Ever notice how people often do a little dance before they pick up anything heavy? Well, the next time you see someone picking something up and notice the fabric around their wrist and arm, look more closely. You're likely seeing a giant weightlifting belt.

As they grab the barbell, the first thing they should do is carefully secure the straps around each end of the barbell and hold it securely in their hands. All of a sudden, they lift their weight with no problem at all. Lifters straps are really key to giving you that extra grip strength on such items and allow you to concentrate on other matters like your positioning

What are lifting straps?

Lifting straps are a great way to get more from your workout. They're not hard to use and can be used for both lower and upper body exercises. You can get headaches, muscle aches and soreness from lifting heavy weights and this is why so many people use weight lifting straps. But some forget to wear them correctly or have trouble figuring out how, which can cause you to not get the most out of them. 

Our lifting straps are made from durable cotton, nylon, or leather. They have a variety of uses but the most popular is for heavy lifting exercises like deadlifts and other pulling variations that target your traps (exercises like lat pulldowns and rows).

With a lasso lifting strap you can train for all kinds of exercises, from beginner to expert level. The exercises you can do with a lasso lifting strap can include deadlifts, barbell rows, pulldowns and even shrugs.

Are there different types of lifting straps?

It's important to know the kinds of lifting straps available. Some options are lasso lifting straps, figure-8 lifting straps, grips or even Olympic lifting straps. Each kind of strap will serve a different purpose and you need to assess what your needs are before choosing one."

How are lifting straps different from wrist wraps?

As you're browsing for lifting straps, you might come across wrist wraps in your search. Although they might look the same at first, wrist wraps are thicker and offer more support to the wrists during use. This will provide comfort so that your joints stay safe and stable while you lift heavy weights!

The order of exercises, reps and weights don't matter as much as your consistency. You may come across certain press and push movements that cause a lot of wrist tension and can lead to injury when lifting too heavy. Luckily, this is easy to prevent with the support of a wrist wrap.

Why should I use lifting straps?

The benefits of using lifting straps are simple- if you are looking to build a stronger, more muscular physique then investing in a pair of these is worth the money. When you lift, straps are the easiest way to exhaust your target muscle. They keep your hands focused on the upper part of the weight you're lifting and make it easier to get a great grip. If you often feel like your grip is slipping but want to push yourself, try using lifting straps.

Which exercises can you use lifting straps on?

If you want to build muscle, improve your strength, and increase the size of your back, traps, and hamstrings you should do exercises like deadlifts or shrugs. You can also do squats and leg curls on a leg extension machine.For people who are interested in larger muscle size, it's a good idea to use lifting straps on the heaviest reps for that lift.

How to secure lifting straps

Putting on my lifting straps has been surprisingly easy. I would recommend following these three steps:

1. Slide one end of the long strap through the loop opening as if making a circle

2. Open your hands with your palms up and slide the loop over and onto your wrist

3. Be sure that the end of each strap is aligned in the direction of your thumbs

How to use lifting straps 

Once you've put the straps around your wrists, you're ready to start using them. To begin using your lifting straps:

1. With one hand, select one end of the strap and place it on the bar

2. Wrap the excess material in a twisting motion around the bar 

3. You can leave excess material hanging after one rotation around the barbell

4. To tighten, cinch the strap so it has a snug fit on the barbell

Things to remember when using lifting straps

After wrapping the strap around the bar, make sure you cinch it. This'll keep your wrist and hand in tight, preventing any potential errors like letting go of the barbell. Another error people often make is that they leave the straps loose- don't do that or you won't get any support from the strap! Failing to secure the straps can really hurt your hands by putting stress on them and making them much more susceptible to injury.

After some time, your muscles will get stronger as long as you keep using your straps during pulling exercises. You might notice a few benefits that incorporate less stress on your hands and wrists and forearms. 

The takeaway on lifting straps

Wrist straps are quite useful and there are tons of benefits to them. The only thing you have to be careful of is that they can't do it all for you and should be used in moderation. The best weight machines are designed to help you with those challenging weights and make it easier for you to get bigger and stronger.

Reeva Europe produces high quality lifting straps. Made out of neoprene for extra durability and padding to prevent chaffing, they're great for powerlifting, bodybuilding, cross-fit and other sports. Why not try them today? Check the collection!