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Grip strength gone???

Shiznitzz

Shiznitzz

Member
So just in the last two weeks I have been having trouble with my grip. Whenever I deadlift my average lift is down 40lbs, my one rep max is normally 315-320, now I can barely do 275 without losing the bar.

Its my right hand, my left hand is fine I can grip the bar, but it just falls from my right hand halfway through the lift. No numbness, no pain, just grip disappeared for no reason.

Wtf??? What do you guys think? Looks like a lot of farmers walks are in my future
 
That happens to me when I overreach and do too much pulling volume, or volume in general. How many days a week do you deadlift? Pulling motions in general?
 
BarryBondsHOF said:
That happens to me when I overreach and do too much pulling volume, or volume in general. How many days a week do you deadlift? Pulling motions in general?
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In general I take one day a week to do heavy pulls (pulldowns, rows, deadlifts, pullups etc), then one day of light forearm pulls along with bis and tris on the last day of my rotation.

Deadlift is my first heavy lift on back day other than warm-up.

Never really had this issue. I'm also on dbol so I'm thinking it may be water causing slight swelling in my hands.

All other pull lifts are fine, just my deadlift I can't get a full lift.
 
Are you a competitive powerlifter? Because if not then you shouldn't worry about grip strength if your goal is just hypertrophy. If your going for maximum size then straps will let you overload muscles to a greater degree without grip being a limiting factor that will overall decrease your progression spead
 
Not competitive, just personally prefer to do it raw, stronger that way. My goal is to just be strong af, I feel straps hinder that.

Im just wondering why my grip just decided it didnt want to work all of a sudden
 
Shiznitzz said:
Not competitive, just personally prefer to do it raw, stronger that way. My goal is to just be strong af, I feel straps hinder that.

Im just wondering why my grip just decided it didnt want to work all of a sudden
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Ironically refusing to strap up when your grip strength is failing is actually completely contradictory to your goal of being strong AF.

For nearly all lifters the deadlift will be the lift they can use the most weight, that will stimulate more muscle growth across your whole body. If you limit that weight because of your grip your missing out on growth my friend.

Deadlift with straps for now and use a gripper or similar to specifically try and bring your grip strength back up.
 
Whisky said:
Ironically refusing to strap up when your grip strength is failing is actually completely contradictory to your goal of being strong AF.

For nearly all lifters the deadlift will be the lift they can use the most weight, that will stimulate more muscle growth across your whole body. If you limit that weight because of your grip your missing out on growth my friend.

Deadlift with straps for now and use a gripper or similar to specifically try and bring your grip strength back up.
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Thats my current goal, I'll be doing grippers, farmers walks, and I'll be doing holds at the top of my deadlifts. I'll start this off at 245 and just hold it until I can sufficiently pull 300 without losing the bar
 
Shiznitzz said:
So just in the last two weeks I have been having trouble with my grip. Whenever I deadlift my average lift is down 40lbs, my one rep max is normally 315-320, now I can barely do 275 without losing the bar.

Its my right hand, my left hand is fine I can grip the bar, but it just falls from my right hand halfway through the lift. No numbness, no pain, just grip disappeared for no reason.

Wtf??? What do you guys think? Looks like a lot of farmers walks are in my future
Click to expand...
Hey man new to the site, younger and not as much experience so bear with me. I have small wrist so I'm really limited to my load how ever my one rep is 280 feel like if my hand wouldn't loose it grip it would be more. on dead lift my right hand wants to let go of the bar. A few weeks ago I've been doing one hand pull up bar holds for thirty seconds or how ever long I can do them. Just hanging onto the bar with or without weight around my waste. Doing this I feel as If my elbow has strengthened up and my shoulder doesn't feel as soar either. My hands grip has 100 percent for a fact increased in effecincy not trying to bother you or talk up a storm but I might help you in your persute. Thank you for your time
 
Shiznitzz said:
Man I feel like if I'm strapping it I dont have any business pulling the weight

Personal opinion
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That's cool, but it's a wrong way to think. Some times you have to step back and look for away around your problems. You can stop lifting for a few weeks and give your hands a rest, if you don't want to stop lifting the give the straps a try, your hands will thank you, trust me. I'm 43 nd have been lifting since I was 15+/-....some times you have to swallow your pride and take a few steps back to get a running start again.
 
I have been thinking about this since you posted and I am not surprised by many of the answers. There is really no consensus on straps vs. No straps.

I go back and forth. Sometimes I use them, sometimes I do not.

I feel that sometimes people avoid them for ego and that is a mistake. If your goal is to build a bigger back, then using the proper tools can help. Another way of looking at this is real world strength and safety. The deadlift transfers to real life situations better than any other exercise. Having a back that can handle more than you can grip is a good situation in the real world. If you cannot grip it, and your grip fails but your back can lift way more - you are unlikely to do serious damage when lifting a couch or something heavy.

Right now I do not use straps though. I feel that over time they have become a little less necessary.

What bothers me about YOUR situation is that you are deadlifting 300 pounds. Not 400 or 500. Frankly, I believe most full grown men, with training should be able to lift that. That is not a knock on your strength, we all have to start somewhere and I am far from the strongest guy on this board.

My questions are - how many sets and reps are you doing? How often are you doing it?

