Ever wondered what all the hype is about wrist straps. Different gym enthusiasts have varying opinions. To strap or not to strap, that is the question on every lifter’s mind.
What Are Wrist Straps?
Wrist straps are long dangling straps of different pieces of cloth or leather sewn together. These are looped around the wrist and the bar, thereby making it easier to hold on to weight.
Why Should You Use Wrist Straps?
The common misconception regarding wrist straps is that if you keep using them, you are going to lose your wrist strength. The following would however put your mind to ease and also help you understand why using wrist straps is the way to go.
- Wrist straps help you grip the heavyweights. You can easily grasp those weights without the fear of the weights slipping from your hands.
- These work well for people who are new to weight training and don’t want to put too much strain on their wrists.
- However, some experienced lifters use these as well to help lift weights that are very heavy and prevent the risk of injury.
- For those lifters who are not looking to enter any competition, these wrist straps can help them gain more strength.
- Another benefit of wrist straps is that they allow you to target the muscles which need to be worked upon without causing you to lose your grip.
The Correct Way to Use Wrist Straps
The major problem which most people face is how to use the wrist straps correctly. The technique usually depends upon the actual length of the strap and the position of the loop. Take a look at the following video to help get an idea of the right way of using wrist straps.
Some tips for using wrist straps
- Now that you know the benefits of using the straps, it would be good to take a look at the following tips.
- Don’t use wrist straps for warming up or cool down. That’s because becoming dependant on these would limit the strength development in your wrists.
- Avoid trying to tie the wrist straps too low. The main purpose of tying the wraps is to protect your wrist; anything below the wrists simply fails to serve its purpose.
- Know when to use the *right kind of strap. For those who are doing bench press or shoulder press, the ticker Velcro straps work well. For clean and jerk movements, the thinner straps provide better flexibility.
- Don’t use straps for all the movements in the gym. It is usually advised to use wraps only when you feel your grip failing you.
- If you find yourself using the straps too often, just make sure to do a great deal of forearm work to help maintain your grip.
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