Grips: what changes with hand position
Overhand, underhand and neutral, narrow or wide, with or without the thumb — hand position changes which musculature is involved and how far a movement can be taken. A small change with sometimes marked effects.
The three basic positions
Three positions appear in most exercises.
- Overhand (pronated). Backs of the hands face up or towards the body, palms away. The most common grip in pulldowns and rows.
- Underhand (supinated). Palms face towards the body. The elbow flexors are more involved, which usually allows more repetitions in pulling movements.
- Neutral. Palms face each other. The shoulder sits in a position many people find more comfortable; in pull-ups and pressing movements that is a frequent reason for this choice.
Which position an exercise allows also depends on the equipment: on a bar all three are possible, on many machines the position is fixed, and with dumbbells the hand can even rotate during the movement.
None of these positions is generally superior. They distribute the work differently, and which feels better differs between people.
What grip width changes
Width mainly changes two things: the distance the load travels, and the angles at shoulder and elbow.
In the bench press a wider grip shortens the path and shifts work more towards the chest, a narrower one lengthens it and involves the triceps more. In pulldowns, width changes the angle at which the upper arm is brought towards the trunk.
The same applies to range of motion: a wider grip shortens the path, a narrower one lengthens it. Which is more favourable cannot be answered in general, because both sides have their arguments.
A common misunderstanding is that a wide grip makes the back wider. Grip width does not determine which muscle grows — it changes leverage and range of motion. Which width suits better depends on your own proportions and can only be found by trying.
When the grip fails first
In heavy pulling the hand is often the weakest link: the back could do more, but the bar slips. There are several answers with different consequences.
- Mixed grip. One hand over, one under. Keeps the bar from rolling and allows considerably more weight. Because loading becomes uneven, regularly swapping sides is advisable.
- Straps. Bands connecting hand and bar. They solve the problem completely — and simultaneously remove the stimulus for the hand to get stronger.
- Chalk. Improves friction without relieving the hand. Not permitted in every gym.
- Training the grip. Individual sets without aids to the limit, or exercises holding a load.
A usable division is to do the heavy working sets with an aid and the lighter ones without — then both are preserved.
The thumb
Some people place the thumb alongside the bar rather than around it. This changes where the bar sits in the hand and is practised mainly in bench pressing and pulling movements.
In the bench press this is inadvisable: without the thumb nothing holds the bar if the hand gives way. The possible consequence is obvious and serious enough that the gain in comfort bears no relation to it.
In pulling movements without a load above the body the question is less critical. Even there, though: a full grip holds better, and in heavy sets that is what matters.
Change or keep?
In practice the question usually settles itself: the position that feels best over several sessions is the one that stays. A deliberate comparison is only worth it when something bothers you.
As with exercises: for comparability it is favourable to keep the grip within a training block. A pulling movement overhand and the same underhand produce different numbers that cannot be offset against each other.
Distributing different grips across the week is unproblematic, though — pull-ups overhand one day and neutral another. The grip should still be noted, otherwise the explanation for differing values is missing later.
What really counts
Hand position is one dial among several, and not the most important. Volume, closeness to exhaustion and consistency over months decide considerably more about whether anything changes.
That does not mean hand position is arbitrary. It should simply not become the main question while the bigger dials are not yet settled.
The knowledge is useful above all where a position is uncomfortable: switching to another is then usually the simplest solution — and one that costs nothing.
The key points
- Overhand, underhand and neutral distribute work differently; none is generally better.
- Grip width changes leverage and range of motion, not which muscle grows.
- Straps solve the grip problem and simultaneously remove the stimulus from the hand.
- In the bench press the thumb belongs around the bar — without it nothing holds the load.
- A mixed grip loads the sides unevenly; swap regularly.
- Keep the same grip within a block so the numbers stay comparable.
Last reviewed: 14.08.2026
Created by AI