Lifting straps: when to use them, which type and how to wrap them

Lifting straps exist to remove the grip as the limiting factor on heavy pulling, and the threshold is measurable: on most trained lifters the hands start to open before the back and legs are fatigued at roughly 80 to 85 per cent of a one-repetition maximum deadlift on sets of five or more. Below that threshold, straps are unnecessary. Above it, they are the difference between training the target musculature and training the forearms. A pair of 50 to 60 cm cotton or nylon straps weighs under 100 g and fits every Olympic barbell.

When to use straps

The rule is simple to apply and hard to argue with: use a strap when the bar slips before the target muscles are tired. In practice, that means:

• Deadlifts and rack pulls above roughly 80 per cent of maximum, or on any set beyond five repetitions at heavy load.
• Barbell and dumbbell rows where the back is the objective and the forearms fail first, which is common with high-volume hypertrophy work.
• Shrugs, where the load the trapezius can handle is almost always well beyond what the hands can hold.
• Lat pulldowns and cable pulls in the final sets of a session, once grip has been depleted by earlier work.
• High-volume accessory work at the end of a session where grip fatigue has accumulated across several exercises.

When not to use them

• Warm-up and moderate sets. Anything under 80 per cent of maximum. Straps here simply erase useful grip training.
• Any Olympic lift, or any movement where the bar must be released fast. Snatches, cleans and overhead work must never be strapped in a way that prevents the athlete letting go. This is a safety rule, not a preference.
• Loaded carries. The farmer walk exists largely to train grip. Strapping it defeats the exercise. See our sled and loaded carry guide for how to programme grip work deliberately instead.
• Competition, in most federations. Straps are prohibited in powerlifting competition, so a lifter who only ever trains strapped will meet an unpleasant surprise on the platform.

Materials: cotton, nylon or leather

Fifty to 60 cm is the standard length and fits every 25 to 32 mm bar. Shorter straps do not allow two full wraps; longer straps leave a tail that catches on plates and rack uprights.

Four designs, four use cases

For a shared commercial floor, the lasso strap is the correct default: it is versatile, it releases quickly, and it still requires a minimum of active grip, which keeps it honest. Figure 8 straps should be treated as specialist equipment and kept out of general circulation, because their whole design premise is that the lifter cannot let go of the bar.

How to wrap a lasso strap

1. Pass the tail through the loop to form a collar and slide it over the wrist, tail hanging on the palm side.
2. Lay the tail across the palm and place the hand on the bar.
3. Wrap the tail around the bar one to two turns, rolling towards you, so the tail is trapped between hand and bar.
4. Close the hand hard over the wrap and roll the bar backwards slightly to tighten.
5. Check both hands are wrapped in the same direction and to the same tightness before the pull.

Two turns for heavy singles, one turn for higher repetitions where the athlete needs to release between reps.

Do straps make your grip weaker?

Not if grip is trained deliberately elsewhere. The genuine risk is a lifter who straps everything and therefore never loads the hands. The straightforward programme fix is to leave the last working set of a pulling exercise unstrapped, and to keep one dedicated grip element in the week: a loaded carry, a timed bar hang, or a thick-bar hold. That preserves grip development while still allowing the back and legs to be loaded properly. Our grips and chalk guide covers direct grip training in more detail.

What a facility should stock

Straps are a member-owned item in most clubs, and that is usually the right policy. Where a facility does provide them, three practical points apply:

• Hygiene. Webbing absorbs sweat and cannot be wiped down like a bar. Loan stock should be cotton, washable at 40 degrees, and rotated weekly. This is one reason many operators prefer to sell rather than lend.
• Standardise the length. Mixed lengths in a loan box cause bad wraps. Keep a single 60 cm specification.
• Signage over supervision. A short instruction card at the deadlift platform showing the wrap sequence prevents more incidents than any policy. The common failure is one hand wrapped tightly and the other loosely, which twists the bar out of a beginner’s hand mid-pull.

The wider point for a free-weight zone is that grip aids interact with the bar. A worn, polished barbell with flattened knurling produces grip failure far below the athlete’s real capacity, and straps become a workaround for a maintenance problem. Replacing a knurl-worn bar from the professional Olympic barbell range is often the actual fix.

Frequently asked questions

Lifting straps or lifting hooks?

Straps for general use: they are versatile, they release quickly, and they still require a minimum of active grip. Hooks remove the grip factor almost entirely, which makes them the right tool for rehabilitation, hand injuries and very heavy shrug work, but a poor default because the wrist takes the whole load.

Do lifting straps weaken your grip?

Only if they are used on everything. Reserved for sets above the grip threshold, they have no negative effect, provided grip is trained separately through loaded carries, bar hangs or grippers. Leaving the last working set unstrapped is the simplest safeguard.

How do you wrap a lifting strap?

Pass the tail through the loop and slide the collar over the wrist. Lay the tail across the palm, place the hand on the bar, then wrap the tail around the bar one or two turns towards you and close the hand over it. Both hands must be wrapped in the same direction and to the same tension.

Are lifting straps allowed in competition?

They are prohibited in powerlifting and in weightlifting competition. They are permitted in some strongman events, where figure 8 straps are commonly seen on maximal deadlifts. A lifter preparing for competition should train the competition lift unstrapped at least once a week.

What length of strap should I buy?

Fifty to 60 cm, which suits every Olympic barbell and allows two full wraps. Shorter straps cannot be double-wrapped for a maximal pull, and longer ones leave a tail that catches on plates and rack uprights.