Have you gone through a situation where you were just inches away from maxing out on weights, but the grip gave out? Well, it’s such a disappointing and even frustrating situation. All the hard work, training, and intensive reps go down the drain when this happens. You feel so helpless and angry.
The simple solution to this problem is lifting straps. They are so simple but offer so many benefits that you would never want to part with them while working out. They are just a wide strip of fabric that goes around the wrists and weighted bars. They are adjustable, durable, and very affordable. You can keep them in your bag without adding any weight and take your strength training to a completely different level.
The fitness world has become very glamorous with countless fitness accessories: some are not even useful. However, lifting straps are not one of those useless, glamorous additions to your gym bag that just add to the weight of it.. They are your loyal partners when it comes to boosting performance, lifting heavier, and reaching your maximum without grip failure.
Buy a pair and let your maximum potential come to the surface without interruption.
If you are planning to buy your pair anytime soon, then dive right in and learn everything you want to know about lifting straps.
What are Lifting Straps?
Lifting straps are generally confused with wrist wraps: the two may seem identical but serve very different purposes. Wrist wraps support your wrists and prevent sprains, strains, and hyperextension of the joint. The lifting wraps are a step ahead of wrist wraps.
The lifting straps are bands or strips of fabric that wrap around the wrist and the bar simultaneously. They are very simple but effective for heavy weightlifting like deadlifts, cross-fit, strongman, Olympic lifts, or any lifting requiring maximum strength and endurance. The objective of the lifting straps is to secure your grip during intense reps where you fear a slip. They help you lift heavier weights and reach your maximum potential.
The lifting wraps are made from cotton, nylon, or leather material: some of them come with neoprene padding that helps prevent bruising, irritation, and skin tears. They are a perfect accessory to boost your weightlifting capacity by eliminating grip fatigue.
Because of their almost twin appearance, wrist wraps and lifting straps are generally considered the same things. However, if you are into heavy lifting, you know that they are two different accessories and serve two very different but important purposes.
Wrist Wraps
Wrist wraps are stretchable bands with thumb loops. They are usually well padded to add comfort to the support. The basic purpose of wrist wraps is to stabilize the wrist joint with cast-like support and prevent sprain/strain injuries. They prevent acute twists of the joint and provide stable support that helps the joints stay in the upright position.
They are a protective accessory by nature. Doctors routinely prescribe wrist wraps for injury prevention.
Lifting Straps
Lifting Straps are very different from wrist wraps. These are simple strips of a suitable material, worn around the wrists and the weight accessories like dumbbells, barbells, etc.
The basic purpose of the straps is to avoid grip fatigue and prevent slipping of hands on the bar. They help you maximize strength, lift heavier weights without fail, and target muscles without secondary muscles (forearms and hands) intervention.
Benefits of Lifting Straps
Lifting straps are a perfect gym aid for those who are into intense weight lifting. When things heat up in the arena, and your muscles are tested for their maximum strength, every little thing counts in those moments. Even a slight slip of grip can ruin the game.
Lifting straps come in very handy in those intense moments when you feel you can go further, but the wrists seem to be on the verge of giving out. They increase strength and size by targeting muscles till exhaustion successfully.
Wrists often come between you and maximum performance. Straps eliminate grip weakness from the equation. Larger muscles in the shoulders and arms are activated, which increases muscle strength and size in those areas.
1- Perfect for Powerlifters
Lifting straps are perfect for powerlifters. We all know powerlifting is a serious business. It’s all about lifting to the very extremes. Powerlifting is not about manoeuvring or quick repetitions; it’s about pure strength. So, a powerlifter wants stability and a solid grip on the bar during the reps when his/her strength limits are tested.
Lifting straps ensure that your hand technique and position remain the same throughout; you lift until muscle failure and reach your maximum potential without grip interruption.
2- Help You Lift Heavier
The straps give you surety that your grip will not lose it during the hardest and the harshest moments, and that confidence helps you push your limits further. You can achieve new goals and conquer new challenges when confident about your grip.
The comfort of grip that comes with these straps also allows the user to lift more weight and do extra reps. The grip pressure on the hands and forearms is lessened with these straps: larger muscle groups are engaged instead, like lats and traps.
3- Engage Primary Muscles
When lifting weights, the intended muscle is often not activated to its full potential. The grip starts to give out way before the intended muscle reaches exhaustion or muscular failure point. This means it’s not engaged fully and will not develop to its maximum.
Lifting straps remove the grip factor and let the larger muscles take the hit. Intended muscles during an exercise are activated and exhausted. Lifting straps help achieve the real purpose of a move.
4- Increase Endurance Levels
You will feel energized when using these straps. They do not add strength or anything but divert pressure away from smaller muscles like hands and forearms and engage the back muscles (lats and traps). Smaller muscle fatigue quickly, and bigger ones endure more. So with lifting straps, your muscle endurance goes up automatically, leading to more reps and improved performance.
5- Prevent Injuries and Skin Tears
Heavyweights are no joke. Your body has to muster all its courage to lift and manoeuvre. Hands take the worst hit because they play the front guard in the battle against mighty weights. A slip of grip is a possibility when you try the very limits of your strength with weights. This can lead to life-changing injuries.
Lifting Straps help secure the grip on the bar and ensure safety while you lift heavy weights. There is no need to worry about slipping a little or wrong posture when you have lifting straps on. They ensure that hand technique and placement remain the same during potentially dangerous lifts. They are an essential accessory for all weightlifters.
Best Time to Use Lifting Straps
Generally speaking, anyone can use straps at any point in their weightlifting journey. There are no limitations about a particular level or stage.
Whether you are a beginner or a weightlifting pro, they work just fine for all. However, some experts think, using them too often or for smaller weights can lead to weak forearms and grips. No weightlifter will want a weak grip and lazy forearms because it just doesn’t work that way.
So, use DMoose lifting straps during heavy and intense lifts when you do not want your grip limitations to come between you and the success. They are made from breathable material and come with neoprene padding for ultra comfort. They are amazingly durable; buy them once and enjoy them forever.
Conclusion
Lifting straps are a necessary gym accessory for a serious weight lifter. It’s a must-have for all, regardless of the weightlifting style they follow. It helps build strength and muscle size, activate larger muscle groups, and reach true muscle failure. Lifting straps eliminate the grip weakness and focus the pressure on the intended muscles. A pair of lifting straps makes a lifting session truly fruitful and satisfying.
References
Westcott, Wayne L. ‘Resistance Training Is Medicine: Effects of Strength Training on Health’. Current Sports Medicine Reports, vol. 11, no. 4, Aug. 2012, pp. 209–16. PubMed, https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0b013e31825dabb8.