LIFTING STRAPS. YES, NO, MAYBE SO?
Staring at the barbell on the floor, I thought, “That’s a lot of weight.” I also worried, “What if I blow this up?” It was 2004, in Albany, New York, at a Gold’s Gym. I was visiting my sister after a breakup and trying to shake off a storm of anger, sadness, and endless Julia Roberts movie marathons. I went to the gym to clear my head. But this trip would be different. I wasn’t aiming for cardio. I decided I would deadlift 500 pounds for my first time.
I didn’t pull my first real deadlift until 2002, when I was 25 and still learning the ropes of a fitness career. I’d been lifting since I was 13, so I wasn’t new to barbells. I quickly fell in love with the deadlift: I was surprisingly good at it, and I loved how it changed my body. It wasn’t long before I made pulling 500 pounds my mission. It took a little over a year.
My path there was a bit contrarian by today’s standards, though not entirely. Here’s what I did differently then:
– I skipped most traditional 90% work (working up to heavy singles). I stayed in the 3–5 rep range, sometimes mixing in higher rep work for variety. Submaximal work can still build a bigger 1RM.
As I tell my clients now: you need a broad base of submaximal loads to reach higher peaks in maximal strength.
– I didn’t use any fancy periodization named after a Russian. I relied on simple linear progression.
– I didn’t rotate movements every few weeks or chase some magical calendar. I stuck with the conventional deadlift year-round.
– And perhaps most “blasphemous,” I sometimes used wrist straps. Yes, I did.
I know that may surprise some, but straps can be useful for almost anyone. Beginners benefit because grip becomes a limit on volume, and strong lifters can handle more work when grip isn’t the bottleneck. That said, I’ve always believed straps should be used thoughtfully. If you’re aiming to earn respect as a trainer, you should eventually train strapless to prove you can pull without help. In competitive lifting, straps aren’t allowed (outside CrossFit or some Strongman events), so many people choose to limit their use in training. If you’re not a competitive lifter, it’s a personal choice.
One caveat I get with straps: they can slow you down. A common mistake is spending too long at the bottom before starting the pull, which robs you of the stretch-shortening cycle. My rule of thumb: grip, dip, rip.
On mixed grip versus straps, here’s my take:
– Mixed grip isn’t inherently bad or dangerous, though every lift has some risk. The supinated (underhand) side is usually the weak link when injuries occur.
– A lot of lifters use a mixed grip in competition; few don’t, unless you’re a freak of nature. Mixed grip lets you lift more since the bar doesn’t roll in your hands. Hook grip is another option, though I haven’t used it—I tip my cap to anyone who does.
My general approach to grip:
1) All warm-up and buildup sets use a pronated (overhand) grip.
2) All working sets use a pronated grip until grip becomes the limiting factor.
3) When that happens, I switch to a mixed grip, alternating every subsequent set.
4) For max effort work, I use my dominant grip, but I find alternating grips on the other sets helps offset potential imbalances or injuries.
As for straps in practice:
Straps aren’t wrong, and they don’t make you a bad lifter. They suit everyone, from beginners to the very strong. Straps helped me lift heavier and progress faster, which was great. But they’re a crutch, and if you want to earn respect as a coach, you should work toward a strapless pull. In most strength and conditioning circles, your 1RM isn’t brag-worthy if it’s done with straps. For competitive lifters, straps are usually off-limits in competition, so it makes sense to limit their use in training. If you’ve had a bicep tendon or forearm injury, or if you have elbow pain or trouble supinating one or both arms, I’ll often recommend straps 100% of the time.
If you rely on straps, be mindful of your setup. Don’t bend over, grab the bar, and stall at the bottom for too long—that wastes the stretch-shortening cycle. Grip, dip, rip.
Digital Strategic Strength Workshop is coming soon. I’m putting together new insights on deadlifting, coaching, programming, assessment, and general badassery for a forthcoming resource, expected this January.
Right now I’m pulling in the 600s for doubles. Not bad at 46 years old.
