Walk into any of the fitness stores, and you would see a myriad of products for lifters and CrossFit athletes. You may come across wrist wraps, wrist straps, weight lifting belts, etc. these are some of the staple products which every athlete or lifter has used at some point or the other.
All about wrist wraps
However, wrists wraps are perhaps the most underrated of all these. People either don’t use these or when they do, they misuse these handy products. The main reason why you need to use a wrist wrap is to offer maximum support to your wrist when performing heavy lifts. It is common for people to have their wrists injured if they fail to put on wrist wraps.
The muscles and the tendons in the wrist might stretch and result in an injury. The following tips would help you get the maximum benefit out of using these handy little items. Basic tips for using wrist wraps When using wrist wraps, always make sure of the following.
Don’t use wrist wraps during warm-ups
Wrist wraps are not meant to be worn all the time. These are, in fact, intended for a specific purpose, including only wearing them when lifting extra heavyweights. The real reason behind this is that you shouldn’t be relying on wrist wraps all the time.
Doing so would only result in the strength leaving your wrist flexors, so every time you lift, you would feel a dull ache if you don’t wear a wrist wrap. Being dependant on these is a big no. Not everyone you see wears a wrist wrap, at least not the best of lifters. They may use it only for lifting maximum weights.
Avoid tying the wraps too low
The wrist wrap is not a fashion accessory; you have to make sure it rests on your wrist and not below it. Otherwise, it simply doesn’t serve its purpose. You have to ensure that your wrists receive the maximum support so that any injury could be easily prevented.
Use the right kind of wrist wrap
For this, you have to ensure that the wrist wraps you buy are of high quality and are functional. Different exercises require different kinds of wraps. If you plan to work on bench press and shoulder press, you will do well with the thicker Velcro wrist wraps. Working on clean and jerk? Then make sure you use the thinner variety because they offer better flexibility.
Wrist wraps should not be used to hide mobility issues
There is a common misconception that wrist wraps can help your wrists become more flexible. This is not the case. The only reason you get to wear these is to offer support to your wrists during heavy weight lifting exercises. Athletes with poor wrist mobility or flexibility issues need to work on these by improving their wrist mobility in different ways.
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