Randomness in performing exercises, especially weight exercises, may expose you to injury, and when you misuse lifting straps, it may increase the rate of injury, and this is what we do not all want, although lifting straps come in a form that makes you know well how you will wear them, but some beginners may not know How to use it with weightlifting exercises and so on.
That is why in this post, we will all learn, step by step, how to wear lifting straps correctly and how to use them to work well with the exercises that you want to do, and also how to develop your weightlifting using lifting straps.
Let’s continue together!
How to use lifting straps correctly
The use of lifting straps is not a complicated matter, and depending on these steps, you will be able to do the first exercise while wearing lifting belts in a successful and correct way.
1 – It is necessary to have a lifting straps that fits your hands and provides an adequate size.
One of the common mistakes that beginners make is going with lifting straps that do not fit their wrist size. Although lifting straps fit most wrist sizes, they differ in many things and come in different sizes.
So make sure that the lifting straps available to you fit your wrists well and should not make you feel uncomfortable at all.
2 – Wrap lifting straps on your wrists
Here comes the enigma puzzle, which is how to wrap the strap properly on the wrist, so that there are some beginners who wrap the straps around the wrist more than wrapping it on the bar, and this will inevitably make you lose grip so that the palm of your hands becomes filled with that wrapped strap, and therefore you cannot tighten your grip on the bar.
Follow these steps when wearing lifting belts:
- Insert the loose strap into the loop at the strap head.
Lifting straps come in one strap-style piece and each has a loop sewn into the top, so the first thing is to thread the loose strap into that loop until you have a loop large enough to slide your hand up to your wrist.
- There’s a difference between the strap that works with the right hand and the strap that works with the left hand.
Many beginners make the mistake of confusing straps directions.
Right strap: When you tie the strap to your wrist and pull the loose strap well, the latter passes over the palm of your hand in the direction of your thumb.
Left strap: When you tie the strap on your wrist and pull the loose strap well, the latter passes over the palm of your hand in the direction of your thumb.
Note: If you pull the strap and you discover that when you pull the tail, it goes to your pinky, then you are putting it on the wrong hand.
- The padding is placed on top of your wrist and hand.
All lifting straps have a piece of cotton in the middle, and that piece plays a role in protecting your hands from that rough friction caused by the straps while lifting heavy weights.
So that piece of cotton should be right over your wrist and hand (after inserting the loose strap into that small stitched loop you will have a strap in the shape of a number 6) You will place the cotton pad over the wrist and the loose strap will pass through the palm of your hand diagonally.
3 – Wrap the lifting straps on the bar properly.
Well, this step is also easier than drinking water, and you will definitely love it.
If you’re going to lift weights (deadlift for example), you’ve now put the straps properly on your wrists and you’re all set.
We will be deadlifting with these straps, first place the bottom of your right palm on the bar at this point the loose strap will be hanging down, you will pull it under the bar and roll it from the top try to roll it at least once and make sure there is no space between your palms And the bar.
Put your grip on the strap and do some throttle (as if you are increasing the speed of a motorcycle). You will feel the strap tight and tense, you are now ready.
Do the same with the other hand, while your first hand is already on the bar, so that your remaining hand will support itself, place the bottom of your palm on the bar pull the loose strap and pass it just with your thumb under the bar and twist it from the top Put your palms tight and do some throttle until the strap becomes tense.
4 – Perform the lift
Note : This can be applied to any exercise that you want to use lifting straps with, but with exercises that require a strong grip, the most important thing is to wrap the straps on the bar well and make sure that your palms are firmly attached to the bar.
Step by step video to use lifting straps correctly
How to improve your weightlifting using lifting strap
When it comes to improving weightlifting, it depends entirely on you, as there are several factors that contribute to that. And this matter revolves around what you do in order to improve weightlifting, and it depends on the intensity of the exercises, the number of classes that you train in per week, and your desire to improve your fitness, for this, as I mentioned previously, the role of the lifting straps is that complementary process that adds a touch of strength and support to your routine.
So how do lifting strap help you improve your weightlifting?
Gradually increase the weights.
Perhaps you may be a beginner with weightlifting, so you must start first with light weights that you can handle easily and at the same time make you feel some tension.
First, you will start with a specific set of weights. If your goal is to build muscle, you will use lifting straps during the compound exercises. Suppose you are doing a set of 12 reps. Try to go with a weight that causes you to fail the muscles at 8 or 9 rep.
With the passage of time, you will feel that these exercises have become easy with lifting straps, so it will be time to add a few weight plates to the bar and so on.
Focus on grip strength.
There are some exercises that need a strong grip, and most weightlifters focus on building a strong grip just as they focus on building muscle.
Any type of weightlifting exercises requires a strong grip because sometimes you feel that you are able to do more than a few reps, but your grip begins to fail, and this is what makes you throw in the towel.
Therefore, lifting straps whose role here is to assist you to build grip strength so that they provide you with a secure grip and make you hold on to that weight for as long as possible.
Sometimes you have to test your grip strength without using lifting straps. You will choose some exercises that used to strain your grip in the past, then try them again. You will discover that you are in control of the situation, so you are ready for the next level.
