When is gearing up necessary?

If your grip is your weak point straps won’t help improve that.

What grip are you using double overhand, alternate or hook?

Have you considered hook grip?

I'm lifting way under your amounts and I have found that a good quality lifting belt helps a great deal. It makes the lifts easier and I have less sore muscles the next couple of days.

I’m 45 yrs old and I use a belt when going heavy (for me), knee sleeves / wraps for squats and most of my Olympic lifts and I also use wrist wraps for all the overhead oly stuff. My joints are knackered from years of other sports so this gives me the support I need and helps to prevent injury. Obviously nothing is a substitute for building a stronger core and grip etc, but it helps me 😀

I responded to your thread in the other room.

Basically unless you really really need your grip strength for some reason, there is no harm in using straps or grips.

Belt is actually a good idea if you are going super heavy. All them powerlifty types wear them for heavy heavy lifts.

So it really depends on you - why would you not "gear up"? Do you think it's not as good?

I use grips for everything pull day coz i can pull way more than my little wrists and fingers can handle. I use a belt for heavy deadlifts and squats (heavy for me anyway)

If you don't plan on competing at any time in the future I wouldn't hesitate using lifting straps.

I would advice most people to where shoes with a arch support on squats and/or deads. When the arch collapses, mechanics can be altered.

Belt is not necessary, but I advice most people who plan on progress for years to wear one as it gives more options to training and progress. Personally I only use a belt one 1/3 days of squatting, 1/2-3 days of deads, 1/4 days of benching.

That being said if you wanted to wear a belt every day it really doesn't matter.

Knee sleeves 99.9% doesn't physically help you lift any weights other than comfort unless you were to get ridiculously tight ones that literally acted like wraps. Keeping the knees warm and toasty is just a good thing and perhaps some placebo too, nonetheless worth it for most people.

Using any of these things can be useful and I usually advice the people I train to purchase a high quality belt, lifting shoes, and knee sleeves pretty early on from coaching them. It's not a absolute but for someone who is pulling a little heavier weight and wants to continue to grow, its more than reasonable to invest in your training.

Just a word of advice re hookgrip - start light and build up. I hookgrip everything but it kills until you get used to it! I occasionally have to tape my thumbs if I’m doing a volume sess as the discomfort can affect my form.

youcantflexcardio wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies - didn't mean to double thread.

I have looked into hook grip, seems painful but I'll give it a shot.

@Chieflrg - I do plan to compete in some local strongman stuff, however all that equipment is allowed except maybe straps on a farmers walk (that's up to the organizer). As for the shoes thing, I dropped shoes a long time ago on the advice of several people and never looked back. I can understand the need for squat shoes but if you go watch the Giants Live deadlift finals they're all in socks...best deadlifters in the world can't be wrong, right? For what it's worth I already have pretty flat feet and bad plantar fasciitis on my right foot anyways.

Belt might help...seems like every 3-4 months I hit a deadlift where I probably should drop it but I ego-drive through it and pull something. Nothing a muscle relaxer, foam roller, and hot tub can't fix but still...sets me back a few weeks.

Hookgrip will definitely be painful for a few months but after a few months you'll never lift without a hookgrip again except when using straps. The problem with hookgrip is most people don't make it past those initial few terrible months or only use it when weights are light and comfortable and stop when weights are heavy and it gets really uncomfortable for a while. Because they stop when it gets heavy they never truly adjust to using hookgrip.

I think there is a benefit to both using lifting tools any not using lifting tools depending on what your goal is.

For my goals I use hookgrip for 90% of my lifting. I use straps for heavy pull volume (snatch pulls, clean pulls or dead lifts), multiple snatch rep sets from the hang position or multiple sets of snatches from the floor with zero rest between reps.The reason I use straps in these situations is because gaining grip strength isn't important for me when i'm doing the exercises I listed; the purpose of those exercises for me is to increase leg drive, work capacity or technique. Unless my hands are absolutely torn to shreds from training I wouldn't use straps for something such as a max snatch because I can't use them in competition. If you don't plan on competing and your goal is a max dead lift I wouldn't see any reason not to use straps personally.

I use knee wraps for all squats and cleans. I lifted without them for a few years but as i'm getting older there really is no reason not to use them. They keep my knees warm, increase the feeling of stability and reduce knee pain post training but I wouldn't say they improve performance any. I think of knee wraps simply as a tool to help me continue lifting for as long as possible.

I think belts can be a really great tool but people rely on them too much. I always use a belt for cleans and deadlifts over 80%. I generally squat two times a week without a belt and two times a week with a belt again depending on squat goals at the time. I always use a belt if i'm trying to max a squat whether it be multiple reps or a single.

In regards to belts I will say I see a ton of lifters (especially lifters that have only been lifting a year or two) throw on a belt anytime they feel a little unstable instead of learning how to brace properly without one or fix imbalances that are causing the issue. If you cant properly brace without a belt you won't be able to properly brace with one. I have no idea how long you've been lifting but if you're pulling your back on a deadlift every few months I wouldn't expect a belt to fix this, it will most likely only allow you to pull your back on a deadlift a couple of pounds heavier. This comment totally isn't a dig, i've been lifting for a long time and I hurt my back really badly on a heavy deadlift a few months ago. My point is I still hurt my back wearing a belt, the only thing that would have avoided the injury is fixing the glute and hamstring imbalances I know I had at the time. I just don't want you to think the belt will be a magic fix to stop you from hurting your back at max loads when there could be an underlying problem that needs to be addressed.