Re: Re: deadlift grip and uneven lat development

June 5, 2008

Aidan,

> Try doing some one arm dumbell rows with an 8RM weight and compare total

> reps for each side. Pay attention to depth, height and hip involvement

> so that you know it's a fair test.

Thanks, that sounds like an interesting test. However, I don't think

it will get to the bottom of the issue -- I would expect my right

side, which is more developed, to do more. If it does, I don't think

this proves that I'm using my right side more in the other exercises.

Seems like a chicken-and-egg question.

> I always use the same alternating grip and never switch it. I have

> never noticed a problem with doing this. The total number of deadlifts

> is tiny compared to the total number of every other lift I do that works

> the same muscles.

Well maybe that is an issue of difference. My lower body workout

almost entirely consists of squats and deadlifts. I do 90 degree and

45 degree barbell rows and lat pulldown, which I think are the main

upper body exercises working my lats, but none of these have anywhere

near the weight or intensity of a deadlift. And I try to do upper

body and lower body workouts equivalently, even though the latter

needs a longer recovery time in general. At the moment, I'm just

doing two workouts, one upper body and one lower body and I alternate

with one or two days rest/non-weight training in between. So I would

say the deadlift may well form the foundation of my entire back

workout.

Chris

> I never use straps, not that they don't have a place, but for most

> people once they start lifting heavy their grip will give out before

> anything else does so it pays to develop it. I even like to use a

> snatch-grip when I start a high-rep set of Romanians, then switch to an

> alternating grip when my grip gives out so that my legs and back get

> something out of the deal.

>

> Aidan

>

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