There are thousands and thousands of products out there that claim to improve your performance in the gym ranging from those weird pills at the gas station to superfood protein smoothies. While the jury is still out on exactly how big of an impact many of these products actually have, there is no debate about how effective wrist wraps and lifting straps are when it comes to heavy lifting.
Why do you need them?
One of the reasons why is, we all have a dominant arm. Either you're a lefty or a righty. As a righty, my left arm, hand and wrists tend to be weaker than my right arm. So from getting the door, brushing my teeth and even carrying something heavy falls on the right side of my body. Naturally, building up muscle along the way. Since my left hand, wrists and arms are weaker, hitting the bench which requires balance puts a strain on my left wrists. This is where wrist wraps come to play as it stiffens my wrists for support.
For those who are considering using them, here is all you need to know about the difference between these two helpful lifting tools.
Wrist Wraps:
The main purpose of wrist wraps is to support the wrist while doing exercises that involve pushing with the arms like bench press or shoulder press. The more weight that you lift, the more your wrist will be forced backwards in a hyper-extended position which could lead to injury or chronic wrist pain, especially after years of regular lifting.
Wrist wraps work by actually preventing the hyperextension of the wrist when bearing a heavy load. This both prevents immediate injury as well as minimizes the effects of years of weight on the wrist. With the added support that wrist wraps grant, you will likely be able to do more reps and even lift heavier weight more comfortably.
Lifting straps aid in pulling exercises by helping you lift heavier weight than what your natural grip will allow you to handle. Many times when a lifter is doing a set of a grip-intensive exercise like a deadlift, the first thing to give out on them is their hands. Using lifting straps makes it possible to lift until the muscles you are actually targeting get exhausted, instead of your hands.
Being able to do a few more reps during a single workout may not seem like that big of a benefit, but those extra reps add up over time and can give you the advantage of doing more work with every trip to the gym which expedites the process of building strength.
Bottom Line:
No matter where you are in your weightlifting journey, if you aren’t using these tools already you should really consider giving them a try. To find some high-quality wrist wraps and lifting straps of your own, visit riptoned.com and browse their collection that features different colors, sizes, and stiffnesses. They even feature package deals that come with wrist wraps as well as lifting straps for your convenience.
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1 comment
My second session using Riptoned wrist wraps and as advertised my lifting has improved, THANKS!