If you’ve ever felt your grip strength give out earlier than your again, glutes, and arms throughout a exercise, you’re not alone. It’s one of the irritating components of strength training for novices and people lifting heavy to hit a one-rep max. That’s the place lifting straps come into play. These easy however highly effective instruments imply the distinction between hitting a new private report or strolling away from the bar early.
Whether you are perfecting your Romanian deadlift or knocking out a pull day exercise, realizing how to use lifting straps can take your training to the following stage.
In this information, I’ll break down all the pieces you want to find out about lifting straps—from understanding what lifting straps are and when to use them to how to use weightlifting straps correctly. We’ll discover the advantages and downsides, examine lifting straps to wrist wraps, and even spotlight a number of the greatest lifting straps in the marketplace. Whether you’re new to weightlifting or a seasoned lifter on the lookout for an edge, this information will arm you with all of the instruments you want to maximize your efficiency and stop grip failure from holding you again.
Editor’s be aware: New lifters ought to keep away from utilizing lifting straps till they’ve wrapped up their first 12 months of training.
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What Are Lifting Straps?
Lifting straps are sturdy, looped material (usually made from cotton, nylon, or leather-based) designed to aid you grip the barbell throughout heavy lifts. They wrap round your wrists and the bar, growing your grip strength and permitting you to concentrate on the goal muscle tissues with out worrying about your palms slipping.
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Types of Lifting Straps and Best Lifting Straps to Buy Now
If you’re prepared to add lifting straps to your health club bag, right here’s a record of 5 in style choices that cater to completely different preferences and lifting kinds.
Loop Straps
The most typical sort options a loop on one finish that the strap threads by to create a safe match round your wrist. The free finish wraps across the bar.
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Harbinger Padded Cotton Lifting Straps
The further padding on Harbinger Padded Cotton Lifting Straps makes them splendid for lengthy workouts, and the cotton materials offers a robust but snug grip.
IronMind Strong-Enough Lifting Straps
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These nylon IronMind Strong-Enough Lifting Straps are constructed to stand up to the heaviest of lifts and are trusted by skilled strongmen worldwide.
Gymreapers Lifting Straps
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The Gymreapers Lifting Straps are made with sturdy cotton, provide wonderful grip and luxury, and have bolstered stitching for longevity. Use these in your subsequent deadlift day for added grip strength.
Figure 8 Straps
These straps kind a figure-eight form, offering most safety by looping across the wrist and the bar for a rock-solid grip.
Rogue Figure 8 Lifting Straps
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The Rogue Figure 8 Lifting Straps are good for heavy deadlifts. They provide most safety by looping absolutely across the bar and your wrist.
Hook Straps
These include a steel or plastic hook that takes the place of wrapping the strap across the bar, making them a fast and straightforward choice, although they will really feel much less pure.
Grip Power Pads Lifting Straps with Neoprene Padded Wrist
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The neoprene padding on these Grip Power Pads Lifting Straps affords further wrist safety, and the cotton straps present a firm grip on barbells or dumbbells. Regardless of what lifts you are doing, these are a welcome boost to your exercise if you would like to actually push your self.
Pro Tip: Ensure you utilize the proper lifting straps for Olympic weightlifting, notably snatches. Deadlift straps received’t safely launch throughout overhead actions!
Related: The Best Devices to Increase Grip Strength
How to Use Lifting Straps
Knowing how to use weightlifting straps correctly can considerably improve your lifting efficiency. Here’s a step-by-step information to mastering them.
Step 1: Position the Straps
Slip your hand by the loop of the weight lifting strap so it sits on the base of your palm. Tighten the strap round your wrist, leaving sufficient slack for it to attain the barbell. Repeat on the opposite wrist.
Step 2: Wrap the Strap Around the Bar
Once the strap is safe in your wrist, loop the surplus material across the barbell. Wrap it tightly, guaranteeing it doesn’t slip. For heavier lifts, it’s possible you’ll want to do that two or 3 times.
Step 3: Grip and Twist
After wrapping, grip the barbell as normal. For added safety, twist the bar barely so the lifting straps tighten additional, creating a lock-tight grip.
