Good for a laugh... deadlifting and using straps - how NOT to do it.

[StangBanger]

Ok, I am seriously an idiot some times...

I have been wondering why using straps does not help me whatsoever when deadlifting. You would *think* that they are idiot proof... well let me introduce you to an idiot - ME!

I was wrapping OVER the bar not under and lets just say it doesnt work that way.

So... thank you for my biggest idiot award.

Feels good to increase your weight by just by figuring out common sense!

[DmitryWI]

lol congrats, you are an idiot!

[Blergs]

atleast you didn't die.......... lol

[ZiR RED]

All the more reason not to use straps.

[SizeUp]

probably happened to more than would care to admit funny tho

[Insidious1]

All the more reason not to use straps.

HHmm.... I've followed a lot of your posts and you seem incredibly knowledgable... But would you care to explain the above...?

My theory behind it is... If my back (the only muscle group i use straps for) can physically maintain and perform the given weight (heavy)... but my hands and perhaps forarms are fatigued... why sacrifice what could be a great back workout merely base on the fact that i dont want to use straps...? Also... In my humble, yet not quite as knoweldgable opinion, lol I find that straps help you focus on your form better and eliminate the incorporation of other body parts that you do not intend to work out (i.e. biceps on a lat pull down).

Now i agree that straps are FAR overused... and i dont use them until the weight finally gets heavy enough to warrant the need.... BUT i'm interested to know the reasoning why you (and many others i know) opt to NOT use straps when it would and does clearly assist in proper workout....

Thanks in advance for your input.

Oh... and to the OP... i was working out with a buddy just two days ago and he was doing the same exact thing! LOL Its more common than most realize! LOL

[JajaNe20]

^ x 2, I completely agree every time that if my grip is my limiting factor; then i use straps. No use deadlifting 350 pounds when you can deadlift 550 with straps.

[Resolve]

Nah, I agree with Zir, strengthen those hands. If you can pull 500 with straps but only 350 without 'em, that's a serious deficiency in your hand/forearm strength that needs to be rectified.

[JajaNe20]

Nah, I agree with Zir, strengthen those hands. If you can pull 500 with straps but only 350 without 'em, that's a serious deficiency in your hand/forearm strength that needs to be rectified.

That's from your standpoint. Oh and yah thqats with a pronated grip not with an over and under grip. Forearms don't win bodybuilding shows, however big hams and backs do . I believe it's all relative to your goals

[Dwick]

I went six months of suffering through double-overhand in the offseason for this same reason... Now I go under the bar and love my straps, lol.

[ZiR RED]

HHmm.... I've followed a lot of your posts and you seem incredibly knowledgable... But would you care to explain the above...?

My theory behind it is... If my back (the only muscle group i use straps for) can physically maintain and perform the given weight (heavy)... but my hands and perhaps forarms are fatigued... why sacrifice what could be a great back workout merely base on the fact that i dont want to use straps...? Also... In my humble, yet not quite as knoweldgable opinion, lol I find that straps help you focus on your form better and eliminate the incorporation of other body parts that you do not intend to work out (i.e. biceps on a lat pull down).

Now i agree that straps are FAR overused... and i dont use them until the weight finally gets heavy enough to warrant the need.... BUT i'm interested to know the reasoning why you (and many others i know) opt to NOT use straps when it would and does clearly assist in proper workout....

Thanks in advance for your input.

Oh... and to the OP... i was working out with a buddy just two days ago and he was doing the same exact thing! LOL Its more common than most realize! LOL

For people who started their lifting career without straps and then switch to them what is normally seen is a loss of form. Often times the grip is equal to the strength of the primary movers of that exercise. Deadlifts are performed with a rounded back, rows are not with a full ROM, shrugs become a hip thrust, etc. Thus, its important to be very cognizant of technique when training with straps - which most gym rats and bodybuilders are not. In addition, the biceps have no connection to the hand, and whether you use straps or not, your biceps are going to be worked on pulling movements.

