22/09/2026
WRIST PAIN OVERHEAD
A lot of CrossFit athletes blame wrist pain on mobility.
Often it is simply how the bar is being received and how pressure is distributed through the hand.
Hook grip is essential for cleans, snatches and barbell cycling because it stops the bar rolling and allows you to hold heavier loads with less grip fatigue.
But hook grip naturally makes you rely heavily on the thumb, index and middle fingers.
The problem starts when that same pressure pattern carries into the turnover and overhead position.
You still need the ring finger and pinky involved.
The bar should be supported across the whole hand, with the load sitting through the palm rather than one small area of the wrist.
The faster you turn the bar over, the more important this becomes.
Practice it with the empty bar during your warm-up.
Hook grip the pull.
Then learn to receive and stabilize the bar with pressure distributed across the entire hand.
Small change. Much better overhead position.
