Lifting Straps for Bodybuilding: Train Your Back, Not Your Grip

Watch almost any experienced bodybuilder train back and you will see a pair of straps hanging from their wrists. That is not laziness. In bodybuilding, the goal is to load the target muscle as hard as possible, and on back day the hands often give out long before the lats, traps or rhomboids are done. Lifting straps for bodybuilding solve that problem. Here is how to use them well.

The Grip Problem in Hypertrophy Training

Bodybuilding sets are often long: 8 to 15 reps, sometimes with drop sets or rest-pause reps added on top. Every one of those reps requires your fingers to squeeze the bar. Forearm muscles are small compared to your back, so they tire first. When grip starts to slip, most people instinctively shorten the range of motion, cut the set short or start yanking with the arms. The back stops getting the tension it needs to grow.

Straps take most of the grip demand away so you can focus on pulling with your elbows and feeling the back work.

The Mind-Muscle Connection

Many bodybuilders talk about "feeling" the target muscle. When you are not fighting to hold the bar, it is easier to think about driving the elbows back, squeezing the shoulder blades and controlling the stretch. Straps also let you relax your hands slightly, which many lifters say reduces how much the biceps take over on rows and pulldowns.

Best Bodybuilding Exercises for Straps

• Lat pulldowns: go heavy without your hands quitting. Read lifting straps for lat pulldowns.
• Seated cable rows: keep tension through long sets; see seated cable row.
• Chest-supported rows: a strict row where straps let you go to true failure. See chest-supported row.
• Single-arm dumbbell rows: heavy dumbbells are hard to hold for 12 reps; read lifting straps for dumbbell rows.
• Romanian deadlifts: hamstrings can handle more load than most grips. See lifting straps for RDL.
• Shrugs: big weights and squeezes at the top; read lifting straps for shrugs.
• T-bar rows and machine rows: handles vary, and straps make every handle feel secure. See how to do T-bar rows.

Sample Bodybuilding Back Day

1. Lat pulldown: 4 x 10 to 12, straps on for the last two sets.
2. Chest-supported row: 4 x 8 to 10, straps on.
3. Single-arm dumbbell row: 3 x 10 each side, straps on.
4. Straight-arm cable pulldown: 3 x 15, no straps needed.
5. Dumbbell shrugs: 3 x 12 to 15, straps on.
6. Hammer curls: 3 x 12, no straps, to keep training the forearms. Read how to do hammer curls.

Keeping Your Grip Strong

Using straps on every back set can leave your grip behind. A simple balance works for most bodybuilders:

• Do warm-ups and the first working set bare-handed.
• Add straps for the heaviest sets or when your grip starts to fade.
• Include direct forearm work once or twice a week. Our forearm workout has ideas.
• Practice heavy holds or farmers walk sets on leg day.

Read do lifting straps weaken grip for more.

Choosing Straps for Bodybuilding

Bodybuilders usually prefer loop straps because they go on fast between sets and work on every handle. A strap around 24 inches long wraps the bar or handle securely. The Bay Gear Co. lifting straps are 24" long and cost $19.99. Colors like Pink Camo, Tactical Hawaiian and Wild West Donuts are in the wrist straps collection. For a sandy neutral tone, check the Sand straps.

Other Bodybuilding Gear Worth Owning

• Wrist wraps at $28.99 for heavy pressing days; see wrist wraps for bodybuilding.
• Ankle straps at $9.99 for cable kickbacks and leg curls.
• Knee sleeves at $59.99 for leg press and hack squat sessions.
• A quick locking belt at $34.99 for heavy rows and squats.

The wrist wraps and wrist straps bundle is a smart starting point.

Using Straps on Leg Day Too

Back day gets the attention, but straps also earn a spot on leg day. Romanian deadlifts, stiff-leg deadlifts and heavy dumbbell walking lunges all ask your hands to hold a lot of weight for a long time. When the hamstrings and glutes are the target, it makes sense to strap up so the set ends when the legs are done rather than when the fingers open. Read stiff leg deadlift for a hamstring-focused option, and try straps on your final two sets to see how much more you can get out of them.

Straps and Technique

Straps make it easier to hold the bar, but form still drives growth. Keep your chest up on rows, avoid jerking the weight with your lower back, and control the lowering phase. Use straps to add quality reps, not sloppy ones.

Shipping and Returns

Our Bay Gear Co. store policy covers Lifting Straps for Bodybuilding: free shipping on orders over $49 and a 30-day return policy.

FAQ

Why do bodybuilders use lifting straps?

To keep grip from limiting back and hamstring work so the target muscle gets more tension.

Do straps make back day better?

Many lifters find they can do more quality reps and feel the back working more.

Should I use straps on every exercise?

No. Use them for heavy or high-rep pulls and keep some work bare-handed for grip.

What length straps do bodybuilders use?

Around 24 inches works well for most hands, bars and handles.