Wrist Straps: How to Use Them with an Underhand Grip for Enhanced Lifting

How to use wrist straps with underhand grip?

Using wrist straps with an underhand (supinated) grip allows you to bypass grip limitations, enabling you to lift heavier loads or perform more repetitions for exercises like reverse-grip pulldowns or rows, thereby maximizing the stimulus to your target muscles, such as the lats and biceps.

Understanding Wrist Straps and Underhand Grip

To effectively utilize wrist straps with an underhand grip, it's crucial to understand the function of both components.

• What are Wrist Straps? Wrist straps are pieces of fabric (cotton, nylon, or leather) with a loop at one end. They are designed to wrap around your wrist and then around a barbell, dumbbell, or handle, creating a secure connection between your hand and the weight. Their primary purpose is to enhance grip security and reduce the involvement of forearm flexors, allowing you to focus on the primary muscles being worked.
• What is an Underhand Grip? Also known as a supinated grip, an underhand grip involves your palms facing upwards or towards you. This grip is commonly used in exercises such as lat pulldowns, barbell rows, and various bicep curl variations. Biomechanically, the underhand grip often increases the activation of the biceps brachii due to its role in forearm supination and elbow flexion.
• Why Combine Them? When performing heavy pulling movements with an underhand grip, your forearms and grip muscles can fatigue before your larger back or arm muscles (e.g., lats or biceps). This premature grip failure limits the amount of weight you can lift or the number of repetitions you can complete, thereby hindering optimal muscle development. Wrist straps circumvent this limitation, allowing you to train the intended muscles to their full capacity.

Benefits of Using Wrist Straps with Underhand Grip

Incorporating wrist straps with an underhand grip offers several distinct advantages for serious lifters:

• Enhanced Grip Security: Straps create a strong, non-slip connection to the bar, preventing the weight from slipping, especially during heavy lifts or when hands are sweaty.
• Increased Lifting Capacity: By eliminating grip as a limiting factor, you can often lift heavier weights or perform more repetitions, leading to greater progressive overload and muscle hypertrophy.
• Improved Mind-Muscle Connection: With grip concerns alleviated, you can better concentrate on contracting the target muscles (e.g., squeezing your lats during a reverse-grip row), optimizing muscle activation and growth.
• Reduced Forearm Fatigue: Minimizing the strain on your forearms allows you to sustain longer sets and focus your energy on the primary movers, preventing premature termination of your set.
• Targeted Muscle Stimulation: Ensures that the intended muscle groups receive adequate stimulus, rather than your workout being cut short because your grip gave out first.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Properly Use Wrist Straps with an Underhand Grip

Proper application of wrist straps is crucial for safety and effectiveness. The wrapping direction is particularly important for an underhand grip.

• Step 1: Prepare the Straps:
  • Thread the end of the strap through the loop to form a circle.
  • Place your hand through this circle. The padded section (if present) should rest on the back of your wrist.
  • Ensure the loose end of the strap hangs down over your palm.
• Step 2: Position Your Hand on the Bar:
  • Approach the barbell, dumbbell, or machine handle.
  • Place your hand over the strap and onto the bar, adopting your intended underhand grip. Your palm should face upwards or towards you.
• Step 3: Wrap the Strap (Crucial for Underhand Grip):
  • This is the key difference for an underhand grip. With your hand on the bar, take the loose end of the strap.
  • Pass the strap underneath the bar first.
  • Then, wrap it over the top of the bar, winding it away from your body (or towards your pinky finger side) around the bar.
  • Continue wrapping tightly until most of the loose strap is wrapped around the bar and your hand.
• Step 4: Secure the Grip:
  • Once wrapped, rotate your hand forward or twist your wrist to tighten the strap around the bar and your wrist. It should feel snug and secure, almost like an extension of your hand.
  • Repeat the process for the other hand.
• Step 5: Test and Adjust:
  • Before initiating your lift, apply light tension to the bar to ensure the straps are firmly secured and comfortable.
  • If they feel loose, re-wrap them. You should feel a direct connection between your wrist and the bar, bypassing your fingers.

Common Applications for Underhand Grip with Wrist Straps

Wrist straps are particularly beneficial for underhand grip exercises where grip strength is a limiting factor for the target muscles.

• Reverse-Grip Lat Pulldowns: Ideal for maximizing lat engagement and thickness without grip fatigue.
• Underhand Barbell Rows (Reverse-Grip Rows): Excellent for targeting the lats and upper back musculature, especially when lifting heavy.
• Heavy Barbell Bicep Curls: While not for every set, straps can be useful for your heaviest sets to ensure the biceps are fully fatigued before grip gives out.
• Rack Pulls (Underhand/Reverse Grip): For very heavy loads, although a mixed grip is more common for deadlifts, an underhand grip with straps can be used to emphasize back development.

Important Considerations and Potential Pitfalls

While highly beneficial, wrist straps should be used judiciously to avoid hindering natural grip strength development.

• Don't Over-Rely: Your grip strength is vital for overall functional strength and injury prevention. Do not use straps for every set or every exercise. Incorporate dedicated grip training and perform some sets without straps to ensure your natural grip strength improves.
• When to Use: Reserve wrist straps for your heaviest sets, working sets where your grip is genuinely failing before the target muscle, or when performing high-volume sets where grip endurance becomes the limiting factor.
• Proper Technique is Key: Incorrect wrapping can be ineffective, uncomfortable, or even unsafe. Always ensure the strap is wrapped tightly and in the correct direction for the grip type.
• Hygiene: Regularly clean your straps, especially if you share equipment or sweat heavily, to maintain hygiene.
• Type of Straps: Different straps exist (loop, lasso, figure-8). For general purpose underhand grip exercises, the standard loop/lasso strap is most common and versatile.

Conclusion

Mastering the use of wrist straps with an underhand grip is a valuable skill for any serious lifter. By effectively bypassing premature grip fatigue, you can unlock new levels of intensity and overload for your back and arm training. Remember to use them strategically, prioritizing proper form and allowing for continued development of your natural grip strength. When applied correctly, wrist straps become a powerful tool in your arsenal for maximizing strength and muscle growth.