form using it.


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## fufu (Feb 9, 2006)

I know that Arnold didn't wrap his thumb around the bar.


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## ironman512 (Feb 9, 2006)

I perfer the thumb around bar it gives me the feel like i have more control of the wieght. IF you use like 45 degree grip it isnt bad and it decrease the distance the bar travels a little. ( by the way i read somewhere that if u keep ur wrist striat you can transfer more power from ur back n shoulder, no idea if its true)


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## Squaggleboggin (Feb 9, 2006)

ironman512 said:
			
		

> I perfer the thumb around bar it gives me the feel like i have more control of the wieght. IF you use like 45 degree grip it isnt bad and it decrease the distance the bar travels a little. ( by the way i read somewhere that if u keep ur wrist striat you can transfer more power from ur back n shoulder, no idea if its true)



You can. You also dramatically decrease the amount of stress on your wrists. If you bend them with a lot of weight, they can simply snap...


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## ironman512 (Feb 9, 2006)

_ If you bend them with a lot of weight, they can simply snap..._

i hear ya but i think it depends on the strenght n size of the persons wrist


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## CowPimp (Feb 9, 2006)

I don't really see the point in using a thumbless grip.  I find it an unecessary risk, but do as you will.


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## Mudge (Feb 9, 2006)

AKA suicide grip. I use them for CG benches (when I do them), for some reason I prefer it for CGs. I used to use this grip frequently, but its not generally legal in benching competitions.


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## Squaggleboggin (Feb 11, 2006)

I don't really see any extra risk. Anything heavy you do should be done in a power cage or other life-saving device anyways. If you don't use one, that's your choice and thus your problem.


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## mrmark (Feb 11, 2006)

I only use a thumbless grip when doing over head cable tricep extension with a bar... and with a narrow grip. 

Otherwise, I don't like the weight is safe without my thumbs on the other side of the bar.


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## Phred (Feb 11, 2006)

I use a suicide grip for tricep work (ctr grip press, skull crushers, cable press, etc).  It allows me to bring my elbows in closer to my body and target my triceps more.  Normally I use a regular grip for pressing movements (flat bench, military, etc).


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## kraziplaya (Feb 11, 2006)

i use a thumbess grip for bench and military pressed about 50 percent of the time... i do feel like a get a better contraction on the muscle for some reason.. might be in my head


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## CowPimp (Feb 11, 2006)

Squaggleboggin said:
			
		

> I don't really see any extra risk. Anything heavy you do should be done in a power cage or other life-saving device anyways. If you don't use one, that's your choice and thus your problem.



Most gyms have one, maybe two power cages.  Not everyone can exercise in there.  I prefer to leave the cage to squatters and such, although I occasionally use it for a suspended bench press or something.


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## Tough Old Man (Feb 11, 2006)

Squaggleboggin said:
			
		

> You can. You also dramatically decrease the amount of stress on your wrists. If you bend them with a lot of weight, they can simply snap...


I'm not going to get into how much weight i could bench back in the early 80's, but was way up there in those days. I don't see anyway that you can snap the wrist unles you don't have control of the bar and let the weight roll back towards the fingers some way. I just don't see it happening and have never heard of it happening. 

Tough


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## Squaggleboggin (Feb 11, 2006)

Tough Old Man said:
			
		

> I'm not going to get into how much weight i could bench back in the early 80's, but was way up there in those days. I don't see anyway that you can snap the wrist unles you don't have control of the bar and let the weight roll back towards the fingers some way. I just don't see it happening and have never heard of it happening.
> 
> Tough



Loss of control probably happens all the time (not to any one given person of course, but in general). If the bar is poorly positioned and it does happen to roll back, I would think that injury is a very possible outcome.

If you have the wrist vertical, however, that means they're going to be strong enough to support the weight because you will have already worked up to it in this manner. The bar will be in complete control and won't budge. Besides, you want the bar to be directly in line with your forearm and the rest of your arm acting as a pillar, not off to the side. It all depends on how far the wrist is bent and where the bar is when it's bent, really.


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## Squaggleboggin (Feb 11, 2006)

CowPimp said:
			
		

> Most gyms have one, maybe two power cages. Not everyone can exercise in there. I prefer to leave the cage to squatters and such, although I occasionally use it for a suspended bench press or something.



If people have the balls to use it for curls, I'd definitely use it for benching any kind of significant weight or using any kind of unfamiliar style. Or you could train at home wtih your two sawhorses, sandbags and other strange contraptions. Or maybe that's just me...


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## CowPimp (Feb 11, 2006)

Squaggleboggin said:
			
		

> If people have the balls to use it for curls, I'd definitely use it for benching any kind of significant weight or using any kind of unfamiliar style. Or you could train at home wtih your two sawhorses, sandbags and other strange contraptions. Or maybe that's just me...



I live in an apartment.  I can't.


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## Squaggleboggin (Feb 11, 2006)

CowPimp said:
			
		

> I live in an apartment.  I can't.



Sarcasm.


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## CowPimp (Feb 11, 2006)

Squaggleboggin said:
			
		

> Sarcasm.



Sarcasm or not, I used to, and still would if I could.  I loved training in my dungeon.  It is nice to have certain equipment, like the cable stacks.  Nonetheless, I could do just fine without them.


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## Squaggleboggin (Feb 11, 2006)

CowPimp said:
			
		

> Sarcasm or not, I used to, and still would if I could. I loved training in my dungeon. It is nice to have certain equipment, like the cable stacks. Nonetheless, I could do just fine without them.



Only sarcasm that everyone should do it. It's odd that you call it a dungeon because I actually just wrote a short story about working out in my dungeon. I would rather train there than probably anywhere else.


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