Deadlift questions
Discussion
A few quick questions on deads if you don't mind. Sure they've been asked a million times elsewhere but here's as good as anywhere.
1) Grip - I see probably a 50/50 split of people using a staggered / mixed grip, and people using double overhand. Is there any real benefit / downside to one or the other, or is it personal preference? I've tried both and my max seems to be the same
2) Straps - Yay or Nay? I'm lifting what I consider to be fairly heavy, and I'm putting more weight on the bar fairly regularly, so progressing. Should I be using straps and why / why not?
3) Gloves - I'm getting some wicked callouses again. After leaving engineering and mountain bikes behind I've grown rather fond of not having massive callouses any more. Are these inevitable, will gloves help avoid them or should I just make peace with them? I don't care so much about having them but it's a pain when they get chewed up and tear.
Much appreciated
1) Grip - I see probably a 50/50 split of people using a staggered / mixed grip, and people using double overhand. Is there any real benefit / downside to one or the other, or is it personal preference? I've tried both and my max seems to be the same
2) Straps - Yay or Nay? I'm lifting what I consider to be fairly heavy, and I'm putting more weight on the bar fairly regularly, so progressing. Should I be using straps and why / why not?
3) Gloves - I'm getting some wicked callouses again. After leaving engineering and mountain bikes behind I've grown rather fond of not having massive callouses any more. Are these inevitable, will gloves help avoid them or should I just make peace with them? I don't care so much about having them but it's a pain when they get chewed up and tear.
Much appreciated

Don't bother with gloves, they'll rob your grip strength. Just take care of your hands witha pumice stone once a week.
Mixed grip again, it's about your grip and how strong it is. At some point you might have to go to a mixed grip to prevent the bar from falling out of your hands.
Straps, same with gloves more or less. try to avoid for as long as you can.
Mixed grip again, it's about your grip and how strong it is. At some point you might have to go to a mixed grip to prevent the bar from falling out of your hands.
Straps, same with gloves more or less. try to avoid for as long as you can.
1. usually DOH until heavy/working sets when grip fails, then mixed. Careful not to jerk the bar as this is a pulled bicep waiting to happen.
2. No. Some use straps when their grip fails, but by using straps their grip is less likely to improve.
3. No. Use chalk and get used to shaving callouses.
I have no doubt someone will be along shortly with exactly opposite advice, but this works for me. Maybe one of the strong geezers like diddly, pva, smiffy, etc have better advice.
2. No. Some use straps when their grip fails, but by using straps their grip is less likely to improve.
3. No. Use chalk and get used to shaving callouses.

I have no doubt someone will be along shortly with exactly opposite advice, but this works for me. Maybe one of the strong geezers like diddly, pva, smiffy, etc have better advice.
LordGrover said:
1. usually DOH until heavy/working sets when grip fails, then mixed. Careful not to jerk the bar as this is a pulled bicep waiting to happen.
2. No. Some use straps when their grip fails, but by using straps their grip is less likely to improve.
3. No. Use chalk and get used to shaving callouses.
I have no doubt someone will be along shortly with exactly opposite advice, but this works for me. Maybe one of the strong geezers like diddly, pva, smiffy, etc have better advice.
I pretty much agree. I double overhand as long as possible then I wrap up for rep work.2. No. Some use straps when their grip fails, but by using straps their grip is less likely to improve.
3. No. Use chalk and get used to shaving callouses.

I have no doubt someone will be along shortly with exactly opposite advice, but this works for me. Maybe one of the strong geezers like diddly, pva, smiffy, etc have better advice.
1RM I just use mixed grip.
LordGrover said:
1. usually DOH until heavy/working sets when grip fails, then mixed. Careful not to jerk the bar as this is a pulled bicep waiting to happen.
2. No. Some use straps when their grip fails, but by using straps their grip is less likely to improve.
3. No. Use chalk and get used to shaving callouses.
I have no doubt someone will be along shortly with exactly opposite advice, but this works for me. Maybe one of the strong geezers like diddly, pva, smiffy, etc have better advice.
Only the proper gyms allow chalk though. I always warmed up with mixed grip and then used straps for working sets, I just used the argument that my warm up weight was going up so my grip strength would progress anyway 2. No. Some use straps when their grip fails, but by using straps their grip is less likely to improve.
3. No. Use chalk and get used to shaving callouses.

