Sheldon’s Corner: What’s Hook Grip? When do I use it?
In Olympic weightlifting, the hook grip is a method of holding a barbell by gripping the thumb between the barbell and the remaining fingers. It can be used in multiple weightlifting events, including the snatch and the clean and jerk. It can also be used in power lifting, in the deadlift, for example. When used in the deadlift, the hook grip has a number of advantages. Traditionally, men and women tend to use a “mixed” grip when working with heavy loads on the deadlift, that is, one hand being supine and the other prone. This mixed grip creates an imbalance of the shoulders, with one shoulder being externally rotated and the other internally rotated, respectively. This difference in rotation between the shoulders can create imbalances in the muscles of the back over time. Another advantage of the hook grip over the mixed grip is a reduced risk of tearing the skin of the palm, since the tension of the barbell is placed on the thumb rather than rolling towards the crease of your fingers.
The hook grip is more secure than grips in which the thumb remains outside the other fingers, like the closed grip or the natural grip. During a snatch or clean, the lifter can exert forces up to 2-3 times the weight of the loaded barbell at rest, and the hook grip allows an athlete to maintain a grip on the bar during the phase of highest bar acceleration, the second pull. The hook grip does this by preventing the bar from rolling in the hands, whereas the bar would have a tendency to roll towards the fingertips in a normal overhand grip.
The hook grip places a relatively large amount of pressure on the thumb. As a result, it may cause pain or injury to the skin or thumbnail, although this can be overcome by regular training and gradually working with heavier loads. It generally takes up to 2 weeks to grow accustomed to the hook grip. Here are a few tips to help overcome the discomfort:
• Chalk helps
• Get some tape for your thumbs
• Use it on for all barbell pulling movements. Snatches, cleans, deadlifts etc. The more you use the hook grip, the faster you will adapt to it
• Remember to release the hook grip when receiving the bar