Strongmen Lifting Straps: Types, Uses, and Safety Considerations

What Straps Do Strongmen Use?

Strongmen primarily utilize two main types of lifting straps: Loop (or Olympic) straps and Figure-8 straps. These specialized tools are crucial for overcoming grip limitations during extremely heavy lifts and specific strongman events, allowing them to focus on developing maximal strength in the primary muscle groups.

The Role of Straps in Strongman Training and Competition

In the demanding world of strongman, athletes routinely lift, carry, and pull objects that far exceed the grip capacity of the average person. While grip strength is foundational and constantly trained, there are specific scenarios where the musculature responsible for the lift (e.g., back, legs, core) can handle more weight than the hands can physically hold onto. This is where lifting straps become indispensable. They act as an extension of the grip, allowing strongmen to train the intended movement pattern with heavier loads or for longer durations, without grip becoming the limiting factor.

The Primary Types of Lifting Straps for Strongmen

Strongmen employ different strap designs, each suited for particular events and training philosophies.

Loop (Olympic) Straps

• Description: These are the most common type of lifting strap, typically made from durable cotton, nylon, or leather. They feature a single loop at one end through which the other end of the strap is threaded, creating an adjustable loop for the wrist. The excess strap is then wrapped around the barbell or implement.
• Mechanism: The strap cinches down around the wrist and the bar, effectively creating a more secure connection than the bare hand.
• Common Use: Widely used for conventional deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, rows, shrugs, and other pulling movements where grip fatigue might otherwise limit the working weight or repetitions.
• Advantages:
  • Quick Release: In an emergency or failed lift, the hand can often be quickly released from the strap, enhancing safety.
  • Versatility: Easy to adjust and use across various implements.
  • Feel: Many lifters prefer the more direct feel of the bar compared to other strap types.
• Disadvantages:
  • Security: While effective, they may not offer the absolute maximum security required for the most extreme strongman carries or static holds.

Figure-8 Straps

• Description: As the name suggests, these straps form a figure-eight shape when laid flat. Each strap consists of a continuous loop, with the wrist going through one loop, the strap then passing under the implement (e.g., axle, frame handle), and the hand then going through the second loop.
• Mechanism: This design creates an incredibly secure, "locked-in" connection between the lifter's hand and the implement. The hand is essentially trapped within the two loops and around the bar.
• Common Use: Favored for strongman-specific events like axle deadlifts, car deadlifts, frame carries, and other events where maximum grip security is paramount for very heavy and often static or sustained holds.
• Advantages:
  • Unrivaled Security: Provides an extremely robust connection, allowing strongmen to hold weights far beyond their natural grip capacity.
  • Reduced Grip Fatigue: Minimizes the isometric grip demands, allowing the lifter to focus entirely on the primary muscles.
• Disadvantages:
  • No Quick Release: The primary drawback is the inability to quickly release from the implement, which can pose a safety risk if a lift fails unexpectedly. This necessitates careful practice and spotter communication.
  • Setup: Can be slightly more cumbersome to set up than loop straps.
  • Limited Mobility: Restricts wrist mobility more than loop straps.

Hook Straps (Less Common for Strongman)

• Description: These straps feature a metal hook that attaches to the bar, often with padding around the wrist.
• Common Use: Primarily used in bodybuilding or general strength training for movements like shrugs, pull-downs, and rows where the goal is to isolate the back muscles without grip being a factor.
• Strongman Relevance: While less common in strongman due to their design often being less robust for extreme loads and their tendency to be disallowed in competition, some strongmen might use them for very high-rep accessory work in training.
• Disadvantages: They create a less direct connection to the bar and are generally not designed for the immense forces seen in strongman events.

When and Why Strongmen Utilize Straps

The strategic use of lifting straps is not about avoiding grip training, but rather about optimizing overall strength development.

