Could anyone advise on the benefits and the reasons for using different grips - underhand/overhand, thumbs over/thumbs under when doing pull-ups/chin-ups and things like bent over row.

 

They all activate different muscle groups, there was a good vid on the Barstarz youtube chanel about grips in pull-ups and Scott discusses it excellently on and off but I want to know more.  It strikes me that grips are one of those things which could produce those little percentage gains that all add up and really help target muscles.

Cheers Daniel,

 

I guess my problem is that when I try and do an exercise - like pull-ups or bent over rows, for example,  I end up recruiting my biceps when I'm trying to hit my back.  I saw advice that thubs over rather than under on pull-ups isolate back more and I think that works for me..  But is it bro-science or the real thing! ?

 

Thanks for the advice!  I've always worked out with a stack of weights and a bench at home and I make good gains, but I've seen people f*ck up when they either start going too heavy or get the form wrong.  I normally go mixed on a dead-lift but I'm going to try pro-nated tomorrow.

 

Cheers

Yeah bicep recruitment on pulling exercises is often a big problem. The way I like to tell people on how to recruit the relevant muscles is to move with the elbow then let the hand follow. So when you are doing a BB row to recruit the lats you want to think about driving your elbow towards your hip. When you think about any motion biomechanically it is always the elbow you need to initiate the movement with as this directly correlates to the attachments of the muscles you are trying to work whether it be muscles of the back or chest. I don't know whether thumbs over on a pull up would recruit more back musculature directly but if it works for you do it!!

Cheers Daniel,

 

I guess my problem is that when I try and do an exercise - like pull-ups or bent over rows, for example,  I end up recruiting my biceps when I'm trying to hit my back.  I saw advice that thubs over rather than under on pull-ups isolate back more and I think that works for me..  But is it bro-science or the real thing! ?

 

Thanks for the advice!  I've always worked out with a stack of weights and a bench at home and I make good gains, but I've seen people f*ck up when they either start going too heavy or get the form wrong.  I normally go mixed on a dead-lift but I'm going to try pro-nated tomorrow.

 

Cheers

Guys I have to say that I've been knocking around on various bodybuilding forums for years and lots of what you get is real BS.  This was my first post on SHF and the responses make me excited to continue my journey with you folks.  Thanks for the great advice.

 

train hard, win easy

Guys I have to say that I've been knocking around on various bodybuilding forums for years and lots of what you get is real BS.  This was my first post on SHF and the responses make me excited to continue my journey with you folks.  Thanks for the great advice.

 

train hard, win easy

Yeah exactly Daniel.  Whenever I want to disengage my forarms and upper arms I put my thumb OVER the bar.  This helps me not focus so much on squeezing the barbell or dumbbells I am using and almost "bypass" my arms all together.

 

As for "switch-grip" which I use on my heavy lifts.  That helps hold the bar in place as you lift heavier so you don't have to rely on straps.  If you use an overhand grip with both hands on a heavy deadlift, you are going to be putting A LOT of enery into your forarms / grip strength to hold it!  Save that energy is the goal ISNT to isolate forarms. :)

Scott,

 

I didn't realize this about thumb over bar forearm disengagement.  I need to STOP doing this when I am doing pull ups and rows as I need to add a little more size to my forearms :-)

 

John