Deadlift Grip Types: Double Overhand, Mixed and Hook Grip Explained

Your deadlift is only as heavy as the weight your hands can hold. There are three ways to hold a barbell for a deadlift, and most lifters end up using more than one as they get stronger.

The three grips at a glance

Grip	How	Holding power	Main downside
Double overhand	Both palms facing you	Lowest	Bar rolls out of the fingers first
Mixed (alternate)	One palm toward you, one away	High	Asymmetric; biceps strain risk on the underhand arm
Hook	Double overhand with the thumb trapped under the fingers	High	Painful on the thumb while you adapt

Double overhand

The natural grip and the best one for building grip strength. Use it for warm-ups and as long as you can hold the weight. Most lifters lose it somewhere in their working sets, which is where chalk earns its place: a dry hand holds double overhand longer.

Mixed grip

Turning one hand over stops the bar from rolling, because the two hands roll it in opposite directions. It lets most lifters hold much more. The trade-offs are a slight twist through the torso and a known risk to the biceps on the underhand side if you bend that elbow. Keep the underhand arm straight, and switch which hand is under between sessions.

Hook grip

Your thumb goes around the bar first, then your fingers wrap over it, locking the thumb in place. It is as strong as mixed and symmetrical, which is why weightlifters and many powerlifters use it. It hurts at first; most lifters need a few weeks of regular practice for the thumb to adapt. Liquid chalk helps hook grip noticeably because it stops the thumb from sliding out from under the fingers. Details: liquid chalk for hook grip.

Where chalk and straps fit

• Chalk: on every heavy set, whichever grip you use. It removes sweat as the reason a grip fails.
• Straps: for high-rep back work and back-off sets. See liquid chalk vs lifting straps.

Which grip should you use?

• Beginners: double overhand with chalk for as long as it holds, then add hook or mixed for top sets.
• Competitive powerlifters: mixed or hook for max attempts, practised in training. Chalk is allowed on the hands at meets; see the IPF rule.
• Weightlifters: hook grip.

Grip matters at the very top too. Nonso Chinye's 420 kg (926 lb) IPF World Record deadlift was pulled with Odyssey Liquid Chalk on his hands. Read the story of that pull and the best chalk for deadlifts.