I want to be able to lift heavier.
Is your grip what is holding you back from deadlifting or rowing heavier? In lieu of using straps here are a couple of things you can do to increase your grip strength without relying on external assistive devices. There is certainly a point when your grip is just not going to be able to get over the hump as in very heavy deadlifts but training your grip with have a profound effect on all of your strength gains.
Fat barbells
Companies like Fat Gripz sell bar ball / dumbbell adaptors, which can turn any BB / DB into a fat barbell. Fat barbells have been around since the beginning of lifting but are rarely found in commercial gyms. Using this adaptive device it turns a standard barbell into a 2-2.5” grip. You will need to drop the weight lifted considerably since it is much harder to grip a thicker grip. However, this will increase your grip strength starting with your forearms and work its way up. The first time I used these was on a back and biceps day – all pulling movements with 80% of the exercises using the grips. My forearms were immensely sore and I had to drop the weight I was lifting by about 15-30%.
Grippers
These are the “old school” method of isolated grip strengthening. You may have used the hand exerciser in Physical Therapy if you’ve ever had golf elbow or carpal tunnel. There are all sorts of new ones out there with adjustable resistance, which make a lot of sense if this is something that you will continually train to be stronger.
Farmer carries
Here is another simple full body movement where strong grip is pivotal. They can be done with fat grips or without, with dumbbells, kettlebells or a sled if you have access to one. The idea here is to maintain an upright, neutral posture with heavy weights in both hands and walk a given distance without excessive sway from side to side. This requires control stemming from your core stabilizers to a strong grip.
The Law of Irradiation
Tensing your muscles enables you to generate force. Further tensing your muscles (as in gripping strongly) allows you to generate even more force, which irradiates to your forearms, biceps, shoulders and chest.