Questions About Lifting Accessories

[FrankH]

Some questions for you long-time lifters out there as I ramp up my lifting:

1. I tried using lifting straps, although since the weight is still fairly light I don't really need them yet. Should I learn to lift with them? All the time or just heavy?
2. Are lifting shoes a good idea? I have been lifting barefoot or in socks. (I lift off of a 1/2 inch hard rubber mat.)
3. I have a slightly gimpy right knee from an ACL injury about 3 years ago. I discovered knee wraps, and they seem to help. Use them? Just on the gimpy knee or both? All the time or just heavy?

Thanks muchly-- Frank

[Mike Wills]

I believe that if you need grip strength to hold the weights, then you do grip work specifically for that. When you're working the posterior chain...like in high pulls, shrugs, etc...I think straps are fine, because the goal is to work the hamstrings/hips/back. I do my warmup sets without straps and then use them as needed so I can apply maximal force without grip being the limiting factor.

Lifting shoes are definitely a good idea. Tennis shoes roll too much and can lead to knee and ankle stresses that you don't need. Barefoot is okay for the occasional deadlift (just to get as low to the ground as possible and thus reduce the pull length) but you'll end up really stressing out your arch and then chronic foot pain follows. I recommend SAFE squat shoes, olympic weightlifting shoes are basically the same thing (I know Adidas makes them), and a lot of the old timers simply wore Converse Chuck Taylor's.

I wear Rehband knee sleeves - available from jakalsgym.com - from pre warmup through completion. The support is good but the warmth and compression really help a lot. For heavy sets I'll sometimes use knee wraps for protection.

[FrankH]

Thanks, Mike. My grip is OK; I'll save the straps for if/when I need them. And I think I'll invest in a pair of lifting shoes I saw in a track and field catalog. Probably couldn't hurt. And the Rehband sleeves sound like a great idea; I've heard good things about them elsewhere too.

[Jeff Storey]

Hey Mike, have you seen the lifting shoes at http://www.vsathletics.com ? what do you think?
I was just about to order some. I hear they are copies of nike or adidas's design.

[FrankH]

Those are the ones I'm looking at too.

[barbe705]

I know a couple of people who have the VS shoes and like them. They're not as stiff as the addidas shoes, but they aren't $300 either.

I started to wear knee sleeves if I do anything leg intensive. I don't have knee problems to date. I pull them on while I get changed to let the joint warm up. My knees feel fine after a squat workout with the sleeves. Without the sleeves I'm a little achey.

And I wear chuck taylors.
Brent

[S McCracken]

Allways bearfoot socks. lower to the ground means dont have to pull as far. But Iteain at home and know my floor is cleaner
than most gyms.

[Jeff Storey]

hey Mike, I have a question.
My gut feeling about straps and stuff:
I've had trouble with, and lost PR throws, b/c my grip slipped a little, or completely. and in the weightroom, I feel like straps or whatever, artifically strengthens your weak link, letting something else in the chain be the weak link. I'd rather drop something than tear _____.

I'm I off the mark? being a wuss? Is there just a time/place for both approaches?

PS, My grip suuuuucks. more than the average bear. what can I do about this?
PPS, why is the sky grey?

[Clancelt]

Lol, you guys are funny.. lifting shoes? Straps? Bra? Panties? *Slapping knee* Somebody make them stop.... hehe

Actually, I will use straps for really heavy lifts that outstrip my hand strength. Mostly deads and bent over rows. But shoes? come on now.

Ok, as you were....

[FrankH]

Well my moobs do get in the way on occasion...

[Mike Wills]

Dave McClelland always felt like you shouldn't use straps, but instead should force your grip to get stronger to hold the bar. I'm all for a strong grip, but I like to do grip work for grip, and on back exercises concentrate on the muscles I am trying to work..and not worry about the bar slipping. To each their own on this.

[bjketchem]

I agree with you on this one Mike. grip work for grip strength, straps to pull more weight to increase posterior strength...no sense losing out b/c of a failed grip...just my 2 cents.

Frank, I would definitely go with getting some chuck's it does make a difference for squats and dl

[Rich McClain]

I strap up on heavy lifts for DLs, shrugs, jump shrugs. I don't go to heavy on overhead stuff, snatch and power clean, so I don't strap up. My grip still gets a good workout because how tight I have to grip the straps. I proved that today at work while crimping bnc connectors one handed with either hand where others failed to crimp them completely or used both hands to crimp.

I have a pair of basketball shoes that I wear to workout in on 1/2" rubber mats. If you want to go the cheaper route, go with Converse All Star Chuck Taylors $35 or so. Good solid rubber sole and always fashionable.

[miked]

I use straps for cleans, snatches and deadlifts once i start getting some weight involved.

For shoes, I have a preference for basketball shoes: they generally have a flat, wide base, good traction and aren't too expensive.

[Mike Wills]

I learned about shoes the hard way. I did my first powerlifting meet on 6 weeks notice in 1993. I weighed in at 173 if you can believe that! I was normally about 185 or so, but I had dieted down to 175 for a toughman contest a few months earlier.

I hadn't really maxed on the squat before, so I opened with 402 and it was easy. I did 468 next and it too was really easy. Up until that day I had never had more than 405 on a squat bar in my life! But, the adrenaline from competition and the knee wraps were making the weight feel easy. I decided to do 501 on my third. Set up was good, turned it around real strong, and was almost up...when like a falling tree, I hit the spotters behind me.

The side referee told me what happened. I had on some type of cross-trainer shoe with the big air chamber in the heel. I hadn't put enough weight on to collapse it...until 501. The nearly 2" heel collapsed on the turnaround and as I was standing up I went straight backwards. I bought a pair of Safe squat shoes on the spot.

[Sheaf daddy]

Don't strap. Can't - as I posted earlier I have ridiculously loose joints. If I don't squeeze my wrists pull out. Having said that I can chalk up and pull 515 from the knees and I got second in our little grip competition on dino day.

Finally - if you have problems with your grip on the weights for distance freakin hook grip already! Get over the pain and do it. I added 3.5 feet the day I did it and that was in a competition!!! I have since added 8.5 feet to my 56 total. The best do it. Vierra, Brock, etc. Grip only comes into play for me on the hammer and the new nifty grip lift BJ showed me will help with that.

As far as shoes go I use my nike cross trainers or bare foot. Ankle strength is important for me (given how skinny they are) so a infinitessimally unstable footing I think helps.

But that is just me - what do I know?

[randy]

came in late on a grip discussion!

from what i've seen in the grip training world, it seems that the 2 main principles are:
1) try as many different grip exercises as you can.
2) find what makes your hands stronger and do it.

that simple.

and like MWills and others have said, if you focus on other muscles/chains, then don't let grip strength be your limiting factor. so strap up and don't feel like a wuss 'cause there's nothing wussy about training like you mean it.

or if you want to lift only what your grip can handle and force your grip to get stronger in that way then don't strap and don't feel like a wuss 'cause there's nothing wussy about training like you mean it.

you could always deadlift with oven mitts like Davis Power!

rking

[Clancelt]

You know Mike, now that you mention it I do remember a guy blowing out the air chamber in a shoe during squats! His actually made a *POP* and everyone was trying to figure out what it was. We thought it was a body part at first So I guess shoes are important after all. I have always been barefoot or a cheap pair of thin flat soled shoes. Chucks would fit that bill but my current pair is a set of old soccer shoes. lol, like I'd ever use them for soccer