Knee Wraps: The Benefits and Drawbacks

1. Knee Wraps: The Benefits and Drawbacks

3. You can use two kinds of wraps in the gym: wrist wraps and knee wraps. We have already discussed about wrist wraps in the previous post. More or less the same logic applies to knee wraps. In general, unless you’re squatting and deadlifting a ton of weight, a person with healthy knees who wears them is wasting his or her time – or worse.  

4. Unfortunately, many weight training accessories are commonly misused and as a result do nothing to enhance the efficacy or safety of a workout. We know you’ll make the right decision. You are free to ask additional advice in the comment section below the post.

5. What are knee wraps? Knee wraps are somewhat similar to an “Ace” bandage, but they are much stronger and thicker. They are made of the same elastic material that is typically found in wrist wraps. The allowed width is the same as for wrist wraps, 8 cm (3 inches). But they can be 2.0 meter, 2.5 meter or even 3.5 meters long.

6. Advantages of using knee wraps Knee wraps serve two purposes. The original purpose of knee wraps was to help protect the lifter’s knees from injury. But due to the “lifting up” effect, knee wraps can also add significantly to how much a lifter can squat. • Preventing knee injury. They act as reinforced set of tendons and protect the knee joint during the squat while enhancing the explosive power out of the bottom of the lift. In other words, they keep everything tight and in place. Knee wraps also keep the knee joint warm and therefore better lubricated with synovial fluid.

7. May allow you to lift more weight. When you tightly wrap you knees with the legs straight, the joint is locked in that angle. Then when you bent your legs, the knees want to spring back in position. This helps the person to lift more weight. The amount of assistance varies greatly depending on the type of wrap used and how tightly it is wrapped. Tight power-lifting knee wraps add 20 to 50 pounds to the lift, in some cases even more, with an average of about 30 pounds.

8. Disadvantages of using knee wraps The main reason you perform exercises such as squats and deadlifts in the first place is to strengthen the muscles around the knee joint. When you wrap your knees, you remove a significant amount of the workload from the muscles and transfer it to the wraps. Simply put, wearing knee wraps defeats the purpose of the exercise. Being able to lift more weight is good only if it comes as the result of your muscles getting stronger, not because you’ve fortified yourself with wraps.

9. Ironically, wrapping your knees to protect this complex and vulnerable joint may actually end up jeopardizing your safety rather than ensuring it. Squatting with knee wraps hinders the development of the tendons and ligaments of the knee. In other words, your knees will become dependent on the wraps. As you progressively increase the weights you use, your ligaments and tendons increase in strength alongside your muscles. If you wear wraps to much, your knees will not feel the need to strengthen.

10. In addition, knee pain has many causes, such as the kneecap putting too much pressure on the bone underneath. Knee wraps may increase this pressure and make the pain worse. One solution is to buy a knee wrap that has a hole built in for the kneecap. The wrap provides support while the hole reduces pressure on the knee cap.

11. When to wear knee wraps? There are only a few good reasons to wear knee wraps: • Nearly all professional powerlifters wear knee wraps in competition. • If you are going for extremely heavy set or new one-repetition maximum. • If you’ve recently suffered a knee injury, you may need the support.