Lifting hook Straps, also known as weight lifting hooks, are robust loop straps with metal hooks that you grasp in the palms of your hands while you wrap them around your wrists. These hooks provide you the ability to lift bigger things without just depending on the strength of your grasp by transferring the pressure away from your wrists and towards the base of your hands. The lifting hook does what it says on the tin. A metal hook is looped beneath the barbell to transfer the loading stress from the hand to the wrist.
Beginners lifters who aren’t yet lifting a lot of weight typically employ hooks (less than 300lbs). Some smaller people, especially ladies, would never lift more than 300 pounds; therefore, lifting hooks would be ideal for them during their whole lifting career.
Hook Grip Vs. Mixed Grip
Although the hook straps is a secure grip, utilizing it well necessitates at least average-sized hands and maybe above-average thumb and finger mobility. Additionally, employing standard hook grip workouts to enhance the hook grasp is practically difficult. You’ll probably always have trouble utilizing the hook if you can’t arrange your thumbs and first two fingers for a secure hold.
Which are preferable, lifting hooks or lifting straps?
Weightlifters stimulate specific muscles via intense training to achieve the physique they desire; as a result, they frequently develop more muscular forearms. However, people frequently experience two significant downsides when attempting to lift higher weights: forearm fatigue and loss of grip strength. This might result in weightlifters doing exercises improperly, especially the pull workouts, which in turn causes little to no activation of the muscles that these exercises target.
Some of the most incredible weightlifting accessories are weightlifting hook straps, which may be utilized to compensate for the lack of grip strength and give you the assurance you need to lift more significant objects and complete more repetitions.
How To Use LIFTING HOOKS
However, you must be familiar with the basics to utilize them properly. How precisely do these gadgets function?
Weightlifting hook straps are heavy-duty loop straps that are worn around the wrist and are clasped in the palms of your hands. These hooks provide you the ability to lift bigger things without just depending on the strength of your grasp by transferring the weight away from your wrists and towards the base of your hands.
To use it, place one hand within the loop strap, wrap it around your wrists’ bases, and grasp the lifting hook in your palm. You may securely lift bigger weights once the barbell or dumbbell is fastened since it can rest comfortably on the metal hook rather than on your hands.
There are many different lifting hooks on the market, each with a unique use intended for carrying out various workouts. Two-finger lifting hook straps, solid hooks, and glove-hook combinations are available options.
Three Simple Steps:
- In essence, finger-lifting hooks are standard with two additional metal hooks, or “prongs,” linked to the wrist strap. The term “2 finger lifting hook” refers to devices with two metal prongs that are wrapped around the index and little fingers.” These hooks are typically incompatible with straight bars but work best with dumbbells with convex bars.
- Solid hooks have a single, J-shaped metal hook that covers all four fingers, as opposed to the split design of the two-finger hooks. These hooks are suitable for all types of weightlifting bars and provide cushioning to make your wrists more comfortable.
- The main difference between glove-hook combinations and regular lifting hooks is that the hook positions may be switched. Instead of being utilized as simple lifting hooks, these hooks may be employed as gloves to give grip assistance while in the reversed position.
Who Must Apply Lifting Hooks Straps?
Lifting hook straps should be used if you’re a starting lifter who hasn’t yet lifted more than 300 pounds.
Lifting hook straps will be more comfortable if you have larger hands, so you should probably take that into account.
Hooks will suit your purpose if your primary goal is to strengthen your grip during workouts like the deadlift, row, and shrug, and you won’t require grip support during any other activities.
The most frequent users of lifting hooks are weightlifters who prefer to exercise their target muscles without having to rely on their grip strength during high-intensity workouts. It’s crucial to remember that using lifting hooks straps does not entirely replace the requirement for strong grips. Be careful not to just press the snooze button when your grip is entirely relax while utilizing these attachments. The most effective method of lifting hooks is to support them with your palms as you lift. If you let go of your grasp too much, the loop strap may bite into your wrist and be difficult to wear while exercising, not to mention the possibility of the bar dropping into your toe.
Only pull exercises like deadlifts, shrugs, barbell rows, and cable rows should be done with weightlifting hooks. Since the intend function of these hooks is to essentially “lift” the weight, they cannot be utilize for push exercises like bench presses, lateral raises, shoulder presses, or other like movements.
Exercises Used With Lifting Hooks Straps
Only barbell workouts generally involve lifting hooks.
- Barbell Row
- Any deadlift variation
- Barbell Shrugs
Only the deadlift is an activity where employing lifting hooks will yield significant results. Olympic weightlifters do not use lifting hooks for lifts like the snatch or clean and jerk.
Depending on the type of dumbbell you use, you might be able to perform various workouts with lifting hooks. This is due to the hook perhaps being too large or tiny for the particular piece of equipment.
Popular powerlifting coach Jason Pasquale wrote in his essay “Sick Sets and Suicides,” “Finally we arrive to the half deadlift. The safety bars should be place such that the barbell is at knee height. At the very least, always utilize lifting hooks or wraps. Your hands will give out far before your body does during this workout, which is not good for improving grip strength. This is only one of many instances when seasoned weightlifters see lifting hooks as a universal requirement for the gym.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Lifting Hook
Recently, the hook straps grip has become increasingly popular, and for a good reason—it provides some very important advantages over the mixed grip. The most crucial one regards safety, by far. Lifting hooks makes it possible for a more symmetrical pull, which is quite important if you care about the way your body looks. Long-term mixed-grip pulling without switching which hand you supinate and which you pronate can lead to uneven lat, trap, and lower back growth.
Lifting Hook Pros
- Because it contains a velcro strap that keeps the wrist into place, it may support the wrist better.
- Capable of meeting the full need for gripping loading
- Will increase grip strength right away.
- Relatively sturdy if you check the weight restrictions
- easier to use than lifting straps (no learning curve)
- Reasonably affordable for the value received
- Can be use to avoid having beat-up hands.
The Main Disadvantage Of The Hook Grasp
It comes with a rather significant risk of skin rips and can be extremely unpleasant for some people. Although a skin rip may appear like a relatively minor wound, you will quickly learn that hooking with a torn-up thumb is difficult. In contrast, even though it could hurt quite a bit, you can often use a mixed grip to grind through a skin tear.
Lifting Hook Cons
- No further sizes are offered (For The Most Part)
- Less robust The weight increases in size.
- If the hooks are excessively big and hefty, your hands may not even come close to the barbell.
- Doesn’t Simulate How Grabbing a Bar Feels Natural
- If the barbell rotates, the weight may fall from the hooks.
- Depending on the load applied and how tightly your hand can be wrapp around the barbell, it might cause a lot of stress around the wrist.
- Can’t Be Utilize for All Gym Exercises
Conclusion
The usage of weightlifting hooks and straps can help you become a better weightlifter and reach your full potential. They both have advantages and disadvantages, though. You can handle the greater weight with lifting straps and lifting hooks in the gym. These lifting tools can nevertheless help you get stronger, even if you should naturally try to improve your grip strength.
