Mixed Grip

The problem with the double-overhand deadlift is physical: gravity rolls the bar toward your fingers, and beyond a certain load your fingers can't hold it. The mixed grip solves this elegantly. With one hand in pronation and the other in supination, the two rotational forces cancel each other out. The bar doesn't roll in either direction. The result is the strongest, most stable grip you can get without accessories.

The mixed grip isn't perfect. The supinated arm is exposed to asymmetric stress: the biceps sits in a stretched position under load, and if the elbow isn't fully extended or you start with a jerk, the risk of biceps tendon injury increases. It's not a frequent event, but when it happens it's serious. Beyond that, the asymmetric grip generates different loads on the two sides of the body, which over the long run can lead to muscular and postural imbalances.

How to use it safely: regularly alternate the supinated side between sessions, fully extend the elbow before pulling, and never use a jerking motion. Save it only for sets where the double-overhand isn't enough. If you use it as your only grip from warm-up onward, you're giving up grip strength development and accumulating pointless asymmetry. Many advanced lifters prefer the hook grip precisely to avoid these issues.