[quote]APLASTICSPOON wrote:
Yeah I’m not looking to be a powerlifter. I’m just looking to be big and ripped.[/quote]
Then by all means, use straps. Like NewDamage said, I haven’t noticed any loss of grip strength since starting to use straps again. Actually, I’ve noticed that when I use straps for my back workouts, my forearms tend to get more of a pump and are sore the next day.
I’ve been thinking about using straps mainly for overhanded rowing activities. I can’t really hang on to more than 225 with an overhand grip, but then again that was before I had chalk, which has been making a world of difference. I haven’t done any rowing that requires a strong grip in a small while.
For the guys that do use straps, do you do extra forearm work?
Personally Id rather kill two birds with one stone, but I defiantly understand the reasoning that you don’t want your body to suffer just because of your hands.
I think the whole argument that using straps makes your forearms weak probably has some merit. If you don’t ever do anything without straps, and dont get any forearm stimulation, how would they get stronger?
Quick question about wrist straps:
How do you use them on both hands for deads and whatnot? I know you have to wrap the straps around the bar and I’m wondering how the heck you do that for both hands. Obviously, you can do the first hand with both hands, but how do you properly strap the second hand when your one hand is wrapped to the bar?
[quote]wirewound wrote:
Quick question about wrist straps:
How do you use them on both hands for deads and whatnot? I know you have to wrap the straps around the bar and I’m wondering how the heck you do that for both hands. Obviously, you can do the first hand with both hands, but how do you properly strap the second hand when your one hand is wrapped to the bar?[/quote]
It’s something you kind of develop your own technique for the more you use them. This video might give you some ideas:
I’m suspecting this guy is left handed, because I’m right handed and I do pretty much the exact opposite. I don’t manually wrap the strap as much as the guy in the video does. I wrap it once and then kind of roll the strap with my wrist and hands to get it tight.
I used to use them years ago but don’t anymore. No more belt either.
NewDamage nailed it.
I’ll occasionally bring out my Haulin’ Hooks for deadlifts and rack pulls.
Plus, between sets, it looks like I have metal claws. And we all know that’s sweet.
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[quote]SBT wrote:
Plus, between sets, it looks like I have metal claws. And we all know that’s sweet.[/quote]
Most reasonable argument yet.
I’d avoid them as much as possible, except possibly for an overly heavy lift, and for pure back hypertrophy applications.
But if you already have lagging forearms, straps are disastrous, when used regularly in my opinion.
My opinion if it is worth anything (and it porbably is not!) is straps should be used when necessary. When I first started deadlifting my grip could only hold about 225 but with straps I could get up to 295. So what I started doing is as much with out the straps as possible and when my grip gave out on a set I would add the straps. I have continued that trend through today.
For instance, for my Monday DL workout my working sets was 8 sets of 3 at 365. The first 5 sets I did with no straps but on the this 5th one I felt the bar slipping in my fingers and so went with the straps for the final 3 sets. This is progress for me in grip and dead lift so for me as long as I am getting stronger in both areas, what is the problem?
[quote]slazeagle wrote:
I felt the bar slipping in my fingers
[/quote]
If the bar is slipping the problem could be just moisture and not grip. In this case i would consider using chalk first. I would only use straps for a weight i simply could not hold.
But thats just my opinion. Whatever works for you is the right thing to be doing.