I’m buying my first pair of wrist wraps to use for bench-press. I’m currently benching around 300 and am just wondering if I’d be better off with the 24-inch or the 32-inch wraps. Any advice would be appreciated.
What exactly do these do? I’ve been having some wrist issues while benching. Since moving to very heavy dumbell work, my left writs is bending backwards and seeming to give out and become a limiting factor in my bench.
[quote]jsbrook wrote:
What exactly do these do? I’ve been having some wrist issues while benching. Since moving to very heavy dumbell work, my left writs is bending backwards and seeming to give out and become a limiting factor in my bench.[/quote]
They do exactly what you need them for!!
To the original poster… I’d stick with shorter wraps for now, and as your strength goes up get longer ones to provide even more support. That’s what I’m doing anyway.
Wrist wraps…? If you can not hold the weight with out using wrist wraps…you are using too much weight and not using good form…just my opinion but by all means use wrist wraps…your grip will suffer for it and make you hand shake weak and you will not be able to open up that jar your girl askes you too…LOL
Go with the shorter, they’re easier to put on and should give you all the support you need.
As another poster pointed out; don’t neglect your forearm work. Spending some time with the Captains of Crush really helped me.
[quote]djbige05 wrote:
Wrist wraps…? If you can not hold the weight with out using wrist wraps…you are using too much weight and not using good form…just my opinion but by all means use wrist wraps…your grip will suffer for it and make you hand shake weak and you will not be able to open up that jar your girl askes you too…LOL[/quote]
hahahahahahaha, good one. That’s why all the 600lb raw benchers I know have pathetic limp handshakes. Weak pussies.
wrist wraps are a definite need when you’re doing some serious weight. If you don’t use them you’re most likely going to have some long term damage in the future. Forearms have nothing to do with putting weight directly on the wrist and bones…I use them all the time when going over 320 or so…I use the Inzers…24 inches. If you go any bigger when you wrap them they’ll be WAY WAY tight. The 24’s seem to do the perfect job.
The only reason they sell two or three different size wraps is for the lil’ 130 lbs. powerlifters and the massive 350+… there not gonna use the same length wraps! They have nothing to do with your grip, therefore you will loose no grips stength (unlike STRAPS). Also, don’t wrap them too tight or your hands will turn black and go numb, hard to bench when you can’t feel the bar.
[quote]djbige05 wrote:
Wrist wraps…? If you can not hold the weight with out using wrist wraps…you are using too much weight and not using good form…just my opinion but by all means use wrist wraps…your grip will suffer for it and make you hand shake weak and you will not be able to open up that jar your girl askes you too…LOL[/quote]
I’m guessing you have never held 600 pounds on the bench or you wouldn’t be making that statement. Grip has nothing to do with wrist wraps.
Wraps are a must. They compress the million little bones and tendons that make up the wrist joint, providing protection and support when using heavy weight.
Inzer makes 20-inch wraps, not 24-inch. The next size up is 36-inch. My personal choice are APT. Prowriststraps.com is the place to go. I use the 20-inch ZRV Pro for lighter training and the Black Mambas for heavy stuff and competitions. I have used nearly all major brands of wrap (Inzer, Titan, Metal) and these are by far the best.
I prefer the shorter wraps as well, to mee the longer ones just fell like to much. Of course if I can get my bench past 365 then I might end up needing more support…
how about you train your foreamrs?
do wirst rollers once you can roll 135 pds I think you’ll handle 300 no problem.
imo wrist wraps whould be used in the 500+ lbs range, because under that pretty much every human can strnghten their wrist enough with rollers and sledges(hammers).
I can roll 50 pounds for my reps and can handle 300 without any problem.
if you’re unsure and don’t want to waste time buy the wraps but also train wrist roller, when you’ll roll enough get the bench weight down and gradually increase the weight back to where you are so the wrists can get used to this.
I’ve used wrist wraps for years. I had a split tendon in my wrist several years ago and it took me a month to recover from that. Since then I’ve gone to the wraps just as a precaution and to stabilize the wrists and it definitely helps. I don’t use them when I train legs or when I do direct forearm work.
