Lifting straps are one of the most debated accessories in strength training. As you progress in your lifting journey, you might wonder whether or not you should incorporate them into your routine. The purpose of this article is to break down what lifting straps are, how they can benefit your training, and whether they are a good choice for your specific goals.
What Are Lifting Straps?
Lifting straps are a simple yet effective accessory designed to improve your grip on a barbell or dumbbell. Typically made from durable materials like cotton, nylon, or leather, these straps wrap around your wrist and the bar, creating a stronger connection between your hand and the weight. The primary goal is to reduce the demand on your grip strength, allowing you to lift more weight or complete more repetitions in pulling exercises such as deadlifts, rows, and pull-ups.
The Purpose of Lifting Straps
In many compound lifts, particularly pulling movements, grip strength can often be the limiting factor. You may find that your hands tire out before the larger muscle groups being targeted, such as your back or hamstrings. Lifting straps help to mitigate this issue by allowing your grip to become less of a limiting factor, letting your target muscles, like the back, take on more of the load.
For example, if you’re doing heavy barbell rows, your back muscles are the primary movers. However, your grip can give out before your back is fully fatigued, which can prevent you from fully training those muscles. By using lifting straps, you can shift more of the workload to your back, enhancing muscle growth and strength development in those areas.
Shouldn’t I Just Train My Grip?
Many lifters wonder if relying on straps is a crutch that hinders grip strength development. While it’s true that grip training is important, there are specific scenarios where using straps is more beneficial for overall progress. For instance, if you’re doing high-rep Romanian deadlifts or heavy sets of rows, the likelihood that your grip will give out before your target muscles are fully worked is high. In such cases, if you skip using straps in favor of grip training, you might limit your back or hamstring development, which defeats the purpose of these exercises.
Grip training can be addressed separately through specific exercises like farmer’s carries, dead hangs, or grip crushes. But in most pulling exercises, especially those involving high reps or heavy weights, it’s unlikely that your grip strength will keep pace with your back or hamstring strength.
When Your Grip Isn’t a Limiting Factor
If your grip isn’t giving out during pulling movements, it’s possible that you’re not pushing yourself hard enough in those exercises, or your back and pulling muscles are underdeveloped compared to your grip. For most people training for muscle hypertrophy or strength, grip will almost always become a limiting factor if they’re working at an optimal intensity. Therefore, it’s reasonable to use straps to ensure that your back or hamstrings are the muscles getting fatigued, not your grip.
Even with Grip Training, Straps Still Have a Place
Some might argue that building grip strength should be a priority, and while this has its merits, even dedicated grip training might not allow your grip to keep up with your back and pulling muscles, particularly during high-volume or heavy workouts. A strong grip is essential for overall strength development, but it’s important to recognize that grip strength and back strength progress at different rates. Your back can handle a lot more volume and intensity than your grip, which is why even advanced lifters rely on straps during specific exercises.
A Practical Approach
If you’re training correctly and aiming for hypertrophy or strength, your grip will naturally become a limiting factor during many movements, especially as you advance. This is particularly true for exercises like deadlifts, bent-over rows, pull-ups, and shrugs, where grip fatigue can happen long before the larger muscle groups are properly worked. That’s just how it is.
Does this mean you should neglect grip training altogether? Absolutely not. Including grip-specific exercises is a great idea for well-rounded strength. However, if your grip is failing before your back or other pulling muscles, the smart thing to do is use lifting straps. This will allow you to push those bigger muscle groups harder, leading to better results overall.
Conclusion: Use Lifting Straps Smartly
Lifting straps are a valuable tool in any lifter’s arsenal, particularly for those aiming to build a stronger, more muscular back. They allow you to bypass grip fatigue and ensure that your target muscles are fully worked, especially during high-rep or high-volume sets. While grip training is important, it’s unlikely that your grip will develop fast enough to keep up with the demands of your larger muscle groups. By using straps intelligently, you can continue progressing in your lifts without letting your grip become a bottleneck in your progress.
So, should you be using lifting straps? If your grip is holding you back from reaching your full potential in pulling movements, the answer is yes. Adding straps to your routine doesn’t mean you’re avoiding grip strength—it means you’re prioritizing the growth and strength of the muscles that matter most in those exercises.
