There isn't a specific number of pounds that lifting straps automatically add to your lift. The difference primarily depends on whether grip is the limiting factor.
If your hands open before your back or legs finish working, straps can enable you to hold a heavier load or complete more repetitions. If your grip is already strong enough, the difference may be very small or entirely absent.
So, straps don't make your back or legs stronger. They reduce the importance of grip for the specific lift.
Why can you lift more with straps?
During deadlifts and other heavy pulling exercises, your hands and forearms must maintain hold of the weight throughout the entire movement.
If your grip fails, the set can end, even if your larger muscle groups still have capacity left.
Lifting straps create a closer connection between your hand and the bar and can therefore:
- Reduce the demands on your grip.
- Prevent the bar from slipping out of your hands.
- Allow you to continue the set.
- Maintain a more stable grip through more repetitions.
- Shift focus from your forearms to your back or posterior chain.
The effect only occurs if your grip would otherwise have limited your performance.
How many extra pounds do straps provide?
This cannot be calculated based on body weight, experience, or hand size alone. Two people with the same deadlift can experience vastly different results.
The difference depends on, among other things:
- Your current grip strength.
- The chosen grip technique.
- Your experience with lifting straps.
- The bar's diameter and surface.
- Whether you use chalk.
- The number of repetitions.
- How fatigued your grip already is.
- Whether the rest of your body can actually lift more.
Therefore, you should not use general ranges like “5, 10, or 20 pounds” as a personal expectation.
What does research show?
Studies on lifting straps show that they can affect performance, but the effect depends on the participants in the study and how performance is measured.
In a study with 20 men, the average deadlift 1RM was higher with straps than without straps. The result shows that straps can make a measurable difference when grip affects a maximal deadlift. This does not mean that all lifters will experience the same difference.
Another study with strength-trained women found that participants could complete more deadlift repetitions with straps and retain more grip strength after the sets.
Research therefore supports that straps can affect both maximal load and the number of repetitions. However, existing studies are relatively small and cannot be used to predict a precise number of pounds for an individual.
Extra pounds or extra repetitions?
Straps can affect training in several different ways.
A higher maximal load
If your grip is the only reason you cannot hold a heavier bar, straps can potentially increase the load you can complete.
More repetitions with the same weight
Even if straps don't change your maximum weight, they can enable you to hold on through more repetitions.
Better preservation of grip
Straps can reduce local fatigue in your hands and forearms, so your grip affects the rest of your workout less.
More stable execution
If the bar doesn't start to slip during the set, you can focus less attention on your hands and more on the planned movement.
Therefore, lifting more pounds isn't always the biggest advantage. For many, the value lies in more controlled repetitions with the same load.
Who benefits most from straps?
Straps will typically make the biggest difference for individuals who:
- Lose their grip before the rest of their body fatigues.
- Train deadlifts or Romanian Deadlifts with multiple repetitions.
- Have high back and pulling volume in the same workout.
- Use a double overhand grip on heavy sets.
- Have tired hands or forearms from previous exercises.
- Want to train their back without making grip the primary focus.
If your lift is primarily limited by technique, leg strength, or back strength, straps will not necessarily increase performance.
How to find your own difference?
You don't need to test a maximal lift to find out if straps help you.
Instead, use this approach:
- Choose a pulling exercise where your grip is normally challenged.
- Choose a weight you can lift controllably about 6-10 times.
- Perform the set without straps and record repetitions and the reason the set stopped.
- Repeat the test with straps on another training session under conditions as similar as possible.
- Compare repetitions, technique, and how fatigued your grip felt.
Do not test both versions as maximal sets immediately after each other. Fatigue from the first set will make the comparison less accurate.
If you take more controlled repetitions with straps, and the set previously ended due to grip, they have a clear function in your training.
What exercises can straps make a difference in?
