Lifting Hooks Vs Straps: What Is Good For You?

While lifting weights, if you feel that you are losing your grip, it might be possible that you are going through a serious issue.

It doesn’t matter that if your body is strong, you can hold the barbells and dumbbells very well. But the secret lies in your hand grip; if your hands have a strong grip, you can grip anything easily. But people with small hands usually face issues in gripping the weight strongly.

Such weightlifters search for accessories that help them in gripping weights like lifting hooks and straps. These two accessories are the most common and help people increase their grip and efficient lifting.

Thus, how are lifting hooks different from straps? So, the lifting straps are for the wrist and fold around it. It has a hook made of material that connects with the barbell. Looks also connect with the velcro band for security. Whereas, the lifting hooks also have metal hooks but they stay under the palm and fold by your fingers.

The main goal of both gym accessories, whether straps or hooks, is to provide a grip. But the question is, which is perfect for you? Here, this article will be a guide for you, which tells about the gym accessories for lifting, along with their benefits. You can decide by the end which accessory fits you best.

What are Lifting Hooks?

When a skilled person sees lifting hooks, which are also known as hooks with lifting straps, they find them very daunting. They resemble hooks that are attached to the wrist straps.

Even though those hooks are frightful, they are extremely easy to use and not dangerous at all. They are the perfect gym lifting accessory that creates pressure on lifting weights while increasing the grip of the hand.

The lifting hooks have a design in which the metal of either hook curve shape connects it with the dumbbell or barbell. When those hooks connect with the weight machine, they increase your grip so you can focus mainly on lifting exercises.

If you are targeting specific muscles of your body, these hooks will be perfect for you. They increase grip and allow you to focus on your muscles and machine and build muscles.

Pros and Cons

There are many benefits of the lifting hooks as they are easy to use. They increase the grip of your hand, so you can focus on weight lifting without getting distracted. Using the lifting hook your lifting capacity gradually increases, and you will easily lift more weight than your standard capacity. Further, it increases muscle strength as your neglected muscles will be the main focus and help in lifting by increasing their performance.

It's not mandatory that lifting hooks only comes with benefits. There are some drawbacks to these gym lifting accessories. Like, if you only use the lifting hooks during your exercise and don’t use your own strength often, your hand grip will decrease. Eventually, you will have a lower grip. Additionally, inadequate use of lifting hooks will lead your body to get injured. Therefore, you need to be aware of its technique and usage.

Using lifting hooks has another drawback: it will make it difficult to abandon your workout. You can not leave the bar as quickly as you can with your bare hands when using lifting hooks. Chances of risk and damages increase this way.

Even though the lifting hooks are a fantastic accessory to use, one should not rely on them totally. They are made to increase grip but not to replace your strength with hooks.

Who Should Use Lifting Hooks?

Lifting hooks are the gym accessory, so anyone who is into lifting sessions can use them. They are easy to use and flexible; therefore, it benefits the trainers and lifters. Usually, people use them for lifting, but they can be used more than that.

People who face challenges in gripping and have sweaty hands can use lifting hooks. They are also perfect for beginners. People whose hands are injured can also use them during sessions to avoid any further damage.

They can also be a perfect gym partner for the weightlifters who are into deadlifts. Additionally, bodybuilders and heavy lifters find them perfect for muscle strengthening and increasing grip strength.

What are Lifting Straps?

In the bag of every weightlifter, you will see that they carry the straps on every training session. Usually, all the weightlifters carry one pair for strengthening and weightlifting. All you need to do is to understand its wrapping technique for its usage, as they are very flexible.

The lifting straps usually increase the support and the hand grip of the lifting sessions. It is a metal made usually of nylon or cotton, and one end of the strap has a loop while the next end is open. The strap folds around the weight, barbell, and dumbbells.

Using this gym lifting tool, your hand grips will increase twice, and you can handle more weight very conveniently. 

Pros and Cons

With the advantages of the Lifting straps, it has many bad sides for the weight lifters.

The lifting straps' main aim is to increase the support of hands and grip so you can work on your exercise and focus on lifting more. When your hands get the actual strength, they become secure, so the chances of risk and injury to the body decrease with the increasing productivity.

Additionally, the lifting straps increase muscle tension which helps their growth and building up more frequently, like arm and shoulder muscles.

Its excessive use will decrease your lifting skills, and you will depend on the straps. They are best for the lifting but not a replacement for the actual energy. 

