Squats
A Loose Grip Lets Your Upper Back Break
The fault
Fingertips only on the bar, which lets the upper back round under load.
Why it happens
Grip and upper back tightness are connected. A full hand on the bar gives you something to pull against, and that tension travels through the whole torso.
The fix
Use a full hand grip on the bar rather than fingertips. The upper back stays tighter and you stay solid through the full range.
About this fix
Originally published as "Front Squat Grip" on 3 August 2015, part of The Lifting Fix, a free weekly weightlifting technique series Danny Lehr ran from June 2015 to December 2016. Every episode is free here and always will be. For the full structured course, see the professionally filmed program.
