Article Rundown

• Train multiple grips so you’re never stuck when calluses tear or injuries flare up
• Mixed grip works best when you commit to position and drive hard through the pull
• Hook grip is powerful but not universal—availability always beats “ideal” technique
• Lock in tension first, then pull with confidence instead of forcing positions

Why You Need More Than One Grip in Your Toolbox

If you pull long enough, life happens. Calluses tear. Hands get beat up. Old injuries flare up at the worst possible time. That’s why it’s never a bad idea to train multiple grips. I like lifters being able to pull double overhand, mixed grip, and at least experiment with hook grip—even if hook isn’t their forever option. The point is simple: if something goes wrong on meet day, or even during a heavy training session, you have a Plan B without panicking.

Mixed grip is especially important here. Most callus tears happen on the overhand side because that hand tends to slip first. If you can flip your mixed grip and pull the other way when needed, you’re not stuck. And I’ll be blunt—I learned this lesson the hard way.

The Lesson I Paid For

I tore my bicep off and still went to a meet a month later and squatted 1306. But the story isn’t about toughness. It’s about what caused it. I didn’t respect asymmetry enough. I didn’t change my arm position enough. I didn’t give myself enough options. And I earned exactly what I got.

So when I tell lifters to train both sides on mixed grip, that’s not theory. That’s experience. Your arms adapt better, your body stays more balanced, and you reduce the chances of slowly overloading one side until something gives.

Once You’re Set, Drive Through It

When Mikayla switched hands and committed to accelerating through the lift, everything changed. The pull looked more natural, the position held better, and the entire rep cleaned up. This carries over directly to both the deadlift and the squat. Once you know you’re in the right position, don’t be scared to drive through it. A lot of lifters get timid once the weight feels real, and that hesitation is exactly where form starts to drift.

Lock in, pull the slack out, and commit.

Hook Grip: The Best Option… Until It Isn’t

Hook grip is a powerful tool. It can shorten the effective range of motion because you can let the bar hang lower with straight arms, and it keeps you in a strong, symmetrical position similar to double overhand. When Mikayla tried it, the bar flew up fast, and that’s the upside.

The downside is the cost. Hook grip demands hand tolerance and thumb toughness, and for some lifters it takes months or even years to feel natural. Even then, it’s not always the right fit. For me, hook grip felt great up to about 600 pounds. Beyond that, it felt like my hands were going to tear off. I know lifters who pull 900-plus hook and would never go back, but I also know plenty who simply can’t make it work.

Where hook grip really shines is for lifters who have already paid the price with a bicep injury. A lot of people switch to hook grip after surgery because they’re not interested in rolling the dice again.

Chalk Like You Mean It

If you’re serious about pulling big weight, chalk isn’t an accessory—it’s equipment. Most people chalk their hands like they’re politely dusting them, and that’s not enough. You want chalk worked into the webbing of the hand, across the palm, between the fingers, and especially into the thumbs if you’re using hook grip. Then—and this matters—you don’t touch anything else. No wiping your face, no touching your shorts, no grabbing your training partner. A little sweat or moisture is all it takes for grip to become the limiting factor.

One thing I like to do is break off a small piece of chalk and rub it into my hands as I walk to the bar. Just enough to keep them coated, then straight to the pull.

Availability Supersedes Ability

This is where real coaching matters. In an ideal world, I’d put everyone in the most optimal grip and position every time. But injuries don’t care about ideals. Mikayla had a finger injury that made hook grip painful, so even if hook is theoretically best, it wasn’t best for her at that moment.

This is the same logic we use with squat positioning. You can want perfect shoulder packing, but if someone has had multiple shoulder surgeries, you adapt. You train what keeps them strong and available. Because if a grip or position beats you up, it costs you training weeks, and that’s not worth it. So we went back to mixed grip and focused on what looked strong, repeatable, and safe.

The Biggest Deadlift Mistake: Hips Too Low

One of the most common deadlift errors I see is lifters forcing their hips too low. When that happens, the bar doesn’t break the floor until the hips shoot up anyway, and the lift turns into a stiff-legged pull or a two-stage movement. That’s not power—that’s fighting your own leverages.

Everyone’s setup will look different based on limb length, hip structure, torso proportions, and how they generate tension. Mikayla has long limbs, so she naturally sits a bit lower than some lifters. But we’re not putting her into a power squat position. We’re getting her low enough to load properly while keeping the chest up and the lifter’s wedge locked in. Stop copying your favorite deadlifter’s exact position. Your anatomy isn’t theirs.

Lock In First, Then Pull

On Mikayla’s heaviest pull of the day, the goal was simple: a committed rep with no deceleration. She pulled the slack out, got tight, dropped the lats down, drove through the heels, squeezed the glutes, flexed the quads, and pulled all the way through. The rep was clean, with no back flexion and a rigid core—better than the lighter pulls.

The reason it worked was simple. She got tight before she dropped into the pull. She didn’t fall into position and hope. She owned it first, then executed.

Where We’re Headed Next

By the end of the session, the direction was clear. Conventional stance is the best fit for Mikayla right now. Her hip mobility makes it hard to create enough tension in sumo, while conventional allows her to lock in the lifter’s wedge naturally. Hook grip is a tool we can revisit later, but not at the expense of her finger. Mixed grip looks strong, and we’ll continue rotating hands to stay balanced.

We didn’t push her to failure because every rep was improving. Sometimes the smartest move is stopping while you’re ahead, leaving a little in the tank, and building momentum week to week. With this foundation in place, she’s got a real shot at pulling 315—and doing it the right way.

BRIAN DOES ONLINE AND IN-PERSON COACHING!

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