Second, straps are very non-functional. As an athlete (someone who is not judged simply on physique) everything done outside of the gym requires grip strength and hand muscle coordination. Athletes require strong hands for any sport - football, basketball, track, wrestling, swimming, etc.

In everyday life, grip is essential. When the grip fails lifting an object, compensation occurs usually in the form of spinal flexion, and this either causes injury or leads to a degeneration of disks which will eventually result in injury.

That's my take on straps. Most do not actually need them, and those who use them often use them incorrectly.

Br

[MakaveliThaDon]

lol, nice story bro. It's actually not all that uncommon for most people to not understand how to wrap the wraps around the bar properly. I think over the bar is the first instinct. But the rule of thumb is that you always wrap in the OPPOSITE direction that your fingers wrap around the bar. This means if you are using an under hand grip you actually would wrap over the bar. Keep this rule of thumb in mind for when you use wraps with DB's as well, as sometimes looking at a weight sideways as opposed to longways right in front of you can confuse you on which direction you need to wrap it.

[JajaNe20]

For people who started their lifting career without straps and then switch to them what is normally seen is a loss of form. Often times the grip is equal to the strength of the primary movers of that exercise. Deadlifts are performed with a rounded back, rows are not with a full ROM, shrugs become a hip thrust, etc. Thus, its important to be very cognizant of technique when training with straps - which most gym rats and bodybuilders are not. In addition, the biceps have no connection to the hand, and whether you use straps or not, your biceps are going to be worked on pulling movements.

Second, straps are very non-functional. As an athlete (someone who is not judged simply on physique) everything done outside of the gym requires grip strength and hand muscle coordination. Athletes require strong hands for any sport - football, basketball, track, wrestling, swimming, etc.

In everyday life, grip is essential. When the grip fails lifting an object, compensation occurs usually in the form of spinal flexion, and this either causes injury or leads to a degeneration of disks which will eventually result in injury.

That's my take on straps. Most do not actually need them, and those who use them often use them incorrectly.

Br

Well your opinon is just that, your opinion. You have valid points, but I think I have enough grip strength as I stated in an early post. Also that is a very close minded statement "That's my take on straps. Most do not actually need them, and those who use them often use them incorrectly." I see what your getting at, but if you have good form and know what your doing STRAPS = win everytime. This is my opinion based on 8+ years of hard training (for a sport) and for physique wise. It's all personal preference, people who compensate with straps and do bad form are hurting themselves.

[Insidious1]

Nah, I agree with Zir, strengthen those hands. If you can pull 500 with straps but only 350 without 'em, that's a serious deficiency in your hand/forearm strength that needs to be rectified.

Valid argument! Though i would say that deficit is an extreme...

For people who started their lifting career without straps and then switch to them what is normally seen is a loss of form. Often times the grip is equal to the strength of the primary movers of that exercise. Deadlifts are performed with a rounded back, rows are not with a full ROM, shrugs become a hip thrust, etc. Thus, its important to be very cognizant of technique when training with straps - which most gym rats and bodybuilders are not. In addition, the biceps have no connection to the hand, and whether you use straps or not, your biceps are going to be worked on pulling movements.Second, straps are very non-functional. As an athlete (someone who is not judged simply on physique) everything done outside of the gym requires grip strength and hand muscle coordination. Athletes require strong hands for any sport - football, basketball, track, wrestling, swimming, etc.In everyday life, grip is essential. When the grip fails lifting an object, compensation occurs usually in the form of spinal flexion, and this either causes injury or leads to a degeneration of disks which will eventually result in injury.That's my take on straps. Most do not actually need them, and those who use them often use them incorrectly. Br

