If your grip strength is holding you back from lifting heavier weights or effectively targeting the right muscle groups, lifting straps and hooks can help. For most people, lifting straps are the superior choice. Although using them effectively requires some practice, they are more versatile, affordable, safer, and comfortable than lifting hooks.
In this article, I will delve into the specifics of lifting straps and hooks, explaining their differences and outlining the pros and cons of each. This will help you make an informed decision on which option is best for your needs.
What Are Lifting Hooks?
Lifting hooks use a Velcro strap over your wrist and a metal hook in your palm to improve grip. These hooks alleviate joint strain, making lifts easier and allowing you to lift greater weights without resetting your grasp.
Many lifting hooks, including J-hooks and two-finger hooks, work with gloves. They excel at "pull" workouts like deadlifts, barbell rows, upright rows, and shrugs. Lifting hooks cost more than wrist straps since they are partially composed of leather and need more resources to make. Their grip strength improvement might boost your workouts despite the extra cost.
Pros
More efficient in terms of security: Lifting hooks attach to a barbell swiftly, eliminating the need to spend time adjusting your equipment for a secure grip.
Easy to Learn: Unlike straps, hooks are more straightforward to use. You just fasten them around your wrist and then lift the weight as you normally would, making them more user-friendly and efficient for quick setup.
Cons
Not suitable for individuals with small hands: Unless you intend to let the hook entirely bear the weight by removing your hand from the barbell, having slightly larger hands is usually necessary to maintain finger contact with the barbell. This ensures you can still grip the bar effectively while using the hooks.
Less Dependable and Safe: Because lifting hooks don't fully encircle the bar like padded lifting straps do, they are less secure. There's a significant risk that the weight could roll out of the hook, potentially causing it to drop and leading to serious injury.
Discomforting: Lifting hooks are significantly less comfortable compared to lifting straps. Unlike straps, which feature padding and support, hooks are less ergonomic and made from materials that can dig into your skin during use.
Maximum weight restrictions: Many lifting hooks come with a weight limit, typically around 300 lbs if not specified otherwise. However, there are heavy-duty lifting hooks available that have been tested to support weights up to 600 lbs, although they tend to be less common and pricier.
Related: Wrist Wraps vs. Lifting Straps
Who Needs to Use Them?
For beginners or those lifting under 136 kgs, lifting hooks offer valuable support for exercises like deadlift variations, rows, and shrugs. They provide a quicker alternative to lifting straps, enhancing gripping strength in a cost-effective and portable manner. However, it's important to note that for dynamic movements such as Olympic lifts, lifting straps may offer a more secure grip due to their design.
What Are Lifting Straps?
Lifting straps are commonly used by strength athletes. These straps are made of long pieces of fabric that wrap around the wrist and then around the barbell or dumbbell being held. This method effectively secures the hand to the weight, making it difficult to lose grip during exercises.
Trainers primarily use lifting straps to enhance grip strength, particularly useful when dealing with heavy weights that could otherwise strain the grip. They offer a practical solution for athletes whose grip strength may limit their performance, allowing them to focus more on the exercise itself rather than worrying about holding onto the weight securely.
Related: The 3 Types of Lifting Straps You Can Use Today
Pros
Affordable and lightweight: Many find lifting straps cheaper than lifting hooks. Their low cost makes them accessible to more lifters. These straps are lightweight and compact for portability. This function is great for regular travelers and gym-hoppers.
Versatility: In exercises where grip strength is difficult, lifting straps are versatile. In addition to compound activities like deadlifts and rows, they benefit from bodyweight exercises like dips and more complex ones like power cleans and snatches. Their use goes beyond weightlifting, providing support and stability in motions where a strong grip is essential for performance and safety.
Comfort: Lifting straps value comfort and are made from comfortable materials like leather, nylon, and cotton. Padded wrist loops on many lifting straps reduce skin irritation when lifting big weights. This cushioning reduces wrist strain and improves grip during workouts, improving lifting.
