Comparison of Flexor Carpi Radialis and Flexor Carpi Ulnaris EMG Activity Among Three Common Hand Grips During the Deadlift

Abstract

During lifting, the hand grip often fails prior to the prime movers because the grip relies on relatively small muscles, The three most common barbell hand grips are double overhand (DO), mixed (MG), and hook grip (HG). The basic DO is performed with pronated hands, with the thumbs under the bar and the fingers wrapped over the bar. The thumb is not trapped between the barbell and other fingers. The HG is a modified DO with the thumb placed between the barbell and the index and middle fingers, creating a “hook”. This grip increases friction forces and prevents the bar from “rolling” out of the lifter’s hand. The MG is executed by pronating one hand and supinating the other (usually the non-dominant). MG is a common grip utilized in powerlifting meets and by experienced weightlifters. PURPOSE: To determine the magnitude of muscle recruitment among the three grips by monitoring the electromyography of the Flexor Carpi Radialis (FCR) and the Flexor Carpi Ulnaris (FCU) during the deadlift (DL). METHODS: 6 Male and 6 Female subjects (age 26.1 ±5.2 yrs, height 175.3 ± 11.0 cm, body mass 80.7 ± 22.6 kg with at least 6 months experience of performing DL were randomly assigned to a cross-over design of DO, HG or MG trials. Maximal Voluntary Contractions (MVC) were performed to ascertain maximal EMG activity for the FCR and FCU in both arms. After a 15 minute rest, subjects performed a set of DL to momentary muscular fatigue (MMF) using a load of 85% of their self-reported 1RM. A pause for one second between reps was enforced to minimize momentum. Subjects performed the trials on two non-consecutive days with 30 minutes separating each trial. The MG trial was performed twice for bilateral pronated and supinated positions to ensure the dominant hand was used in both positions. RESULTS: Statistical analysis by ANOVA at P<.05 revealed NSD for EMG activity among all grip variations. Repetitions performed were 5.1 ± 1.8, 3.9 ± 1.7, and 5.1 ± 1.5, EMG of the right FCR were 36.8 ± 19.4, 47. 3 ± 26.3, and 37.8 ± 25.7 μV, and EMG of the right FCU were 71.9 ± 20.2, 72.9 ± 21.9, and 66.3 ± 18.9 μV, for DO, HG, and MG trials, respectively. CONCLUSION: Because all hand grips resulted in virtually identical responses, the type of grip should be at the discretion of the lifter.