Pro Tip: Practice tightening and loosening your lifting straps earlier than your heaviest sets.
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When Should You Use Lifting Straps?
Lifting straps are useful for pulling exercises the place grip strength tends to be a limiting issue. However, it’s necessary not to depend on straps for each elevate. Use them sparingly and strategically—primarily on your heaviest sets and when grip turns into a limiting issue. This ensures you’re nonetheless building grip strength over time. Below are some examples of when it’s your decision to use lifting straps:
Deadlifts and Rack Pulls
As you progress in strength, your grip would possibly give out earlier than your again and leg muscle tissues fatigue. Deadlift straps remedy this by reinforcing your grip, permitting you to elevate heavier weights.
Rows
For barbell or dumbbell rows, straps assist keep a safe maintain on the bar, permitting you to goal your higher again and lats extra successfully.
Pullups or Shrugs
Use straps to stop grip failure throughout high-rep sets of pullups or shrugs.
High-Volume Drop Sets
During high-volume drop sets, the place you cut back the weight and proceed performing reps after reaching muscle failure, lifting straps can stop grip strength from limiting your means to push by these ultimate, intense reps. Extra grip helps maximize time below pressure, particularly for back- and bicep-focused exercises.
Related: Sissy Squats: The Secret Weapon for Leg Strength and Mobility
Pros and Cons of Lifting Straps
Lifting straps will be a game-changer within the health club, however they’ve drawbacks. Let’s break down the professionals and cons:
Pros
- Increased Grip Strength: The main advantage of lifting straps is their means to safe your grip, permitting you to elevate heavier weights, particularly on pulling exercises.
- Reduced Forearm Fatigue: Your forearms will fatigue a lot slower, enabling you to keep concentrate on the goal muscle tissues relatively than worrying about your grip.
- Prevents Hand Calluses: Straps can even shield your palms from tough barbell knurling, minimizing the formation of calluses.
- Helps Break Through Plateaus: If you’ve hit a strength plateau due to grip points, weightlifting straps may help you push previous it.
- Enhanced Targeted Training: Using lifting straps permits you to concentrate on focused muscle teams with out your grip giving out prematurely. This is very useful for bodybuilders or these aiming to isolate particular muscle tissues, just like the lats or traps, throughout heavy pulling exercises.
Cons
- Reliance on Straps: Overusing lifting straps will weaken grip strength over time, as you’re not permitting your palms and forearms to work as arduous.
- Not Allowed in Competitions: Sanctioned competitive powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting competitions don’t enable lifting straps. Relying on them in training may hinder your efficiency in case you plan to compete.
- Doesn’t Improve Grip Strength: While weightlifting straps aid you elevate heavier, they don’t contribute to bettering your pure grip strength. Make certain to at all times toss in grip strength exercises twice a week.
- Improper Use: If lifting straps are usually not used accurately, they will trigger uneven pressure on the bar, main to imbalanced lifts or poor kind. Beginners ought to take the time to be taught the proper methods earlier than utilizing them on heavy weights.
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Lifting Straps vs. Wrist Wraps
It’s straightforward to confuse lifting straps with wrist wraps, however they serve completely different functions. Lifting straps improve your grip by securing your maintain on the barbell, making them splendid for pulling exercises like deadlifts and rows.
On the opposite hand, wrist wraps stabilize and assist the wrist joint, primarily throughout urgent actions like bench presses or overhead presses. They don’t help with grip however present further assist when lifting heavy weights to stop wrist pressure.
In brief, use lifting straps when your grip is the limiting issue and wrist wraps once you want added wrist stability for pushing exercises.
Final Verdict on Lifting Straps
Lifting straps are a game-changer, particularly for lifters trying to push past their grip limits and hit these private data. But keep in mind, they’re a instrument—not a crutch. Use them on your heaviest sets, like deadlifts and rows, the place grip failure is a actual problem, however don’t overlook to hold working in your uncooked grip strength. When used strategically, lifting straps can unlock new ranges of strength and aid you concentrate on what actually issues—hitting your goal muscle tissues and smashing by plateaus.
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