Which deadlift grip should I use?
Start with double overhand. Switch to hook or mixed once the bar slips. Mixed feels easiest. But in 24 filmed biceps tears in mixed-grip deadlifts, every one was on the underhand arm.
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Which deadlift grip is best?
Use double overhand, both palms facing you, for as long as the bar stays put. Coaches at Barbell Logic teach it first. They change grip only when the bar starts rolling out of your hands.
| Grip | How you hold it | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Double overhand | Both palms face you, thumbs wrapped round the bar. | The bar slips first as the weight gets heavy. |
| Hook | Overhand, with your thumb trapped under your first two fingers. | It hurts your thumbs until they get used to it. |
| Mixed | One palm faces you, the other faces away. | The underhand arm is where filmed biceps tears happened. |
| Straps | Fabric loops round your wrists and the bar. | Not allowed in powerlifting meets. Less grip work. |
Sources: Barbell Logic: hook grip; Barbell Logic: grip; Kapicioglu 2021
In a study of 29 trained lifters, mixed grip felt easiest at every weight tested. Grip type made no difference to how fast the bar moved.
At your next session, warm up double overhand. Switch only on the sets where the bar starts to slip.
Is mixed grip bad for your biceps?
It holds well because the bar can’t roll out of both hands at once. As it rolls out of the overhand fingers, it rolls into the underhand ones, says coach Cody Annino.
The worry is the underhand arm, the one with the palm facing away from you. In one study of 24 filmed mixed-grip tears, that’s the arm that tore every time.
| Study | What they watched | What they saw |
|---|---|---|
| Kapicioglu 2021 | 35 biceps tears on video, all in men. 25 were in deadlifts. | In all 24 mixed-grip tears, the underhand arm tore, with the elbow straight. |
| Lappen 2022 | 56 biceps tears on video. 71.4% were in deadlifts. | 96.4% tore with the palm turned forward. |
Sources: Kapicioglu 2021; Lappen 2022
These videos show which arm tore, not how often tears happen. The first study’s authors say holding the bar with both palms facing you may cut the risk.
As a coaching cue, Annino teaches mixed grip with straight arms and no jerking the bar off the floor. If you use it, do both.
How do you hook grip a deadlift?
The hook keeps both palms facing you, like double overhand. Your thumb gets pinned between your fingers and the bar, so it holds better.
The hook grip in four steps
- 1
Thumb first
Wrap your thumb round the bar before your fingers.
- 2
Fingers over
Wrap your first two fingers over your thumb.
- 3
Press the right spot
Squeeze on top of your thumb, not your knuckles or thumbnail.
- 4
Hold it all set
Keep it pinched for every rep. Letting go mid-set makes it hurt more.
Sources: Barbell Logic: hook grip; Barbell Logic: grip
It hurts at first. Barbell Logic says your thumbs need to adapt, so hook every warm-up set while you learn. Tape on the thumb is a last resort.
Coming from mixed grip? Annino suggests hooking the first rep or two, then switching to mixed for the rest of the set. Hook a few more reps each week.
Does double overhand build grip strength?
It makes your forearms work harder than mixed grip. In the same study of 29 lifters, mixed grip used the least forearm muscle at every weight tested.
The authors suggest double overhand or hook if you want to build your grip. They measured muscle activity, not grip gains, so take it as a good reason, not proof.
That’s why Annino has every lifter warm up double overhand. For more hand work, see grip strength exercises.
Should I use lifting straps?
Use them for extra sets, not every set. A 2026 review of the research found straps can help your heaviest lifts and make your grip feel more secure.
But it found no consistent effect on pulling exercises, and no evidence yet on long-term training. Annino says straps don’t let you train your grip well, so use them sparingly.
Your deadlift grip plan
- Warm up with a double overhand grip.
- Switch to hook or mixed grip only when the bar starts to slip.
- Hook grip: squeeze on top of your thumb, not your knuckles or thumbnail.
- Mixed grip: pull with straight arms and don’t jerk the bar off the floor.
- Do your first heavy set with your hands, then use straps for the rest if you need them.
- Add weight slowly, as in progressive overload.
Sources: Barbell Logic: hook grip; Barbell Logic: grip; Pratt 2020
Want an easier way to start deadlifting? See the trap bar deadlift, or fit it into a beginner gym plan.
When to speak to a GP
Get help if:
- You get sudden, severe pain during a lift, maybe with a pop or snap. The NHS says you may have torn a tendon.
- You’re in a lot of pain, or you think you’ve torn a tendon. Get help from 111.
- You’ve injured a joint and it doesn’t improve within a few weeks. See a GP.
- You have an ache or pain in your fingers, hand or arm, numb hands, tingling or pins and needles, or a weak thumb or trouble gripping. See a GP if it’s getting worse, not going away, or home treatment isn’t working.
In many areas you may be able to get NHS physio without a GP referral. With hand numbness, the NHS says to cut down on gripping hard. For a back that aches after lifting, see back strengthening exercises.