No spotter for noob...bad idea?

[adam adkins]

Originally Posted by Eric Montgomery

(much more common with a suicide grip)

That's an understatement. It is virtually impossible with the proper grip and almost a probability with a thumb-less grip. Like I said, it is idiotic. No other way to say it.

The dude might as well tell me he pulls his knees up and crosses his feet while benching so I can complete my head explosion.

[Michael Dowling]

Originally Posted by Eric Montgomery

I'm still baffled as to why you "can't do it any other way"--what is it that's keeping you from wrapping your thumbs around the bar? If one of my clients let his knees come in and rolled forward on his toes on every squat rep, I wouldn't accept "I can't do it any other way" as a valid excuse...I would find a way to fix it.

i can do it the other way i just don't like it, it's uncomfortable and i can't get the power and smooth motion that i can with a thumbless grip.

the situation you describe with the squat is blowing the form of the lift and no one would recommend it. but the grip on the bench, like it or not suicide grip is widely used by many professional lifters and an accepted grip.

i know a lot of folks don't like the thumb-less grip, i'm not advocating for anyone else to use it, i just chimed in that i did use it. i probably should've let that sleeping dog lie.

[Michael Dowling]

Originally Posted by adam adkins

That's an understatement. It is virtually impossible with the proper grip and almost a probability with a thumb-less grip. Like I said, it is idiotic. No other way to say it.

your righteous indignation over my benching grip is admirable, you should become a closed thumb advocate, start a non-profit to rid the world of the ills of thumb-less grip bench pressing.

know what else is pretty dangerous and seemingly stupid? snatching a bar and placing it overhead. there's no shortage of videos of people dislocating their shoulders and crushing their face or some other painful outcome on a failed snatch or C&J, maybe you can set your sights on them next. i would say the probability is pretty high that eventually with oly lifts you will end up under the bar. same with riding a motorcycle, odds are you're gonna hit the pavement eventually (i already have once).

but i assess the risks and decide i only live once and they're worth it to me. the thumb-less grip to me feels very solid and not dangerous at all, for every youtube vid you watch there are tens of thousands of lifters who use it every week with no issues.

[Eric Montgomery]

Originally Posted by Michael Dowling

i can do it the other way i just don't like it, it's uncomfortable and i can't get the power and smooth motion that i can with a thumbless grip.

Then you're probably doing something wrong--in no way does wrapping thumbs around the bar prevent someone from benching with "power and smooth motion."

[Michael Dowling]

Originally Posted by Eric Montgomery

Then you're probably doing something wrong--in no way does wrapping thumbs around the bar prevent someone from benching with "power and smooth motion."

it puts your elbows in a different position that for me and many other people generates more power and makes the motion less clumsy, and less stress on the shoulders. a lot of people use it, must be something to it.

[Michael Dowling]

just got back from the gym and i had to do a bench press 5 X 3 of 185 on week 5 of this strength program. i switched over to closed thumbs and it was definitely different, not terrible but i felt more pressure on my shoulders, the false grip or suicide grip is much more comfortable. but i'll see if can keep progressing pain free with closed thumbs.

[Katherine Derbyshire]

Originally Posted by Eric Montgomery

The thing is, if you fail on a bench attempt you'll most likely be able to control it down to your chest at a reasonable speed until the spotter is able to help you out. If you lose your grip and dump a bench rep (much more common with a suicide grip) the bar is probably going to crash down on your neck or face before the spotter has a chance to react.

This. Yes, I can see why you would think a spotter is useless if you're asking them to catch several hundred pounds in free fall because your grip failed. Not happening, not least because most people just can't react that fast.

Helping you recover when the weight is too much but still under control is a much easier task.

Katherine

[Jonathan Vechet]

Originally Posted by Michael Dowling

just got back from the gym and i had to do a bench press 5 X 3 of 185 on week 5 of this strength program. i switched over to closed thumbs and it was definitely different, not terrible but i felt more pressure on my shoulders, the false grip or suicide grip is much more comfortable. but i'll see if can keep progressing pain free with closed thumbs.

What are you doing in which the placement of your thumbs makes that much of a difference in your shoulders?

I don't claim to fully understand the human anatomy, but could someone explain how moving the thumbs can alter the pressure load on the shoulders? I don't understand how this is even physically possible, but then again, I'm not an expert in anything.

[Michael Dowling]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Vechet

What are you doing in which the placement of your thumbs makes that much of a difference in your shoulders?

I don't claim to fully understand the human anatomy, but could someone explain how moving the thumbs can alter the pressure load on the shoulders? I don't understand how this is even physically possible, but then again, I'm not an expert in anything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOBKGesyFwk (wfs)

dave tate does a much better job than me explaining some benefits of the false grip or "suicide grip". again i'm not advocating this for anyone else because you can hurt yourself if you do it wrong.

it makes a huge difference actually, it engages the triceps much more and takes a lot of load off your chest and shoulders and redistributes it.

[Jonathan Vechet]

Originally Posted by Michael Dowling

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOBKGesyFwk (wfs)

dave tate does a much better job than me explaining some benefits of the false grip or "suicide grip". again i'm not advocating this for anyone else because you can hurt yourself if you do it wrong.

it makes a huge difference actually, it engages the triceps much more and takes a lot of load off your chest and shoulders and redistributes it.

Very well.

To me it seems that he was saying that the false grip may be better suited for injury recovery and powerlifting (talking about the wider grip that can be achieved). But he found a way for it to work for him, so....
My own grip is conventional and about a thumbs distance outside the center, smooth part.