Hook Grip

Today's subject matter involves a very easy boost to your pulling power and grip strength. It's called the hook grip. Basically, as the name implies, you're hooking your thumb inside of your other fingers when you grab onto a barbell. Doing this allows you to lift significantly more weight than you would otherwise be able to lift (or at least for you to hold onto the bar while you try to lift it).

The hook grip is best used on the deadlift, the clean, and the snatch. You could probably use the hook grip for any lift that involves a pulling motion. Just be sure that you don't use it for pushing movements. For example, during a clean and jerk, use the hook grip to clean the bar, but once you get it up to your shoulders in the rack position, you best be getting out of the hook grip and back into a regular unhooked grip.

The reason for this is that, because of our good friend gravity, you need significantly less grip strength on the bar when you enter into a pushing motion. Plus, if you were to use the hook grip on a push jerk for example, you would be limiting your bar position and wrist mobility as you move from the rack position to overhead. No bueno...

Just as a quick aside, I've also used the hook grip on kettlebell swings, especially in high rep sets and when I've been working out in damp/rainy/foggy/misty/humid conditions. It adds a little bit of security to my grip on the kettlebell, which is a good thing if you're doing the swings in a hotel parking lot surrounded by decent-looking cars...

I also realize that, for a lot of girls out there with non-Andre-the-Giant-esque hands, the hook grip isn't really an option on men's barbells. Men's barbells are usually manufactured somewhere in the 28.5-31mm diameter range, whereas women's barbells are set at 25mm, making it easier to grip, and thus easier to learn and utilize the hook grip on. Hopefully, once the paperwork gets approved by the student org office, we'll be able to invest in some much needed quality men's and women's barbells (of which there are currently zero of either anywhere to be found on campus).

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WOD 101006 Wednesday

Location: The Shell, 9pm

Warm-up
S/S: Snatch work; go heavy, go light, work on technique... whatever you do, get after it for 20 minutes.
WOD: "Fight Gone Bad!"

*Complete three rounds for max reps of:

-Wall Ball, 20# ball, 10' target

-Sumo Deadlift High-pull, 75#

-Box Jump, 20" box

-Push Press, 75#

-Row (for calories)

(From CFHQ description) In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute. The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. On call of "rotate", the athletes must move to next station immediately for best score. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point.
Finish: Complete 25 pull-ups for time, or 50 total pull-ups at your own pace.

WOD Results

Matt- 341 (131, 110, 100)

Donny- 270 (102, 84, 84)

Weston- 249 (91, 78, 80)

Ted- 213 (86, 64, 63)

Matthias- 140 (47, 46, 47)

*Scores listed as: Total Score (Round 1, Round 2, Round 3)