I respect that approach and mindset to training! I know many who just like to sound tough and go with the "screw the straps! Those are for p**sies!"... yet they do the do the exercise without proper form and lack technique! I believe from your posts that you don't fall in that category by any means... But I am all for new "technologies" that offer some sort of advantage (without the sales hype! LOL). In this case... and like someone mentioned earlier... i ONLY tend to use them when grip starts to fail or weight exceeds grip. Lets face it.... we've all gone to do an overhand deadlift without straps, and have to occassionally set it down or regrip due to either grip fatigue or poor grip placement... both problems are eliminated when you incorporate the use of straps. I can see what you mean about biceps too... but atleast for me (and perhaps its placebo/mental)... when i strap up to a lat pull down machine.. i imagine my hands are apart of the bar...and that my elbows are spikes that i have to drive into the ground. It sounds cheesy... but the mental-muscle connection is important and FOR ME.... the use of straps helps in that bc i'm not concerned about losing my grip. I will agree that grip is important in "real world" situations, more so than a good clean and press or compound movement. We use our grip more than anything, and why NOT improve it!?! BUT... for what its worth in my opinion, i dont plan on neglecting a good back workout due to a less-than-great grip strength. BUT... will concede that i should improve my grip strength anyways...

[Resolve]

For strict bodybuilding purposes, straps can have their place. But if training for strength, you're really selling yourself short.

Additionally, I can't get my air then "drop'n'pop" on my deads if I to use straps.

[ZiR RED]

Well your opinon is just that, your opinion. You have valid points, but I think I have enough grip strength as I stated in an early post. Also that is a very close minded statement "That's my take on straps. Most do not actually need them, and those who use them often use them incorrectly." I see what your getting at, but if you have good form and know what your doing STRAPS = win everytime. This is my opinion based on 8+ years of hard training (for a sport) and for physique wise. It's all personal preference, people who compensate with straps and do bad form are hurting themselves.

Sorry, I left the caveat "...most who use them...."

You're right, that is my opinion, but it is based on more than n=1 hard training. It is based on working as a professional in the fitness, bodybuilding, and strength and conditioning field for nearly 8 years. In training for athletic performance, you'll be hard pressed to find any strength coach who advises (or even allows for that matter) his/her clients/teams to use straps.

I'll concede straps may have their purpose when training for competitive bodybuilding purposes.

With regard to dead lifts...
Dead lifts are a hip dominated exercise, and when done correctly require you to reset the hips and grip between reps. Very few people without some form professional instruction do dead lifts correctly or safely. Rounding the back on dead lifts won't normally result in an acute injury, but years of doing some results disk degeneration and possible herneation and/or rupture.

Br

[SweetLou321]

If your doing a double overhand just switch to a hook grips and drop the straps.
And zir. Are you saying that in order to do reps on deadlifts one should stand up and approach each rep as its own set? bc i always reset my hips and do a dead stop but wasnt aware of completely restarting for each rep.

[ZiR RED]

If your doing a double overhand just switch to a hook grips and drop the straps.
And zir. Are you saying that in order to do reps on deadlifts one should stand up and approach each rep as its own set? bc i always reset my hips and do a dead stop but wasnt aware of completely restarting for each rep.

You don't have to stand up between each rep, although with heavier sets I prefer to.

However, you should regrip and reset hips, shoulder blades, and lower back. All too often I see people tapping the bar off the floor between reps, and the result is very negative indeed - hips elevate before shoulders, back round, and it becomes a dynamic spinal extension exercise versus a fixed spine hip extension movement.

Br

EDIT: No straps

[SizeUp]

Good stuff here! and a civil debate i like that! I def agree for sports other than bodybuilding you prob should stay away from the straps... but as a bodybuilder myself i do use them on my back days, but only on certain movements. But even in bodybuilding there are pros that opt not to use straps.. i haven't seen kai greene use them in any video but there are guys like Jay and Ronnie that always do.. all three had great backs.. I think you have to look at ultimately what's working for you as an individual.

[Dwick]

I used to hate straps, until I realized my weak point was my thoracic lumbar area not my grip and working both sides of that area equally without a staggered grip takes precedence over chalking up every time.