I have no doubt someone will be along shortly with exactly opposite advice, but this works for me. Maybe one of the strong geezers like diddly, pva, smiffy, etc have better advice.
.The important question regarding deadlifts is:
Do you do speed deadlifts and bounce the weight between reps or a proper Deadlift and do a half a second or so pause. Going from speed to proper, I went from repping 200kg to repping 180kg. Saying that, last time I deadlifted was last October...bloody long distance running is killing me.
Funny guy in my gym, walks around like he's Dorian Yates, you know that seasoned pro bodybuilder walk. He's just a big fat f
k that can't lift. Anyway he's in the squat rack doing shrugs with 1 20kg plate either side. So he first puts on his belt, then he proceeds to get his straps out to wrap around the bar which takes him forever. Cue massive grunting as he belts out 5 reps.....then a 5 minute rest followed by another 2 sets same weight with belt and wraps. Knob!
Surely wraps should be used only when your grip gives way. Grip strength will not improve otherwise, same can be said for belts really unless you have a very week lower back.
k that can't lift. Anyway he's in the squat rack doing shrugs with 1 20kg plate either side. So he first puts on his belt, then he proceeds to get his straps out to wrap around the bar which takes him forever. Cue massive grunting as he belts out 5 reps.....then a 5 minute rest followed by another 2 sets same weight with belt and wraps. Knob!Surely wraps should be used only when your grip gives way. Grip strength will not improve otherwise, same can be said for belts really unless you have a very week lower back.
I'm only starting to lift my body weight in deadlifts circa 80KG, but i find that i have to use straps as my grip is crap and gives way very quickly; this may be due to break my right arm some years back.
And that i have to use the mix grip, again due to the first point.
What i want to know, is how long does it take to increase the weight up to 150+ KG?
And how much should i try and increase the weight by on each session?
It has taken me nearly a year to go from not deadlifting to what i'm doing now. This can't be right?
Also are belts necessary?
And that i have to use the mix grip, again due to the first point.
What i want to know, is how long does it take to increase the weight up to 150+ KG?
And how much should i try and increase the weight by on each session?
It has taken me nearly a year to go from not deadlifting to what i'm doing now. This can't be right?
Also are belts necessary?
_Deano said:
I'm only starting to lift my body weight in deadlifts circa 80KG, but i find that i have to use straps as my grip is crap and gives way very quickly; this may be due to break my right arm some years back.
And that i have to use the mix grip, again due to the first point.
If you refuse to let yourself use the straps, your grip will improve. I've buggered a wrist climbing and don't use straps. I can see they might be useful as I've experienced forearm pump and unpeeling fingers when lifting over twice my BW.And that i have to use the mix grip, again due to the first point.
I had a go at deadlifts for the first time in living memory last night. 3x5 @ 45kg and then 3x5 @ 65kg as I focused on form rather than anything else.
Today my back feels better than it did yesterday, so maybe I got the form right, but I think I'm going to need shinpads if I want to put the weight up.
Today my back feels better than it did yesterday, so maybe I got the form right, but I think I'm going to need shinpads if I want to put the weight up.
_Deano said:
I'm only starting to lift my body weight in deadlifts circa 80KG, but i find that i have to use straps as my grip is crap and gives way very quickly; this may be due to break my right arm some years back.
And that i have to use the mix grip, again due to the first point.
What i want to know, is how long does it take to increase the weight up to 150+ KG?
And how much should i try and increase the weight by on each session?
It has taken me nearly a year to go from not deadlifting to what i'm doing now. This can't be right?
Also are belts necessary?
I have been deadlifting for about 6 months. I basically started 10kg increments each session, although using a mixed grip on the heavier sets. I can hit 140kg now, but that is the absolute maximum of my grip strength! I weigh 67kg, so I have been focusing on proportion of body weight rather than than the total weight. (So that's just over 2xBW)And that i have to use the mix grip, again due to the first point.
What i want to know, is how long does it take to increase the weight up to 150+ KG?
And how much should i try and increase the weight by on each session?
It has taken me nearly a year to go from not deadlifting to what i'm doing now. This can't be right?
Also are belts necessary?
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