Pros and Cons of Using Wrist Wraps

1. Pros and Cons of Using Wrist Wraps

3. Wrist wraps are wrapped around the wrist to keep it secure. They provide safety when pressing because of possible wrist overextending. Their purpose is to keep your wrist neutral. The goal is to keep the wrist from flexing back or forward when lifting by taking the wrap’s elastic material and stretching it around the wrist to make a cast-like structure.

4. Wrist wraps help prevent wrist injuries and keep the wrist pain-free. This is important for exercises like bench press and overhead press because, in these exercises, the barbell has to sit in the base of your palm with the load directly on a neutral wrist. But as the weights get heavier, your wrist can flex backwards uncontrollably. So, wrist wraps keep the barbell directly stacked on your wrist.

5. When Are Wrist Wraps Used? Wrist wraps should only be worn, during heavy pressing exercises like bench press or overhead press because your wrist can get in a vulnerable position, and you can overextend it leading to injury. A wrist wrap will provide support around the joint to keep it in position and minimize the risk of injury. 

6. Use a wrist wrap only when going above 80% of the 1 rep max for a lift. If you wear wrist wraps frequently, you’ll never build up your smaller muscle groups around your wrist to support the joint, which will become your weakness. 

7. Wrist Wrap Pros : • They can quickly stabilise the wrist joint.  • Easy to use. • Let you push your wrist and forearm strength beyond natural capacities.  • They make weights feel lighter in hand. • Relatively inexpensive.

8. Can be used for multiple exercises. • One pair can last for 5 years. • Don’t occupy too much space in gym bags. 

9. Wrist Wrap Cons: • You can develop an over-reliance, if you use them too much, stimulating more instability in the wrist. • They may feel uncomfortable in the start based on tightness around your arm.  • Cotton wrist wraps don’t give enough support and velcro ones fray if not treated properly.

10. Are Wrist Wraps Worth It? Wrist wraps are excellent for lifting, especially for people with small/weak wrist joints. Buy wrist wraps if your wrists do not stay neutral when you lift. Besides, you should invest in wrist wraps if you’ve a history of wrist pain. Another reason to buy wrist wraps is to make the weights feel lighter, when you lift, in your hand and to raise your confidence under heavier weights in general.

11. Beginner lifters, usually don’t need wrist wraps, but if you’ve strength training experience, then you should definitely consider them. Remember, they are not a magical cure for poor wrist stability.