Hook Grip: Why It Hurts and How to Save Your Thumbs

If you’re into weightlifting or functional fitness, you know that your grip often gives way long before your legs or back do. The solution that all elite lifters use? Hook grip . But there’s a catch – the first few weeks are incredibly painful. Here’s our complete guide to mastering the hook grip and why the right equipment makes all the difference.

What is Hook Grip and why is it superior?

A traditional grip works fine for light weights, but as you approach your max in the snatch or clean, the bar will want to roll out of your hands. A hook grip means you lock the bar by wrapping your fingers over your own thumb, instead of placing your thumb on top of your fingers.

This creates a mechanical lock. Your hand essentially becomes a pull strap. The result is that you can relax your forearms more, which results in faster elbows and more explosive lifts.

Why does it hurt so much?

When you pull 100 kg from the floor with a hook grip, an enormous amount of pressure and friction rests directly on the skin and joint of your thumb. It is common for the skin to be rubbed off, for blood blisters to form, or for the cuticles to take a beating. Many people give up on hook grip prematurely precisely because of the pain.

3 Steps to Mastering Your Hook Grip

• 1. Tape it properly Use an elastic tape (not stiff sports tape). Starting at the base of the thumb, pull the tape over the knuckle with a slight stretch and secure it to the back. This will remove the worst friction against the knurling on the bar.
• 2. Squeeze your thumb deeply Try to get your index and middle fingers to grip the entire thumb nail. The deeper you can get your thumb under your fingers, the more secure the lock will be.
• 3. Harden off Accept that it will be uncomfortable for the first few weeks. Just like you build calluses in your hands, you build a tolerance in your thumbs. After a month, you won't even think about it anymore.