• Bypassing Grip as a Limiting Factor: For lifts like a max effort deadlift, the goal is often to test the strength of the posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, back). If the grip fails before these larger muscle groups are adequately challenged, the lifter isn't truly testing their primary strength. Straps allow them to push past this bottleneck.
• High-Volume Training: During accessory work or high-volume phases, straps enable strongmen to accumulate more effective training volume for their target muscles without premature grip fatigue compromising subsequent sets or other exercises.
• Event-Specific Training:
  • Deadlifts (Axle, Car, Frame): Figure-8 straps are common here to ensure the bar doesn't slip, especially with thicker axles or awkward implements.
  • Frame Carry: Figure-8 straps are frequently used, as frames can be incredibly heavy, and the duration of the carry heavily taxes grip.
  • Yoke Walk: While not universally used, some strongmen might employ straps for extremely heavy yoke walks to prevent grip failure on the handles from compromising the carry.
  • Log/Axle Clean & Press (Pulling Phase): While not typically used for the press, straps can be employed during the clean portion in training to overload the pulling muscles.

The Science Behind Strap Usage: Grip vs. Lift

From an exercise science perspective, straps allow for a clear distinction between training grip strength and training primary movement strength.

• Specificity of Training: If the goal is to improve deadlift mechanics and posterior chain strength, then straps allow for a more specific stimulus to those muscles. If the goal is to improve grip strength, then dedicated grip training (e.g., farmer's walks, plate pinches, thick bar holds) without straps is essential.
• Neural Drive and Muscle Activation: By removing the mental and physical constraint of grip, lifters can often generate a stronger neural drive to the larger muscle groups involved in the lift. This can lead to greater activation and overload, fostering greater strength adaptations in the primary movers.
• Injury Prevention (Indirect): While not a primary function, by preventing grip failure on a maximal lift, straps can indirectly reduce the risk of a lifter having to drop a heavy weight awkwardly, which could lead to injury.

Proper Application and Safety Considerations

Using straps effectively requires understanding their application and inherent risks.

• Loop Straps:
  1. Thread the end of the strap through the loop to create a closed loop.
  2. Insert your hand through this loop, ensuring the strap is on the thumb side of your wrist.
  3. Wrap the loose end of the strap under the bar first, then over the top, wrapping tightly in the direction opposite to your fingers.
  4. Grip the bar firmly, securing the strap.
• Figure-8 Straps:
  1. Insert your hand through one of the loops.
  2. Pass the entire strap under the bar or implement handle.
  3. Insert your hand through the second loop, effectively "locking" your hand around the bar.
  4. Ensure the strap is snug but not painfully tight around your wrist.
• Prioritize Grip Training: Straps are a tool for enhancing training, not replacing grip development. Strongmen dedicate significant time to specific grip exercises.
• Awareness of Risk: Be acutely aware of the "no quick release" nature of Figure-8 straps. Always have a spotter or an escape plan, especially with maximal loads.
• Wrist Integrity: Ensure straps are tight enough to provide support but not so tight that they cut off circulation or cause discomfort.

Competition Rules and Training Philosophy

It's critical to note that strap usage is highly regulated in strongman competitions. For events like farmer's walks, Conan's wheel, or natural stone carries, straps are typically forbidden, as grip is an integral part of the challenge. However, for events like maximum deadlifts (especially axle or car deadlifts) and frame carries, straps are often permitted due to the extreme loads involved.

The strongman philosophy dictates that athletes must train for the specific demands of each event. This means dedicated grip work for events where straps are disallowed, and strategic strap use for events or training scenarios where they enhance overall strength development.

Conclusion: Strategic Application for Peak Performance

Lifting straps are a vital, specialized tool in the strongman's arsenal. Loop straps offer versatility and quick release for general heavy pulling, while Figure-8 straps provide unparalleled security for the most demanding strongman-specific carries and deadlifts. By understanding their purpose, proper application, and the scientific rationale behind their use, strongmen can strategically employ these tools to overcome grip limitations, maximize training volume, and ultimately build the incredible strength required to dominate their sport, all while continuing to build formidable grip strength through dedicated training.