Reliable: Lifting straps offer a higher level of reliability compared to lifting hooks, minimizing the risk of sudden failures that could lead to dropping the weight during lifts. These straps are renowned for their durability, boasting the ability to support a wide range of weight capacities without compromising on performance.
Keep your hands safe: One significant advantage of using lifting straps is their ability to shield your hands from developing calluses, providing added comfort during weightlifting sessions.
Easy to clean:Unlike lifting hooks, lifting straps are made of the same material throughout. This makes lifting straps easy to clean since you can machine wash or hand wash, depending on your preference.
Using lifting straps can reduce the rate at which calluses develop since they create a barrier between your skin and the textured surface of the weightlifting bar. This shift in friction, from your hands directly on the bar to the strap interacting with the bar, helps minimize the formation of calluses over time.
Related: How to Use Lifting Straps for Lat Pulldowns
Cons
Possible Over-Reliance: Using lifting straps excessively might lead to dependency. This dependency can make lifting without straps difficult, emphasizing the need to balance assistance with natural strength for effective and varied workouts.
Required more time for setup: Compared to bare hands or a lifting hook, lifting straps take longer to set up. This is especially obvious if you favor a "top-down" deadlift setup, where you breathe, brace, and tighten at the top before bending down to hold the bar.
More difficult to learn: Lifting straps might be difficult to master. Getting the strap around the barbell often takes many tries. Avoid wrapping the strap "over the barbell" instead of "under the barbell." Loop the strap under the barbell first so the bar wrap wraps away from you and then back over the bar. This appropriate method optimizes lifting strap grip and support.
Who Needs to Use Them?
Weightlifters can improve their grip strength with straps during heavy compound exercises. Who and when should you use lifting straps? No matter your exercise goals or ability level, lifting straps is recommended. They can help you lift greater weights safely and push your boundaries during workouts, but not always.
Lifting straps lets you target specific muscle regions without worrying about grip strength. This improves muscular activation and decreases grip fatigue-related form compromise. Strategically using lifting straps can boost strength and training performance.
Lifting Hooks Vs Straps For Deadlifts
Using lifting straps can help maintain a natural grip during exercises, which is especially beneficial for movements like deadlifts, which can strain the wrists and forearms. Unlike lifting hooks that transfer the load to the arms, lifting straps provide additional support to lift heavier weights safely. Investing in high-quality lifting straps is advisable if you focus on maximizing deadlift performance.
One drawback of lifting hooks is their lack of flexibility in allowing for failed repetitions. When using lifting hooks, the barbell remains attached, requiring completion of the eccentric phase even if a rep is unsuccessful. This limitation can impact training flexibility and safety, making lifting straps preferable for many lifters seeking both grip support and workout adaptability.
Related: Straps for Deadlifting
Guide on Using Lifting Hooks
Using lifting hooks is straightforward and can be done by following these steps.
- Loosen the Velcro strap and position it in line with your wrist.
- Secure the Velcro by closing it firmly, ensuring the hook is placed in your palm facing outward.
- Grasp the dumbbell or barbell using the hook, allowing you to lift the weight with ease.
Guide on Using Lifting Straps
Steps for using lifting straps:
- Open the Velcro strap and slide your hand in, mimicking the action of using lifting hooks.
- Securely close the Velcro and adjust the position of the wrist strap for comfort.
- Stand in front of the barbell, place the strap around it, and wrap it as necessary to ensure a secure grip. Once adjusted, you're ready to start your lift.
Recommendation for Lifting Straps and Lifting Hooks
Tuffwraps weightlifting straps are specifically crafted to assist you in your weightlifting endeavors. These straps are engineered with a comfortable and ergonomic design, enhancing your ability to lift weights effortlessly while providing a secure grip. They are favored by weightlifters, powerlifters, bodybuilders, and strength training enthusiasts for their affordability and effectiveness in improving lifting performance. We welcome you to explore our products online or in-store and see which lifting straps are right for you.
