Knee Sleeves: What, Why, Where, and When!

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 07/16/21)

What on earth are knee sleeves, and why might you want to wear them? Let’s chat.

What is a knee sleeve?
A knee sleeve is a sleeve . . . that goes on your knee. They are generally made of neoprene, and they should fit quite snugly. A reasonable approach is to make sure that they are snug, but not so snug that you need someone else to help you put them on. If they’re so tight that you need to take them off between sets, I’d recommend something a little less snug.

Why might you want knee sleeves?
The main reason is if you have the highly specific medical condition known as “cranky knees.” Now, if you have achy knees when you squat (and we’re generally talking about the squat here), there may be some technical considerations to examine as well as some programming considerations, and your coach can help you with that.

Nonetheless, to put it simply, knee sleeves simply help your knees feel better. They provide some warmth and some compression, and without getting into the weeds here, both of those factors generally make your knees more comfortable. It’s a nice, warm hug for your knees. One of our coaches, Mike, once accused me years ago of holding out on him because I evidently hadn’t suggested knee sleeves until a year or so into his training. Once he put them on, it was love at first squat.

Where can you get knee sleeves?
You can find some at your local sporting goods store, but your best bet is this thing they’ve developed called the internet, which they have on computers now. The usual suspects - Amazon, Rogue, etc. - will have a host of options, which brings us to . . .

What should you get?
5 mm and 7 mm are both common thicknesses, and having used both, I’d recommend the 7 mm option. There are a ton of companies that make them - some of the more popular ones are brands like Rehband, SBD, STrong (Mark Bell), Stoic, and Rogue. 

There’s a big price range from about $35-$45 for a pair of sleeves to $35-$45 for a single sleeve (which reflects the prices of the brands listed above). The biggest difference seems to be simple longevity - the cheap ones tend to wear out and tear within a couple of years, whereas the pricier ones typically last quite a bit longer - to the point that I’d probably say you’ll spend less money in the long run by going with the more expensive pairs. Of course, your mileage may vary. 

Below are links to a few knee sleeve options that are popular with a number of our members at Testify:

• Rehband knee sleeves (my personal knee sleeves)

• Stoic knee sleeves

• Iron Bull knee sleeves

When do you use knee sleeves?
The short answer is - squats and Olympic lifting. You’ll appreciate them for squatting, and you’ll appreciate them for the Olympic lifts because of the squatting involved in both snatching and cleaning (there is probably some benefit for the impact of landing as well). 

What about using them on the press and bench press? Go ahead if you’d like - they won’t help, but they won’t hurt either. 

The deadlift gets a little more discussion. In the deadlift, the knee doesn’t go through a large range of motion (as opposed to the knee’s longer ROM in the squat), so if your knees ache while squatting, but they feel fine while deadlifting, I’d recommend not wearing sleeves. The thickness of the sleeve - while not huge - is still one more thing you have to deal with when trying to keep the barbell close on the pull, so if you don’t need them, don’t use them. But if your knees also ache on the deadlift, and you find that the sleeves help, then go right ahead.

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?

When to Start Lifting Weights (and why THIS is the WORST idea)

When should you start training? Specifically, what day of the week should you start on? And what's the WORST possible thing to do?

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Click the button below to get quality coaching from a Starting Strength Coach and start getting stronger TODAY.

Testify Herald - August 21, 2023

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A post shared by Testify Strength & Cond. (@testifystrengthconditioning)

THIS WEEK'S SUBMISSION
From our video A Quick Spin on Oiling Your Barbell (click the title to watch):

No Name
How often should you use 3 in 1 oil on a Texas Power Bar. It's my own bar I use in my garage. I Train 6 days a week. I don't put chalk directly on the bar. So how often should you wipe the chalk off and put the oil down the collars?

Thanks

Phil
I’d recommend brushing the chalk off the bar at the end of each workout. Just use a nylon bristle brush - it’ll take about 30 seconds (this is what our members do as well). You can use a brass bristle brush and apply some 3-in-1 oil to the shaft every month or two (admittedly, we do it less frequently than that), or perhaps once a year if your bar has a coating on it (black zinc, etc). That takes about 3 min or so and is covered here:

Basic Barbell Maintenance 
https://youtu.be/9N-Q-O1H1zE

Putting oil down the interior of the sleeves as in this video is fine with once a year.

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ARTICLES & VIDEOS

How to Front Squat: Improve Your Front Rack Position by Doing This!
If your front squat rack position is terrible, and your cleans and front squats are causing you pain and discomfort, try this. Click here to watch.

How to Use Wrist Wraps for Lifting Weights (STOP Making these 3 Mistakes!)
How do you correctly use wrist wraps? Where to put them? How tight? What's with the loop? Phil covers the basics as well as how to avoid 3 common errors. Click here to watch.

5 Ways You're Ruining Your Bench Press!
Quit making these mistakes when bench pressing! Phil covers 5 common bench press errors as well as how to fix these mistakes. Click here to read.

Blast from the Past: How to Use Lifting Straps in 1 Minute!
Save your delicate, baby-soft hands and learn how to use lifting straps in under 1 minute. Click here to watch.

Blast from the Past: The Jerk: Landing Positions
We cover the three different landing positions for the jerk as well as the advantages that go with each position. Click here to read.

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NEW TESTIFY GEAR!
Baseball season is here, and so is Testify’s new 3/4 raglan shirt - in multiple colors! Get yours today and represent your favorite gym!

Click here to head to the Testify Store.

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WHAT'S COMING UP

Reminder: Deadapalooza takes place this Friday evening (8/25/23), but the gym is still open for training for normal hours . . . you'll just see a lot of deadlifting if you train on Friday evening, or better yet, you can still sign up!

