High Bar Straps

[powerplant42]

So I have a bunch of high bar straps... These are the kind that are loops that attach your hands to the bar.

1. How should I put my hands in them/set them up? I sort of have an idea, but I want to be sure...
2. How can I get PVC onto my high bar (to make a strap bar)?
3. Should I wear gloves or not? What kind?
4. What about bar grips? The competion kind... Does anyone recommend using those instead/in addition to what I have?
5. Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

[gymnastsrock]

So I have a bunch of high bar straps... These are the kind that are loops that attach your hands to the bar.

1. How should I put my hands in them/set them up? I sort of have an idea, but I want to be sure...
2. How can I get PVC onto my high bar (to make a strap bar)?
3. Should I wear gloves or not? What kind?
4. What about bar grips? The competion kind... Does anyone recommend using those instead/in addition to what I have?
5. Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

1. Ideally, you would have someone else 'strap' you in. You can do your first hand, but the second hand is pretty hard unless you have 3. lol. I don't know if this is going to make sense, but I shall try. Lay the straps over the bar, so there is an obvious hole to put your hand through. If you're by yourself, put your hands through the strpas and twist your wrists around, grabbing the bar. If you have someone else, put your hand through the first strap, then pull one side of the strap over the other. Then have your helpful and kind friend do the same with your other hand.

2. I figured that one out...our high bar can be moderately easily taken apart, and we slide the pvc around it, then put it back together.

3. I never have.

4. ? Like for the bars or for your hands?

[powerplant42]

1. Uh, what?
4. For the hands...

[rainbowgirl28]

Look up on gymnastics sites how to do it. Try searching google or YouTube for how to strap yourself into a strap bar. Or just go to a gymnastics club and have someone show you. I don't think a written description will be that helpful. It is hard to do by yourself, though not impossible.

You don't want to wear gloves, but you probably will want to wear wristbands, depending on how big your straps are.

You don't want to wear grips while on the strap bar, that would be silly. Just do all of your swinging stuff on the strap bar and let your hands get calloused from doing the rest on the normal bar. There's no real advantage to a vaulter for learning how to do giants and such on a normal bar if you have a strap bar available.

[powerplant42]

You don't want to wear gloves, but you probably will want to wear wristbands, depending on how big your straps are.

I've got a bunch of different sizes. How should I pick which to use?

You don't want to wear grips while on the strap bar, that would be silly. Just do all of your swinging stuff on the strap bar and let your hands get calloused from doing the rest on the normal bar. There's no real advantage to a vaulter for learning how to do giants and such on a normal bar if you have a strap bar available.

I have one bar... How can I turn it into a strap bar? I can't possibly slide PVC around the bar because it is welded to joints that attach to the posts. What can I do?

Look up on gymnastics sites how to do it. Try searching google or YouTube for how to strap yourself into a strap bar. Or just go to a gymnastics club and have someone show you. I don't think a written description will be that helpful. It is hard to do by yourself, though not impossible.

Yeah I figured that it would be difficult to do by myself (tried to imagine it)... I'll try searching for a good description on how to use these and come back with what I found out so that if someone has the same question there will be an answer waiting for them here!

Thanks!

[rainbowgirl28]

You'll have to slit the PVC pipe and get it on and then tape it. It's not ideal but it should work if you have thick enough PVC.

Trial and error to figure out strap size. You want them as tight as possible. I usually get hickeys on my wrists.

[gymnastsrock]

Yeah...wristbands are really really important. One of my guy friends came with me to open gym and wanted to go on the strap bar, but refused to borrow my pink wristbands to do so. It was not pretty.

[powerplant42]

What kind of wristbands?

Sorry... I'm a total idiot when it comes to gymnastics stuff!

[gymnastsrock]

Just your average sweatbands...though some on the long-ish side are the ones my team and I preferred.

[powerplant42]

Got it.

I can't find any info on the internet by the way... The two most relevant sites I come up with are the place I got my straps from and this thread!

Here's how I've been using them:

As I drape them over, I twist the loop where it is on the bar so that it makes a flat X. I insert my hands through the back and then grip the bar.

Is this unsafe/bad?

[rainbowgirl28]

Got it.

I can't find any info on the internet by the way... The two most relevant sites I come up with are the place I got my straps from and this thread!

Here's how I've been using them:

As I drape them over, I twist the loop where it is on the bar so that it makes a flat X. I insert my hands through the back and then grip the bar.

Is this unsafe/bad?

As long as they feel tight (really tight), that's fine. There are tighter ways of doing it, but if you feel like they are tight while you are swinging, it should be OK. They should be somewhat uncomfortably tight.

Also, you asked earlier about grips. I found this online:

First, make sure the strap bar is closely supervised by a qualified coach. Second, do NOT wear dowel grips, especially men's dowel grips with the strap bar as the straps could lock while the athlete's body is circling the bar and cause severe damage to hands, wrists, and arms. I have seen the results and it is gruesome!

[VTechVaulter]

So I have a bunch of high bar straps... These are the kind that are loops that attach your hands to the bar.

1. How should I put my hands in them/set them up? I sort of have an idea, but I want to be sure...
2. How can I get PVC onto my high bar (to make a strap bar)?
3. Should I wear gloves or not? What kind?
4. What about bar grips? The competion kind... Does anyone recommend using those instead/in addition to what I have?
5. Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

1. Take the straps and lay them over the bar so that half of the strap is on side and half on the other. From the side of the bar you are standing on, place your hand through both halfs of the strap beneath the bar. Twist your hands towards the inside so that the straps twist and your hand winds up on the near side of the bar. Then grap on. You may need help positioning the straps the first few times til you learn the little tricks to do it on your own.

2. Cut the pvc in half length wise. put both halves around the bar, tape the cr@p out of it.

3. no need for gloves. maybe wrist bands if your straps are big enough. my straps tend to cut me a little.

4. no need and there are other inherant risks

5. if you dont have the proper supervision to have someone instruct you on how to strap into a high bar, i would think itd be a good idea to pass on the skills where a strap bar is necessary. learning to do giants or things of that nature on your own is dangerous. be safe and good luck!