Hook, Line, and Sinker

     That's right, it's time to hear once again the voice of reason talk about the Hook Grip, and the magical powers it brings to lifting weights. But maybe I'm getting ahead of myself, and you may be thinking, "But Frosh, I don't know what a Hook Grip is!". Well, dear readers, let me take you on a journey and explain why you should be using this grip. And in time, like myself, you'll be using the Hook Grip while driving (They don't call it "Power Steering" for nothing).

      I know what you're thinking, "How do I become a hooker?" Well, its quite easy! When addressing the bar you will want to lay your palm flat against the bar and place your thumb against the bar. Then, you will wrap your fingers around the thumb and the bar. Your pointer and middle finger will lay over your thumb, and your ring and pinky finger will lay on the bar directly. If this is still a tad confusing refer to the picture below for the 1-2 step on how to perform the Hook Grip.

These directions are Frosh proof

     Ok, so now you know how to create the Hook Grip, but you may still not know why I want you to use this temporary painful grip (emphasis on temporary). The Hook Grip will lock our hand onto the bar without relying entirely on grip strength. There will be a point where the lack of grip strength will render you unable to perform a lift, this is where the Hook Grip MUST be employed. When this is done correctly your forearms will actually be loose, which will help avoid an early arm-pull when performing the Clean or the Snatch.

     Does this mean I want to see you using the Hook Grip on your next PR attempt without ever trying it? NO! Let's ease our way into it, since I said before, this will be a bit of a painful transition. When you're warming up using light weight, an empty bar, or even a PVC throw in the Hook Grip. You may find when using this your thumb may become bruised or even bleed. To counter that you may do a few things. You can wrap you thumb with athletic tape to lessen the chance of ripping your skin on the barbell (gross!). Also, to keep the chances of a bloody thumb low, make sure you don't cut your nails too short.

     So if you're not using the Hook Grip, why not start now? I'll tell you what, just try it out. When moving around the barbell use the Hook Grip for the next 2 weeks, see how it feels. Though your may find your thumbs throb more often than you're used to, you will discover that lifting that heavy weight becomes easier... seems like a good trade off to me. So come on, get "hooked" on the Hook Grip.

Someone didn't use their Hook Grip

"In weight lifting, I don't think sudden, uncontrolled urination should automatically disqualify you."
      Jack Handey



Author's Note: Perform 1 burpee every time I used the phrase "Hook Grip" (including that one)