No, straps don't cheat your forearms of growth

[BadGaskets350]

Ok so speaking from a few months experience using straps on stuff like deadlift and farmers walk using heavy weights.

I've ready so many articles claiming that using straps robs your forearms of grip development, and I'm calling utter horse$heet on that. This has to just be a cliche that very few "internet experts" have tested.

It's right the opposite for me. Using straps, now my body isn't bottlenecked by my grip, but also my forearms still SCREAM throughout the workout because I still try to depend on the straps as little as possible, and I'm able to continue a gainful workout because my forearms can't grip tight enough.

For context, when I was a teenager, I could deadlift around 480 1rm without straps. I'm 43 and haven't deadlifted for nearly 20 years and my grip obviously has weakened. I can probably still deadlift 480 1rm but not a chance without straps.


I've found that, during the workout as my grip fatigues to the point that I'd drop the barbell, the straps make up the balance but my hands are still gripping some, even if just barely dangling by my fingers. Still putting considerable force into the grip,just not enough to do away with the straps.

Essentially the straps have turned things like deadlift and farmers walk into the most gloriously agonizing forearm "dropset" imaginable because I can use even heavier lifts and thereby greatly increase the time under tension.


Just for context, I'm rack pulling 405, deadlift around 350 (both doing sets of 5-8 reps) and farmers walk with 100 to 160lbs per arm using dumbells or farmer-bars (weight depending on how much clear space the gym has to walk.)

[EliKoehn]

This sounds a lot like "My training wheels do NOT keep me from developing a sense of balance riding a bike."

As someone who has pulled 495 with bare hands and no chalk and done similar high rep work without straps, I have to disagree. The grip strength potential is there and you have to train it up. You're taking it out of the equation to make the lift easier.

No offense, but it also sounds silly and counter-intuitive to claim to be training grip deliberately by using straps on something like farmer's walks.

[coachcalande]

I use straps,my grip
Strength is a helluva lot better now than it was prior to using straps- probably because using straps leads to bigger lifts in several movements.

Like I said about machines, intelligent training involves using a variety of tools and approaches.

[BadGaskets350]

This sounds a lot like "My training wheels do NOT keep me from developing a sense of balance riding a bike."

As someone who has pulled 495 with bare hands and no chalk and done similar high rep work without straps, I have to disagree. The grip strength potential is there and you have to train it up. You're taking it out of the equation to make the lift easier.

No offense, but it also sounds silly and counter-intuitive to claim to be training grip deliberately by using straps on something like farmer's walks.

Go load up rack pulls heavier than you can grip, use straps, then see for yourself.

What is silly (and by silly, I mean outrageously dumb) is allowing the rest of the body be bottlenecked by forearms.

Judging by how much burn I'm feeling in my forearms, the straps are not cheating them of a damned thing.

[BadGaskets350]

Let me also clarify. I have carpal tunnel in both hands as well as ingloriously short fingers, I am a short guy. My hands do not wrap around a standard barbell as much as most of you. Straps help tremendously across the board

[EliKoehn]

Judging by how much burn I'm feeling in my forearms, the straps are not cheating them of a damned thing.

Then why do you need them?

[BadGaskets350]

Then why do you need them?

This should be rather obvious but since it apparently isn't, it's the same reason anyone who uses them needs them.

I can deadlift a helluva lot more than my grip can hold on to. Especially if deadlift is near the end of a dumbell/barbell workout and my hands already are spent. Use the straps, you still have to grip like a mofo, it's just that the straps keep you from actually dropping the bar.

[EliKoehn]

This should be rather obvious but since it apparently isn't, it's the same reason anyone who uses them needs them.

I can deadlift a helluva lot more than my grip can hold on to. Especially if deadlift is near the end of a dumbell/barbell workout and my hands already are spent. Use the straps, you still have to grip like a mofo, it's just that the straps keep you from actually dropping the bar.

Well, I disagree.

I don't think I would add anything constructive going forward that hasn't already essentially been said, so I will sign out and wish you good luck with your training.

[EliKoehn]

By the way, why isn't mixed grip considered cheating?

"Deadlift: 1. The lifter shall face the front of the platform with the bar laid horizontally in front of the lifters feet, gripped
with an optional grip in both hands and lifted until the lifter is standing erect."

https://www.powerlifting.sport/filea...k_2021docx.pdf [emphasis mine]

Whereas... straps are forbidden in competition. By IPF rules, it's a cheat and a mixed grip is not.

[TolerantLactose]

OP's title is arguing the exact opposite of OP's posts.

[EliKoehn]

Dude, I thought we were talking about "cheating the forearms", not cheating in powerlifting competitions.

Fair enough - you just said "cheat" in general, but this is the context, you're right.

