. ick-handled dumbbells should be used with even more caution than
thick barbells. For example, if your grip fails while performing thick-han-
dled dumbbell curls, and you drop the ’bells, you risk breaking a foot. But if
while curling you drop a barbell loaded with anything other than only very
small plates, your feet are not at risk. And if you properly use a power rack,
then the barbell would never fall to the floor.. For pressing movements, a moderately thick bar (once you are used to it)
will not greatly reduce the weights you use relative to those with a regular
bar.. For curls, your poundage may suffer a little with the -inch bar, but a lot with
a -inch bar. But for deadlifts and other pulling movements, and specific grip
work, any thick bar will devastate the poundages you can use relative to a
regular bar of –. inch diameter. e thicker the bar, the greater your grip
will limit you.. While you can use a thick bar for presses and curls, and still push all the
involved musculature to the hilt, the same cannot be said for pulling move-
ments. If you switch to using a thick bar for deadlifts and rows, your grip
will severely limit the involvement from your back muscles and defeat the
main purpose of those exercises, unless grip work is the focus.. Deadlifting using a thick barbell provides tremendous grip work. Add the
thick-bar deadlift to your deadlift day’s work, either on top of your regular
work if you recuperate well, or instead of a little of your regular work, in
order to keep the total volume of work constant.. While you will be able to get your fingers around or almost around a -inch
diameter bar, you will not be able to encircle a -inch bar unless you have
gigantic hands. For pulling exercises like the deadlift you will be faced with
the alternative of holding the bar as if pinch gripping it, or by using your
hands more like hooks (and be able to handle a bit more poundage), and
in both cases have the choice of either the reverse grip (i.e., one hand fac-
ing forward, and the other facing to the rear) or a both-palms-facing-you
(pronated) grip. Be consistent with the grip you use for record-keeping pur-
poses, or use more than one grip and keep multiple sets of records.. e -inch bar is too thick for safe overhead pressing, but it may be satisfac-
tory for bench pressing following a period of adapting to it, if your hands are
larger than average.