Even though you can achieve a good workout without lifting accessories, there are certainly some that enhance your strength training greatly. None more so than weightlifting straps.

What Are Weightlifting Straps?

Weightlifting Straps are grip aids that are primarily used for pulling exercises. They prevent your grip strength failing during heavy or long sets. This means that you are able to target your muscles harder by performing more reps, or using higher weights.

Why Do People Use Weightlifting Straps?

Straps can be very helpful for hypertrophy, but they are often not allowed in equipped powerlifting competitions and are banned in raw powerlifting competitions. That makes it important to also practice lifting without straps. Straps are best used for exercises where grip strength is paramount. These can include -

• Deadlifts

• Rack pulls

• Bent over rows

• Romanian deadlifts

• Walking lunges

What Is a Weightlifting Belt?

A Weightlifting Belt is a support that you tie around your torso, just above your waist. They come in a variety of shapes and materials, but all have the same common goal of supporting the back and abdominal muscles.

Why Do People Use Weightlifting Belts?

The support of the belt allows you to create more stiffness with our torso, otherwise known as intra-abdominal pressure. This is pressure created from abdomen expansion into the non-expanding belt. This pressure and stiffness allows you to lift more weight during heavy compound exercises so that we can work at higher intensities. Weightlifting belts are best reserved for more experienced lifters who already have practice bracing their core and torso, allowing the belt to act as an enhancement.

When Should You Use Weightlifting Belts?

Weightlifting belts are best used with compound exercises. These can include -

• Back squats

• Deadlifts

• Bench presses

• Log presses

• Clean and jerks

What Are Wrist Wraps?

Wrist wraps support the wrist joint during weight bearing exercises. They have an adjustable tightness and wrap around your wrist and the bottom of your hand.

Why Do People Use Wrist Wraps?

Wrist Wraps provide support and stability to allow you to lift more weight more comfortably. They can be especially beneficial during intensive training spells to try to reduce overworking the wrist. While wrist wraps are great for support and stability at the wrist, again, we recommend only using them once you have gained some experience in the gym so that you have learnt how your wrist should sit during different exercises, before adding the wraps. So wrist wraps are best reserved for intermediate lifters and competitive strength athletes.

When Should You Use Wrist Wraps?

• Bench presses

• Military presses

• Overhead squats

• Split jerks and power jerks

What Are Knee Wraps?

Knee Wraps go around your knee to create maximal support during heavy knee dominant exercises. They are made of strong elastic material to help you bounce out of the bottom of exercises like squats. They have to be taken off after each use and re-wrapped before the next set.

Why Do People Use Knee Wraps?

Knee wraps allow you to lift maximal weights during knee dominant exercises by reducing your range of motion, increasing the power out of the bottom position, and reducing the stress on the knees. Knee wraps should be reserved for advanced athletes, like competitive powerlifters. This is because they require a large amount of powerlifting skill and practise to use properly.

When Should You Use Knee Wraps?

• High bar back squats

• Low bar back squats

• Front squats

What Are Knee Sleeves?

Knee Sleeves are pulled over your knees to provide support and warmth during knee dominant lifts. Unlike knee wraps, these do not need to be unwrapped after each set, they can be left on.

Why Do People Use Knee Sleeves?

Knee sleeves are great for a lower body session with lots of knee dominant exercises. They help keep your knees warmed up throughout your session, which can otherwise be difficult without performing mini warm up exercises between sets. Knee sleeves are great for Olympic lifters who need to feel warm for multiple high-power sets which may have long resting periods.

When Should You Use Knee Sleeves?

• Cleans

• Squats

• Snatches

• Lunges

• Step ups

What Are Palm Grips?

Palm Grips are leather pads that cover your palm to reduce the risk of calluses and help improve your grip. They are attached at the wrist and are adjustable.

Why Do People Use Palm Grips?

Palm grips are perfect for long duration functional exercises and workouts that require a lot of grip work at moderate loads. They are not built for maximal grip at high loads but instead for preventing calluses holding you back during extensive workouts. Palm grips are perfect for functional fitness athletes that have to do a variety of barbell, dumbbell, calisthenics, and gymnastics exercises for extended periods. They are also great for beginner gym goers who want to get into lifting, while reducing pain on your palms.

When Should You Use Palm Grips?

• Chin ups

• Muscle ups

• Sled pulls

• Touch and go deadlifts

• Barbell cycling snatches

What Are Elbow Sleeves?

Elbow Sleeves, like knee sleeves are pulled over the top of your elbows prior to upper body dominant lifts to provide support and warmth throughout a session. They are most useful during pushing exercises.

Why Do People Use Elbow Sleeves?

They are great for upper body pushing days where you will be working around the elbow a lot, over a long period and want to keep the joint warm. Elbow sleeves are great for powerlifters or more advanced lifters that are performing high intensity upper body sets, with long breaks in between.

When Should You Use Elbow Sleeves?

• Bench presses

• Shoulder presses

• Military presses

Whether you are advanced in the gym or brand new, the right gym accessories can be really helpful, not just for practicality, but for actual gains! So, make sure to get the right accessories to take your training to the next level!

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Tags: Exercise Type > Strength