Underhand Grip

In the underhand grip you grab the bar with your palms facing you and your thumbs pointing outward. It's the exact opposite of the overhand grip. You can spot it instantly: looking at your hands, you see the palms, not the backs. It's the classic grip for barbell curls, chin-ups, and the underhand barbell row.

The biomechanical difference compared to the overhand is clear: with the forearm in supination, the biceps sits in its position of maximum mechanical advantage. That means it contributes significantly to elbow flexion, something that happens far less with the overhand grip. The practical result is that with the underhand grip you can generate more force in pulling movements, because the elbow flexors contribute more. The underhand grip recruits the biceps more heavily during elbow flexion. Some coaches argue it slightly emphasizes the lower lats, although the difference measured by research is modest.

Where to use it: chin-ups to train lats and biceps together, the underhand lat pulldown as a variant, the underhand barbell row to emphasize the lower lats, and obviously all biceps exercises with a barbell. A note of caution: in the underhand row with heavy loads, the biceps is under tension in a vulnerable position. Always keep the elbow well extended in the eccentric phase to reduce the risk of biceps tendon injury.