[quote]Hanley wrote:
jsbrook wrote:
What exactly do these do? I’ve been having some wrist issues while benching. Since moving to very heavy dumbell work, my left writs is bending backwards and seeming to give out and become a limiting factor in my bench.
They do exactly what you need them for!!
To the original poster… I’d stick with shorter wraps for now, and as your strength goes up get longer ones to provide even more support. That’s what I’m doing anyway.[/quote]
Excellent! I’m buying. Anyone have a recommended brand? Or are they all pretty generic and similar?
[quote]djbige05 wrote:
Wrist wraps…? If you can not hold the weight with out using wrist wraps…you are using too much weight and not using good form…just my opinion but by all means use wrist wraps…your grip will suffer for it and make you hand shake weak and you will not be able to open up that jar your girl askes you too…LOL[/quote]
So, you think you should wait for wrists to catch up when they are a limiting factor? I think they can be useful tools. I plan to beign direct wrist work to strengthen them and use them on all my benchwork but add them in on some of the heaviest sets until my wrist strenght improves.
It sounds like you just have weak wrists. The purpose of wrist wraps is to reduce strain on your wrists, not make up for weak forearms. That said, I think you should own a pair anyways for really heavy sets, but you really need to strengthen your forearms.
[quote]cap’nsalty wrote:
It sounds like you just have weak wrists. The purpose of wrist wraps is to reduce strain on your wrists, not make up for weak forearms. That said, I think you should own a pair anyways for really heavy sets, but you really need to strengthen your forearms.[/quote]
I think I do have weak wrists. But my forearms are not weak I don’t think. They never fatigue doing heavy deads anymore or limit me. Isn’t there specific wrist work? I think there is. Wrist curls. A little different than forearm curls. Is there any other direct wrist strengthening work than anyone knows of. I am also in law school and type a great deal.
And I think this causes a lot of problems. I think there’s actually a diagonsed issue called Computer Related Repetitive Strain Injury. Like the new Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Kind of retarded. But I don’ really know what to do about it. It comes with the territory…
This thread is hilarious.
Reminiscent of some of the “Should I Wear a Belt…GASP!!!” threads.
Anyway, for those of you naysayers, my wrists take a hell of a beating squatting and benching heavy in the same week.
By the time bench day rolls around, I am more than happy to wrap my wrists. I don’t bench or squat to develop forearm strength.
In fact, for most lifters, using wrist wraps has nothing to do with forearm strength. It has to do with staying in one piece.
18’s or 24’s are fine. 36 is too much wrap for training.
I like Inzer wrist wraps, or the Titan Titanium. The THP’s are a little stiff, IMO.
[quote]apwsearch wrote:
I like Inzer wrist wraps, or the Titan Titanium. The THP’s are a little stiff, IMO.
[/quote]
Thanks for the brand suggestions.
Titan Titaniums are my favourite, but I had to have the thumb-loops resewn fairly shortly.
The way Inzer does the velcro tends to pick at the fibers and give you fluffy-wraps after a while. Aside from that they’re great.
I’m not a fan of the Titan THPs.
I used to be in the wrist-wraps-are-for-pussies camp. Two things changed that.
First- I put a pair on and was amazed at how much easier it was to control the bar and keep in the groove. When I would take a heavier weight without wraps- really anything over 300- my wrists would bend back. I am pretty flexible and this was not uncomfortable usually, but it tended to make the bar drift back from where it should be- over my elbows. With wraps on, I have an easier time driving with my elbows.
Some might say that wraps make your wrists weak. Maybe this is true, but if you can keep in a tighter groove benching and handle more weight, everything else (tris, lats, etc.) will get stronger faster.
The second thing is that changed my mind was training with 600 and 700 lb benchers and noticing that they took very good care of their wrists- using tape and/or wraps on anything heavy- even warm ups.
Give them a try. They are the cheapest piece of powerlifting apparel out there and dollar for dollar, one of the most effective. I use a short pair of Titan Titanium wraps (16 inches I think) and a longer pair of Metal triple line wraps (30 maybe). Both are good.