Lifting Straps: Purpose, Benefits, Drawbacks, and Proper Use in Strength Training

Is it cheating to use lifting straps?

No, using lifting straps is not inherently "cheating"; rather, it is a strategic tool designed to enhance performance and manage specific training demands when grip strength becomes a limiting factor for larger muscle groups.

The Purpose of Lifting Straps

Lifting straps are simple yet effective pieces of equipment, typically made from cotton, nylon, or leather, forming a loop that wraps around the wrist and then around the barbell, dumbbell, or handle of a machine. Their primary function is to transfer the load from the lifter's hands and forearms more directly to the wrist and the implement, effectively bypassing the grip as the weakest link in certain lifts. This allows the lifter to hold onto heavier weights or perform more repetitions than their unassisted grip might permit, thereby enabling greater focus on the target muscle groups, such as the back, hamstrings, or glutes.

The Role of Grip Strength

Grip strength, largely powered by the muscles of the forearms and intrinsic muscles of the hand, is a fundamental component of overall strength and functional movement. It is crucial for everyday tasks and forms the foundation for many exercises. Developing a strong, resilient grip is essential for injury prevention, enhancing proprioception (the body's sense of position), and improving performance in a wide array of lifts. However, for exercises that target very large and powerful muscle groups, such as the back during heavy deadlifts or rows, the grip muscles can often fatigue much faster than the primary movers. This disparity can limit the potential training stimulus for the intended muscles, leading to suboptimal gains if the lift is prematurely terminated due to grip failure.

When Lifting Straps Become Beneficial

Lifting straps are not a crutch to avoid grip development, but rather a strategic aid when used appropriately. They offer distinct advantages in specific training scenarios:

• Maximizing Volume and Intensity for Primary Movers: For exercises like heavy deadlifts, rows, shrugs, or pull-ups, where the goal is to overload the large muscle groups of the back, legs, or traps, grip strength can often be the limiting factor. Straps allow these muscles to be pushed to their true capacity, leading to greater hypertrophy and strength gains in the intended areas.
• Overcoming Grip Fatigue in High-Rep Sets: During sets with a high number of repetitions, even with moderate weights, grip fatigue can set in quickly. Straps can help maintain the integrity of the lift and allow the target muscles to accumulate more time under tension before grip becomes a limiting factor.
• Focusing on Mind-Muscle Connection: By removing the distraction and effort required to maintain a secure grip, lifters can often better concentrate on contracting the target muscles, improving the mind-muscle connection and movement quality.
• Managing Hand Health: For individuals prone to excessive calluses, blisters, or those recovering from minor hand or forearm injuries, straps can reduce direct pressure and friction on the hands, allowing them to continue training heavy without exacerbating issues.
• Specific Training Cycles: In powerlifting or bodybuilding, straps can be integrated into training cycles focused on hypertrophy or strength phases for specific lifts, allowing for greater overload without compromising the primary goal.

Potential Drawbacks and Misconceptions

While beneficial, the indiscriminate or over-reliance on lifting straps can lead to certain drawbacks and perpetuates the "cheating" misconception:

• Neglect of Natural Grip Development: If straps are used for every set of every exercise, especially lighter ones, the natural progression of grip strength can be stunted. This leads to a dependency where the lifter may struggle with even moderate weights without straps.
• Reduced Proprioceptive Feedback: The direct connection and feedback from the hands on the bar are crucial for developing kinesthetic awareness and stability. Straps can slightly diminish this feedback.
• False Sense of Strength: Some lifters may mistakenly attribute the weight they lift with straps to their overall strength, overlooking the fact that their unassisted grip cannot handle that load.
• Misapplication to Exercises: Using straps for exercises where grip strength is the primary goal (e.g., farmer's walks, pull-ups if grip is the focus, or certain accessory lifts) defeats the purpose and can hinder development.

Are Lifting Straps "Cheating"?

In the context of fitness and strength training, "cheating" typically implies gaining an unfair advantage, bypassing the intended effort, or violating rules of competition. When applied to lifting straps, this notion is largely a misconception rooted in a misunderstanding of their purpose.

• They are a tool, not a bypass of effort. Straps enable more effort for the intended muscle groups, not less. They allow a lifter to push their back, legs, or traps harder, which requires more work, not less.
• Context matters for competition. In powerlifting, "raw" divisions prohibit straps, emphasizing unassisted grip strength. However, in "equipped" divisions or strongman competitions, straps are often allowed and even necessary due to the extreme loads. This distinction highlights that "cheating" is defined by the rules of the specific sport, not the tool itself.
• They address a physiological limitation. The human grip, while strong, has a finite capacity. For advanced lifters or those with specific training goals, it often becomes the first point of failure for large compound movements. Straps address this physiological limitation to facilitate continued progress in other muscle groups.

Therefore, using lifting straps for general strength and hypertrophy training is not cheating. It is a calculated decision to optimize training stimulus for specific muscle groups, provided it is done judiciously and does not lead to the neglect of overall grip development.

Best Practices for Using Lifting Straps

To harness the benefits of lifting straps without hindering overall development, adhere to these best practices:

• Prioritize Raw Grip Strength: Integrate dedicated grip training into your routine (e.g., farmer's walks, plate pinches, dead hangs) and perform most warm-up sets and lighter working sets without straps.
• Selective Application: Reserve straps for your heaviest working sets on exercises where grip is truly the limiting factor for the target muscle group (e.g., top sets of deadlifts, heavy rows, shrugs).
• Understand Your Goal: Ask yourself why you are using straps for a particular lift. If the goal is to improve back strength, and your grip is failing first, then straps are appropriate. If the goal is to improve grip, then avoid them.
• Vary Your Training: Incorporate both strapped and unstrapped training days or sets to ensure comprehensive development.
• Don't Become Over-Reliant: Challenge yourself to perform lifts without straps whenever possible to continuously test and improve your unassisted grip strength.

Conclusion

Lifting straps are a valuable, evidence-based tool in the serious lifter's toolkit. They are not a shortcut to avoid effort, nor do they constitute "cheating" in the general sense of fitness training. When used intelligently and strategically, they enable greater overload for major muscle groups, facilitate progress, and can even help manage training volume and intensity safely. The key lies in understanding their purpose, knowing when to deploy them, and ensuring that their use complements, rather than detracts from, holistic strength development, including a strong and capable grip.