Download
1 / 12
120 likes | 123 Views
For a new lifter (and to be honest, not just new lifters), figuring out the difference between lifting straps and wraps can be confusing.<br><br>First, they both sound about the same. Heck, they even rhyme.<br><br>What adds to this confusion is there seems to be A LOT of u201cinformationu201d on the internet that has no idea there is a difference between the two either.
E N D
For a new lifter (and to be honest, not just new lifters), figuring out the difference between lifting straps and wraps can be confusing. First, they both sound about the same. Heck, they even rhyme. What adds to this confusion is there seems to be A LOT of “information” on the internet that has no idea there is a difference between the two either.
Both lifting straps and wrist wraps involve lifting weights and they’re an accessory that is worn in the hand and wrist area. That’s about where the similarities end though. I also believe that part of the issue is that many novice lifters are only familiar with one or the other and they’re not even aware the other exists so in their mind it’s just two different names for the same item. So, what is the difference between lifting straps vswrist wraps? What function do they provide and do you need one of the two or both?
The biggest difference between lifting straps and wrist wraps is that a lifting strap is designed to wrap around your wrist and the bar in an effort to increase your grip. A wrist wrap wraps around your wrist to help support the wrist for pressing movements, but doesn’t wrap around the bar.
What are Lifting Straps? Lifting straps are an accessory that is worn around your wrist that helps you stay attached to the bar during a lift. The way a lifting strap works is that you hook the strap around the wrist joint and then wrap the strap around the bar. This helps connect you to the bar and to keep the bar from ‘rolling’ out of the lifter’s hand, which is the natural tendency of the bar especially if you are using a pronated grip.
They work tremendously well for increasing the grip strength of a lifter. Obviously, this comes in handy for a variety of situations and lifts whether you’re an Olympic Lifter doing Snatches or a Powerlifter doing heavy deadlifts.
Types of Lifting Straps There are 4 different types of lifting strap: Open Loop, Closed Loop, Lasso and Figure 8. • Open Loop and Closed Loop Straps: Open Loop and Closed Loop straps are primarily worn for Olympic Weightlifting and many lifters refer to them specifically as Weightlifting straps. They’re generally shorter in length and therefore don’t wrap around the bar quite as much.
This is an important quality for Olympic weightlifters, because the ability to be able to bail quickly and ‘release’ from the bar is critically important when Cleaning and especially Snatching. If a lifter misses a snatch behind the head and is not able to release their grip from the bar, it could lead to a devastating injury.
The difference between an Open Loop and Closed Loop strap is that a Closed Loop strap is basically exactly what it sounds like. It’s a strap that has been looped onto itself and then ‘closed’ by being sewn together to create a fixed, closed loop.
An open loop strap is essentially just a strap. The lifter is then required to loop the strap around the bar and close the loop themselves within their hand. These are really only used by advanced weightlifters who enjoy the added custom fit that an open loop strap can provide.
However, they can be really, really hard to get the hang of. I have a pair, but honestly have rarely ever used them because I also find them crazy hard to use. A closed loop strap is much easier to learn how to use and therefore tends to be way more popular.
