False Grip

In the false grip, the thumb doesn't oppose the other fingers: it stays on the same side, resting over the bar or along the palm. The bar sits lower in the palm, almost at the base of the fingers, and isn't locked by the thumb. This position is also called the 'suicide grip' in English, and the name isn't accidental: without the thumb to lock it, the bar can slip out of your hands if the wrist angle changes even slightly.

Lifters who use it argue it offers specific advantages: straighter wrists aligned with the forearm during the bench press, less stress on the wrist joint, better triceps activation in some pressing exercises. These benefits are real from a biomechanical standpoint, but the price in safety is high. If the bar slips during a heavy bench press, it falls on your chest, neck, or face. There are documented cases of severe injuries.

In the gym, the false grip has a reasonable application in exercises where the risk of dropping the bar is low: squats (the bar is on your back), cable pushdowns, some dumbbell pressing variants. On the barbell bench press, the risk-benefit ratio doesn't justify its use, especially if you train alone without a spotter. If your problem is wrists giving out on heavy presses, wrist wraps solve the same problem without putting your safety on the line.