How To Use Harbinger Lasso Straps (Complete Guide w/Pics)

Lasso Straps are generally the first type of lifting strap that most of us are introduced to first in our lifting careers.

Maybe you saw someone at the gym using a pair or maybe you just got tired of losing your grip when trying to do heavy barbell shrugs. Whatever the reason, you bought yourself a pair of Harbinger Lasso Straps from your local big box sporting goods store.

Now that you have them, you’re not exactly sure how they’re supposed to work. And since no one wants to look dumb at the gym, you’re here trying to figure them out.

Good news. You’re in the right place. I’m going to break down exactly how to use your new Harbinger Lasso Straps so you can walk into the gym (even if it’s in your own garage) and start using your straps like a pro.

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How To Use Lasso Straps

Making the Loop

First things first. Your Harbinger straps (and any lasso strap for that matter) are a nylon strap with a small loop stitched into one side. The first thing we’re going to do is take the end piece of the strap and slide it through the hole.

You should now have two loops. Also, fun fact, both straps should now look like a lasso that cowboys use (just much smaller) which is where this type of strap gets its name.

Sliding the Strap Onto the Wrist

Next, we’re going to put our hand through the loop that we just created. To do this, hold your strap over your hand and check the direction that the strap is facing.

It should be facing down towards your hand (not back up toward your elbow) and toward the thumb. This way when you slide your hand through the strap should lay nice and flat across the palm of your hand.

Once the loop is around your wrist, pull the strap to tighten it down on the wrist. You want all the slack pulled out of the loop and it should be pretty tight around the wrist.

Strapping Into the Bar

Now it’s time to strap into the bar.

Here comes the most common mistake I see with the athletes that I work with when trying to use lifting straps.

When securing the lifting strap to the bar, you have to go under the bar first.

Lifting straps work by counteracting the natural tendency of the bar to want to roll out of your hand when you’re holding it. If you loop the strap over the bar first, then the strap is going to be working in the same direction the bar wants to roll and will help you… zero.

Looping your Harbinger Lasso Strap under the bar first will make it work against that natural rolling direction and hold the bar in place.

You will probably have enough strap to loop it around the bar multiple times, but one full time around is all it really takes to lock yourself into the bar.

Tighten It Down

You want to remove as much slack as possible when using lifting straps to get the maximum effectiveness.

You should have already pulled the slack out of the strap around your wrist. Now, we need to make sure we get the slack out of the strap between the bar and your wrist.

This can be a struggle for beginners, especially on whichever hand you decide to secure second. The first hand is relatively easy because you have a free hand to help you get the strap around the bar and to help pull it tight.

The second hand is much harder because you have to secure it to the bar with no off-hand free to help you.

Place your hand on the bar and then use your fingers to reach under the bar and grab the strap. Pull it up and around the bar.

Now, to tighten the strap onto the bar, reach down the strap and twist the bar in your hand – like you’re revving a motorcycle. This will pull the strap tight into your hand. I usually like to do this on both hands until I feel comfortable with the tightness of my grip.

That’s it! Now you should be locked into the bar and ready to go!