Lifting strap tips?
I’m starting to get close to feeling like straps would be helpful for my RDL’s. I tried them today and I had some struggles. I watched video on how to use them and I got the strap in the right position with it pointing towards the thumb and wrapped it the correct way around the bar but I couldn’t manage to get it quite tight enough.
my gym only has smith machines so I would feel like I got it ok tight but then I had to change my position slightly to unrack the bar and it would be looser again. I know you’re supposed to be able to twist the strap to tighten it but it seems to grip too much to the bar so it wouldn’t actually turn/tighten at all.
any tips?
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I don't know about Smith machine. With a regular barbell you can spin the bar a bit to tighten them. In the vid below Mitchell Hooper shows the regular way to use straps, and what he calls the 'strongman' way, which I haven't tried. Another option is you could use mixed grip, so supinated with one arm. If you're using very heavy weight and that arm is bent, it can put a lot of strain on the bicep. So be careful with that. I assume that's not a major concern for you, just mentioning it just in case. And you can use straps with mixed grip too.
If still none of that is working, maybe try Versa Gripps. I hear those are fantastic.
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And here's a random vid I found showing in better detail the normal straps method. For some reason this one isn't embedding. Anyway…
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I have some versa strap copies. Don't work properly for me because my fingers/hands are still too short to hold the flap. Tried straps, but my hands are so hypermobile that straps just slip down and move my thumb out of the way, basically subluxing it somewhat. have no found a proper solution for myself yet.
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@yirara which straps have you tried? I use weightlifting straps (different to powerlifting ones) and I wrap them slightly differently to stop my thumbs subluxing. It’s not perfect but it means I can do heavy snatch pulls without my thumb popping out - can PM you the ones I use if any help?
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Please do! Maybe I am able to get them here. I only need straps for deadlifts to be honest because my hands are rather weak and poorly 'connected'. Like: Hey, I think I'm subluxing my fingers right now! Doesn't help that my hands are too small for most bars to really hold them properly.
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Remember you need to be friends for DM to work.
I forgot, hook grip is another option. It's very sore on the thumbs at first though.
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I hook grip everything, but for snatch pulls (wide grip) there’s a lot of inward pressure on the thumbs and mine can tend to try to pop out. It hurts. A lot.
I’ll see if I can record a short vid tomorrow eve when training and upload it - I’ve played around with straps for ages and finally found a way which works for me.
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I'm gonna try that "strongman" wrapping method on Saturday.
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Thanks for the tips. I'm gonna play around with them next leg day
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hmmm - recorded a vid on my straps and it won’t load as the file extension is wrong 🤔
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Sometimes you can rename a file to make it work, happens often with photos I want to upload, say a selfie from my cell, which saves in one format (incompatible with MFP) and all it takes is me renaming the end to include a .jpg extension and POOF, suddenly MFP cooperates. Not sure if the same works for videos, but worth a shot.
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Ooo thanks - I’ll try that!
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Today was leg day, which included heavy rack pulls where I use lifting straps. Tried the "strongman" version of wrapping. Here's my observations…
On my weaker hand, I really enjoyed it! Before, the strap would press into the base of my thumb, but none of that today.
On my stronger hand, it was hard to judge, because of difficulty in properly placing the strap. When I do straps, I grip left hand, use the right hand to wrap the strap into place, then my right hand has to work the fingers only to wrap the strap in place. I'm able to do a traditional grip this way, but my manual dexterity proved not fully up to the task for the reverse-wrapped strongman version, which starts out by my pinkie side. After the first time felt rather bungled, I switched my dominant right hand back to a traditional strap placement, and the rest of the sets felt just fine. (I've never had the same thumb stress on my right hand, possibly because I have a stronger grip in the first place so the strap wasn't needed as much.)
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Google “Versagripps”. The strap is built in, and once you get the hang of them you can wrap and grip quickly. You can also easily spin them around your wrist for things like pushups or dips, if you don’t like having them on your palms for sets like that.
They are amazing and worth every penny. I have my trainer a pair for Christmas, and she loved them so much she got some for her husband.Can’t praise my Versagripps enough. Love love love them.
