Powerlifting Hand Placement?

[DMedley]

I am a little slow mentally at times, so I need a translation of this Powerlifting Bench Press Rule.

"hands may grip the bar with a "thumbs around" grip, thumbless grip or reverse grip as long as the rings on the bar are covered. You may not grip outside the 81cm mark.

The spacing of the hands shall not exceed 81 cm. The use of a reverse grip is allowed, as long as the 81 cm marks are covered."

Does this mean that the little finger must be on the 81 cm marks?

[IronDiggy]

Any of your fingers must cover the marks. In other words the ref doesn't want to see the rings on the bar.

[barbell01]

index finger at widest

[DMedley]

Thanks for the clarification: "The spacing of the hands shall not exceed 81 cm" my brain was thinking the out side measurement of the hand space not the inside distance. Now it makes more sense.

[mastermonster]

Index finger with regular grip. Little finger for reverse grip. I've even seen a fed let you get away with the thumb covering it with the thumbless (suicide) grip that I used to use. Most would not.

[vdizenzo]

Suicide grip here, I use my thumbs to cover it.