Using Weight Lifting Straps for a Bigger Back

Article by Mike Hightower

Lats like Jay Cutler. We all want ’em. A big wide lat spread that casts a shadow over the whole gym. Ahhh but how to get it, that is the question.

We all see our favorite bodybuilders walking around with straps dangling from their wrists and we realize that we too must get a set of these bad-boys so that we can look just as cool on back day right?

The problem is that without proper knowledge lifting straps can actually hinder your lat building progress. On the other hand used properly they can make back growth exponential.

The key is in realizing the weakness in lifting straps.

The weakness inherent in all lifting straps is that they allow you to lift more weight than you can hold with your grip.

“But Mike isn’t this a good thing” you say.

Can be. If used correctly. However, if it means that you are now just lifting more weight and still using improper form then you are headed for a world of hurt.

So what is the key?

The key is to use your straps to create better form. In the case of back training straps should allow you to focus all of your attention on your back muscles, and avoid to the use of your arms.

Nitty Gritty Details

The mistake that most beginning and amateur bodybuilders make is to rely on their biceps in their back training. Now a certain amount of bicep recruitment is almost unavoidable. However it should be minimized to the greatest extent possible because when the bicep is bearing the weight, the back is not.

Take wide grip pulldowns for example. Most trainees make the mistaken assumption that the key is to get the wide-grip bar down to their chin. This is not the case. the goal is to get the latissimus dorsi to contract as maximally as possible. And really this can only be done when the trainee is aware of the muscle contracting. This awareness is much harder than when doing a set of concentration curls because the trainee cannot see the back.

What must be done is to spend time doing exercises that create an environment for feeling the latissimus contraction. The bottom line best exercise for this is chin ups. That’s right… chin ups. Not pull-downs, but real grab-the-bar-and-lift-the-body-up chin ups. You see, the line of the body hanging on a bar just happens to be the perfect line to feel those lats in action.

Straps For Focus

Now for the straps that we are talking about.

When doing the chin-up you want the back muscles to be your focus and not your biceps. So slip on the straps, and curl them around your chin up bar [if it is too far off of the ground then grab a bench to attach the straps and then hang free]. Now with straps on, arch you chest as much as possible and lift your body concentrating on pulling your elbows toward your sides. As you focus on your elbows your arms should almost feel loose and unengaged. All tension should be in your lower back and on your lats.

This “elbow focus” is how you will begin to feel those lats working. And it is only possible because you have used straps to take your arms out of the equation as much as possible.

Try it, get some straps and try this elbow focus technique on your next training session. Once you feel it, and not a second sooner, then try the same technique on bent barbell rows and all varieties of other back exercises. With your new found ability to feel the lats working you will enjoy some nice back growth.

More Weight Lifting Straps Articles