Do you want a quick, simple and instant way to increase the
amount of weight you can lift on virtually every back exercise
you perform? Sound too good to be true? I speak the truth, my
friend, and the reality is that if you aren't utilizing this
basic piece of gym equipment you're missing out on some serious
muscle size and strength gains. What tool am I talking about?
A pair of lifting straps!
This is such a basic and highly effective piece of equipment yet
so many people neglect to use them. For those of you who are
unaware, these are basically a set of thick straps made of
extremely strong material that are placed around your wrists and
then wrapped around the barbell, dumbbell or cable attachment.
The purpose of lifting straps is to "eliminate" your grip from
the equation by forming a secure connection between your wrist
and the weight. If you use these straps properly you can
basically hold onto the bar and perform your exercises while
expending almost no energy from your forearms.
Why is this so valuable?
Picture this scenario...You're performing a set of deadlifts
(arguably the most powerful muscle-building exercise known to
man) with the goal of performing 8 reps. You psych yourself up,
grip the weight and clear the bar from the ground. The set is
going well, but by the time you reach rep number 5, the strain
on your grip is so great that you can no longer hold onto the
bar. You're forced to stop the set because your forearms reached
muscular failure.
What exactly happened here?
Well, you gave yourself an amazing forearm workout!
Congratulations! Unfortunately you severely limited the amount
of muscle stimulation you could achieve on your back, shoulders,
legs, and just about every other muscle in your body that the
deadlift targets in the process. This is not a good thing!
Lifting straps completely eliminate this problem by making sure
that you reach muscular failure in the major muscle groups that
you are intending to target rather than on your forearms and
grip. They can be used effectively for almost every back
exercise or any other lift where the grip is of concern.
The main argument against lifting straps is the idea that they
are a "crutch" and will negatively affect the development of
grip strength and forearm size. Let's get real here. What would
you prefer, greater muscle mass and strength in your lats and
upper back (and just about every other muscle group on your
body) or greater ability to crack open a jar of pickles? Take
your pick.
The positive effect that lifting straps will have on your
overall muscle mass and strength gains will far outweigh any
negative effect that they have on your forearms and grip.
Besides, you can easily incorporate specific forearm movements
into your routine to develop your grip strength and forearm
size. If you aren't using lifting straps already, get on it! You
can find them at almost any store that sells sports or fitness
equipment or you can order them online. They sell for about 10
or 15 bucks and are well worth the price!
About the author:
Sean Nalewanyj is a bodybuilding expert, fitness author and
writer of top-selling Internet Bodybuilding E-Book:
The Truth
About Building Muscle. You can learn more by visiting his
website:
http://www.MuscleGainTruth
.com/
