Wrist Wraps: What, Why, When, and How!
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(This is a Blast from the Past article originally posted on 07/09/21.)
If you’re new to lifting, you might have seen these things called wrist wraps, but you might not be sure what purpose they actually serve, so let’s chat.
What are wrist wraps?
Your basic wrist wrap consists of a thumb loop at one end, the elastic body of the wrap, and a hook-and-loop closure system (i.e., Velcro). Countless manufacturers sell wrist wraps with this basic structure - some common ones include Harbinger, SBD, Rogue, Schiek, and the list goes on. A very popular length of wrap is 18”, but you can find plenty of wraps that are both shorter or longer than this (longer is fine, but for most lifters, I wouldn’t recommend anything shorter than 18”). Some manufacturers (e.g., SBD) also make variations of their wraps that are either more rigid or more flexible depending on the lifter’s preference.
Why might I use wrist wraps?
You use wrists wraps when your wrists are in compression, i.e., when you’re pushing on something - not when you’re pulling on something. A wrap gives support to your wrist by acting as an external skeleton for your wrist - you can think of it as a cast or a lifting belt for your wrist. Since the wrap is wrapped around your wrist, it lends support to your wrist and makes it very difficult for the wrist to be in positions of extreme extension (i.e., positions where you wrist is bent very far backward). Lifts that benefit from wrists wraps include all the pressing movements (press, bench press, close grip bench, etc.), snatches, jerks, cleans (this is a gray area as you need your wrists to be in extension to rack a clean), and the squat for those who wrap their thumbs around the bar and have their wrists in extension. Even if you don’t normally use a wrist wrap, it’s probably a good idea to use one if you are dealing with and training through a wrist injury.
When might I use wrist wraps?
A reasonable approach is to treat your wrist wraps the same way you treat your belt - put the wraps on for your last warm-up set, and then use them for all of your work sets as well. With some experience under your belt (under your wraps?), you may decide to put them on earlier than your last warm-up, and that’s fine as well.
How do I use wrist wraps?
(Your best bet is to watch one of the videos included in this article, but the steps are listed below, and you can reference the photo sequence at the end of this article).
Place your thumb through the thumb loop so that the wrap drapes over the back of your wrist.
Position the body of the wrap so that it lies half on your forearm and half on your hand.
Apply tension and wrap the length of the wrap around your wrist until you reach the end of the wrap.
Close off the wrap by attaching it to itself using the Velcro strap.
Remove the thumb loop from your thumb (it is simply there to keep the wrap from spinning in place while you apply the wrap, so you no longer need it).
A wrist wrap worn too low on the arm . . . don’t do this.
Remember: this is not a forearm wrap or a hand wrap - it’s a wrist wrap, so be sure to pay attention to Step 2. If you position the wrap too low, it’s simply a forearm warmer, and if it’s too high, it’s just a weird glove. In effect, the wrap should almost lock those two sections of your arm together (i.e., the forearm and the hand), and to do so, it has to straddle both sections of your arm. If you put the wrap on correctly, it will make it harder to extend your wrist (i.e., bend it backwards), which means the wrap is doing its job of support.
Quick re-wrap solution - pinch the thumb loop between your thumb and index finger and use that setup to anchor the beginning of the wrap in place while you re-tighten the wrap.
The wrap should be very snug - not so tight that you start losing circulation in your hand, but pretty darn tight. It needs to be tight so it can provide support. You will always loosen or perhaps even remove the wraps between sets. If you only loosen the wrap between sets, you don’t need to re-insert your thumb in the thumb loop - a quicker solution is to simply pinch the thumb loop between your thumb and index finger and use that setup to anchor the beginning of the wrap in place while you re-tighten the wrap.
That pretty much wraps it up!
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Step 1: Place your thumb through the thumb loop so that the wrap drapes over the back of your wrist.
Step 2: Position the body of the wrap so that it lies half on your forearm and half on your hand.
Step 3: Apply tension and wrap the length of the wrap around your wrist until you reach the end of the wrap.
Step 4: Close off the wrap by attaching it to itself using the Velcro strap.
Step 5: Remove the thumb loop from your thumb (it is simply there to keep the wrap from spinning in place while you apply the wrap, so you no longer need it).