My guess is you are going heavy once per week for multiple sets.

As said above, the deadlift is really hard on your CNS and I've begun to learn that once a week heavy can be far too much.

What I would recommend is to back off for 6 weeks or more. Drop the weight to 225 and shoot for 15 reps. Once you can get 15 reps with 225, go to 335 and go for 15. Once you get that for 15, go to 245, etc.

Only do 2 sets of 15 once per week.

Everyone is against high rep deadlifts, but my guess is the higher reps will be very intense, yet easier on your CNS. And when your grip fails at 15 reps, you will have enough stimulation to cause adaptation.

I did the 15 rep scheme just to see of it was easier in my system and while I was surprised that I couldn't sustain it forever and eventually hit a wall, I've owned gone back to heavier lifting and don't need straps at all. I did 425 x 3 tonight with no straps. Not a record for me but close.

And my back failed before my grip.
 
HIT4ME said:
I have been thinking about this since you posted and I am not surprised by many of the answers. There is really no consensus on straps vs. No straps.

I go back and forth. Sometimes I use them, sometimes I do not.

I feel that sometimes people avoid them for ego and that is a mistake. If your goal is to build a bigger back, then using the proper tools can help. Another way of looking at this is real world strength and safety. The deadlift transfers to real life situations better than any other exercise. Having a back that can handle more than you can grip is a good situation in the real world. If you cannot grip it, and your grip fails but your back can lift way more - you are unlikely to do serious damage when lifting a couch or something heavy.

Right now I do not use straps though. I feel that over time they have become a little less necessary.

What bothers me about YOUR situation is that you are deadlifting 300 pounds. Not 400 or 500. Frankly, I believe most full grown men, with training should be able to lift that. That is not a knock on your strength, we all have to start somewhere and I am far from the strongest guy on this board.

My questions are - how many sets and reps are you doing? How often are you doing it?

My guess is you are going heavy once per week for multiple sets.

As said above, the deadlift is really hard on your CNS and I've begun to learn that once a week heavy can be far too much.

What I would recommend is to back off for 6 weeks or more. Drop the weight to 225 and shoot for 15 reps. Once you can get 15 reps with 225, go to 335 and go for 15. Once you get that for 15, go to 245, etc.

Only do 2 sets of 15 once per week.

Everyone is against high rep deadlifts, but my guess is the higher reps will be very intense, yet easier on your CNS. And when your grip fails at 15 reps, you will have enough stimulation to cause adaptation.

I did the 15 rep scheme just to see of it was easier in my system and while I was surprised that I couldn't sustain it forever and eventually hit a wall, I've owned gone back to heavier lifting and don't need straps at all. I did 425 x 3 tonight with no straps. Not a record for me but close.

And my back failed before my grip.
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I might do this, ive always focused on heavy instead of reps. This I can see helping my grip strength as well

Thanks bro
 
Have you tried using a chalk for better grip? I haven’t used my straps for almost a year now. I get better grip with chalk.
 
Shiznitzz said:
I might do this, ive always focused on heavy instead of reps. This I can see helping my grip strength as well

Thanks bro
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Or instead of mixed grip go with straight over hand grip with ur deadlift....I can pull 565# for 1 with mix grip....but only 355# for 1 with over hand.....with straps I can get 565# for 3....lifting is just a game, some times u have to look at the cheat codes to get better.
 
jtmass said:
Have you tried using a chalk for better grip? I haven’t used my straps for almost a year now. I get better grip with chalk.
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Our gym doesnt allow chalk of any kind, wish they did but not this one. They claim to be a fitness center, but have an entire floor of weights which is pretty great, just no chalk.
 
dds said:
Or instead of mixed grip go with straight over hand grip with ur deadlift....I can pull 565# for 1 with mix grip....but only 355# for 1 with over hand.....with straps I can get 565# for 3....lifting is just a game, some times u have to look at the cheat codes to get better.
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I'll be doing this starting at either 225 or 235 for 15-20 reps, then working my way up from there. I'll be deadlifting once per week with this method.

Might grab me some straps for anything above 300 to make my back stronger since you all are touting it so much
 
Shiznitzz said:
Our gym doesnt allow chalk of any kind, wish they did but not this one. They claim to be a fitness center, but have an entire floor of weights which is pretty great, just no chalk.
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One reason I don’t go to a fitness centre (though they have better machines) and joined a proper gym is because of their stupid rules.
 
jtmass said:
One reason I don’t go to a fitness centre (though they have better machines) and joined a proper gym is because of their stupid rules.
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The only other gym that allows that doesn't have childcare, which I need, plus their hours are wonky. There was a world gym that was oldschool hardcore and had chalk bowls, straps to use along with belts, but they shut down due to a shady owner.

So I'm forced to use fitness centers, this one at least has enough weight to use and good machinery.
 
Childcare is a tough one. I put my son to a day care right outside my home on my way to the gym.
 
It's not like using straps suddenly means you don't have to grip the bar anymore; you'll still be training your grip even with straps. Unless you're gifted with massive shovel hands then grip will always hugely limit your deadlift, and no offense but a sub 300 deadlift is really very poor, I'd be using straps for my top sets asap to start moving it up to an appreciable number if I were you.
 
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