Who Should Use Lifting Straps?

Like the name, lifting straps are perfect for any person who is into weight lifting and pieces of training. But, people with diverse fields can also use them for maintaining their muscles and increasing their grips.

The training pros and senior gym trainers use the lifting straps to train their muscles and increase the tension. Whereas athletes also use them to prevent themselves from injuries and enhance their productivity.

Lifting Hooks vs Straps: Comparison 

Lifting straps and lifting hooks are beneficial for gym enthusiasts as they come with their benefits. They have functional design and are perfect in their aim.

You can see which one provides more ease and comfort from the comparison below.

1. Grip

Using the lifting hooks, the grip to hold the weight increases. You can lift weights that are more heavy than standard ones with the help of your fingers and hands. It attaches itself to the bar and helps you manage the weight.

Lifting straps serve as support to the wrist rather than the hands, so the productivity of your lifting capacity increases.

2. Comfort

In terms of offering comfort, lifting hooks and straps are not clear. Lifting hooks offer easy usage and attach easily to the machine while increasing grip, but they put all the pressure on the wrist. Therefore, weight lifters may feel pressure on their wrists and find them uncomfortable.

Straps give a natural and smooth feel; therefore, they are usually the first choice of weight lifters. They even manage the weight across hands and wrists, making them perfect for lifting.

3. Versatility 

Lifting straps are the most versatile and flexible in design and function. Apart from lifting, straps are common for many exercises, including pull-ups, overhead presses, and pull-downs. 

Lifting hooks are easy to use but are commonly seen for deadlifts and rows as they provide grips to the hand and transfer tension to the wrist.

4. Weight Distribution

The lifting hooks are for increasing the grip support and are perfect for the palm, so they do not divide weight properly to the hands. Whereas the straps manage the wrist's weight and increase the hands' grip, they are fine in the weight distribution.

5. Learning Curve

The hooks are those gym accessories that beginners also find easy to handle and use. They are simple and need less hand strength to operate. 

Whereas the straps require proper wrapping skills to operate and use. Beginners find them difficult as they don’t master their usage overnight.

Lifting Hooks vs Straps for Deadlifts

People who are searching for accessories for deadlifts, find wrist hooks and lifting straps a great option. But both tools are not beneficial for everyone. Some are useful to a few, and some for others.

In other words, if you are struggling with grip strength and you are a heavy lifter, opt for the lifting hooks. They will increase and support your grip strength.

However, if you are into multiple exercises and want to get an accessory that looks flexible, opt for the straps. They will provide support to the wrist and balance the weight of your hands with your wrist very conveniently. They are not as powerful as grip supports like hooks, but they provide balance which will be comfortable for your joints.

When choosing the hooks and straps for the purpose of weight lifting and grip strength, you should consider other factors too. We discuss such factors below for you to get what suits you best.

1. Quick Attachment

Hooks have two ends that can attach easily to weight and machine and function adequately. Whereas, straps need training to get folded around the wrist. 

2. Focus and Fatigue

Lifting hooks and straps work in a way that reduces discomfort. Hooks help you to increase the grip, whereas straps make sure the tension is divided into the hand. So, if you want your muscles engaging and working on the target exercise, go for hooks. For a secure grip, choose straps.

3. High Reps

If you are into deadlifts, your choice of hooks is an important and considerable factor. They must provide you with security and increase your grip strength. Straps are perfect for lifting, but they are not suitable for heavy lifts and high-rep sets.

Top Rated Lifting Hook

The strap Bear Grip is offering has a comfortable padding that not only folds around the wrist but increases the grip. With the straps, we attach a strong closure which ensures that you exercise stress-free and it does not open in between. The straps are available for men, women, gym enthusiasts, weight lifters, bodybuilders, and anyone who is planning to train their body and lift weights. You can even use Bear Grip straps to prevent any harm to your body, including elbows, wrists, and forearms.

Choosing the Bear Grip accessories like hooks, you will be sure that your grip is smooth and you can lift heavy weights. Additionally, you will be safe from any injuries and blisters which can be caused due to the heavy lifting. Say goodbye to pinching your hands on the bar tightly because our hooks will empower your fingers and hands.

Bear Grip will handle all your gripping issues so you can target your exercise, as our accessories are profound in their services and the satisfaction of customers. Comment below to let us know about the products and how we can contribute to your ease.

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