The Hook Grip

What is the Hook Grip?

Hi, it's Tatsuro again.

This is a bit out of the blue but I wanted to ask if you use the hook grip?

The hook grip refers to the way we wrap the thumbs around the bar in the clean & snatch, it has many advantages so I'd like to explain the hook grip in this article.

What is the Hook Grip?

The Hook Grip is a technique for gripping the barbell with the thumb inside the other fingers as shown in the picture below.

Advantages of the Hook Grip
1) We can get a stronger grip on the bar
2) We can hold onto the bar without tensing up the arms and shoulders
3) Externally rotating the arms makes it easier to keep the chest up (as it is easier to maintain our grip on the bar)

Personally, I think (2) and (3) are the most important points.

The snatch and clean are movements in which we lift a heavy barbell as quickly as possible.
Gripping the bar too tight makes the arms and shoulders stiff and prevents us from moving smoothly. The hook grip allows us to grip the bar with the fingers rather than the hands, reducing the amount of tension in the arms.

Hook Grip Technique

Let's take a look at the hook-grip technique.

1) Wrap your thumb around the bar
2) Grasp your thumb with the ring and middle fingers (make a fox hand)
3) Grip the bar securely with your little fingers
4) Let your index fingers wrap around the bar naturally
5) Rotate your elbows so they face backwards as much as possible ← Very important!

You can see the setup process for the Hook Grip in the video below.

Externally rotating the arms (so the elbows point back as far as possible) is very important:
By rotating your arms like this, not only will your thumbs and pinky fingers latch onto the bar and increase your grip strength, but you'll also be able to keep your chest up, which will help your technique tremendously.

So what do you think?
If you don't like the hook grip, you've probably quit because it hurts the thumbs.
We can use tape to help reduce the pain a little, so if you're having trouble, please let us know!

If you're doing the snatch & clean without the hook grip, try it. I'm sure It'll increase the amount of weight you can lift!

Let's go for it 😃

See you next time!