What should you look for when buying Wrist Wraps?
- Purpose of the Wrist Wraps
- Different types of Wrist Wraps
- When should you use Wrist Wraps?
- How do you use Wrist Wraps optimally?
Purpose of the Wrist Wraps
The purpose of a Wrist Wrap is to provide support to the wrist joint during heavy or maximal effort when lifting pressing movements and overhead, but also during heavy squats or other exercises where pressure is applied to the wrist joint.
During some exercises, the wrist can be excessively extended under load, which can lead to possible injury and failed lifts.
Wrist Wraps are definitely worth it for a serious athlete, and by that we mean someone who trains heavy and becomes stronger throughout their strength training career, putting increasing pressure on their wrists.
Different types of Wrist Wraps
As you may know, there are many different types of Wrist Wraps. Often you can choose between different lengths and different strengths. You have wrist wraps of about 45cm / 60cm and 1m and there are also Flexible Wrist Wraps, also known as the 'regular' and the extra strong.
Which is best for you?
Again, it depends.
The longer the Wrist Wrap, the more times you can wrap it around your wrist and the more support you get.
The regular ones are more 'elastic' so you can wrap them more compared to the stiff ones, but the stiff ones are much stiffer and provide maximum support. So which should you buy if you decide that Wrist Wraps are worth it for you? It mainly comes down to personal preference.
We want to say that the stiff ones are a bit safer and are often used more frequently during really heavy weights for the extra support.
When should/can you use Wrist Wraps?
When Squatting. Huh, when squatting? Yes, wrist wraps can relieve pressure when you grip with a bent wrist during a squat. This is more likely to happen during a low bar squat rather than a high bar squat.
During Bench Pressing. Wrist Wraps are most useful during bench pressing. A bent wrist during bench pressing is inefficient. When the wrist bends, it increases your risk of injury, and of course, you want to avoid that!
If you have problems with a bent wrist during Bench Pressing, a tight wrap of the Wrist Wraps can sometimes add 2.5-5kg to your bench press.
We definitely recommend Wrist Wraps for bench pressing, especially if you are a competitive athlete.
In a Deadlift, although they are not often used for this purpose, Wrist Wraps can help keep the wrist in position when you are pulling. When the wrist bends, it is harder to open the hand. So if you struggle with your grip on the Deadlift, Wrist Wraps might be the solution for you.
Other exercises where Wrist Wraps are regularly used include; Dumbbell Row / Barbell Overhead Press / Dumbbell Pressing etc.
How do you use Wrist Wraps optimally?
Note: It is important to know that most federations do not allow Wrist Wraps to be wrapped more than 2 cm above the middle of the wrist joint. Although not every federation is as strict as the others, it is still the rule.
Realistically, the wrap should not touch the 'fleshy' part of the hand.
Of course, this does not apply to people who just want to train hard, but this is purely for competitive athletes.
Advantages of Wrist Wraps from Thor Athletics
- Extra reinforced thumb loop.
- Strong Velcro so they don't come loose.
- Mix of cotton, elastic, and polyester.
- Sold per pair.
- Available in different lengths.
We hope this brings you some clarity about the Wrist Wraps. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. You can also always email us or fill out the contact form and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
