Straps; cheating or not ?

I use straps most of the time whenever im hang or power cleaning to get a better grip on the bar, why do some people consider this cheating? 

5 RM
Bench Press: 240 lbs
Hang Clean: 225 lbs
16 yrs old
190 lb

goal bench by end of football season : 285

 Straps are cool, as long as they match your purse.

President of the Emancipation Detoxification. DBB's oldest forum group, punching baby seals since 2/12/08

ORIGINAL: Yet

 Straps are cool, as long as they match your purse.

really again lol?

Straps arent cheating although some will argue you shouldnt be using any weight you can't hold...

I just use them to maintain a better grip

5 RM
Bench Press: 240 lbs
Hang Clean: 225 lbs
16 yrs old
190 lb

goal bench by end of football season : 285

for what kinds of weight?

mainly to do any type of cleans, and dead lifts

5 RM
Bench Press: 240 lbs
Hang Clean: 225 lbs
16 yrs old
190 lb

goal bench by end of football season : 285

for your size (going by lifts in your sig) you shouldnt use straps, until you are in the 400+ range i wouldnt create a habit that will be detrimental to forearm development

okay, thanks i was jw because almost 100% of the people in my weightroom use them 

5 RM
Bench Press: 240 lbs
Hang Clean: 225 lbs
16 yrs old
190 lb

goal bench by end of football season : 285

ORIGINAL: thsfootball1

okay, thanks i was jw because almost 100% of the people in my weightroom use them 

i would say 99% of them dont know whats going on

haha true thanks for the help man 

5 RM
Bench Press: 240 lbs
Hang Clean: 225 lbs
16 yrs old
190 lb

goal bench by end of football season : 285

Well straps are cheating but they can be used to help ur training. If ur grip strength sucks and u are just trying to hit ur legs and lower back on deads then I would say u should use them. But if u want to increase ur grip strength at the same time then u shouldn't use them. They're cheating simply because they allow u to lift more then u can!!

Current: 19, 5'11", 190@7%

bench:305 squat:370(atg) deadlift:475
Goals: 4plate squat, 5plate dead

"obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated"

Use straps only in the sets where your forearms strengh becomes a limiting factor

Squat max - 275lbs  30/07/09
Bench max - ¿?
Front Squats(atg)- ¿?

ORIGINAL: Gottabefit

Use straps only in the sets where your forearms strengh becomes a limiting factor

correct on like the last set of cleans but i wouldnt recommend doing it on dead lifts i would try to regrip after each rep thats what i do

ORIGINAL: egsbike

ORIGINAL: Gottabefit

Use straps only in the sets where your forearms strengh becomes a limiting factor

correct on like the last set of cleans but i wouldnt recommend doing it on dead lifts i would try to regrip after each rep thats what i do

I don't understand why or even how you would use straps on cleans.

Your don't even grip the bar really, your forearms are not supposed to be engaged, ohh maybe that is why so you are, so you don't? Learn about hook grip if you are not familiar.

I don't strap. Heaviest sets of deads, woud be appropriate, other than that... Meh.

if something is helping you maintain / hold weight that you cannot do naturally, then it's cheating...
 
Is using an assistance machine for pullups cheating?  If you can do 15 pullups using an assistance machine set on 5 that doesn't mean you can do them with your body weight.. so depending on the perspective... Anything that assists with a lift, is in reality... Cheating..
 
So if someone tells me they can dead 400lbs using straps.. that means absolutely nothing... how much can you dead minus the straps.. that's the number that counts..
 
The grip is part of the lift..
 
My grip is not what it should be and I actually consider it horrible.. however, if i rely on straps to support the weight, it allows the supporting muscles that would normally be used to not work as hard... so what's the point?  
 
I've seen numerous people end up with back issues that stayed with them indefinitely due to strapping too much weight on a bar and trying to lift it....   I know it sounds cliché' but, if you can't hold the weight on your own without assistance... you probably shouldn't be holding it with assistance..
 
If it's due to slipping and not strength issues.. Chalk up..

There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important thing

 

ORIGINAL: Soccerking3000

for your size (going by lifts in your sig) you shouldnt use straps, until you are in the 400+ range i wouldnt create a habit that will be detrimental to forearm development

does it go the same for gloves? will it affect my grip or forearms in any way?

My 5x5s as of November 2nd 2008.
Squat 155lbs
Bench 155lbs
Deadlift 155lbs

Connelly's 5x5s as November 2nd 2008
Bench 115
Squat 145
Deadlift 165

Andy11's 5x5 as November 2nd 2008
Bench 150
Squat 150
Deadlift 175

gloves dont really help you hold the weight you still require the same grip strength to hold the bar, gloves would be more like chalk

What soccerking said, I am at home I can't use chalk, but my palms sweat a lot! I almost had a dumbell slip out of my hands and fall on my face doing pullovers, after that I have always worn light (very light) gloves the only thing they do for me is absorb my sweat. 

And I certainly still get caluoses.

Maybe someone can clarify or elaborate more on gloves...

I was under the impression they were the same as straps when it came to helping/cheating. You stil have some kind of material between your hands and the bar helping you hold it...

My hands sweat in fact i sweat a lot...but ever since my grip has gotten stronger. The sweat has not affected me holding the bar at all...

I dunno, I would imagine gloves are similair in the way they help.

6'3"  @213

Squat 1x20x275

press:200, Deadlift:475, Bench:300, P.clean:235, Squat:385

"The only failure that is final is to stop trying to improve"

Hmmmm I never really considered gloves an aid regarding pushing or pulling the weight.... but moreless something someone uses who prefers not to rough up their hands... ?   But in my case.. I don't have long fingers so the few times I've actually tried using gloves, they actually make my grip worse due to the padding in the palms... and makes it much more difficult to get a good grip on the bar..

