Fadi
...
Lately I’ve been reading a lot about lifters lifting raw. By raw they mean that they employ nothing that would “aid” with their lifting of the heavies. I’m asking, where did this start and by whom? After 30 years of training and having been on both side of the iron fence, namely in weightlifting as well as bodybuilding, I’m here to tell you that I see not an iota of wrong doing or misguidance on behalf of the lifter who chooses to use “aids”.
Now what do the “machos” classify as being an aid to lifting?
1. Belts
2. Straps
3. Lifting shoes
4. Knee/wrist wraps
5. Gloves
But out of all the above the main three would have to be straps, wraps, and belts. I’ve lifted at the top level and did use straps in training when taking on certain movements. Please note I said used straps rather than abused straps, (more on that soon). There are bodybuilders who would not even contemplate the usage of chalk before a heavy deadlift for God’s sake. Why be a sadist on yourself when you don’t have to be, but more importantly, when by choosing to do so you actually end up robbing yourself of a more productive workout where by necessity you would have to bring your poundages down to allow your grip to handle the weights at hand (pun intended).
Some bodybuilders are fixated on being super strong while some weightlifters are fixated (wait for it)…on having huge proportioned muscles! No sane bodybuilding judge would ever ask the bodybuilder on stage (or off stage) a question regarding his or her grip strength, or how strong their forearms are.
In all my years of lifting, I have not come across a single lifter/bodybuilder who has a weak grip, never! What the bodybuilder fails to realise is that grip strength is relative. Yes, your grip strength is relative to the amount of weight and the task at hand.
Getting back to the term use and abuse of straps as mentioned above, there are two competition lifts in the sport of weightlifting; the clean & jerk, and the snatch. These two lifts never see the usage of straps and are done with hook grips. There are no competition lifts in the sport of bodybuilding…except what goes on around your local gyms every night between the boys. In addition to the main two competition lifts, there are many lifts that are used in a weightlifting training session as supplemntaries. Some of these lifts are heavy shrugs, halting dead lifts and shrugs, snatch and clean pulls to name a few. Now all the aforementioned supplemntaries demand that the weightlifter, irrespective of status or how many world records he holds, that he uses the straps. Granted that these lifts are done in an explosive fashion as opposed to the bodybuilder performing a heavy deadlift or chin ups, lat pulldowns, T-Bar rows, bent over rows etc, which are all done in smooth like manner. However, all these bodybuilding lifts in my opinion would be better served by using straps (when going medium heavy and above) so as to maintain proper workout intensity.
Many bodybuilders would up their intensity in an instant if they decided to use straps when it is appropriate. But instead, they mistakenly think that it might take away something from their manhood, their powerhood, or to put it bluntly; their ego.
Your muscles are only concerned with the stimulus forced upon them and the intensity that they would have to adapt to. Your wrist/grip plays one part and only one part in the whole scheme of things. Do you know what that crucial part is?
Anchor; that’s it!
Your grip’s purpose is to basically tie you up to the bar or the machine or whatever you’re doing at the time. Now depending on how strong your anchor is, would result on how big a weight you lift (all being equal). Let’s take the one arm d/bell row as an example here since it’s one of my favourite back exercises. I’ll use myself as an example here to illustrate the point. Weighing around/between 75-77kg, my best lift here would be around the 110lbs for 10. Now I can’t even begin to imagine performing this exercise without straps once I reach 85-90lbs. My hands would be sweaty, they would begin to slide which would cause the d/bell weight to shift and my grip strength after (say) 6 or 7 reps is basically gone. Now if I was to continue like this and opt to up the weight to (say) 100-110lbs, I can confidently guarantee you that my main focus would shift from lifting the weight to gripping the bloody thing! There goes the intensity and a wasted opportunity to build some serious muscles. Why? Because Tom, Dick, and Jane might, (just might) think that I’m a wuss for using straps. Well to hell with T, D, and J, I’m in the gym for one reason and one reason only, and that is to build some rocking muscles and nothing else! Straps are tools and I would use every tool in my tool box if it meant looking after my main goal which is to have an absolute rocking workout like it’s my last workout.
Knee wraps are here to lend support to your patella tendon. Does that mean knee wraps on heavy squats would prevent an injury from taking place? Absolutely not. But then again, car seat belts don’t stop us from having car accidents, but in the unfortunate event that we do, they would serve to minimise any possible damage that we may develop at the time. I came from a country where seat belts are not worn and are mocked by the majority. In that country, once a high speed accident takes place, the morgue (and not hospital) would be the only place of rest for those unfortunate occupants who end up flying through the windscreen! Wraps are not here to prevent but to minimise the damage if and when it knocks on you door.
So go ahead Lions, use whatever you deem necessary to have a great and productive workout, a workout that you would be proud of irrespective what all the Ts, Ds, and Js might otherwise think!
In summary:
I’m here to take the weak link out of your workout instead of making your workout easier. Lest I be misunderstood by anyone, I’m not here advocating the use of straps to magically turn a weak lifter into a strong one, or a lifter who is not yet ready to lift a certain weight into one who is, because by doing so would truly be abuse indeed for which I certainly do not stand.
