That said, there is quite a bit of technical info around about lifting aids, particularly belts. My purpose here is not to re-hash information available elsewhere, but to relate my own experiences when I stopped using belts and straps, and to what extent I've found the idea useful.

The weight belt has change a lot since I started lifting way back when Iron Maiden was the new and hip thing. Back then a weight belt was an oversized leather belt with a wider area for your back. They required a breaking in period before they got very comfy, and a well sweat burnished belt was the sign of an experienced lifter. Nowadays belts are often fashion statements, coming in assorted colors and styles with many people using belts made from nylon. I'm on the short side, so a good leather belt is a bugger to come by sometimes. Many of the belts will be too wide in the front and will dig into my ribs when I drop into a squat or set up for deads. The result is that for the past five years I've been one of the nylon belt users.

Straps have undergone the same fashion genesis as belts. Time was they were plain, white, and utilitarian. Now they are built into lifting gloves or even modified to use hooks instead of wrapping around the bar. I use a pair of Tunturi straps that are the plain old kind, except they have a wide pad on the back where they lie against the back of my wrist - I find them a little more comfortable and they don't dig into my wrists as much as plain straps.

When I decided to stop or lessen my use of straps and belts, I didn't have a power cage. I did front squats exclusively, and could only do what I could clean - major bummer. However I deadlifted a lot, as deads are my perennial favorite lift. As far as the belt went, I stopped using it on all front squats, and only used it on triples and singles in the deadlift. My back workout at the time consisted of :

At the time I split my quad and hamstring work, and the stiff legged DL's are a great transition into the leg curls. Anyway, the 8 rep sets on DL were strap and belt free, and I would pull the triples and double without them as well. The single was always strapped and belted, as my forearms were always fried by that time and I still think that if the weight is heavy enough for a single, a belt is probably a good idea.

Initially, my weights on the DL dropped to from 75% to 80% of my normal 8 rep weights, and the triples and doubles more so. Normally this workout scheme would run for 4 to 5 weeks, and then I would evaluate and if necessary change things around. What I found was that my back caught up rapidly - I actually am more comfortable now without a weight belt than when I wear one. I find myself rounding my back less and driving more with my legs and hips on the DL's. I think this is because I would somehow bend from the top of the belt instead of from my waist.

The strapless lifts progressed fairly steadily, but then I ran into trouble. My forearms didn't get much work back then - no farmer's walks, rack holds, or any work leading into dropping the straps. The result? After 3 weeks I started getting sharp pains in my right forearm, up around the brachioradialis. I started using straps more to compensate, but it took me almost two months to get back into fighting form.

As far as the squats went, I found that my form actually improved quite a bit. I found it easier to keep my knees over my ankles than when belted, and my back more upright. This may have stemmed from decreasing on the weight and concentrating more on my form, not necessarily from lack of a belt. I tend to believe that it was a little of both.

What I've concluded from this is:

• Straps and belts are not necessarily the tools of Satan - while they should not be overused, they still have a function at lower rep schemes with higher weight, and to assist completion of work where you have strength imbalances i.e. when you forearms tire before your back when doing deads.
• Forearm work needs to be approached systematically - I think of it as like shoulder training - look at it as a whole, including the compound moves that stress the grip.
• As far as the belt is concerned, proper use is just as or more important than over use. Use a properly fitted belt. Don't wear the thing too high or too low on your torso. Don't over or under-tighten the belt.

In the end, my grip has made marked improvements, and my right forearm has fully recovered. I work my forearms more than I used to as well, focusing on grip exercises rather than the wrist curls and their cousins. I do rack holds and farmers walks primarily, and like to hang from the chinning bar on my squat rack as well - feels good on the ole back.

Rack holds - I set the bar in my squat rack on the safety bars about 4 or 5 inches below where the bar will hang when I hold it. I've found that if my grip varies to the wide or narrow, my shoulders pay for it dearly - keep your grip at shoulder width. I seem to make better progress by focusing on greater time periods for each "set" rather than higher weights - I currently do 315 pounds for 30 seconds to start with, and will go up in weight when I do more than a 40 second hold, or drop it when I'm under 20.

Farmer's Walk - Simply stated, pick up plates with a pinch grip and walk around. The most difficult incarnation of these is to use two plates with each arm, stacking the smooth side out so you have to use nothing but muscle to keep the weight up. Take care you don't drop the damn things and crush your feet, or your neighbors cat. Unless you have caught it pooping in your roses……

All things said, once again I don't think that we should go out and burn our weight belts and wrist straps like a bunch of bra-burning feminists, but once again evaluate how and when we need to use them, and adjust training accordingly. If you are done with your heavy squats or deads and are doing arm or ab work (I've actually seen this…) take the damn thing off.