I currently only belt up for the competition lifts. As such, my normal plan would be to NOT belt up for the overload squat and deadlift variations in PL II. However, can I just check that this is correct, or is the intention to be lifting relative loads in excess of the competition lifts (and, as such, making the use of a belt worthwhile?)
Hi Matt,
Thanks for the post! Good question. We would most often have you NOT use the belt for the overload variations, but I do qualify that to note that using a belt is not “wrong” in the cases, just not what out templates are planned for most of the time.We assume comp lifts are done with the belt and all variations are done without, unless an individual has a particular reason to belt up.
So then is the point of the overload variations not an overload of weight but an overload of specific stress? If that is the case, how does one decide when it is necessary/permissible to use straps on deadlift variations?
The overload variations listed in this template will still more likely be an overload of weight or resistance given that they are things like bands, chains, and the slingshot. So maybe yes, maybe no to your first question. 
And the straps on DL variations is often a different question. They are always permissible. I use them and suggest using them for high rep supplemental work. If you have no grip problems with your regular comp pulls, I would not be hesitant to your straps for the variations. That preserves your grip for the comp pulls.
So for someone with trouble with grip, would it be more optimal to have them pull their overload deadlifts with or without straps? I see how pulling other variations would offer a great opportunity to train the grip, but pulling the overload without straps could compromise the amount of weight you could add to the pull.
I guess the “meta-question” embedded in all this is: Is it better to have someone who struggles with the grip more so than the actual pull to focus their training on the grip or on the other mechanics of the pull? I hope that made as much sense as it did in my head
I would love to jump in here and ask if, for example, you are doing a single at 8 and then four reps at 8 or 9 on the comp pull, would you do the quad with straps? Or no-strap the quad and use straps on the back offs?
To clarify, I pull the single with a hook grip and have been using straps for the rest of the reps.
I don’t now, as I am not sure if your grip trouble is due to pulling too often with straps and not building your grip or maybe pulling too much volume without them thus fatiguing your grip. Do you have grip trouble and if so what have you been doing for it? But yes, if your grip is failing on comp pulls, then you want to pay close attention to that. But again it’s a balance of grip work and fatigue, as with the rest of our training.
I would pull my sets of 4 with my comp grip not straps. I value that grip work and my grip will hold just fine for a set of 4. I will use straps for the back off sets IF I have a lot of them, like 4-5 back off sets, but otherwise I can grip the working sets even if it gets painful. But should everyone do it that way? I don’t think it particularly matters if your grip is fine. But I personally would never pull only my single without straps as my grip as a competitor is very important to me.
I don’t really have grip issues I have a pretty strong one from years of doing martial arts. I do all my warm ups without straps but I will take your advice and start doing as much of my comp deads without straps as I can. I originally started using straps to help mitigate some elbow tendonitis issues while I was working through it and now that is relatively under control I can start pushing it again. As always thanks for the response
I do tend to have grip trouble on my pulls. Typically an @8 for my back/legs is max effort or failing for my grip. So far, I train it by pulling all my competition sets with no straps. I use straps on rack pulls for now. When my program shifts back to paused variations I will do those strapless. Part of me thinks adding 100 pounds to my deadlift during two runs of the bridge may have just caused the rest of my body to leave my grip somewhat in the dust.
If this is kind of recent, I’d simply carry on, training your DL and your grip as you are. But I doubt that your grip has been left in the dust. That would be unlikely unless you did an awful lot of strapped DLs during the Bridge. You might just need a bit of practice or you might need to adjust your grip. Sometimes people actually don’t grip the DL correctly: trying to hold the bar too high in your palm (up near your thumb) instead of nestled in your fingers, or they don’t actually squeeze the bar hard enough, or they take far, far too long to set up and pull their sets so everything is getting to fatigued.