One handed lift technique

[Fuel Crusher]

I made myself a handle and loading pin to do one hand deadlifts with, the idea being timed holds as opposed to singles or reps. The handle I made is 2.5" diameter. My question is how to position the hand on these lifts? I can see two ways of doing this:

1, With the palm on the side of the handle, the fingers underneath and thumb over the top. Or

2, With the palm on the top of the handle and fingers and thumb down opposing sides.

After having a play I found that obviously it was much harder using position 2 and needed a much lighter load.

So which position do you guys reckon would be more beneficial. Each hold I do I time and go to grip failure.

Thanks

FC

[Guest CalvinP]

Obviously as the load gets heavier, the palm on the side grip is gonna tilted so your palm'll be on top, as the load rolls the bar. If you are going for grip work, then palm on top is what you want. Then again, it will be in that position whether you want it or not, correct? Otherwise you 'd be carrying it instead of gripping it. Keep up the good work  

[Fuel Crusher]

Thanks CalvinP

The handle I made is similar to the Rolling Thunder except it's fixed not rolling . Therefore it doesn't act like a barbell or dumbell would and try roll out of your hand, Where the hand is placed on lifting the weight is where it stays, until the grip gives. I would have thought that both styles were working the grip because it's always my grip failing that ends the lift, even on style 1 which as you say is like carrying the weight.

The thing thats baffling me at the mo is whether its better to go with the weight on the first style, or sacrifice weight and go to very little on the loading pin  with the second style?

Ta

FC

[mobsterone]

I've seen quite a few lads trying to lift in style one when approaching a heavy thick handled db. Low and behold it don't happen. If it did you'd have very very strong forearms.

Style 2 is the way to go and applies to deadlifts with or without thick handles

[Guest Luke Reimer]

Fuel Crusher,

I prefer style (1) myself, wherever I find I can use it. Since you have found that both ways work the grip, why not take the way that allows you to go the heaviest?

Mob,

Those must have been heavy dumbbells! Some of us folks don't have strong enough fingers to overload our forearms and wrists like that (not to mention strong enough thumbs to keep the weight in our fingers). I've seen the way you lift your bells, with your palms on top; it almost looks like you're pinching the handle between your thumb and middle and pointer fingers. I wouldn't be able to lift much that way!

[Fuel Crusher]

Mobs,

I think the lifts you're talking about are when the heavy weight tries to 'roll' out of the hand, as a bar or dumbell would. Because my handle does not roll it is possible to do both styles of lift...I'm just not sure which is best. I'll try get a pic up of my handle soon so you can see what I mean.

Luke,

I have been using style 1 myself, as you say why not use the one with the heaviest weight. I wasn't sure if I'd see any extra gains by doing the much harder style 2.

Any more thoughts or advice appreciated folks.

FC

[Guest StrongerthanArne]

Luke and Mobs,

Curiously, when I do a maximum attempt with the Rolling Thunder I keep the hand in position 1 with my left hand but in position 2 with my right hand. I can lift the same amount of weight with both hands but my right hand is much stronger than my left whereas my left wrist is much stronger than my right one  ???.

[mobsterone]

LOL at the idea of pinching the dumbbells I pull!! If you knew how weak my one handed pich was.... The dumbbells are however big. I am currently pulling 228 on a 2.5 inch handled db with a target of 270 and a previous PB of 259.

I got to thinking about the gadget described. If the handle doesn't move and the weight hangs underneath it would still be #### hard and more weight would still be shifted in position one. However, it would be a great grip worker - no doubt about that.

[mobsterone]

Re the rolling thunder. Last saturday I did 2 pounds over the official world record pulling 266 pounds or 117.5 kilos plus the standard carbina, weight pin and handle (equates to 8 pounds). 120 kilos here I come!

[Guest StrongerthanArne]

Hm,

Very impressive. The standard carbina, weight pin (the big one) and handle of my RT weighs 2.7 kg or 6 lb.

[Guest 68-1005097157]

Mobster,

  Congratulations!  That's an incredible accomplishment.  You must be a thick-handled beast.  Are you eventually going to work toward cleaning the Inch DB?

[mobsterone]

Yeah I guess thick handles are my forte. I can also lay claim to the weaver stick and grippers. As far as cleaning the Inch weight. That is way off in the future..... I only seated press now 165. However, there are those that might.

[Fuel Crusher]

Some big numbers there mobsterone, great stuff. I must admit one of the reasons I made the handle 2.5" was that with my first handle I'd made, about 1.5"  I was pulling weight that I was feeling more in my lower back rather than my grip, due to the twist that I find my body in when I do one handed lifts. I knew that the weight would drop when I increased the size of the handle, it about halfed it! Any tips on stance etc...

Also I've considered buying a rolling thunder, whats the advantage of a rolling handle? does it just make it work the grip more and what size is that handle?

FC

[mobsterone]

Yes I use the one hand deadlift style with the dumbbell between the legs and the non-lifting arms elbow resting on my knee which will brace the lower back. This is just to lift. If I am feeling r-e-a-l strong then I'll pull all the way to the top.

[Guest 68-1005097157]

Although your seated press is not quite up there with your other lifts, I'm not sure why seated press would be correlated with ability to clean a dumbbell.  In my opinion, which doesn't mean much as I'm sure I couldn't even budge the Inch from the floor, cleaning such a weight would really be a test of grip strength.  That is, anyone whose grip strength is sufficient to clean it could easily develop the leg / body strength necessary to put it overhead, using an extremely deep squat clean and then a jerk or bent press.  Kaz, who many are arguing in another thread is the strongest man ever to have lived, made the cover of MILO for doing a continental with the Inch.  If you could get it overhead using just one hand, you'd become legend.

[mobsterone]

With that in mind (and it'd be so cooooool) I have another couple of ambitions to do first. Then we might see an attempt or three.