Without question mixed is more forgiving of them than raw double overhand, but you're not literally using an accessory that holds the bar against your wrists. I think that should go without saying as in a different ballpark as simply reversing your hands without needing to add some kind of special equipment.

If it's worth anything, I have pulled raw and mixed for years and don't have any visible forearm asymmetry, and they have developed pretty well overall.

[EliKoehn]

The way I see it:
- both straps and mixed grip help;
- if the argument against straps is "you don't need them, your grip will get better in time" you can make the same argument against mixed grip - "you don't need mixed grip, your overhead grip will get better in time"

The straps don't hold the bar against wrists, not even the empty bar.
The lifting hooks do this.

But not nearly to the same extent, or people who use straps would be able to interchangeably use mixed grip with little acclimation.

At some point, there's a ceiling where the viability of the raw lift caps out and grip truly does become the limiting factor, but most people call this way too early IME.

You think Candito would have been able to pull 6 strapless for a double if he concluded that grip was necessarily "too much of a limiting factor" anywhere along the way? Obviously it's not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y39K81G1-_E

[BadGaskets350]

OP's title is arguing the exact opposite of OP's posts.

Care to elaborate on what part of my posts you are misreading?

In my situation, without straps, I cannot deadlift my actual potential..... or rack pull or barbell shrug.

With the straps, I STILL have to use a lot of grip, it's just that the straps help me lift it safely without dropping it.

My forearms STILL burn. I STILL use a lot of grip. I STILL am increasing grip strength over time.

Keep in mind I'm only talking about using straps on the heaviest exercises, especially ones where suddenly dropping them would be dangerous.

[TolerantLactose]

Title: straps don't cheat forearm growth
Posts: use straps so the rest of your body isn't held back by lagging forearms.

[BadGaskets350]

Title: straps don't cheat forearm growth
Posts: use straps so the rest of your body isn't held back by lagging forearms.

How exactly is that a contradiction?

Do you think the strap lifts are the ONLY thing I'm doing that improves forearms? What part of this thread did I proclaim that I would forever use straps on everything?

Dayum, people, this is not a hard concept to understand. You use them when your grip FAILS to safely continue lifting. And, you forearms still get developed further, because you can continue to lift. They still exhaust when using the straps, the straps just keep you from dropping them.

How the hell is it better to stop doing deadlift when your grip gives out? If you put the straps on and get your heavy reps in, you still exhaust the forearms and get growth. This is not a hard concept to understand.

Now, if you're strong enough that your grip isn't a bottleneck (as I used to be), that's great, skip the straps.

[TolerantLactose]

How exactly is that a contradiction?

Do you think the strap lifts are the ONLY thing I'm doing that improves forearms? What part of this thread did I proclaim that I would forever use straps on everything?

Dayum, people, this is not a hard concept to understand. You use them when your grip FAILS to safely continue lifting. And, you forearms still get developed further, because you can continue to lift. They still exhaust when using the straps, the straps just keep you from dropping them.

How the hell is it better to stop doing deadlift when your grip gives out? If you put the straps on and get your heavy reps in, you still exhaust the forearms and get growth. This is not a hard concept to understand.

Now, if you're strong enough that your grip isn't a bottleneck (as I used to be), that's great, skip the straps.

Hyperbole much? Your title is false. Like you just stated, it can be mitigated but that doesn't change the fact that the title is false.

[air2fakie]

How exactly is that a contradiction?

Do you think the strap lifts are the ONLY thing I'm doing that improves forearms? What part of this thread did I proclaim that I would forever use straps on everything?

Dayum, people, this is not a hard concept to understand. You use them when your grip FAILS to safely continue lifting. And, you forearms still get developed further, because you can continue to lift. They still exhaust when using the straps, the straps just keep you from dropping them.

How the hell is it better to stop doing deadlift when your grip gives out? If you put the straps on and get your heavy reps in, you still exhaust the forearms and get growth. This is not a hard concept to understand.

Now, if you're strong enough that your grip isn't a bottleneck (as I used to be), that's great, skip the straps.

Dude, there's nothing wrong with using straps but what you're saying is a contradiction.

Not sure why you even bothered to post this except for cope because someone at the gym must've made fun of you for using straps. Do whatever you want.

[BenMcLeodNZ]

OP is right on. They can be used to train grip beyond failure, or conversely they can be used to stop forearm overtraining.

Pretty much everyone who says straps are trash don't know how to use them and don't realize you can alter the tightness to suit your needs.

[air2fakie]

No one on this thread said that straps are trash. OPs title would be more aligned with what his actual argument is if he said "straps don't allow limited grip strength to cheat the rest of your body of growth, plus you can still train grip with them too"

[BeginnerGainz]

I actually agree with OP’s point. Just needs to work on his delivery a little better.

If it isn’t in a competition where straps are barred then who the fukk cares anyway?