ORIGINAL: Nm0ney34

Maybe someone can clarify or elaborate more on gloves...

I was under the impression they were the same as straps when it came to helping/cheating. You stil have some kind of material between your hands and the bar helping you hold it...

My hands sweat in fact i sweat a lot...but ever since my grip has gotten stronger. The sweat has not affected me holding the bar at all...

I dunno, I would imagine gloves are similair in the way they help.

There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important thing

 

I suppose your right, then again I cant really compare since I have never really used gloves. They just always seemed like the same thing different look.

6'3"  @213

Squat 1x20x275

press:200, Deadlift:475, Bench:300, P.clean:235, Squat:385

"The only failure that is final is to stop trying to improve"

gloves dont wrap around the bar and stop it from rolling out of your hands like straps do, you still need the same grip strength to use them

For me it just seems like you have that extra material there in between your hands and the bar, and that is helping you hold it better.

I tend to start thinking of several other activities where gloves can "help" you do something better.

But, im not really here to argue, just what I initially thought about gloves. Im sure you guys are right, and it has certainly opened my eyes to not judge gloves like straps so easily.

ORIGINAL: Soccerking3000

gloves dont wrap around the bar and stop it from rolling out of your hands like straps do, you still need the same grip strength to use them

6'3"  @213

Squat 1x20x275

press:200, Deadlift:475, Bench:300, P.clean:235, Squat:385

"The only failure that is final is to stop trying to improve"

yea i gotcha, essentially all gloves do is protect your hands thats it, maybe give you slighlty better grip comparable to chalk, straps increase your holding capacity significantly, well beyond what you could hold barehanded

straps increase your holding capacity significantly, well beyond what you could hold barehanded

 
 
havent read this whole thread but that stuck out in my defence i say they are bad because if you cant hold the weight yourself dont strap it to your body i see the potencial of harming yourself or to much strain

ORIGINAL: smoundzou

if something is helping you maintain / hold weight that you cannot do naturally, then it's cheating...

Is using an assistance machine for pullups cheating?  If you can do 15 pullups using an assistance machine set on 5 that doesn't mean you can do them with your body weight.. so depending on the perspective... Anything that assists with a lift, is in reality... Cheating..

So if someone tells me they can dead 400lbs using straps.. that means absolutely nothing... how much can you dead minus the straps.. that's the number that counts..

The grip is part of the lift..

My grip is not what it should be and I actually consider it horrible.. however, if i rely on straps to support the weight, it allows the supporting muscles that would normally be used to not work as hard... so what's the point?  

I've seen numerous people end up with back issues that stayed with them indefinitely due to strapping too much weight on a bar and trying to lift it....   I know it sounds cliché' but, if you can't hold the weight on your own without assistance... you probably shouldn't be holding it with assistance..

If it's due to slipping and not strength issues.. Chalk up..

I don't have problems with grip (I can hang myself with one arm for 30 seconds :) ), and plus I deweight every rep for deadlifts.

But I mean if you can perform the exercise perfectly, but grip is the limiting factor, shouldn't one use a strap? Your back is going to be much stronger than your grip strength, so does this mean you should let your grip hold you back from been able to do more weight on the deadlift?

ORIGINAL: vdk_au

ORIGINAL: smoundzou

if something is helping you maintain / hold weight that you cannot do naturally, then it's cheating...

Is using an assistance machine for pullups cheating?  If you can do 15 pullups using an assistance machine set on 5 that doesn't mean you can do them with your body weight.. so depending on the perspective... Anything that assists with a lift, is in reality... Cheating..

So if someone tells me they can dead 400lbs using straps.. that means absolutely nothing... how much can you dead minus the straps.. that's the number that counts..

The grip is part of the lift..

My grip is not what it should be and I actually consider it horrible.. however, if i rely on straps to support the weight, it allows the supporting muscles that would normally be used to not work as hard... so what's the point?  

I've seen numerous people end up with back issues that stayed with them indefinitely due to strapping too much weight on a bar and trying to lift it....   I know it sounds cliché' but, if you can't hold the weight on your own without assistance... you probably shouldn't be holding it with assistance..

If it's due to slipping and not strength issues.. Chalk up..

I don't have problems with grip (I can hang myself with one arm for 30 seconds :) ), and plus I deweight every rep for deadlifts.

But I mean if you can perform the exercise perfectly, but grip is the limiting factor, shouldn't one use a strap? Your back is going to be much stronger than your grip strength, so does this mean you should let your grip hold you back from been able to do more weight on the deadlift?

Your back will be stronger than you grip but keep in mind how much pulling and contraction your back does in the lift while your hands just have to hold onto the bar. If you feel like you have no problem with grip then you should just deadlift without straps. My roomate is crazy into rockclimbing (state meets and everything) so his grip is outragous but he never uses straps on anything. Saying your grip is strong from something else is not evidence that you don't need to work it with deadlift, it is evidence that you don't need straps.

A healthy body is a guest chamber for the soul: a sick body is a prison.

-Francis Bacon

ORIGINAL: Yet

Usually when I get to the top of my deadlift I'll do a reverse-grip curl.

I use them on stuff like one arm dumbell rows. My focus is my back and I dont want to be worrying about losing grip.

17 years old
180 pounds

dirty bulk= fail
X-repper forever

On the race to 190 and 17 inch arms

ORIGINAL: Beefcake

I use them on stuff like one arm dumbell rows. My focus is my back and I dont want to be worrying about losing grip.

man up and grip that bi*ch!!!!!!

haha i'm playing.  they're nice to have