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Weu2019ve all seen the guys and girls in the weight room, methodically wrapping their wrists. And if you thought that wrist wrapping was only for boxers, youu2019re not alone.
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We’ve all seen the guys and girls in the weight room, methodically wrapping their wrists. And if you thought that wrist wrapping was only for boxers, you’re not alone.Next to lifting gloves, wrist wraps are a proven, convenient, and cost-effective piece of exercise equipment. They aren’t just for show or the overly cautious. Wrist wraps have been shown to provide several benefits to weightlifters including wrist support, enhanced performance, and reduced risk of injury.
1. WHAT ARE WRIST WRAPS? Wrist wraps are pieces of fitness equipment used during exercise, usually weightlifting, to provide support and protect your grip, wrist, and forearm.Weightlifting wrist wraps are especially useful during heavy lifting workouts such as powerlifting or Strongman where pressing movements and overhead lifts are common.
2. TYPES OF WRIST WRAPS There are several types of wrist wraps that can help your workouts depending on your fitness goals and exercise program. • Wrist Wraps The traditional wrist wrap is a durable piece of material with a closing mechanism, usually a Velcro strap. There is also a thumb loop on the side to ensure security.It should be noted that the thumb loop is not required to use the wrist wraps. In fact, many lifters prefer to leave it hanging on the side or safely remove it from the strap altogether.
Lifting Strap Combo Just as the name implies, this wrist wraps and lifting straps combo puts together the supportive benefits of wrist wraps with the lifting support of straps.Unlike wrist wraps, lifting straps are not focused on providing muscle and connective tissue stability. Rather, they take over when your grip fails allowing you to lift more weight to fatigue the target muscle. More on this below.
EZ Grip Combo The EZ Grip combo mixes the classic wrist wraps with an extended leather pad. They are sometimes called wrist pads.The wrist straps provide support while the leather pads ensure a tight grip on the barbell.
Lifting Hook Combo This wrist wrap combo is similar to the EZ Grip but instead of a leather pad, there is a lifting hook.The wrist straps themselves are heavy duty, usually reinforced with several layers of a tough neoprene material. The hooks should be steel – and don’t accept anything less – with a plastic coating as not to damage the barbell.
3. WRIST WRAPS VS. LIFTING STRAPS There’s an odd trend in the online fitness community where wrist wraps are mistakenly being referred to as lifting straps. These are two completely different things.While there are some combinations of the two, as we discussed above, wrist wraps and lifting straps serve two different purposes:
4. BENEFITS OF WRIST WRAPS Before we discuss how to use wrist wraps, it’s important you understand the benefits of wrist wraps and why you should invest in a pair to support your fitness goals.
Form Support Wraps provide weightlifting wrist support. Take a minute to think about how many exercises your wrist is involved in. If you’re using a free weight, your wrist is going to be a part of the action.Is it any wonder that wrist strain is one of the most common weightlifting injuries?
A wrap provides additional support to the bones in your wrist during all exercises and helps you keep proper alignment and form during the movement.For example, during movements like the barbell snatch, your wrist is kept in place and the chance of overextension is minimized with the help of a wrist wrap.
