Being forced to workout at a commercial gym these past few months, I have seen a ton of things. Some good, most bad. One thing I see a lot of is the use of assisted devices such as wraps, belts, shirts, etc. I see guys coming in wrapped up like a
Christmas present from head to toe. The issue I have with that is nobody in my gym is a power lifter or strong man competitor.
A power lifter is someone who lifts
extremely heavy weight usually for reps between 1-4. They focus on something called "the big three." The big three included the bench press, the squat, and the
deadlift. Competitive
power lifters are
extremely good athletes moving upwards of 3-4 times their body weight at times. Since these men and women, yes women, are lifting this extreme weight they sometimes require
assisted devices such as wrist wraps, knee wraps, belts, and more.
The issue comes in when the average
Joe who is just looking for a good beach body starts using all these assisted devices for every workout. Things like wraps and belts and gloves, are doing some of the work for you, so you are not getting the full benefit out of it. Take for example the weight lifting belt. Some people use it for every lift. I once saw a guy use a belt for bicep curls. The issue with that is when you put the belt on your core does not need to be activated. So, you are never developing your core. You should have a strong enough core to stand their and curl without requiring a belt. The same applies with gloves and wrist wraps. Everyone complains that they don't have the grip strength to hold the bar. Well, you will never develop that grip strength unless you ditch the wraps.
Now, I want you to know, I am not suggesting that these assisted devices be taken off the market. There are select people who should be using these devices. However, if you want to develop a strong core, a strong grip, and a strong body, you need to lift the weight yourself, not with wraps, straps, and all that other crap.
Disagree? Let me know. Please let me know if you have any questions or blog topic ideas.
Best,
Doug Spurling
Spurling Strength & Speed
dspurling@une.edu