[SaviorSelfJT]

My experience

My forearms blew up when I stopped using straps for deadlifts

And I was even doing forearm work before (finger curls, wrist curls, static holds, etc)

And not too long after ditching straps my grip quickly got strong enough to not be a limiting factor

Still use them for exercises like shrugs, no way my grip will ever be strong enough for that especially since I need double over hand

[TheShadowMan]

For me it would depend on the circumstance, if i'm deadlifting, rowing, pullups all for hypertrophy purposes - hey I don't mind that if I have another specific area i'm trying to fully stimulate without the forearm's interference. But I would never use them on a lift like the farmer's walk, whose main purpose is to train one of the functions the forearm is designed to do - hold weight. But more than that, have that hold challenged by acceleration of the whole body? You don't get that kind of opportunity often to really tire out the forearms like that, so I wouldn't want to waste a single set of it by using a grip assistant. I'll lighten the weight or increase to fit my ability level, but on farmer's I always go raw. You just get that much more out of it, yeah? It should all really depend on what the actual target is. If forearms are, strapless; if something else, strap if desired.

[BenMcLeodNZ]

I actually agree with OP’s point. Just needs to work on his delivery a little better.

If it isn’t in a competition where straps are barred then who the fukk cares anyway?

Straps are more for multiple reps anyway so if it's a 1RM in a competition it can be done strapless easily.

[BeginnerGainz]

Straps are more for multiple reps anyway so if it's a 1RM in a competition it can be done strapless easily.

That’s my point.

People that chit talk straps as some kind of crutch just come off as clueless when in reality, they are just a tool in the tool box.

Just like using a mixed grip on a deadlift because it makes it easier because the bar can’t roll in your hands.

I remember JK202 posting a video of a snatch grip block pull a while ago. It was over 400 lbs for I don’t remember how many reps but chit talked him for using straps. Like what? Have any one of them TRIED doing a snatch grip anything?

And I dare anyone to tell Dante Trudel or Dusty Hanshaw they have weak forearms because they use straps to deadlift.

Time and a place for everything.

[Ironface]

I deadlift with straps. Raw deadlifting becomes risky after a certain point, because you have to switch to either mixed or hook grip. Mixed is a bicep tear risk, and arguably leads to asymmetry and back tweaks due to the tendency of windmilling. Hook grip is less risky, but can dislocate your thumbs. On top of that, it’s a pain in the ass and if your thumbs aren’t big enough it won’t be effective anyway.

Tbh I see no reason to pull anything over 405 raw unless you compete. There are ways to train grip that are more effective and less injurious.

[BenMcLeodNZ]

That’s my point.

People that chit talk straps as some kind of crutch just come off as clueless when in reality, they are just a tool in the tool box.

Just like using a mixed grip on a deadlift because it makes it easier because the bar can’t roll in your hands.

I remember JK202 posting a video of a snatch grip block pull a while ago. It was over 400 lbs for I don’t remember how many reps but chit talked him for using straps. Like what? Have any one of them TRIED doing a snatch grip anything?

And I dare anyone to tell Dante Trudel or Dusty Hanshaw they have weak forearms because they use straps to deadlift.

Time and a place for everything.

Yeah man, and I love how people talk about the dangers of overtraining but don't realize that basically every day at the gym is forearm day.

I've watched too many videos of people blowing their biceps to ever try mixed grip too.

[superman704]

Ok so speaking from a few months experience using straps on stuff like deadlift and farmers walk using heavy weights.

I've ready so many articles claiming that using straps robs your forearms of grip development, and I'm calling utter horse$heet on that. This has to just be a cliche that very few "internet experts" have tested.

It's right the opposite for me. Using straps, now my body isn't bottlenecked by my grip, but also my forearms still SCREAM throughout the workout because I still try to depend on the straps as little as possible, and I'm able to continue a gainful workout because my forearms can't grip tight enough.

For context, when I was a teenager, I could deadlift around 480 1rm without straps. I'm 43 and haven't deadlifted for nearly 20 years and my grip obviously has weakened. I can probably still deadlift 480 1rm but not a chance without straps.


I've found that, during the workout as my grip fatigues to the point that I'd drop the barbell, the straps make up the balance but my hands are still gripping some, even if just barely dangling by my fingers. Still putting considerable force into the grip,just not enough to do away with the straps.

Essentially the straps have turned things like deadlift and farmers walk into the most gloriously agonizing forearm "dropset" imaginable because I can use even heavier lifts and thereby greatly increase the time under tension.


Just for context, I'm rack pulling 405, deadlift around 350 (both doing sets of 5-8 reps) and farmers walk with 100 to 160lbs per arm using dumbells or farmer-bars (weight depending on how much clear space the gym has to walk.)

I'm not reading a book