Lifting Straps

Lifting straps tie the bar to your wrist so a set can continue after your grip has given out. They belong on deadlifts, rows, shrugs, rack pulls and pull-ups, anywhere the hands fail before the back and legs do. They are a training tool: not permitted in powerlifting competition, and not something to use on every set, because the grip you skip building in training is the grip you will need on the platform.

The three straps

City Strength Lifting Straps are the everyday cotton strap: a single length with a loop at one end, wrist-and-wind, one size, and the cheapest way to add straps to your bag. Heavy-duty cotton is comfortable against the wrist, and the strap is long enough for a full wrap on a thick bar while still working on smaller wrists.

SBD Figure 6 Lifting Straps are the same wind-on design in SBD's aramid-reinforced webbing: filament aramid (Kevlar) woven through spun polyester, so the strap has the strength of a nylon strap with the feel of cotton, and it does not stretch or fray under repeated maximal pulls. Made in Great Britain.

SBD Figure 8 Lifting Straps are a closed loop that goes around the wrist, under the bar and back over the wrist, so the bar cannot leave the hand at all. They give the most secure hold there is and are the choice for maximal pulls, axle and strongman work. The trade-off is that you cannot drop the bar mid-lift, so they suit experienced pullers. They come in small, medium and large; measure around the wrist and check the size chart.

Which one

Starting out or mostly training pulls: City Strength straps. Pulling heavy several times a week and want a strap that lasts years: SBD Figure 6. Maximal or strongman pulls where the bar must not move: SBD Figure 8.

How to use a wind-on strap

Feed the tail through the loop to make a cuff, slide it over the wrist with the tail running down the palm, then wind the tail under and around the bar and grip over it. Wind the second hand the same way before you set your feet. A strap that is wound loosely does nothing; take the slack out before you pull.

Common questions

Straps or wrist wraps? Different jobs. Straps help you hold the bar for pulling; wraps support the wrist joint under a press or squat. Most lifters own both.

Will straps weaken my grip? Only if you use them for everything. Pull your top sets and any competition-specific work without them and use straps for volume and accessory pulling.

Are they allowed in competition? Not in powerlifting. Strongman and some weightlifting events allow them for specific movements; check the rules.

Every pair ships from our Sydney warehouse.