For as long as I've been interested in strength training, I've always tossed a pair of lifting straps into my gym bag, and when I got back into barbell training in November 2016, it was no exception. However, I'd misplaced my usual padded Harbinger straps and, for the first few months of my return to the gym, didn't bother with them. It was after a session of rows, though, when my grip was fried way before my back muscles were tired, that I took heed and bought some new straps. And for the first time in my strength-training life, I bought leather straps. My Grizzlies are now, without exaggeration, my second most valued fitness-related possession, behind my Adidas squat shoes. These are powerlifting-style straps, rather than the speed straps used in Olympic lifting. As such, you fit the straps to your wrists and wrap the long end around the bar. There are tutorials online, but the concise version is this: the end with the loop faces the pinky finger of the side you wear it on, and the long end runs along the outside of your hand, such that it's wrapped into your hand as you loop the strap around the bar. Because I'm sometimes an utter moron, I've labeled mine "L" and "R" with a pen so I know which strap (I keep mine looped, so they're always ready to go) is for which hand. Because they're leather, as opposed to nylon or cotton, they grab better into the knurling on the bar, which helps the straps to stay in place as you lift. I consider these straps indispensable for moves like high pulls, deadlifts, shrugs, and rows where the muscles you're training are often stronger than your grip. The straps are no excuse for not having a strong grip, mind you, and they're a training aid much like your spotter, your belt, or the safety bars on your squat rack. They're just there to help you, not to take the place of a too-weak grip, or even an already-strong one.