I’ve taken enough of your time so I do thank you for reading.
Fadi.
Now what do the “machos” classify as being an aid to lifting?
1. Belts
2. Straps
3. Lifting shoes
4. Knee/wrist wraps
5. Gloves
But out of all the above the main three would have to be straps, wraps, and belts. I’ve lifted at the top level and did use straps in training when taking on certain movements. Please note I said used straps rather than abused straps, (more on that soon). There are bodybuilders who would not even contemplate the usage of chalk before a heavy deadlift for God’s sake. Why be a sadist on yourself when you don’t have to be, but more importantly, when by choosing to do so you actually end up robbing yourself of a more productive workout where by necessity you would have to bring your poundages down to allow your grip to handle the weights at hand (pun intended).
Some bodybuilders are fixated on being super strong while some weightlifters are fixated (wait for it)…on having huge proportioned muscles! No sane bodybuilding judge would ever ask the bodybuilder on stage (or off stage) a question regarding his or her grip strength, or how strong their forearms are.
In all my years of lifting, I have not come across a single lifter/bodybuilder who has a weak grip, never! What the bodybuilder fails to realise is that grip strength is relative. Yes, your grip strength is relative to the amount of weight and the task at hand.
Getting back to the term use and abuse of straps as mentioned above, there are two competition lifts in the sport of weightlifting; the clean & jerk, and the snatch. These two lifts never see the usage of straps and are done with hook grips. There are no competition lifts in the sport of bodybuilding…except what goes on around your local gyms every night between the boys. In addition to the main two competition lifts, there are many lifts that are used in a weightlifting training session as supplemntaries. Some of these lifts are heavy shrugs, halting dead lifts and shrugs, snatch and clean pulls to name a few. Now all the aforementioned supplemntaries demand that the weightlifter, irrespective of status or how many world records he holds, that he uses the straps. Granted that these lifts are done in an explosive fashion as opposed to the bodybuilder performing a heavy deadlift or chin ups, lat pulldowns, T-Bar rows, bent over rows etc, which are all done in smooth like manner. However, all these bodybuilding lifts in my opinion would be better served by using straps (when going medium heavy and above) so as to maintain proper workout intensity.
Many bodybuilders would up their intensity in an instant if they decided to use straps when it is appropriate. But instead, they mistakenly think that it might take away something from their manhood, their powerhood, or to put it bluntly; their ego.
Your muscles are only concerned with the stimulus forced upon them and the intensity that they would have to adapt to. Your wrist/grip plays one part and only one part in the whole scheme of things. Do you know what that crucial part is?
Anchor; that’s it!
Your grip’s purpose is to basically tie you up to the bar or the machine or whatever you’re doing at the time. Now depending on how strong your anchor is, would result on how big a weight you lift (all being equal). Let’s take the one arm d/bell row as an example here since it’s one of my favourite back exercises. I’ll use myself as an example here to illustrate the point. Weighing around/between 75-77kg, my best lift here would be around the 110lbs for 10. Now I can’t even begin to imagine performing this exercise without straps once I reach 85-90lbs. My hands would be sweaty, they would begin to slide which would cause the d/bell weight to shift and my grip strength after (say) 6 or 7 reps is basically gone. Now if I was to continue like this and opt to up the weight to (say) 100-110lbs, I can confidently guarantee you that my main focus would shift from lifting the weight to gripping the bloody thing! There goes the intensity and a wasted opportunity to build some serious muscles. Why? Because Tom, Dick, and Jane might, (just might) think that I’m a wuss for using straps. Well to hell with T, D, and J, I’m in the gym for one reason and one reason only, and that is to build some rocking muscles and nothing else! Straps are tools and I would use every tool in my tool box if it meant looking after my main goal which is to have an absolute rocking workout like it’s my last workout.
Knee wraps are here to lend support to your patella tendon. Does that mean knee wraps on heavy squats would prevent an injury from taking place? Absolutely not. But then again, car seat belts don’t stop us from having car accidents, but in the unfortunate event that we do, they would serve to minimise any possible damage that we may develop at the time. I came from a country where seat belts are not worn and are mocked by the majority. In that country, once a high speed accident takes place, the morgue (and not hospital) would be the only place of rest for those unfortunate occupants who end up flying through the windscreen! Wraps are not here to prevent but to minimise the damage if and when it knocks on you door.
So go ahead Lions, use whatever you deem necessary to have a great and productive workout, a workout that you would be proud of irrespective what all the Ts, Ds, and Js might otherwise think!
In summary:
I’m here to take the weak link out of your workout instead of making your workout easier. Lest I be misunderstood by anyone, I’m not here advocating the use of straps to magically turn a weak lifter into a strong one, or a lifter who is not yet ready to lift a certain weight into one who is, because by doing so would truly be abuse indeed for which I certainly do not stand.
I’ve taken enough of your time so I do thank you for reading.
Fadi.
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