Alpha Progression
Lifting straps
One problem many strength athletes have with pulling exercises is the loss of grip strength. Although the trained muscle group could pull further, the exercise is interrupted because the forearms can no longer lift the weight. Thus, it is not the target muscle that is the limiting factor in the muscle chain but the grip strength. When several muscles are used, this is called a muscle chain.
You can solve this problem with lifting straps. These are bands or wrist bandages attached to the wrist and the bar. In addition, there are also lifting straps that you can attach to the bar with a hook.
Your forearms are no longer the weakest link in the muscle chain, nor are they the limiting factor. This allows you to move significantly more weight or to perform more reps during pulling exercises such as the lat pulldown.
Furthermore, you can focus much more on your target muscles during the exercise and much less on grip strength.
You put the loose end through the loop to properly use (most) lifting straps. The strap should not be twisted in the process. Then, you put your hand through the loop and tighten it. If your lifting straps have a pad, they will be on the back of your hand at the level of your wrist.
You must position the loose end between your thumb and index finger before tightening the lifting straps. Place the lifting straps around the bar in the opposite direction of the pull and wrap the end of the strap around the bar two or three times.
If the lifting straps have hooks, you do not need to wrap the band around the bar. Instead, you should attach the hook. This reduces the strain on the wrist during specific exercises. However, you lose direct contact with the bar, which leads to a poorer mind-muscle connection.
Also, with the hook, you can't just drop the weight when you go to muscular failure. Doing this increases the risk of injury. So think carefully about which option you choose.
You must practice attaching the lifting straps several times before they will work perfectly. Furthermore, you should get used to the equipment slowly and avoid trying to break a personal record (PR) right away.
Especially with multi-joint pulling exercises, such as the Deadlift, lifting straps are helpful. However, you should not use lifting straps for every pulling movement, as this would reduce your grip strength in the long run. In addition, you should first pay attention to your overall form for a given exercise before considering lifting straps.
