Lifting straps
Fabric loops wrapped around the bar so grip does not end the set
Cotton or nylon loops that wrap the wrist and then the bar, taking the forearms out of the equation on heavy pulls. Rows, shrugs, deadlifts and pulldowns are where they turn up, since the back can usually keep working after the hands quit. The trade is grip strength you never build, so most lifters keep some sets strapless.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Chris BumsteadRecommends
Bodybuilder · Six-time Classic Physique Mr. Olympia
Straps appear in his newsletter programming as a plain instruction to readers: wear them on the chest-supported row so grip does not limit the lift. He writes it as a prescription for the workout rather than a note about his own training.
Source: The Standard newsletter: Build Muscle + Mobility That Lasts - Pavel TsatsoulineRecommends
Strength coach · StrongFirst
Straps get a narrow job in that same book. The weightlifting hook grip is rough on the thumbs, so the authors keep it to warm-ups, singles and doubles, and say straps become necessary once you are doing fives with it. Extra grip work goes alongside, rather than straps standing in as the fix.
Source: StrongFirst: Kettlebell Deadlift to Barbell Deadlift, an excerpt from Deadlift Dynamite
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under fitness.
- Gear$$$Expensive: Several hundred dollars and up.
Home gym
A private training space at home, from a garage rack to a fully equipped room
On record from 7 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 2 recommend it - Gear$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Kettlebell
One implement covering swings, carries and presses in a small space
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it, 2 recommend it, 1 has discussed it - Gear$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Resistance bands
Loop and tube bands for activation work, mobility drills and travel training
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it, 1 recommends it, 1 has discussed it - Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
WHOOP
Screenless wrist strap tracking strain, recovery and sleep
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it, 1 recommends it, 1 has discussed it - Gear$$$Expensive: Several hundred dollars and up.
Cold plunge tub
Chilled tub that holds cold water ready, instead of hauling bags of ice
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it - Gear$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Heart rate monitor
Chest strap or watch that logs heart rate and estimates calories burned
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 2 recommend it
Gear entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.