The goal of wrist wraps for the gym industry
The gym industry is going really fast as people are understanding the importance of health and issues related to excessive unhealthy eating and no exercise and only work. People have started adopting a healthy lifestyle by exercising daily and they can only adopt such a disciplined lifestyle when they join a gym. The gym industry is also experiencing a huge flux of money as people require various types of supplements and equipment to train themselves. Wrists wraps, knee sleeves, straps, lifting shoes are some of the examples of things that are required to create retention, restrain, to increase muscle power, etc.
Wrist wraps are basically the most overused product you can find in the gym industry as it provides immense support to your joints which you are lifting up heavy weights or dumbbells. It is beneficial while pressing muscle movements and overhead barbell or weight lifting. While exercising your wrist experience muscle tear due to excessive strength in stretching or pressure exerted on the muscles. While picking up a heavyweight our wrists muscles can be pulled up to an extensive level and can cause compromised mechanics resulting in severe injuries and dismantling of the wrist muscles or bones in our wrists.
HOW TO USE WRIST WRAPS CORRECTLY
Wrist wraps are a must investment if you are planning to go to the gym. Wrist wraps can be itchy so it is advisable that you wear them while training as the heavyweight can harm your muscles. Also, it is not that you have to move your wrist wraps all the time if you want to slide 70–75% of your 1-RM press. It is to say that wraps are comfortable and at first, they might feel uncomfortable much to adjust but the, in fact, you will get comfortable after using it on a regular basis. You should use them correctly to attain major benefits and beginners must wear them at all times. But at a later stage, you can stop using them as it might lead on to limit your strength in your wrist extensors and flexors as you can also observe that no professional athlete wears them at a later stage because it decreases your strength to involve your flexors completely.
You should tie them correctly as the goal of wrist wraps is to support and provide comfort to your wrist muscles so that they do not face severe harm. If you wrap it too low that it, in fact, it comes on your forearm then you should remember that it is not a fashion cloth or vogue design as it will provide absolutely no support to your wrist. You should tie your wraps in such a way that they cover your wrist joint joins and provide support in times of excessive retention or excess muscle pull.
WRIST WRAPS YOU SHOULD BUY
You should always buy a wrist wrap that makes you comfortable while lifting heavy weight or barbells. There is two types of wrist wraps you can find in the market one made up of cotton which is immensely flexible as well as thinner so that you do not feel its existence and the other one is much thicker and inflexible than cotton ones are Velcro wraps which are generally used while lifting up heavy weights and all sorts of powerlifting styles. If you want to excel in an exercise involving more of shoulder muscles or movements such as in shoulder press you should always buy thicker wrist wraps as it will provide you with the strength you need to pull up a heavyweight otherwise cotton-based wraps can be slippery while excess pressure is put on them.
But if you want to excel or perform a maximum of jerk or snatch or clean exercises then it is advised that you should buy cotton wraps as they will provide a little free movement of the wrist. It is a much better choice in comparison to Velco made wraps in such exercises as they will give a much more range of motion to your wrists. Heavy lifting requires stiffness but not in the ones where the movement of wrists is a must. You will be required to the extent your wrists to receive a clean and the wrist will get a comfortable slight by extended till the finish position while performing both jerk and snatch.
MYTHS RELATED TO WRIST WRAPS
It is a myth that you need to wear the wraps in every gymnastic movements as body lifting or heavy lifting exercises such pull-ups or push-ups, handstands, etc. Unless you are taking part in the huge renowned competition and are performing pommel horse or vault, you need not wear them all the time. But it is to be advised that you should wear them at the beginning of joining the gym because it might to wrist injury as your wrists are experiencing such a heavyweight all of a sudden.
A wrist injury can also be caused by excess extension while training and competing. Wrist wraps are also beneficial in protecting your skin around the wrists while exercising high-reps of muscle without losing a perfect grip. Athletes also want to escape false grip sometime so that they can engage the muscles meant to be exercised or involved. The basic point to note is that you do not necessarily require wraps in most of the gym exercises but should always keep them for heavy or body lifting exercises at the beginning and when you have learned to grab a perfect hold of them you can let go off your wraps.
WHEN NOT TO USE
People generally prefer wearing wraps as it provides them with comfort when their wrist muscles are being pulled and they experience and extension of muscles. They use them to relieve the pain caused by performing clean or front squats but they fail to understand is that they are going to the gym to strengthen these muscles and perform exercises to benefit these muscles.
You can also find professional athletes using wraps to avoid the state of discomfort while performing front squats and cleaning which leads to a poor rack position because of poor mobility in the upper body parts which can lead to discomfort or pain in different parts of the body as the excessive pressure is being caused not on wrist muscles where it is required. When the shoulder flexions are not involved while performing heavy weight lifting then it is a false grip. You can face unnecessary external rotation and poor thoracic extension which can lead to a poor rack position. It should be noted that wraps do not make you more flexible and should be used only the advice from gym trainers and experts.
FAQ
1. Which size of wrist wraps should I buy?
While buying a wrap do try it on your wrist to see whether it is covering or wrapping your wrist by knotting your thumb in a way to give you a perfect grip.
2. How should I use wrist wraps while lifting heavyweight?
You should always make sure that the wrap is tight enough to give a perfect grip, not more than that that it does not even provide the flexibility to lift up the weight.