When Should You Use Workout Straps?
Workout straps are probably one of the more common pieces of workout equipment you’ll see people use. I think for most people who go to the gym consistently, they are a pretty good investment. They generally aren’t very expensive and can come in handy. So, let’s talk about some times when you might want to use them and some times when you might not want to.
Why you might choose to use them
Your forearms are sore from a previous workout
Your forearms are active in almost every exercise that you do. There isn’t much that is more annoying than wanting to train your legs but your forearms are sore from a previous training. This would make essentially any deadlift variation less effective because your grip will inevitably give out before your legs do. This is an instance where straps would come in handy. If you throw a pair on you should be able to take enough load off of your forearms to still be able to stimulate your legs sufficiently.
You have a workout planned for the next day that requires your forearms to be ready
Another reason you might choose to use straps is because you have workouts planned two days in a row that require good grip strength. Let’s talk about an example of this. Let’s say you wanted to do heavier stiff leg deadlifts today for your hamstrings but want to be able to workout your back tomorrow. Well, having sore forearms and impaired grip strength will definitely hinder the amount and quality of volume you are able to give to your back. So, if the reason you are doing the stiff leg deadlifts is specifically to grow your hamstrings, then using straps could be a good idea to make sure you are able to train the way you want the next day.
Your legs are significantly stronger than your grip strength
This is a scenario that really applies specifically to people who are not training for some competition in which grip strength is an important factor. Examples of instances where grip strength is important would be powerlifting, CrossFit, strongman, etc. However, if your goal is to build strength and size in your glutes and hamstrings specifically and your forearms are falling behind, then your legs could be getting robbed of getting truly fatigued. If you throw some straps on for your heavier sets, you will be better able to give your legs the attention they deserve. The caveat here is that if your grip strength is that far behind your leg strength, then you likely should spend some time trying to build it up because it will eventually hinder the rest of your workouts.
Why you might not want to use them
You are training for a competition that requires a strong grip
If you are training for a powerlifting competition or just to get a stronger deadlift in general, then you should probably avoid using straps. They really do give a huge boost in the weight you are able to hold, and using them too much could produce a serious deficit in your grip strength relative to the rest of your body. It is alright to use the for your absolute heaviest sets, but they definitely should be set to the side for the majority of your training in this case.
You are just beginning in the gym
Using workout straps is absolutely not something you should do from the get go in the gym. In fact, you really should not use any equipment at all when you are first starting. It is in your best interest to keep it as simple as possible and build up your raw strength, and then add equipment in later as deemed fit. If you throw in fancy equipment in too early, you could be producing some serious strength deficits and forcing yourself to play catch up very early on.
So, how do you use them?
So, let’s say you’ve made it this far and decide you want to get a pair. The next question you might run into is how the heck do you use them. Because I’ll be honest, when I first got a pair and tried to use them, I didn’t figure them out as quickly as I anticipated that I would.
First thing you will want to do is put the strap through the loop and put your wrist with the strap in line with your thumb.
Next, you will simply take that and wrap it tightly around the dumbbell or barbell in question. From there, you will grab around the strap make your pull like that. The friction from the strap will greatly increase the load you are able to hold.
Conclusion
As you progress in fitness, a set of workout straps can be a solid investment. Although you shouldn’t use them on every set, they’re generally very cheap and can help you get the most out of a training session from time to time. Below you will find a link to a pair that I believe will give you the best bang for your buck.
