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Are lifting straps for the weak?

Fadi

Fadi

...
The direct answer is no they're not for the weak, unless you consider some of the world's strongest men weak!

klokov-colour.jpg

When you're lifting really heavy (relative to you) for repetitions, or you're holding a weight statically momentarily before moving it (such in a halting deadlift position with a count), your main target is never your forearm muscles, even though your forearm muscles are involved during the lift.

If you have listened to the camp that passes judgment on you as being weak for using straps, and your grip does fail because you truly believe that using them is cheating, in this instance you've got no one to blame but yourself for not becoming stronger overall as the case ought to be.

dmitry-klokov-shrugs-trapi.jpg

There's a difference between a lifter looking for a way out to make his lifts easier, and the Champion lifter who uses (instead of abuses) the straps' availability to his advantage, just like any other tool at his disposal.
 
I can understand people competing in Strength or BB using them. But the average peep, not so much. What happens if you have to wrestle a Bear to save yourself or your loved ones life? "Just wait a minute Mr Bear, I gotta put my Straps on as my Forearms are weak from over use of Straps".

P.S. The bear was an extreme example. (Never seen a fighter wearing Straps for grappling, a Brickie for Bricklaying? a Carpenter for ....... carpentering lol?).


inb4 someone posts some random using them for god knows what.
 
No one should be totally reliant on straps but to eek out an extra rep before grip failure isn't detrimental in my opinion.
 
Shrek said:
No one should be totally reliant on straps but to eek out an extra rep before grip failure isn't detrimental in my opinion.
Click to expand...
Not only it is not detrimental Adrian, it's actually beneficial.

Please keep in mind what I said in the OP. I mentioned reps and the holding of static positions. To do reps would by default suggest that the lifter is not going beyond what he's capable of lifting. The use of the straps here is being necessitated by the repetitiveness of the repetition.

I can give an example of a clean pull done for reps with a weight that is up to 10% above one's clean and jerk maximum weight. People here can better relate however to the usage of straps for something like bent over barbell rows, or even lat pulldowns for reps.

As I've said, your forearm muscles (say during the lat pulldowns) are not what you aim to target. So before, (sometimes way before) your lats have had some good stimulation, your grip would give in, forcing you to either drop the weight or terminate the set altogether. A better option (and an available option) in my opinion, would be to use your straps and get those reps that your lats are capable of pulling down, had your grip not weakened. To be more specific (for me), if I was using the V-bar with its neutral grip for close grip lat pulldown, I never find it necessary to use the straps. If however I was using the long straight bar for some wide grip lat pulldown with a pronated grip, then I find straps necessary. So for a supinated and neutral grip, no straps..., for a pronated grip, I use the straps on the lat pulldowns. So here it's not even just the strength or weakness of your grip/forearm, but the mechanics of the grip and the way it affects certain muscles within your forearms.

Use (to your advantage) and not abuse is what the OP is suggesting, that is all.
 
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Imo, there are some pretty short sighted opinions that have popped up in the thread already.

I use em and im a recreational lifter. For RDL's and Bent rows.

Im still using my grip here....and my forearms, this is where the misconception comes in.

If you are not still gripping that bar as hard as you can, then thats when you are creating a dangerous situation. Straps are designed to (as fadi has already alluded to) assist the grip. NOT replace it. You dont just hang the fucken weight off of the end of your arms lol. Though i have seen guys in commercial gyms do exactly that.

They are assistive gear. Not replacement gear. You still better be gripping that damn iron sucker like a boss.

So why do i use them if i am a recreational lifter? My hands and forearms are often fatigued after deadlifts. Why use lower than helpful weight on assistive exercises just so i can more comfortably hold the bar? How will that help me progress that exercise?? (Protip - if fucking wont).

Tim.
 
Timeah said:
Imo, there are some pretty short sighted opinions that have popped up in the thread already.

I use em and im a recreational lifter. For RDL's and Bent rows.

Im still using my grip here....and my forearms, this is where the misconception comes in.

If you are not still gripping that bar as hard as you can, then thats when you are creating a dangerous situation. Straps are designed to (as fadi has already alluded to) assist the grip. NOT replace it. You dont just hang the fucken weight off of the end of your arms lol. Though i have seen guys in commercial gyms do exactly that.

They are assistive gear. Not replacement gear. You still better be gripping that damn iron sucker like a boss.

So why do i use them if i am a recreational lifter? My hands and forearms are often fatigued after deadlifts. Why use lower than helpful weight on assistive exercises just so i can more comfortably hold the bar? How will that help me progress that exercise?? (Protip - if fucking wont).

Tim.
Click to expand...

Worded perfectly and the message is simple, yet loud and clear for anyone with understanding.

I particularly like this bit right here:
Im still using my grip here....and my forearms, this is where the misconception comes in.
Click to expand...

Thank you Tim.
 
Timeah said:
Imo, there are some pretty short sighted opinions that have popped up in the thread already.

I use em and im a recreational lifter. For RDL's and Bent rows.

Im still using my grip here....and my forearms, this is where the misconception comes in.

If you are not still gripping that bar as hard as you can, then thats when you are creating a dangerous situation. Straps are designed to (as fadi has already alluded to) assist the grip. NOT replace it. You dont just hang the fucken weight off of the end of your arms lol. Though i have seen guys in commercial gyms do exactly that.

They are assistive gear. Not replacement gear. You still better be gripping that damn iron sucker like a boss.

So why do i use them if i am a recreational lifter? My hands and forearms are often fatigued after deadlifts. Why use lower than helpful weight on assistive exercises just so i can more comfortably hold the bar? How will that help me progress that exercise?? (Protip - if fucking wont).

Tim.
Click to expand...

Couldn't have said it better myself.
 
I'm fairly new to deadlifting and I do it at work where the bar is quite thick. As I was progressing I found that my grip was giving out but I felt like I could still do the lift so to speak. I'm not entirely sure how a thicker bar effects the lift but I presume a thinner bar is easier to wrap your hands around. Anyway, I bought some straps and used them only on my last heavy lift only and found I was able to progress a lot quicker. Now the old weight I couldn't keep a grip on is now a weight I use for a warmup without straps.
 
Timeah said:
Imo, there are some pretty short sighted opinions that have popped up in the thread already.

I use em and im a recreational lifter. For RDL's and Bent rows.
Click to expand...

I use them for the exact same exercises and progressed way faster with them than without. I do plenty of body weight pull ups, etc, so grip and forearm development is fine. To me it seems stupid to allow your grip to be the limiting factor.
 
steveP said:
I use them for the exact same exercises and progressed way faster with them than without. I do plenty of body weight pull ups, etc, so grip and forearm development is fine. To me it seems stupid to allow your grip to be the limiting factor.
Click to expand...
Yep. That is true to a point.

I can do the two exercises without them, but why.

Rest assured i can deadlift 190kg with a normal grip. I hope to this year pull 200

:)

Tim.
 
I don't think any opinion is stupid. just like anything else, there may be good reasons to use them, and good reasons to not.
 
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