The use of lifting straps enhances IMTP performance and may reduce the influence of grip strength limitations on maximal force expression, suggesting straps should be considered when assessing maximal force production.
Lifting straps produced significantly higher peak force, rate of force development, and impulse during the isometric mid-thigh pull compared to the non-strapped condition.
Judo athletes demonstrated significantly greater grip strength than recreationally resistance-trained undergraduates.
There was no significant interaction between group (judo athletes vs. resistance-trained individuals) and strap condition for IMTP performance variables.
Significant main effects of group were observed for most IMTP performance variables, indicating judo athletes and resistance-trained individuals differed in force output measures.
The authors recommend using lifting straps in IMTP testing when the goal is to assess maximal force production, to minimize grip-related limitations and standardize testing procedures.
This research suggests that using lifting straps during a common strength test called the isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) leads to meaningfully higher measurements of muscle force, how quickly force is developed, and overall force output. The study tested 30 men — 15 competitive judo athletes and 15 college students who regularly lifted weights — and had each person perform the IMTP test both with and without lifting straps, in random order. In both groups, wearing straps was associated with better performance on nearly all force-related measures. The study also found that judo athletes had stronger grip strength than the resistance-trained students (about 51 kg vs. 45 kg on average), which makes sense given that gripping opponents is central to judo. However, even with their stronger grips, judo athletes still performed better on the IMTP when using straps, suggesting that grip strength — even when relatively high — can still be a limiting factor during maximal whole-body strength testing. This research suggests that when researchers or coaches want to measure an athlete's true maximum lower-body and whole-body force output using the IMTP, they should consider using lifting straps as a standard part of the test. Without straps, grip fatigue or grip weakness may cause the test to underestimate how strong a person's legs and torso actually are. Standardizing strap use across testing sessions and populations could make comparisons between athletes more accurate and fair.
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Upload Your LabsYeh H, Ho C, Chang E, Lau H, Hsu C, Tu H, et al.. (2026). Influence of lifting straps on force, rate of force development and impulse outputs during isometric mid-thigh pull: Evidence from judo and resistance-trained populations.. PloS one. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357488