Thread: Wrist Straps - Yes or No

Originally Posted by katt

Ok - well, I have a problem with my grip strength when I am doing DB shrugs.. I can't hold on to the DBs long enough to finish my set. I want to use wrist straps. What is the opinion? Should you use them to do added weight.... Or, should you develop your grip strength along with everything else??

katt I bb shrug 255lbs, my grip strength will not keep up with that so I use straps. I know a lot of guys will say to not use straps - myself, I can live with the use of straps for certain heavy exercises like deads and shrugs... I really don't have any desire to have big meaty grip on me. If I wanted to train my grip strength I would do it separately so as to not lose focus on what I'm really trying to train with the other exercises.

I have always used them also...

I am a woman and really don't want burly hands & forearms - just everything else !

For Bodybuilding yes, but if you train for strength....hell no!!!

Originally Posted by ForemanRules

For Bodybuilding yes, but if you train for strength....hell no!!!

Exactly, it depends on your goals and if you want functional strength

yea, as said. it depends on your goals. I let the women that I train use straps also because women have smaller hands and it is much tougher for them to hold onto the weight when they have decent weight on the bar.

Use them, but don't overuse them. Don't use them with weights that you can handle, like warmup sets. If you can last a set or two without them before your grip fatigues too much, then do so. By the same token, I think it might also be a good idea to train your grip strength if you value that quality at all.

Originally Posted by CowPimp

Use them, but don't overuse them. Don't use them with weights that you can handle, like warmup sets. If you can last a set or two without them before your grip fatigues too much, then do so. By the same token, I think it might also be a good idea to train your grip strength if you value that quality at all.

I only use them on my last sets of shrugs and db rows - those have been the only ones that I have had a problem with holding onto the weight. Other than that, I don't use them

good stuff. grip strength is important. I currently train 5 woman that can hold more weight in their hands then Premier.

Originally Posted by katt

I only use them on my last sets of shrugs and db rows - those have been the only ones that I have had a problem with holding onto the weight. Other than that, I don't use them

That's very reasonable. It just bothers me when people overuse these tools. Ya know, the douche bag who walks around wearing a belt his entire workout and straps up for every set of any exercise that requires gripping something pisses me off.

Originally Posted by CowPimp

That's very reasonable. It just bothers me when people overuse these tools. Ya know, the douche bag who walks around wearing a belt his entire workout and straps up for every set of any exercise that requires gripping something pisses me off.

TOTALLY - We always have a couple people that do that, no matter how much weight (or little weight) they are lifting - makes me want to go over and rip it right off them...

I have never used wimp straps. I want my grip to grow with the rest of my strength.

Originally Posted by CowPimp

Ya know, the douche bag who walks around wearing a belt his entire workout and straps up for every set of any exercise that requires gripping something pisses me off.

LOL, we've got one guy who walks into the gym wearing all his get up, the belt, wraps on wrists, elbows and knees and straps.

Ive never used them, but if i started doing a set where the weight was too heavy for me to handle id consider using them.

The other option of course is to decrease the amount of reps you are doing, but thats not always viable if youre doing heavy weight, as there probably arent that many reps to take away.

Originally Posted by katt

Ok - well, I have a problem with my grip strength when I am doing DB shrugs.. I can't hold on to the DBs long enough to finish my set. I want to use wrist straps. What is the opinion? Should you use them to do added weight.... Or, should you develop your grip strength along with everything else??

I use straps on my heaviest sets. I try to build forearm strength on the rest.
Dan

Originally Posted by BritChick

LOL, we've got one guy who walks into the gym wearing all his get up, the belt, wraps on wrists, elbows and knees and straps.

Bahahaha. Does he wear a loose sleeveless so his nipples are hanging out and baggy clown pants too?

Originally Posted by BritChick

LOL, we've got one guy who walks into the gym wearing all his get up, the belt, wraps on wrists, elbows and knees and straps.

when i see guys like that i figure that they must have gotten the 'gym starter kit' .. and i laugh even more when they lay down on the flat barbel press with their weight belts on and proceed to wrap the straps around the bar... some of the funniest ive seen are a guy walking on the treadmill with his weight belt on and a guy strapping his straps around the rope for rope pressdowns

Originally Posted by CowPimp

Bahahaha. Does he wear a loose sleeveless so his nipples are hanging out and baggy clown pants too?

Oh no...... you've seen my husband??????
80's style rock man

I only use strap's for deadlift, shrugs, and bent over row's. I use wrist wraps for everything but forearm's because it help's with my tendonitis.

women should NOT be doing shoulder shrugs unless you want to look leik a man

thats nuts

Originally Posted by LITUPGUNZ

women should NOT be doing shoulder shrugs unless you want to look leik a man

thats nuts

I don't WANT to look like a man - I just want to be evenly proportioned... What good is a nice set of delts if you have no traps with it??

seriously Katt, you can look phenomenal and win shows without doing the traps

you can have stacked ass rhomboids and rear delts....delts for that matter and look good.

but you still want to have that feminine shoulder profile and look cute to some degree i would imagine

i aint tryin to be mean i just think you should consider this point of view

Originally Posted by LITUPGUNZ

i aint tryin to be mean i just think you should consider this point of view

Point considered...

if you shrug more than you can hold just use straps. You can work your grip to get stronger and catch up but if you use less weight because of your grip you will be hurting your trap growth. You can always get some grippers or do forearm exercises. When I first started I was shrugging 475 12 times but I could only hold 350. So I could do like 30 with 350 so I used straps till I got my grip strenth up. Now I am using 500 for shrugs with no straps.

And as for as a woman looking like a man. Unless you are using testosterone ehancing drugs or supplements you will more that likely not look like a man. Most women no matter how hard they train will not get big and bulky. The estrogen in there system keeps muscle growth to a minimum so the most they usually get is pretty toned a little larger. Unless they are genetilcally predetermined to have a larger amount of testosterone or have broad shoulders , then shrugging all day every day will not make them look anymore like a man.

Originally Posted by katt

Ok - well, I have a problem with my grip strength when I am doing DB shrugs.. I can't hold on to the DBs long enough to finish my set. I want to use wrist straps. What is the opinion? Should you use them to do added weight.... Or, should you develop your grip strength along with everything else??

stay away from them there old school
your forearms will get used to the weight like any oth
er bodypart and have the size to prove it

Originally Posted by TheCurse

when i see guys like that i figure that they must have gotten the 'gym starter kit' .. and i laugh even more when they lay down on the flat barbel press with their weight belts on and proceed to wrap the straps around the bar... some of the funniest ive seen are a guy walking on the treadmill with his weight belt on and a guy strapping his straps around the rope for rope pressdowns

We must workout at the same gym. I always laugh my ass off.

Usually this same guy can be seen bouncing the bench press off his chest while making a sound akin to being hit by a car.

HOWOOOFOOOWOFFFFFFF ARGHHHH!