Lifting straps take grip out of the equation. When your hands give out before your back and legs do, a strap ties the bar to your wrist so the set continues; that is why they are standard kit for heavy deadlift training, rows, shrugs and rack pulls.

SBD makes two kinds. The standard Lifting Strap is a single length of webbing with a loop at one end: it wraps around the wrist, feeds through the loop and winds around the bar, and it is the strap most lifters use for training pulls because it comes off in a second between sets. The Figure 8 Lifting Strap is a closed loop that goes around the wrist, under the bar and back over the wrist, so the bar cannot leave your hand at all. It gives the most secure hold of any strap and is the choice for maximum-effort pulls, strongman events and axle work; the trade-off is that you cannot drop the bar, so it is not for anyone new to heavy pulling. The Figure 8 comes in small, medium and large; measure around the wrist and check the size chart.

Both use SBD's patent-pending webbing, which weaves aramid (Kevlar) filament through spun polyester fibre, so the strap has the strength of a nylon strap with the comfort of cotton against the wrist. Both are made in Great Britain. Lifting straps are not permitted in powerlifting competition, so use them in training and pull without them on the platform.

Straps or wrist wraps? Straps help you hold the bar; wraps support the wrist joint under a press or squat. They do different jobs, and many lifters own both.