Originally Posted by
nazzo
Lift-straps are a band-aid fix to a crucial flaw in your strength. I don't think they should ever be used by anyone for anything. Fix the root of the problem before trying to put a patch over it.
Also, have you tried lifting without the gloves? Can you use chalk at your gym? From my experience gloves have prevented me from lifting heavier weights as their bulk got in the way. Then again I'm a pretty avid raw lifter. Heck, I think I've only used a weight belt twice when I 1RM-ed out at 435lbs at ~165lbs back when I was 17! Now I'm a weak and fat 23 year old at ~195lbs with a three rep max of 385 and a 3 rep max of 285lbs on full back squats... Oh the joys of college and what it does to you.
Straps do have the advantage of being able to hoist more weight for reps without a loss in grip. Additional work on forearm & grip strength away from deadlifting need to be done if that is the case.
I have a home gym kitted out, so I can use chalk but I prefer to wear gloves for numerous reasons, blisters, comfort etc. Sometimes in the summer I will use chalk to dry up the respiration & sweat on my hands, but I still wear the gloves over the top. There are special bars which can be purchased which are much thicker & bulkier than the standard one & that bar is specifically used to improve grip strength, so the bulkier gloves could actually be a benefit.