Skip to main content

Fitness · product guide

Lifting accessories: does it work?

Belts, wrist wraps, straps, hooks, chalk and bar pads: aids for heavy lifting that help performance or comfort a little, but aren't injury insurance.

Limited evidenceReviewed September 2026

What it is

Belts are stiff bands, usually 10–13 mm leather or nylon with a lever or prong buckle, that you brace your trunk against. Wrist wraps stiffen the wrist under heavy pressing. Straps and hooks connect your hands to the bar so your grip isn't the limit on heavy pulls, and chalk keeps hands dry. Bar pads make hip thrusts more comfortable.

You don't need any of these to start. They matter once loads get heavy, and each solves a specific problem: a failing grip, a wrist that bends back under the bar, or a trunk you want to brace harder.

How strong is the evidence?

Limited evidence

Small lab studies show lifting belts raise pressure inside the abdomen and let people squat more reps, a little faster. A small study found straps kept deadlift bar speed up and reduced grip fatigue. No trials show any of these prevent injury, and the largest study of back belts (13,873 retail workers) found no fewer back injuries or less back pain. Evidence for wraps and chalk is thin.

The claims you'll see, checked

A lifting belt protects your back from injury

Unproven

It hasn't been tested in lifters. In nearly 14,000 retail workers, back belts (a different, lighter kind of belt) didn't reduce injury claims or back pain, and a Cochrane review found lumbar supports don't prevent back pain.

A belt lets you lift more

Holds up

In lab studies, bracing against a belt raised intra-abdominal pressure by 25–40%. In a 2026 study of 49 lifters, people did about 1.5 more reps at their 6-rep max. The gain is modest and matters mainly near maximal loads.

Straps let your back and legs work harder on heavy pulls

Holds up

In a small crossover study, straps kept deadlift bar speed higher, reduced grip fatigue and lowered perceived effort across sets.

Straps will weaken your grip

Unproven

Straps reduce grip demand on the sets where you use them; that's the point. Doing warm-ups and lighter sets without them keeps training your grip.

Wrist wraps prevent wrist injuries

Unproven

They limit how far the wrist bends back under heavy presses, and many lifters find them more comfortable, but injury prevention hasn't been studied.

Chalk improves your grip

Mixed

Chalk dries sweat. Two small studies in climbers disagree: one found about 20% more finger friction with chalk, the other found less. It helps most with sweaty hands.

What to look for

  • Belt width and thickness. A belt 10 cm (4 in) wide all the way round suits squats and deadlifts. A 10 mm belt is comfortable for most people; 13 mm is stiffer. Tapered belts suit movements where the belt might dig in.
  • Buckle type. Lever buckles are fastest on and off but are set to one tightness. Prong buckles adjust freely between sets.
  • Belt sizing by waist measurement. Measure around your belly button where you'll wear it, not by trouser size.
  • Straps for the lift. Loop (lasso) straps let you drop the bar quickly. Figure-8 straps lock your hands to the bar for maximal deadlifts and shrugs. Hooks reduce grip work further but can dig into your palms.
  • Wrist wraps: longer and stiffer wraps support more. Wrap over the wrist joint itself, not just the forearm.
  • Chalk: loose block chalk is cheapest. Liquid chalk puts less dust in the air, which matters in a small home gym, if you have asthma, or if your gym bans loose chalk.

What to skip

  • Belts bought 'for safety' by beginners doing moderate weights: they don't prevent injury, and you'll brace better if you learn it without one first.
  • Foam squat pads for back squats: they can make the bar sit higher and less securely. Learn a comfortable bar position instead; pads make sense for hip thrusts.
  • Figure-8 straps for anything you might need to bail from, such as cleans, snatches or high-rep work when tired.
  • Premium 'competition-approved' gear if you don't compete: the rules it meets only matter on a platform.

How to use it

  • Learn to brace without a belt first: breathe in, tighten your trunk, then lift.
  • Save the belt for your heaviest sets of squats and deadlifts; warm up without it.
  • Use straps on the heavy pulling sets where grip gives out first, and do the rest without them.

Who should be careful

  • Bracing hard against a belt sharply raises blood pressure during the lift. If you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, heart disease, glaucoma, a hernia or recent surgery, or are pregnant, ask a clinician before heavy braced lifts.
  • Figure-8 straps and hooks make it hard to let go quickly. Don't use them on lifts you may need to drop.
  • Loosen belts and wraps between sets. Numbness, tingling or colour change in the hands means wrist wraps are too tight.
  • Don't use a belt or wraps to keep lifting through pain. Sharp back pain, or pain that runs down the leg, means stop and get assessed.

The studies

Every citation is checked against its PubMed record.

  1. A prospective study of back belts for prevention of back pain and injury
    Wassell JT, Gardner LI, Landsittel DP, Johnston JJ, Johnston JM · JAMA · 2000 · Prospective cohort

    In 13,873 material-handling employees at 160 retail stores, neither frequent back-belt use nor a store policy requiring belts was associated with fewer back injury claims or less low back pain.

  2. A Weight lifting Belt Increases Squat Performance and Subjectively Perceived But Not Objectively Measured Postural Stability
    Veltzke F, Qiu F, Bey ME, Legerlotz K · Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research · 2026 · Randomized crossover

    49 men and women squatted to exhaustion at their beltless 6-rep max, with and without a belt. They did more reps with the belt (about 8.1 vs 6.5) and moved faster. Balance measured on force plates didn't improve, although the belt made them feel more stable.

  3. The effectiveness of weight-belts during multiple repetitions of the squat exercise
    Lander JE, Hundley JR, Simonton RL · Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise · 1992 · Crossover lab study

    Five lifters did squats at their 8-rep max with and without a belt. Intra-abdominal pressure was 25–40% higher with the belt, and reps were slightly faster. A very small study.

  4. Ergogenic effects of lifting straps on movement velocity, grip strength, perceived exertion and grip security during the deadlift exercise
    Jukic I, García-Ramos A, Baláš J, Malecek J, Omcirk D, Tufano JJ · Physiology & Behavior · 2021 · Crossover study

    16 men did deadlift sets with and without straps. Straps kept bar speed higher, reduced grip fatigue, improved perceived grip security and lowered perceived effort.