Three Types of Deadlift Straps and How to Choose the Right One
Lift straps are a must have for a duffel bag if you’re doing heavy deadlift or traction. (And no, straps don’t cheat if you know when to use them.) But there are several different types, and it is important that the straps are appropriate for the type of lift you are doing.
All three types do the same job: they wrap around your wrists and the barbell so you can lift objects without fatiguing your grip. (Note: they are called belts, not bandages wrist bandage for the wrist – is another matter entirely Try not to call them “bandages for the wrist,” even if technically they cover your wrists, you will only aggravate the confusion…)
Lasso straps are basic straps that will fit most people.
Lasso-style straps are the cheapest and easiest, and you are more likely to find them if you go to a sporting goods store and ask for belts. Here is a typical pattern and you can see why they are called lasso style. They have a loop and you thread the other end of the strap through the loop.
You thread your wrist through a piece of the lasso and then wrap the remainder around the bar. It is important that the free part of the strap passed under the bar and turns to your fingers. So they don’t just duplicate what your fingers are already doing.
These straps will help you grip the bar for just about any regular gym exercise: deadlift, deadlift, even arm curls if your grip looses after a million reps. Their only drawback is that they may not be good enough for very hard exercises, at which point you should grab a pair of eights.
The numbers 8 are for when shit gets really hard
If you are competing in strongman, you will need a set of eights. These belts are exactly what the name suggests: a piece of material in the shape of a figure eight. You thread your wrist through one half, thread the strap under the bar, and then thread your wrist (same wrist) through the other half. Once your thumb is in the correct position, your fingers can go on vacation. (The Cerberus that mine makes has a video on their product page of powerlifter and strongman Benedict Magnusson showing you exactly how to use them.)
You will know that you need eights if you climb with the lasso straps, and they will begin to spin at you. This happened to me when my best deadlift was somewhere around 250 pounds and I was doing 315 high stance deadlifts. My lasso straps just couldn’t keep up with them. I bought eights and ended up winning a whopping £ 395 in competition with them. (This was an 18-inch strongman’s deadlift; in powerlifting, straps are not allowed in competition, but the strongman does it sometimes.)
Minimalistic Weightlifting Belts
There is another common type: Olympic weightlifting belts. They are shorter than the lasso straps and are simply a piece of fabric sewn at one end. You put your wrist in the loop and wrap the remainder around the bar like a lasso strap.
The advantage here is that you can release them quickly. Olympic weightlifters who love to throw barbells and often need to drop the bar suddenly will use them for deadlifts and deadlifts, and sometimes snatches. ( It is considered unsafe to use them for cleaning because you may end up in a position where you cannot release them.)
If you are doing Olympic weightlifting, you should be doing that. If you are a strongman or just want the most secure grip, you should get an eight. And if all this confuses you, just grab a couple of lasso-style straps and you should be fine.