If Wrist Wraps Could Talk, They'd Be Screaming at You

WHAT A FOOL.

Good heavens. Do not do this. Do not make these mistakes with your wrist wraps.

Problem #1: Forearm warmers are cute, but not useful.
Wrist wraps are not forearm warmers, so don’t wear them as if they are. If you wear your wrist wraps this low (as seen in Figure 1), they don’t provide any stability to your wrist.

Here’s your check - if you can easily bend your wrist backward (i.e., extend your wrist), you’re wearing your wraps in the wrong place.

figure 1: Addi is wearing her wrist wrap too low on the arm, so the wrap provides no support.

Problem #2: Gloves are swell, but not for lifting.
Wrist wraps are not gloves, either, so don’t wear them high up on the hand as if they are. Wearing your wrist wraps this high on the hand (as seen in Figure 2) creates the same problem as wearing them too low - the wraps can’t provide any stability to the wrists.

The check is the same as in Problem #1 - if you can easily bend your wrist backward, you’re wearing your wraps in the wrong place.

figure 2: Addi is wearing her wrist wrap too high on the hand, so the wrap again provides no support.

The Solution
It’s a wrist wrap, so it needs to cover the wrist. Profound, I know, but be sure to realize that since the wrist connects the hand and the forearm, the wrap needs to cover both the hand and the forearm - not simply one or the other.

figure 3: Starting higher on the hand and wrapping lower to the forearm

The job of the wrap is to stabilize the wrist - to provide a belt or a cast for the wrist, in a manner of speaking. With this in mind, start with the wrap on the hand, and as you apply the wrap (Figure 3), start wrapping slightly lower so that the forearm is covered as well.

Then . . . check. Can you bend your wrist backward easily? The wrap shouldn’t completely immobilize the wrist, but it should make it harder to bend the wrist, and if it does, you’ve done your job.

Of course, you need to apply the wrap with enough tension so that it’s rather snug, but that’s a topic for another day, so be sure to check out one of the videos in this article to learn more about where and how to correctly wear your wrist wraps.

As always, we hope these tips help you get stronger and live better.

-Phil

PS: Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

• Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

• Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

• Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

What’s in Your Gym Bag? A Quick & Dirty Guide to Personal Lifting Gear

What gear should you have in your gym bag (or at home) when it’s time to train? Let’s dive in, and we’ll provide plenty of additional resources for each item along the way.

Heads up - the last item in this article is the most important, so keep reading.

Lifting Shoes
Lifting shoes have a rigid, non-compressible sole, a slightly elevated heel, and one or two metatarsal straps. They provide an extremely solid base of support and therefore permit efficient force transfer between you and the floor.

Big deal. Big. Huge.

For a more in-depth treatment of lifting shoes and the rationale for using them, click on the article below or watch the included video.

LIFTING SHOES: The Complete Guide to the Best and WORST Shoes! (Lifting Gear Series)

A number of manufacturers make quality lifting shoes - Nike, Do-Win, Inov-8, and Adidas are just a few of the more well-known brands. Below are some of the shoe recommendations and links we usually send to new members as a starting point for shopping:

• Nike Romaleos 4

• Inov-8 Fastlift 360

• VS Athletics Weightlifting Shoe

• Adidas Adipower 3

Note: I would not recommend the Adidas Powerlift or any other lifting shoe with a compressed foam sole. The Powerlift is fairly popular due to its price point and is certainly still better than non-lifting shoe options, but the sole is not as rigid as we’d like, and quite simply, there are better options (such as its sibling, the Adidas Adipower 3).

A final note - Chuck Taylors are not lifting shoes. They are squishy and therefore provide lousy force transfer between you and the floor. Walk in Chucks. Don’t lift in Chucks.

Lifting Belt
A quality lifting belt helps you provide rigidity and stability when lifting. As a result, it allows you to have efficient force transfer from the things generating force in a given lift all the way to the barbell - e.g., transferring force from the hips and the legs in the squat through your rigid midsection (i.e., trunk) up to the barbell sitting on your back.

Some people can use a belt with a 4” width, and some people need a 3” belt (or even a 2.5” belt). For more information on belt widths as well as everything else belt-related, check out the article below or watch the included video.

