Monday, December 3, 2012

Some Brief Thoughts on Wrist Wraps


I like wrist wraps. They're helpful little tools, but that's all they are- tools. I don't doubt a good wrist wrap can add poundage,  but I think their real value comes from the extra bit of confidence, and the ability to do a little more work at a higher level with less pain and a quicker recovery. I have found two different successful wrapping techniques. Note these aren't for competition- depending on your federation, these may not even be legal ways of wrapping (though I haven't heard of anyone getting dq'ed for crazy wrist wraps, not to say it isn't possible), but these are useful in the gym.

Technique 1: for forearm issues

If you hate benching because it makes your forearms sore, try wrapping the wrap a little lower. I'm using the inzer wrist wraps (the longest ones they make- unnecessarily long, in fact)


Bring the wrap across the base of your hand- the first pass can be looser, just make it tight the next pass.














This is roughly how it should be at the end. Notice that it barely covers any of my hand. 

If you still have problems, make a fist when wrapping. This helps mimic the position of the hand when benching.

For wrist pain, or wrist stability, start the wrap higher on the hand- the bottom 1/4" of your palm or so.


I definitely recommend making a fist during this wrap, because you want it to move as little as possible, so wrap it as close to the position your hand will be in.


This is how my fist is when I'm done wrapping. Note that it's not quite a great alignment for the bench- the bar would be a little far forward.


This is me exerting my wrist as far backward as I can. When you set up for a max attempt with this style wrist wraps, the bar will provide this force, and it will suck, but you will have a super stable wrist. 


So these are just some brief, undetailed thoughts.Hopefully they help


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