Barbell Bulldog Grip for Barbell Presses

[JeffC]

I prefer to grip Kettlebells with the Bell on the heal of the palm, as we should, and rather than wrapping the fingers, crush down on the handle with the fingers. I found on Get Ups, Rack Position, and Presses it is easier to keep a straight wrist and really crush the handle into the heal of the palm.

I have been playing with this grip on my Barbell Presses. It is halfway between open grip, some call monkey grip or suicide grip, and a full grip. We know that engaging and covering the palm tells our brain it is safe to put in maximum effort. I used it on a Kettlebell, why wouldn’t it work on a Barbell? On Axel Presses an open grip, crushing down on the bar with the fingers, works by nature, but on an Olympic Bar it does not feel as safe, somewhat limiting power output.

I have been practicing the bulldog grip on Barbell Presses and, all though I have not been using it too long, I do feel more tension and force generated than the standard full grip. I get the straighter more stable wrist and less weight on the thumb of monkey grip with the safety of a full grip. If you train your crushing grip with Grippers, I feel, there is some carryover to utilize that hand function and strength to increase pressing strength.

Try it and see how it feels?

 

[krg]

Geoff - just want to be clear I am understanding the grip.

Is this the same grip Rippetoe recommends?

 

[JeffC]

@krg I don’t know. I do not pay any attention to Rippetoe.

Rack a Kettlebell and rather than wrapping the fingers. Crush down on the handle with the fingers. I heard it w while ago on a vlog by Allen Thrall or Silent Mike, but before that I used it on Kettlebells. I never thought to use it for Barbell Presses.

 

[JeffC]

A fatter Mark Bell talking with a powerlifter about Bulldog Grip.

 

[william bad butt]

This may not be useful, but I recall section in RoTK book that talks about different grips with kettlebells. The jerk had a different grip than the press. If my memory is correct, with the press you hold the handle so it is parallel with your knuckles and squeeze the handle as hard as possible hour hyper irradiation. But for the Jerk, you hold the handle so it is at an angle with your knuckles and lower in your palm and do not crush the handle with your fingers (I guess this is a "false grip"). This supposedly helps one engage their triceps more for the Jerk.

FYI, I don't have the book in front of me, going by memory...