I have been thinking about getting some lifting hooks. Currently, I don't use gloves (except to cushion my hands for weighted dips).

I've read two different opinions on this.

Opinion 1 - Hooks will enable you to use heavier weights in the pulling exercises (shrugs, deadlifts, lat pulldowns, etc). Heavier weights mean bigger muscle gains.

Opinion 2 - Using hooks (or straps) allow you to artificially lift heavier weights before all of your connecting tissues have been conditioned properly, inviting injury. Also, your grip strength will lag your other muscle development and create an imbalance.

I'm tempted by the possibility of lifting heavier weights, but at 39 maybe I should be more concerned about the possibility of injury and make my gains more naturally.

Anybody have experience using hooks or straps? I'd appreciate any feedback or opinions.

Thanks!

I have been thinking about getting some lifting hooks. Currently, I don't use gloves (except to cushion my hands for weighted dips).

I've read two different opinions on this.

Opinion 1 - Hooks will enable you to use heavier weights in the pulling exercises (shrugs, deadlifts, lat pulldowns, etc). Heavier weights mean bigger muscle gains.

Opinion 2 - Using hooks (or straps) allow you to artificially lift heavier weights before all of your connecting tissues have been conditioned properly, inviting injury. Also, your grip strength will lag your other muscle development and create an imbalance.

I'm tempted by the possibility of lifting heavier weights, but at 39 maybe I should be more concerned about the possibility of injury and make my gains more naturally.

Anybody have experience using hooks or straps? I'd appreciate any feedback or opinions.

Thanks!I'm about your age, have tried lifting straps and agree with opinion #2. If I can't lift it, then it's too heavy for me. End of story. :bb:

I'm about your age, have tried lifting straps and agree with opinion #2. If I can't lift it, then it's too heavy for me. End of story. :bb:

I second that.

Also, in my experience, the straps seemed to bother my joints, in particular when doing shrugs/deadlifts. Stick to raw lifting as much as possible.

use chalk. it will help your grip w/o "cheating"

I would tend to disagree. For exercises like pull-ups and shrugs, straps and hooks are ideal.

I do rather heavy weight for shrugs. I usually hit 315 with good form. I can do 405, but then my form begins to suffer. But anyways, anything over 225 and my forearms/hands begin to fatigue before my traps are even close. The straps allow me to keep going on with the exercise training the muscle that I am trying to train.

Well I finally joined...

Anyway I also disagree. I think that straps are great, especially for working the traps and back. When I am doing shrugs without straps my grip gives before my traps are fatigued. Everyone is different, straps are cheap, give them a try and if they don’t work out then dump them. Live and learn...

the hooks seem weird and retarded..

i use straps for when i do barbell shrugs.. my grip cant hold for my entire set. and the weight is not to heavy because i can get 100% range of motion.

i use them for lunges to, just because when i do lunges i am tempted to give up or just drop the weight

i dont use them for deads.. i use them on some back exercise just to get that solid grip sometimes. but i always use them when i really up the shrugs

Im 21 and I just started using the straps for my deadlift and I feel that there really isnt any correlation between the muscle in your back and legs and the muscles in your hands. So why let your hands or grip be a limiting factor for your legs or back. Also doing speed pulls with over 400 lbs would be nearly impossible without straps.

I'm about your age, have tried lifting straps and agree with opinion #2. If I can't lift it, then it's too heavy for me. End of story. :bb:
:lol:

Wow, this is an old thread!

I wrote the above post over four years ago, and man... my opinion on this subject sure has changed since then. Of course when I wrote that back in 2004 my deadlift was so weak that straps would have been pointless anyway. :o

I use straps all the time now. Straps are great for isolating the back when doing pull-ups, lat pull downs and rows, and they allow me to deadlift heavier and for more reps than my grip would otherwise allow.

Also doing speed pulls with over 400 lbs would be nearly impossible without straps.

:eek:

I guess I didn't look at the dates of the posts before mine, but I was searching google for some ideas on how people view the use of straps and came across the site.