Lifting Straps

[pilchardthecat]

I'm doing a split regime at the moment, and I've got to the point on a shoulders/back day where about half-way in i'm having to drop the weight down because my grip isn't up to it and my fingers are letting go.

Opinion seems to be divided on the use of straps, but i've decided to start using them on certain exercises (deadlifts, pulldowns, machine seated rows).

Any thoughts/experiences/advice welcome

[didelydoo]

Don't use them unless you have to. IMO grip should be last thing to fail, dead easy to train too.

[LordGrover]

... unfortunately though, it's often the first thing to fail.
I'm ambivalent what's best; to shift decent weight you need to be able to hold onto it, but the best/only way to improve grip strength is to grip (heavy) things. Use your common sense and 'resort' to them when you absolutely need to.

[pilchardthecat]

LordGrover said:

... unfortunately, it's often the first to fail though.
I'm ambivalent what's best; to shift decent weight to need to be able to hold onto it, but the best/only way to improve grip strength is to grip (heavy) things. Use your common sense and 'resort' to them when you absolutely need to.

That's my plan. I "get" the whole can't-improve-it-unless-you-train-it thing, but i've always had much stronger arms/shoulders/back than the rest of me, and my workouts are suffering. Going to try them out tomorrow.

[didelydoo]

I suppose that the majority of people simply don't care if they've a strong grip, as chances are they'll never lift heavy enough to test it and if things get heavy, then straps are available to help.

I do use straps for deads, but only sometimes and on the heavy sets. Mainly down to the fact that grip is saved for other things, rather than I can't hold on.

[LordGrover]

OP, didelydoo is proper strongman, not 'lifestyle gym' rat like me and others here.
Heed his words.

[pilchardthecat]

I'm new-ish to deadlifts

I think my grip is pretty good - it holds out for about half of my workout on some pretty heavy stuff, but then it tires. I know my back/shoulder have lots more to give so it's frustrating

[didelydoo]

LordGrover said:

OP, didelydoo is proper strongman,

I'd not go that far (yet...), but I do try

Grip will improve as you do more deadlifts- but not if you use straps too often. Grip can also improve much more quickly than most other aspects of lifting, and, as above is relatively easy to train (I've a few grippers in my office- will have a wee grip work out after typing!)

[GBDG]

I have some straps in my bag. I try not to use them, but they're there if I need it. They only cost me about £5 - £6 and it's a better alternative than missing a set or dropping weight.

[Ordinary_Chap]

I use my grip until it fails and if more sets are left, then I use straps.

I'm with Didley (although not in that way), training grip strength is important.

[Halb]

I have some ace things called powergrabs. Not as fiddly has straps, not as dodgy as hooks. You can quickly wrap them round if you need them or leave them if you don't

Bizarrely recently I started using them on RDLs when my grip was giving out on the last reps, and I have just realised I completely forgot to go for alternative grip to stretch it out.

[Chaz9950]

For me, I only would advise using wraps for hanging exercises - like heaves and pull-ups.

By the sheer fact you are asking, I'd guess that you are not a hugely experienced gym-goer, so it could be very easy to overdo a set of deadlifts, and cause (potentially) a pretty bad injury.

If your grip is really that bad, then I wouldn't say no, but I'm firmly of the opinion if you can't hold onto the bar, then you shouldn't be lifting it - work you muscle imbalance out -



- I'll caveat this by saying that the real big strongmen use wraps, because they really know what they are doing. As much as I'm strong, and I've been in the gym for years, I'm no huge muscle-bound strength athlete. Yet...

[goldblum]

Grip is important,so don't use straps.

[Halb]

I'll just add (in case my post gave the wrong impression) that I rarely use the grabs. It's all down to what the person is after, what are you training for etc, if it's big numbers and you deadlift you'll need them at some point, because your forearms will fail before your posterior chain.
I would only use my grabs for these big lifts.
Power shrugs is a funny one due to the nature of the lift/hold. When I have done that exercise I needed grabs, you cannot do it effectively without them imo unless your grip strength far exceeds your back strength.

[goldblum]

NeMiSiS said:

If the weight you lift exceeds the maxium safe grip you have, use hooks or straps.
I shrug 180KG's, 3 SO 8 I can't do it safely without hooks, try it and see.

I believe that if you need straps to lift something it's because you're not strong enough for the weight.If you're doing heavy shrugs and it's not safe then use a Smith machine,pre-exhaust etc,at least then you stand the best chance of your grip improving which it won't if you use straps.Having said that my training is for functional strength not outright lifting power.

[pilchardthecat]

As i said, i do "get" the idea that for your grip to improve you have to exercise it.

The thing is, it's not my grip strength that's the problem, it's the endurance. For the first 30 minutes i don't have a problem. I guess i could change my routine so i don't have so much "pull" type exercises on the same day.... but i dont want to

Anyway, i tried them out today - big help. Didn't use them on the deadlifts (do these first so don't need to), but used them for the last 30 minutes - lat pulldowns (up 30kg on last week), seated row machine (up 30kg on last week, but fiddly due to rubber handles) and dumbell shrugs (they were great here)

[goldblum]

Why do you do lower back and quads/glutes first on a back day? Conventional wisdom would indicate there are larger back muscles that should be worked first,no?

Not only are you tiring your lower back first but you're having to use grips for your main back lifts.Doesn't make sense.Are you periodising so that this workout changes quite regularly?

You haven't lifted 30kgs more.You and grips have.The advantage of stronger grip will mean forearm muscles don't work so hard,which means bicep works less,which means back works less.

Is there any reason why you can't lift a bit lighter?

[pilchardthecat]

goldblum said:

Why do you do lower back and quads/glutes first on a back day? Conventional wisdom would indicate there are larger back muscles that should be worked first,no?

Not only are you tiring your lower back first but you're having to use grips for your main back lifts.Doesn't make sense.Are you periodising so that this workout changes quite regularly?

You haven't lifted 30kgs more.You and grips have.The advantage of stronger grip will mean forearm muscles don't work so hard,which means bicep works less,which means back works less.

Is there any reason why you can't lift a bit lighter?

I prefer doing deadlifts first as it means i'm more likely to maintain good form and not fk up my back. This is widely recommended in fact.

I work my arms specifically on a different split day (Tuesday) and that includes some grip work. It's my fingers that let go when my grip fades.

With straight wrists the forearm and upper arm load doesn't change (in fact it's increased along with the back load). All the strap is doing is applying a torque opposite to that applied by the fingers.

[goldblum]

Rrrright.Torque is a rotational force,..aw forget it.

[Halb]

goldblum said:

Having said that my training is for functional strength not outright lifting power.

Same here, I'm not chasing numbers at the moment.

Pilchard, do you do any warm-up before you do deadlifts? Maintaining good technique is fine. The program I like (three big compound lifts) puts the big pulls at the end so the body is nice and warm for them.