Oh yes, the hook grip. We LOVE the hook grip because it saves many a Daybreaker from hand and forearm fatigue during grip-intensive barbell workouts such as DT and Randy. We’ve also found that it creates a much safer bond between the athlete and their barbell.

A hook grip is simply a way of gripping a barbell by placing your fingers OVER your thumb (see photo below).

This allows the athlete to alleviate some of the force necessary to “squeeze” the barbell, and instead, allow the barbell to be “hooked” into place with less effort.

This comes in extremely handy when pulling a barbell off the ground. Any variation of olympic lifts like the snatch and clean are perfect candidates for the hook grip. And if you see the word “hang” in a movement (e.g. hang power snatch or hang squat clean), you know the hook grip is money. We’ve even seen success with hook grip on dumbbells and on rare occasion deadlfits, although we typically advise against hook grip for deadlifts (we’ll cover deadlift grip in another chalk talk).

It is very likely that the first time you try this grip, it will feel quite uncomfortable, maybe even a little painful. This is common and we suggest you slowly incorporate it into your warm-ups for a couple of weeks before you grip it and rip it in a higher intensity WOD. We also recommend a small wrap of tape over the end of your thumb to provide your fingers something to grab.

If you’re patient with it, we guarantee you’ll be smashing your next DT and you’ll be hook-gripping everything from your steering wheel to your coffee mug! As always, come see a coach if you have any questions or want advice on how and when to use this grip.