How To Use Weight Lifting Straps - Beast Gear

Lifting straps are used by beasts for weight training. Straps are especially ideal if your hand grip isn’t quite strong enough yet as you work on your deadlifts and other lifting workouts. 

The thing with straps, though, is that there’s a right way to use them - and a wrong way to use them. 

In this article, Beast Gear takes a look at how to use weight lifting straps correctly.

But first … 

Choose The Right Straps 

The best straps should obviously be strong. But they should also be well-stitched and preferably made of either nylon or cotton (leather straps aren’t as firm). 

Personally, I recommend going for Olympic straps, as they’re shorter. This means you get to realise the barbell quicker, and they also make your life easier. 

How To Use Weight Lifting Straps

Put On Your Lifting Straps 

To put on your lifting straps, you need to thread their ends through the loops. 

Then, slide each hand through the corresponding circles and then pull on the ends so that the straps fit just right around each wrist.

Next, wrap each end of the strap around your bars (you can begin by going underneath the bar back to front). The strap must be wrapped completely around the bar. 

Then, just place each hand over each strap. To do this correctly, make sure your palm and fingers are closed over the area of the barbell that is covered by the wraps. When letting go, the idea is that the straps slide easily off. If something doesn’t feel right, loosen or tighten as you see fit. 

When it comes to lifting the weight, you need to roll the bar towards you as this tightens the strap. You should feel the straps pulling on your wrists, which indicates that your technique is correct.

Then, lift the weight. Your wrists aren’t meant to do all the work here. Instead, the point of the straps is to assist your wrists - and vice versa. If you rely too much on your wrists, you could cause yourself an injury. 

That all said, it’s really important that you take the time and put in the effort to strengthen your grip as you go along. This means squeezing your barbells during reps and hanging from the pull-up bar. The aim is that you don’t rely too heavily on your straps. Doing so will only cause you to neglect the need to strengthen your grip. 

Which Exercises Should I Use Lifting Straps For? 

If you want to increase the size of your hamstring, trapezius and upper back muscles, lifting straps make sense. 

Here are some exercises lifting straps will benefit: 

• Rack pulls 

• Romanian deadlifts

• Deadlifts

• Shrugs

• Dumbbells 

• Barbells 

What Next? 

It’s worth pointing out that you can’t use lifting straps in powerlifting competitions. If you’re aiming to be a competitor, it’s very important that you don’t become dependent on them. 

Other than that, don’t forget to check the Beast Gear shop for our selection of lifting straps!