Deadlifts
Deadlifts are the most obvious exercise because the entire load must be held in the hands. The difference can manifest as a higher load, more repetitions, or a more stable grip.
Romanian Deadlifts
Romanian Deadlifts are often performed with more repetitions and long time under tension. The forearms can therefore become tired before the hamstrings and glutes.
Barbell rows and dumbbell rows
Straps can be relevant if your hands get tired before your back muscles. However, they don't automatically create better muscle connection – technique and load are still crucial.
T-Bar Rows and cable rows
With high training volume, straps can help maintain hold of the handle through the last repetitions.
Shrugs
Shrugs are often performed with heavy weights and relatively long sets. Here, the grip can fail before the traps.
Lat pulldowns
Some experience less hand and forearm fatigue with straps. For others, they make only a limited difference.
See more examples in our guide to 10 exercises with lifting straps.
Does a higher lift mean you've gotten stronger?
Not necessarily.
For example, if you lift more with straps than without, it shows that grip affected the result. It doesn't automatically mean that your back or legs have gotten stronger from one attempt to the next.
Therefore, results should be recorded separately:
- Deadlift without straps.
- Deadlift with straps.
- Mixed grip or hook grip.
- Number of repetitions with the same load.
A personal record lift with straps should be compared to previous lifts under the same conditions.
Should you always use straps for heavy lifts?
No. The choice depends on the purpose of the set.
Train without straps when:
- You specifically want to develop grip strength.
- You are performing warm-up sets.
- Your grip is not limiting the set.
- You are preparing for a competition where straps are not allowed.
Use straps when:
- Your grip stops the set before the target muscle group.
- You are training your back or posterior chain with high volume.
- You want to limit the importance of grip for the specific exercise.
- You want to standardize heavy pulls without changing grip positions.
Is it safe to lift heavier with straps?
Straps do not make a load safe just because you can hold onto it.
Only increase the weight if you can still:
- Maintain the planned lifting technique.
- Control the movement.
- Maintain a stable body position.
- Attach and release the straps correctly.
- Complete the set without pain.
Start with a familiar load when learning to use straps. Then gradually increase rather than immediately testing a maximal lift.
Which lifting straps should you choose?
MakeIt offers different models:
- StrapIt Standard: The versatile starting point for most pulling exercises.
- StrapIt Premium: For those who want extra comfort during heavy lifts and high volume.
- StrapIt Short: A shorter and more direct connection to the bar or handle.
Read the full comparison in the guide Which lifting straps should I choose?
Danish-produced lifting straps since 2014
MakeIt has produced StrapIt lifting straps in Denmark since 2014. More than 100,000 straps have been sold, and the models are developed with a focus on functionality, comfort, and durability.
You can see all StrapIt lifting straps here.
Conclusion: How much more can you lift with straps?
There is no universal number of pounds. Straps can make a big difference if grip limits you, and almost no difference if the limitation lies elsewhere.
The most relevant effect can be a higher maximal load, more repetitions with the same weight, or less fatigue in your hands and forearms.
Always compare your performance under similar conditions, and consider lifts with and without straps as two different testing conditions.
Frequently asked questions
How many extra pounds do lifting straps provide?
It cannot be precisely predicted. The difference depends on how much grip limits your lift, and whether the rest of your body has the capacity for a heavier load.
Can you do more repetitions with straps?
Yes, some can complete more repetitions if the set would otherwise have stopped due to the hands or forearms.
Do you get stronger by using straps?
Straps do not make muscles stronger immediately. They reduce the importance of grip and can thereby change performance in the specific set.
Does a personal record with straps count?
Yes, if you record it as a personal record with straps. Compare it to previous lifts performed under the same conditions.
Which exercises are most affected by straps?
Deadlifts, Romanian Deadlifts, rows, and shrugs are among the exercises where grip can often become a limiting factor.
Should you use straps on all working sets?
No. Use them on sets where grip would otherwise prevent you from achieving the purpose of the exercise.
