Grip for Tuck Front Lever

[RyanH]

Coach Sommer,

In your article "Building an Olympic Body through Bodyweight Conditiioning" you state to use an overhand grip when performing the Tuck Front Lever. My question is: Does it matter if the thumbs are around the bar/rings or can they be on the same side as your fingers like a false grip?

Thanks.

[braindx]

It doesn't really matter all that much.

I find that gripping with the thumb gives a more intense grip and thus better innervation to the muscles allowing you to work a slight bit longer (somewhat of the effect that creatine would give with giving you that one or two extra reps).

Much like the planche with the hands pointed forwards, sideways or backwards. Forwards makes the movement a bit easier but can be tough on the wrists. Doing it backwards is good preparation for rings and sideways is good preparation for parallettes/pbars.