Best Grip For Heavy Deadlift

Except for high-rep rows or Romanian deadlifts, there's no real need for grip bands. I've rarely seen anyone perform rows correctly with enough weight to require them. However, if you're doing extremely high reps with a normal, light weight, grip strength can be an issue, so using a grip band can help.

The same applies to Romanian deadlifts. Heavy dumbbell rows are also worth using a grip band. As for shrugs, I personally treat them as a grip strength exercise (I use rack pulls and wide-grip deadlifts to target my trapezius muscles), so I don't need a grip band. If you're doing pull-ups for 20 or more reps, a grip band can be helpful.

Overall, I'm a big fan of grip bands. Don't use them just because you don't like using your hands, but if necessary, feel free to use them.

Honestly, I think if you never use grip bands with your deadlifts, you're probably limiting your progress. High reps or rack pulls are both excellent training methods (just look at the deadlift performance of strongman competitors), but without grip bands, it's difficult to fully utilize them.

If your grip strength is a weakness, just invest time in it. In the worst-case scenario, you'll just be a weak gripper with a strong deadlift, and without grip bands, you'll likely end up with a weak grip and a weak deadlift.

If you still insist you shouldn't use grip bands, that's fine too; I'm not saying you absolutely must.