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Straps definitely take a little practice, so don’t worry if they feel awkward at first. Try looping the strap with a bit more slack, then once you’re in position, roll the bar slightly with your hand to tighten it up. On a Smith machine it’s trickier since you have to unrack.so set up as close to your lifting position as possible before strapping in. Some people also find figure-8 straps easier to use if regular ones keep slipping.
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you sound a lot like I was. I can’t I can’t I can’t.
Depressed. Super negative. Everything conspired to thwart or weigh me one way or another.
It was really a case of I won't I won’t I won’t.
I analyzed what sucked and made changes. Major life changes. Happiness quotient went way up.Turns out, I wasn’t such a negative person after all. Life really was crushing the joy out of me.
If you lost all your weight, were fit and healthy, would you still be the same? Or are you investing all your hopes in that and assuming that would change everything.
I just saw a wonderful old New Yorker cartoon of a man marooned on a desert island. The thought bubble, as he daydreamed, was him jumping for joy and throwing piles of money in the air. While still in his desert island.
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@springlering62 I think you posted in the wrong thread, I'm a little confused…
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Big improvement, even with cheap knockoffs. However, if your hands are small and fingers are short it's still not totally quick and easy to get the flap around the bar
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boy did I ever!!!! I’m having some really weird stuff happening on the boards lately, but this one takes the cake. Probably just as well the other guy didn’t see it. The negativity is off the charts.
It’s a weight loss board. Somebody! Please take the cake!
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I think they recognize this and have come out with a second version for women?
At the risk of getting some of you excited, my “tongues” obstruct when sweaty though.
I’d like a version with a longer tongue, though, but this pair isn’t showing any signs of wear, so can’t justify it yet. Maybe next on next sale email. 🤷🏻♀️
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🤬🤬🤬🤬 not only can I not edit MFP posts lately, but spellcheck is kicking in after the post is posted.
Should be, my tongues get longer when sweaty
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Thanks a lot Springerling62 <3
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I'm confused…are we still talking about lifting straps, or were you talking about shoes?
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versagripps are lifting gloves that have a sewn in “tongue” which sticks out from your palm, which you wrap over or under the bar.
They are not a true glove in that they don’t cover individual fingers.
You can get pretty adept at flipping the tongue the direction you want to go, or even rotating the whole glove unit backwards so you have nothing at all facing your palms for pushups, dips, mat work etc. (which is my personal preference).
Since the tongue is attached to the glove, which is velcroed around your wrist, it gives you a bit of extra “grab”, plus helps keep your wrists in position.
I particularly find them helpful doing chin-ups or pulls because that wrap-around tongue holds me in position so well I can wrap all my fingers, including my thumb, in one direction. I’m a death-gripper, and that tends to make my thumbs and lower palm cramp.They also don’t slip air slide like my old gloves did. Once you grip something, it’s a firm grip. And if you’re sweaty or damp, the grip actually improves , much like my favorite yoga mat brand does when damp
I love my versa grips, but I suspect on the women’s glove they made the tongue a little short- or so it seems to me. Since then they’ve come out with another ladies glove with a slightly different fit.
Mine shows very little wear, and I’m cheap so am loath to buy a new pair with an extra inch.
So no, not shoes. Gloves with a tongue.Honestly, it’s a genius idea. Comfort is head and shoulders above traditional gloves, and the firm “grab” helps me confidently handle larger dumbbells than I can with traditional gloves.
My only complaint is a girly one. The Velcro is strong, and can latch on to my leggings during things like curls or hammers where wrists are close in. Leggings are expensive, and I’ve got a few pair with fuzzy zones from the Velcro grabbing them. But forgivable, considering the benefits they bring to the plate.
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Gotcha, thanks for the clarification.
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Thanks. I think I might have a pair of ones with a tongue that I bought at the start of my journey but didn't use. I could try those
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I snapped these pics of my VersaGripps before class this morning since I think I got folks confused.
In order:
Grippy tongue, rotated on wrist for pushups, overhand grip, underhand grip
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Straps can be tricky at first, especially on a smith machine. Try setting them up a little looser, then once you’re in position, roll the bar slightly to take out the slack. It gets easier with practice!
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