The stronger your grip, the greater the improvement in lifting weights, because muscle strength can be built easily if you keep following your exercise schedule and plan that you set in order to achieve this goal, and lifting straps will definitely support your grip all the time.
If you are really interested in developing and strengthening your grip, you will need to do some exercises that target the grip, such as the farmer’s walk, or use special equipment to strengthen the grip.
Practice proper form
Also, one of the secrets of the success of athletes while weightlifting is to adopt the correct form in performing the movements and pay attention to their steps well. Believe me, this gives fruits and makes you benefit 100% from the exercises.
If you are controlled by randomness while carrying weights, then you will definitely not get a satisfactory result, because muscle building is like a delicate process because targeting muscles is by stretching and contracting the muscles properly and correctly, you may wonder what is the role of lifting straps in this case?
The answer is that lifting straps can be a useful and reliable tool, since they help you carry the weight more comfortably, this allows you to focus on the movement more as you can focus on the targeted muscles and feel them during the exercise.
So, in order to improve weightlifting using lifting straps, it is necessary to train in the most appropriate form because good form is important while carrying weights, especially if you wear lifting straps. Your movement must be clean in order to reduce the risk of injury, and in return you will get good exercise and satisfactory results.
How to use lifting straps for pull ups?
Pull-up exercises are perhaps one of the most powerful bodyweight exercises and outperform many exercises and improve upper body muscles. In CrossFit activities that target upper body muscles, pull-ups are essential and one of the pillars for improving the muscles of the arms, forearms, shoulders and back.
So it is natural for beginners to be unable to do this exercise because it requires skill, grip strength, as well as pulling power, because you pull your entire body weight and this is certainly not easy, even experienced athletes fail after doing a few repetitions.
But lifting straps can support your wrists while doing this exercise and will also allow you to keep your palms attached to that bar for some time.
Grab a chair or a weight bench and climb up close to the bar (do this if an adjustable bar is not available).
- Put the bottom of your palm on the bar, then roll the tail of the strap on the bar well.
- Lock your palms on the bar and do a little choke until you feel the strap getting tighter.
- Do the same with the other hand.
- Keep the proper distance between your fists, move away from the chair, tighten your body well, then start pulling your body up strongly.
Master your first pull up in easy 3 steps
Are straps a necessary tool in weightlifting?
Well, we cannot say that they are necessary, because the role of lifting straps is limited only to keeping you more in control of the weight path, but you can do all the exercises without resorting to lifting belts, and perhaps you may do them more professionally.
There are some types of exercises that may prompt you to use lifting straps, such as deadlift exercise, rowing exercises, any type of exercise that may require pulling weight to you and you need a strong grip, adding lifting straps can be good with it.
But on the other hand, relying on it is a lot. This is like getting used to one exercise over and over again to target a specific muscle. That muscle will become accustomed and therefore you will not be able to develop it further.
So the right thing is to do a set of exercises that target that muscle in different ways in order to always put it in front of new challenges.
The same applies to lifting straps, which can reduce your grip strength if you over rely on them, and they can limit the activation of the muscles, so try to rely on them with a certain type of exercise.
Know about lifting straps benefits for weightlifting
When to use lifting straps
Well, to be more clear here, here are some cases in which lifting belts can be used, or the addition of lifting straps is useful and helps to develop fitness.
Heavy lifting.
When you reach advanced levels with carrying weights, the exercises become more intense and require a strong grip, so lifting straps can provide a secure grip on the bar and work to prevent the weight from slipping (this often happens with people who do not have a strong grip) and also helps you to Keep your fist tight throughout the exercise.
Some specific exercises.
The 3 best exercises to which adding lifting straps can be a good and motivating thing: deadlift, rowing, pull up. These exercises have one point in common, which is that they require a strong grip because you are dealing with a heavy weight, and when you do a pull-up exercise, you pull about 80% of your body weight, and this definitely requires a strong grip.
Weak grip.
I think this is obvious because throughout this post we have talked about lifting straps helping to build grip strength over time.
Rehabilitation.
Sometimes you may suffer an injury in one of your hands, and this makes it difficult to lock your palm on the bar, so there is a risk of the weight slipping or losing your grip, but you cannot miss the deadlift exercise, so lifting straps will help you to keep the bar inside your palm at all times.
Are lifting straps a good tool for beginners to use?
Yes, beginners can use lifting straps to improve weightlifting, and they can be a good addition to them if they use them well, of course.
Beginners can rely on lifting straps with some specific exercises such as those that require a good grip or when pulling a heavy weight, but it is necessary to take the advice of a specialized trainer in order to go with the correct guidance and stay away from injury, because lifting straps may be harsh sometimes especially In the absence of professionalism and proper movement.
Interested in getting the most secure lifting straps ?
You may be interested in adding lifting straps to gym accessories, which will be a good addition, but you will need to choose suitable straps and have some high characteristics, as well as in terms of quality or measurements, and you must make sure that the straps meet your needs well.
We have reviewed the best 8 lifting straps on the market that you can go with with confidence because they are more suitable for weightlifting exercises and high-intensity sports such as CrossFit activities, and they also provide a secure grip, bear heavy weights, and last for a long time.
