Do lifting straps make you stronger?
Are Lifting Straps a Game Changer for Resistance Training or an Overrated Tool? An Exploratory Review of Current Evidence and Future Research Directions.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Lifting straps do not increase muscle recruitment in pulling or back exercises, despite widespread belief that they do.
Trainers and athletes assume straps help engage the back and lats more—this review says they don’t. The mechanism is purely grip assistance.
Practical Takeaways
Use lifting straps only when grip is your limiting factor—like during heavy deadlifts or rows—so you can focus on back/muscle engagement.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Lifting straps do not increase muscle recruitment in pulling or back exercises, despite widespread belief that they do.
Trainers and athletes assume straps help engage the back and lats more—this review says they don’t. The mechanism is purely grip assistance.
Practical Takeaways
Use lifting straps only when grip is your limiting factor—like during heavy deadlifts or rows—so you can focus on back/muscle engagement.
Publication
Journal
International journal of sports physiology and performance
Year
2026
Authors
Ricardo Martins, Miguel Rosa, Riccardo Padovan, Mário Sá, J. Antunes, José Afonso, Amador García‐Ramos
Related Content
Claims (5)
The use of lifting straps significantly increases maximal lifting capacity by reducing grip fatigue as a limiting factor.
Straps might let you move the bar farther or with more effort during deadlifts, but we don’t know if that actually helps you get stronger or fitter.
Using lifting straps might help you lift heavier weights and feel like you have a better grip, but we don’t fully know why yet.
Even though people think straps help muscles work harder, they probably don’t — they just help you hold the bar better.
No one has proven yet that using straps over months or years makes you stronger or bigger — it’s still just a guess.