Strength Weight Training: Anything and Everything II

[FlowersByIrene]

I strap my deadlifts
I've only been lifting for around 6 months and i would deadlift 10 reps at around 120kg and i found my fingers would start to slip at the end of the set, i would be dangerously close to dropping the bar, im now deadlifting 160kg which would not be possible without straps, obviously your fingers and forearms give up before your back and legs and straps allow me to lift what i couldn't

I still use hands for heavy one armed rows etc so my grip isn't completely left behind
But on deadlifts i love strapping up

 

[rocker_oz33]

Thanks for your responses guys Does the straps put any pressure on your wrists my wrists are kinda well-ghey.And what are good straps to get? I only need it one hand so i kinda will look like michael jackson not that MJ has been in a squat rack before.

 

[Shaxx Attaxx]

Dead's, RDL's, Farmers walk's, Heavy row's. Build your own straps. No one wants small forearms. If your not convinced I got mine from liftinglarge.com Toro brand, the same as my belt.

You said you only need one strap? Just switch hands when your...

 

[estibador]

I never use straps and I haven't needed to use them for a very long time. I see them as a bit of a cop out.

The way I figure is its not realistic for some people to expect their small forearm muscles to be able to match their quads/back/etc, so if that forearm weak point is your limiting factor it's actually a cop out for the big muscles you're really trying to work.

I've got tiny forearms (can easily touch my fingers around them with daylight shining through) but I've got quite a good sized back and shoulders from competitive swimming my entire youth. If I hadn't started using straps my deadlift was going to stall way before I was lifting a weight that was truly stressing my body. It's the only exercise I use them on though, and only for work sets.

 

[estibador]

Thanks for your responses guys Does the straps put any pressure on your wrists my wrists are kinda well-ghey.

Like I said, I've got little girly wrists and I haven't had any issues using straps. If you don't quite wrap them properly they can put pressure on your wrists because of the weird angle they pull down on, but you learn from that pretty quick and make sure they're snug against the bar so you have no problems.

If I was going to mention one disadvantage it's this: lifting weights is a mental as well as physical exercise for me and I'll usually spend 30 seconds pacing around psyching myself up for a heavy deadlift, so then having to bend down for 30 seconds strapping myself to the bar sort of distracts my focus and takes me out of the 'zone', if you know what I mean.

 

[rocker_oz33]

Yeah i will get some straps and add farmers walk aswell i dont mind doing them just finding some space is hard sometimes,gym is busy this time of year Thanks above.

 

[lysp]

The way I figure is its not realistic for some people to expect their small forearm muscles to be able to match their quads/back/etc, so if that forearm weak point is your limiting factor it's actually a cop out for the big muscles you're really trying to work.

That's my theory too. It was my grip giving out before my back. Since introducing straps it allowed me to finally work out my back to it's limit rather than my grip.

I don't use straps for warm ups though, only work sets. Also i try and do double overhand warmup sets as well as holding onto my last rep at lockout during my work sets for longer than usual.

PB's from July 2012 are (at bw: 82kg) - 182.5 x 4 and also 185 x 3.

Have only been doing partial deadlifts (rack pulls) recently and decided nye to test out some single rep deadlifts to see how much strength i'd retained. At 77-78kg body weight i managed to do singles of 160, 170, 180 + 190 (just). This was also at the end of my workout so i was fatigued from doing 2 x 10 x 155kg rack pulls.

Straps allow me to do pull some good weight and actually work out my back so i don't have a problem with them.

 

[The_Answer3]

Getting wrist issues while lifting atm. Main problem is curls (in b4 chest/arms day hero and curlin in the squat rack posts), on the wrist rotation it becomes extremely painful and shoots down the forearm. I presume this may have come about due to some poor form in some excercises? but am not sure.

Any advice on how to strengthen the wrist area and/or prevent pain while lifting?

