With all of that in mind, I guess the only question left to answer is where do I stand and what specific exercises do I believe are appropriate for use of straps and where are they not to be used?
My parameters are simple.
When are they appropriate:
– Lifts from the hang or with a pause built-in. This clearly includes doubles triples or more reps where the bar does not return to the ground. I would encourage you to not use straps on minor technical work such as tall snatches.
– Basically any complex that requires the lifter to hang onto the bar for an extended period of time beyond what they would normally be forced to do while lifting in competition. Complexes where you complete a pull and then return the bar to the ground do not fit into this category. You can complete 1 pull and reset your grip on the ground therefore not needing straps.
– Heavy pulls though having experimented with not using them on pulls most recently, it is absolutely critical that you do some pulls without straps in order to create a similar stimulus to that in which you will feel in a competition lift. I like to do this by completing the first rep without straps and then the rest of the reps in the set using straps. For example if I had three snatch pulls at 105%, I would complete the first rep without straps and then add the straps back in for the remaining two reps. You can also do it where your last set is always performed without the use of straps.
When are they inappropriate:
– Any reps from the floor. This could be a set of 10 or a set of five or triples doubles or single. There is absolutely no necessity or reason for the use of straps from the floor barring some sort of injury or wear and tear on the hands as previously mentioned. Lifting with straps from the floor just because you like it is a terrible reason and will only ensure the lift feels different should you compete in a weightlifting meet or have to complete that lift on the competition floor. Argue if you want, but straps are an aid to your lifting that you will not have when you are in competition.
– Pulls that are built into a complex. If you are planning to complete a complex such as a pull plus a snatch then there is absolutely no necessity for straps to complete the pull portion. If you are about to snatch it I guarantee you pulling it without the straps is going to make you a better lifter and help enforce similarity between the pull and the full movement. The whole reason people complete complexes with a pull before a movement is in order to create good movement patterns that you can then mimic and imitate during the full movement. Using straps takes away from this possibility.
– The Clean. At all. The classic example of this is Zach Krych but likely there are hundreds more out there who are not as famous. Just don’t use straps during the clean. I don’t care how flexible your shoulders are or how experienced you are with the barbell. If Zach can get injured using them so can you.
I know this was a long expose on such a simple accessory. However when straps are inappropriately utilized they will distract from your results and will negate hours upon hours of hard work spent in the gym. If you’re willing to sacrifice hours and hours of training just so you can hit big numbers in training then ignore everything I’ve written. Otherwise, if you’d like to see competition PR’s, it is critically important that you limit the usage of straps only to appropriate times.