LIFTING BELTS: The Complete Guide and What NOT to Get! (Lifting Gear Series)

A quality belt will last years - possibly your entire training career - so invest in a good one. With this in mind, here are a few belt options we typically recommend:

• Pioneer Cut - single prong with 1/2” adjustments, 4” wide x 10mm thick

• Pioneer - PAL V2, 4” wide x 10mm thick (if you’re looking for a lever belt)

• Dominion Strength - single prong, 3” wide x 10 mm thick

• Dominion Strength - single prong, 4” wide x 10 mm thick

Knee Sleeves
Most people will come to appreciate and benefit from knee sleeves at some point in their lifting careers. They provide warmth and compression to the knees (specifically for squatting), and your knees will probably appreciate this greatly.

Sleeves are typically made of neoprene and most often come in 5 mm or 7 mm thicknesses. Skip the 5 mm option and go with the 7 mm sleeves.

For a more in-depth treatment on knee sleeves, check out the article below or watch the included video.

KNEE SLEEVES: The Complete Guide and the BEST Way to Put Them On (Lifting Gear Series)

Below are a few solid options for sleeves that we commonly recommend to our members:

• Rehband

• Stoic

• Pioneer

• Iron Bull

Wrist Wraps
Wrist wraps (or simply “wraps”) provide support for your wrists, come in pairs, and each wrap typically includes a thumb loop at one end, the elastic body of the wrap, and then a velcro closure system at the other end of the wrap.

Since wraps provide stability to the wrist joint, they are very useful for pressing movements (e.g., press and bench press) and are also sometimes used when snatching, cleaning, or jerking.

For more information on wrist wraps, check out the article below or watch the included video.

WRIST WRAPS: The Complete Guide and How NOT to Put Them On! (Lifting Gear Series)

18” and 24” are the most common lengths, and here are some solid options:

• Harbinger - 18” (these are what I have)

• Rogue - 18”

• Stoic - 24” (also available in 36”)

• Pioneer - 24” and 36”

Lifting Straps
Straps (not to be confused with wraps) are very useful for pulling movements such as deadlifts, rows, and possibly even snatches (don’t ever use them for cleans - it’s a good way to break a wrist).

When you start training, perform all of your deadlift work sets with either a hook grip or a mixed grip (and chalk, of course). Over time, however, you’ll find that straps can be a useful tool when training the pulls.

You can easily make your own straps in about 2 minutes, and we cover that in the video below (these are the straps that I use and that we make for our members).

If you prefer to buy your straps instead of making them yourself, IronMind provides some good options:

• IronMind Sew-Easy Lifting Straps

• IronMind Strong-Enough Lifting Straps

Here’s a quick video that covers how to use straps:

A final note on straps - don’t purchase or use cloth straps. They will eventually tear, and it will inevitably happen at a very unfortunate moment.

Fractional Plates
You’ll want to make smaller jumps on the press and the bench press over time, i.e., smaller than the typical 5 lb jump permitted by two 2.5 lb plates. Females and older lifters will also want to make smaller jumps on the squat and deadlift, and such increments are also useful for the Olympic lifts. 

With this in mind, get yourself a set of fractional plates. We cover this more in the video below:

We have several sets of the 44Sport fractional plates (click here) at Testify, and they are used daily. They are a solid option, but there are many other choices out there as well.

Chalk
If you train, use chalk. Chalk absorbs the natural moisture and oils of your hands (and that of whatever doofus used the bar before you at the commercial gym) so that you have better friction - much better friction - between you and the barbell.

If you deadlift without chalk, stop kidding yourself. You’re not training - you’re just wasting time in the gym.

If your gym doesn’t provide chalk, bring your own. If your gym doesn’t allow chalk, sneak it in anyway or find another gym. It’s that important. The difference between chalk and no-chalk on your deadlift may well be over 100 lb.

We use Spider Chalk (click here) at Testify as the blocks are very dense and remain intact longer than other brands. If you need to be sneaky about your chalk use, I’d recommend liquid chalk (click here).

Training Log
Your training log is your most important piece of equipment.

Everything else - shoes, belt, wraps, barbell, etc. - can be replaced, but your training log contains your personal training history. It’s the one thing that can’t be replaced.

Because your log contains your history and thus where you’ve been (in the training sense), it’s also the guide to where you want to go.

A simple composition notebook will serve you very well (click here), and below are two articles and a video to get you started on properly keeping a training log.

• Your Most Important Piece of Training Gear - Part 1 (Lifting Gear Series)

• Your Most Important Piece of Training Gear - Part 2 (Lifting Gear Series)

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

-Phil

PS: Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

• Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

• Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

• Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.

• Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

• Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

4 Ways You're Using Your Wrist Wraps Wrong

How should you use your wrist wraps? There are a number of mistakes lifters make without knowing it. Starting Strength Coach Phil Meggers covers 4 common errors as well as how to fix them.

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

NEVER Make This Belt Mistake Again! (fast fix)

Don’t make this mistake with your belt. For that matter, don’t make this mistake with your wrist wraps, either.

What error is this, you say? We’re talking about the simple mistake of forgetting to use your belt or your wrist wraps when training.

You might be thinking to yourself, “Self, how could I possibly forget my exquisitely crafted lifting belt or my amazing wrist wraps?” And yet, if it hasn’t happened to you already, rest assured - it will. At some point, you’ll finish a set (either a work set or a heavy warm-up set), you’ll sit down, and you’ll think, “Man, that was much harder than I expected it to be!”

Then, you’ll glance around and realize, “Oh. There’s my belt - I forgot to wear it.”

With this in mind, how can you make sure that you remember your belt (or your wraps) for your next set?

You’ll never forget your belt and wraps again.

The solution is extraordinarily simple - when you complete a set, remove your belt as usual and hang it right over your barbell. You can do the same with your wrist wraps as well. The next time you approach the bar to lift, you won’t forget to use your belt and wraps since you’ll see them as you approach the bar, and you’ll have to move them out of the way to use the bar. 

It’s a simple, effective, and efficient tactic, and as always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

If you found this helpful, you’ll love our weekly email. It’s got useful videos, articles, and training tips just like the one in this article. Sign up below, and of course, if you don’t love it, you can unsubscribe at any time.

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Would you like to get quality coaching from a Starting Strength Coach?

Wraps and Straps and Gloves, Oh My!

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 09/30/22)

You’re a lifter, so of course, you’ve got to accessorize. But with all the options for lifting gear and accessories out there, what’s useful and what’s garbage? This article is the first in a short series covering exactly that, and today’s topic is gear associated with your grip.

Lifting Straps
Also known simply as “straps” or sometimes “wrist straps” (which is inaccurate), straps are useful for pulling movements, such as deadlifts, rows, and even snatches. Do NOT use them for cleans, and it’s worth pointing out they are actually worn on the hand and not the wrist itself.

They save some wear and tear on the hands, and if you’ve got multiple sets on the deadlift, then a reasonable approach is to use your usual grip for the first set (hook grip or alternate grip) and then use straps for the remaining sets.

You can buy straps or make them (quite cheaply!), and we’ve got a few videos covering how to make them as well as use them.

Wrist Wraps
These are useful for pressing movements such as the press, bench press, close grip bench press, etc. Wrist wraps provide stability for the wrist by acting as a sort of belt or cast for the wrist. When the weights get challenging, a good approach is to warm up (mostly) without wrist wraps and then put your wraps on (tightly!) for your last warm up as well as your work sets.

Not surprisingly, we have a few videos covering this topic as well.

Gloves
Nope. Don’t use ‘em. They add something squishy and deformable between your hand and the bar, which is never good for force transfer. Also, because they add a layer between your hand and the bar, they effectively make the bar diameter larger, which makes it harder to keep your grip when pulling the bar off the floor with deadlifts, rows, etc.

Lifting gloves are stupid. I know this firsthand because I have worn them in a previous life. Don’t use them.

Ahem, we do not have a video on this topic.

Chalk
We’ll save this discussion for another day, but suffice to say chalk is very important for your grip. Use chalk.

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

If you found this helpful, you’ll love our weekly email. It’s got useful videos, articles, and training tips just like the one in this article. Sign up below, and of course, if you don’t love it, you can unsubscribe at any time.

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Would you like to get quality coaching from a Starting Strength Coach?

I Forgot My Belt! (Simple Lifting Trick)

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 01/08/20)

Do you ever forget to put your belt on for your heavier sets? Perhaps you forget to wear your wrist wraps every once in a while?

Problem solved

These types of situations tend to occur more often when you’re a newer lifter, but even an experienced lifter can forget a belt or wrist wraps every now and then.

If you find yourself in one of the above situations from time to time, try this: hang your belt and wrist wraps on your barbell between sets.

By doing so, you’ll be forced to grab them before starting your next set, and the problem is solved. The next time you lift, give it a try. Hope this helps!

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

If you found this helpful, you’ll love our weekly email. It’s got useful videos, articles, and training tips just like the one in this article. Sign up below, and of course, if you don’t love it, you can unsubscribe at any time.

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Would you like to get quality coaching from a Starting Strength Coach?