 

[ioppolo]

Getting wrist issues while lifting atm. Main problem is curls (in b4 chest/arms day hero and curlin in the squat rack posts), on the wrist rotation it becomes extremely painful and shoots down the forearm. I presume this may have come about due to some poor form in some excercises? but am not sure.

Any advice on how to strengthen the wrist area and/or prevent pain while lifting?

I took a fortnight off curling. Best thing I ever did, never had pain since.

 

[The_Answer3]

I took a fortnight off curling. Best thing I ever did, never had pain since.

It's moving towards that for me. Not too fussed with curling, biceps get a decent workout with all the other major groups and it's ****ing up my ability to box as well which overall isn't worth it.

Anyone use wrist stabilisers or anything like that?

 

[Vincent Chase]

Getting wrist issues while lifting atm. Main problem is curls (in b4 chest/arms day hero and curlin in the squat rack posts), on the wrist rotation it becomes extremely painful and shoots down the forearm. I presume this may have come about due to some poor form in some excercises? but am not sure.

Any advice on how to strengthen the wrist area and/or prevent pain while lifting?

I get exactly the same thing.

I'm not sure if it's a form thing or the fact i have tiny wrists.

 

[The_Answer3]

I get exactly the same thing.

I'm not sure if it's a form thing or the fact i have tiny wrists.

Put me down in tiny wrist (and long thin fingers) category. I'g got good sized forearms, but it feels like a nerv thing, where it's pinching in the wrist and shooting down the arm.

 

[cptkirk]

maybe give up straight bar curling? there's 100 ways to curl you can do instead

 

[The_Answer3]

maybe give up straight bar curling? there's 100 ways to curl you can do instead

Might have to if rest doesn't fix, but I use home equiptment so I'm limited a bit.

 

[ThePezDispenser]

maybe give up straight bar curling? there's 100 ways to curl you can do instead

Yeah. This!

Whenever I feel any discomfort in the forearms I stick hammer curls for the most part and even use those girly arm machines that place no pressure on the forearms.

 

[Shaxx Attaxx]

Speaking of grip strength and forearms. I had a workout with a mate and he has a fat bar. Rows with the fat bar = insane grip work. Forearms were worked!

 

[Wayne Arnold]

Speaking of grip strength and forearms. I had a workout with a mate and he has a fat bar. Rows with the fat bar = insane grip work. Forearms were worked!

Sounds perverse, just stick to the gym.

 

[Shaxx Attaxx]

Sounds perverse, just stick to the gym.

 

[Mofra]

Yeah. This!

Whenever I feel any discomfort in the forearms I stick hammer curls for the most part and even use those girly arm machines that place no pressure on the forearms.

+1 for hammer curls.

I use overhand and underhand grips for chins, so if I curl I hammer grip with dumbells.

 

[Syphoncom]

Rock climbing?

 

[The_Answer3]

+1 for hammer curls.

I use overhand and underhand grips for chins, so if I curl I hammer grip with dumbells.

Have been doing this and it helps. Don't think you get the range and full extention as an underhand grip curl, but it's better than nothing and keeps the wrists and forearms in check.

 

[Mofra]

Have been doing this and it helps. Don't think you get the range and full extention as an underhand grip curl, but it's better than nothing and keeps the wrists and forearms in check.

Ja, I'd class chins as my "primary" exercise anyway and throw in the support with rows as well, biceps really don't need much isolation work.
I actually stopped for a while buy my GF likes biceps so I'll throw in 3 sets most weeks now.

 

[estibador]

Bought a foam roller recently and this morning tried a little full body session I put together after researching the net (roller and tennis ball). My god... so much pain... so many sore spots in places I didn't even know I had.

Planning on doing it every day now, hoping it will help with tightness during my squat form. Anyone who does it regularly notice any differences after they started?

 

[rocker_oz33]

I've used tennis ball roll on the hammys before.But never done the tennis ball roll thingy on my back before.

 

[Richo is God]

How will a squat rack cope with being out in the elements and/or what can I do to prevent it from rusting?