Lifting Straps vs Gloves: Essential Guide for Choosing the Right Grip Support

Lifting Straps vs Gloves: Essential Guide for Choosing the Right Grip Support

By Dr. Marcus Chen, Ph.D.

February 11, 2025 at 05:58 AM

Lifting straps and gloves serve different purposes in weightlifting, each offering unique benefits for specific training needs.

Person using pink lifting straps

Person using pink lifting straps

Lifting straps are fabric bands that wrap around your wrists and the weight, primarily designed to enhance grip strength during heavy pulls. They're ideal for exercises like deadlifts, rows, and shrugs where grip strength often limits performance.

Key benefits of lifting straps:

  • Enable heavier lifts beyond natural grip capacity
  • Reduce forearm fatigue
  • Excellent for pulling movements
  • Preferred by powerlifters and serious strength athletes

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Lifting gloves cover your hands to provide protection and comfort. They're best suited for general fitness and preventing calluses or blisters during training.

Key benefits of lifting gloves:

  • Protect hands from calluses and blisters
  • Provide mild wrist support
  • Offer better grip during sweaty workouts
  • Ideal for machine exercises and general training

Choose lifting straps if:

  • Your primary goal is maximizing strength gains
  • You perform heavy pulling exercises
  • Grip strength limits your lifts
  • You're involved in powerlifting or Olympic lifting

Choose lifting gloves if:

  • Hand protection is your priority
  • You want comfort during general workouts
  • You perform mainly machine exercises
  • You're new to weight training or prefer recreational lifting

For optimal results, serious lifters might benefit from owning both: using straps for heavy pulling days and gloves for general training sessions.

Remember: While straps can help with heavier lifts, don't neglect grip strength training entirely. Include exercises like farmer's walks and dead hangs in your routine to maintain natural grip strength.

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