Below are a few of our upcoming events, and you can find out what else is on the calendar by heading to our events page at www.testifysc.com/events.

Deadapalooza! The Annual Testify Deadlift Festival

• August 25, 2023

• Deadapalooza is a strength meet wherein the only contested lift is - you guessed it - the deadlift. There will be one bar (possibly multiple bars if numbers dictate), and the meet will be conducted in a "rising bar" format, so the weight on the bar only goes up! It's a ton of fun, so come on out!

• Click here to register or for more information.

Women’s Strength Group

• 8 week class beginning on September 19, 2023. Meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

• Get stronger with Starting Strength Coach Barb Mueller and Testify coaches Jamie Morrissey and Stephanie Sharp.

• NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED! Open to all women who want to get strong!

• Click here to register or for more information.

Starting Strength Self-Sufficient Lifter Camp

• September 23, 2023

• Spend the day learning the Squat, Press, and Deadlift and how to self-evaluate your lifts while training in your garage or commercial gym without a coach.

• Click here to register or for more information.

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THIS WEEK’S CONDITIONING

Option 1
Sled Pyramid – 4, 5, or 6 tiers
Go up and down a 4, 5, or 6 tier “sled pyramid.” The distance for each round is 80 m indoors (a down-back on the 40m course) or 200 ft outdoors (2 down-backs on the 50 ft course). Rest as needed.

For example, Bob does the following (4 tiers):
Round 1: Empty sled
Round 2: 25#
Round 3: 50#
Round 4: 75#
Round 5: 50#
Round 6: 25#
Round 7: Empty sled

Compare to 2023.06.19.

Option 2
Bike/row:
5 min on
4 min off
4 min on
3 min off
3 min on
2 min off
2 min on
1 min off
1 min on

Record distance for each interval and add for total distance.

Compare to 2023.05.29.

Option 3
5-10 rounds of:
30 sec ME tire flips
30 sec rest

Compare to 2023.05.01.

Option 4
For time:
500m row
5 x 80m sled push (200 ft if indoors)
500m row

Rest 1 minute after the first row and after each sled push.

Compare to 2023.05.01.

How to Use Wrist Wraps for Lifting Weights (STOP Making these 3 Mistakes!)

How do you correctly use wrist wraps when training? Where to put them? How tight should they be? What's with the loop? Phil covers the basics as well as how to avoid 3 common errors.

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Click the button below to get quality coaching from a Starting Strength Coach and start getting stronger TODAY.

5 Ways You're Ruining Your Bench Press!

Let’s cover a few mistakes that you might be making with your bench press, and then let’s fix them fast.

Mistake #1: Wrong (or Nonexistent) Focal Point
When you bench, look at an immovable target - specifically, look directly above you at a point on the ceiling. When you start each rep, although you’re looking at the ceiling, you can still see the bar in your periphery, and the bar needs to finish in the same place in your periphery at the end of each rep. Do NOT watch the bar - it’s a moving target. Watch the ceiling.

Mistake #2: Vertical Bar Path
Do NOT bench straight down and straight back up again. “Gasp! What?! Not a vertical bar path?!” Nope, not on the bench press. The bar starts directly above the shoulders, but it touches a point on your chest a couple inches further “down the bench” (i.e., further toward your feet) - roughly the mid-sternum. Because of this, if you view the bar path from the side, it’s not completely vertical; rather, it’s a bit angled - you drive the bar both up and slightly backward.

The bar path still feels mostly vertical - it’s not a huge diagonal path - but you don’t actually bench vertically. Simply aim for the same spot on your chest each time on the descent, and then push up and back slightly on the ascent so that the bar finishes in the same spot from where it started.

Mistake #3: Lousy Shoulder Positioning
Keep your shoulders retracted (i.e., pulled or pinched back) when you bench. Make sure they are retracted before you unrack the bar and before you start the first rep, and then keep them retracted throughout each rep. You might have to re-retract them a bit before starting a rep if they slip out of place a bit during a rep or during the initial unracking process.

Having your shoulder blades retracted gives you a nice, wide base of support on the bench, and the bench isn’t all that wide in the first place, so we’d like as wide of a base as possible. Keeping them retracted allows for a more unrestricted range of motion as well, so overall, this puts your shoulders in a stronger, more stable position from which to perform the lift.

Mistake #4: Not Using Your Legs
That’s right - you need to actively use your lower body when you bench press. Your legs should help you drive up the bench (i.e., toward the direction of your head). You don’t slide in that direction since the weight of the bar will pin your shoulders into place, but you drive in that direction nonetheless. With that said, if you have a bench with a slippery surface and you find yourself actually sliding a bit, purchase a non-slip rug pad and watch the included video.

Driving with your legs (with your feet positioned in a roughly squat-width stance) gives you lateral stability, supports your arch, and makes you more rigid overall, and more rigidity is always good when moving heavy weights.

Mistake #5: Bad Leg Drive
I know - we just said to drive with your legs, and now we’re changing our minds? Not quite. Your legs should drive you up the bench (again, not literally sliding), but they should not drive your body up off of the bench. In other words, your butt needs to remain in contact with the bench itself. If your rear end comes off the bench, the rep doesn’t count, so again, make sure you are driving up the bench, not up off of the bench.

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?

How to Use Lifting Straps in 1 Minute!

Save your delicate, baby-soft hands and learn how to use lifting straps in under 1 minute.

(This is a Blast from the Past video originally published on 12/25/21.)

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Click the button below to get quality coaching from a Starting Strength Coach and start getting stronger TODAY.