Hook grip with high volume deadlifting?

[robwhite]

What do you guys think about using the hook grip with deadlifting on the Sheiko approach? I used to use it years ago when i did heavy singles and i found it did help with the grip strength, but for some reason i stopped. I recently went back to it, but i'm finding the high volume of deadlifting on Weds sessions is absolutely murdering my thumbs when i use hook grip. Is this something i should just persevere with? Who else rates hook grip round here?

[Deleted]

Jul 24, 2009 10:34:41 GMT -5 robwhite said:

What do you guys think about using the hook grip with deadlifting on the Sheiko approach? I used to use it years ago when i did heavy singles and i found it did help with the grip strength, but for some reason i stopped. I recently went back to it, but i'm finding the high volume of deadlifting on Weds sessions is absolutely murdering my thumbs when i use hook grip. Is this something i should just persevere with? Who else rates hook grip round here?

All I can tell you is I made it 3 weeks with the hook grip until I lost most of the feeling in my right hand. I still have some residual issues in my fingertips but have recovered most of the way. From my personal experience I wouldn't recommend it, but I suppose by the right person it could be done.

[spsfw]

I lift with hook grip and have done so for just over a year. Here is what I do: choose 1 of the deadlift movements for hook grip and do the other with straps- so if I have rack pulls and pulls to the knee, I will do the pulls to knee with straps and save the thumbs for rack pull; if its pulls to the knees and full deadlifts- I'll save the thumbs for the full deadlifts. Reps kill your thumbs more than weight does- so if you have multiple sets at the top weight just get through as many as you can then switch to straps when it gets too much. Don't feel bad about this- I emailed Brad Gillingham (who has pulled 400kg with hookgrip) and this is pretty much the advice he gave me. I think hookgrip is definitely worth doing- it hurts when you start off, but the pain does go. I believe 99% of people who start this and then abandon it do so because they can't take the pain at the start. If you can work through that you'll be fine.

[robwhite]

Cool. Thats exactly the advice i was after. I will continue to use use hook grip for the main deadlift work, and a normal double overhand grip (with straps if needed when the weight gets heavy) for stuff like rack pulls.

I am starting to get the problem that mrodock describes, in that i think i've damaged the nerve endings in my thumb tips, because i cant feel anything in the end of my thumbs. Lol.

[spsfw]

this nerve damage you speak of- I think thats what you are aiming for. For me I welcomed the point where I started to lose feeling in my thumbs. Loss of feeling sure beats pain. I have lost some feeling in my thumbs from the middle joint to the tip. Its temporary. Trust me, if you take a few weeks off training the feeling comes back and you'll feel it again when you hook grip.