When it comes to strength training, the grip you use on your Barbells and Dumbbells can significantly impact the muscles you target and your overall performance. Two common grip variations that often come into play are the pronated (overhand) grip and the supinated (underhand) grip. Understanding the differences between these two grips allows you to maximise your training, optimise muscle activation, and tailor your workouts to your specific goals. 

Supinated Grip

The supinated grip is also known as an underhand or palms-up grip. When you’re using this grip, your palms should be facing, you guessed it, upwards. A supinated grip activates your biceps brachii, brachialis, and brachioradialis – all of which are muscles in the front of the upper arm that play a significant role in elbow flexion and forearm supination. Exercises that generally use a supinated grip are bicep curls, chin-ups, barbell rows, and hammer curls.

Supinated Grip Benefits

• Increased bicep activation - A supinated grip places more stress on the biceps, allowing for more targeted muscle activation and development.

• Enhanced muscle balance - Supinated grip in exercises generally helps maintain muscle balance between the anterior and posterior muscles of the upper body. 

• Reduced stress on the wrists - A supinated grip places relatively less stress on the wrist joint, making it the grip of choice for people with wrist issues.

Pronated Grip

The pronated grip, also known as overhand or palms-down grip, is a grip where the palms face downwards. With a pronated grip, the emphasis is on the lats, rhomboids, and deltoids – all large muscles in the upper back and shoulders. Exercises that generally use a pronated grip are pull-ups, barbell rows, deadlifts, cleans, and snatches. All these movements effectively target your back muscles and promote postural alignment. 

Pronated Grip Benefits

• Increased back strength - The pronated grip activates the largest muscles in your back and shoulders, promoting their strength and development.

• Improved shoulder posture - The pronated grip promotes improved posture by engaging the muscles in your upper back and rear delts. 

• Functional strength - The pronated grip is commonly used in day-to-day activities and pulling movements. Training with the pronated grip most closely transforms to improved performance in functional strength.

Mixed Grip

Whereas pronated and supinated grips are the most commonly used grips, there is a third option to grip your (pull-up) bar – the mixed grip, also known as alternating grip. Mixed grip uses the pronated grip for one hand and supinated grip for the other. This allows for better grip strength as the opposing hand positioning creates a more secure hold on the bar. 

If you are using a mixed grip, switching up your hand positions regularly is essential to avoid creating any muscular imbalances!

The grip you use directly affects the muscles you activate and should therefore be a point of attention for every athlete. You can use grip variations to get the most out of each exercise and workout!

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Tags: Exercise Type > Strength