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Wrist straps

pistachio

pistachio

Member
I find I have a lot of trouble with my wrists, not permanently, but intermittently.

When they get bad, I can't (comfortably) support my weight in a pushup position or lean against a wall.

I have a lot of discomfort in my wrists when squatting, and exercises like bench or close grip bench can get uncomfortable when they really flare up.

My quesion is, is there any negative consequences of just using wrist straps? I am thinking of using them when squatting and benching. And curling actually, my wrists hate curling.

Will this cause my wrists to weaken? Should I only use them when my wrists flare up, or is it ok to use them all the time?

On a side note, I'm going for a bench PB tonight, i bought some wrist straps yesterday, so it'll be interesting to see if they make me feel any stronger.
 
If they help with the pain then go wear them.

I use them on bench and with low bar squats.
 
use them all the time mate.....if the length permits, for bench or OH pressing wrap them like a cast ie start high up the wrist so they just cover the heel of your palm then go down just past the wrist knuckle bone thingy and back up
 
thanks guys, so this won't weaken my wrists at all??

they are quite long jonnie, so i'll take your advice on that :)
 
how much stronger do you think not wearing them now is making your wrists that you can't even put pressure on them?

I reckon wear them.

They'll get plenty strong just from deadlifting or any other heavy pulling anyway.

Also consider how your wrists are positioned during benching and squatting. You might be able to help with the pain by making some small adjustments.
 
strong enough? said:
how much stronger do you think not wearing them now is making your wrists that you can't even put pressure on them?

I reckon wear them.

They'll get plenty strong just from deadlifting or any other heavy pulling anyway.

Also consider how your wrists are positioned during benching and squatting. You might be able to help with the pain by making some small adjustments.
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hmm, good point.

i have to squat high bar at the moment on account of flexibility issues (which i am currently working on) and wrist pain. i usually have no problems whatsoever with bench, its only when they really flare up that any pushing exercise gives me grief.
 
I know your asking about wrist straps and what I'm saying is not really on topic.

depending on the reason's you get pain, wouldn't it be better to focus on strengthening your wrists/forearms, after all the hands must be strong for the rest of your body to be strong. that's just my opinion, i don't know how much pain your in etc.
But if the pain isn't going away, and it's only going to get worse as you progress with weight ( or stopping you progress ) then maybe a more proactive solution is needed.
Things like working plate pinch's, captains of crush?, finger extensions, thick grip holds.

To answer your actual question, yes definitely use wrist straps if you need them but work on your wrist/forearm strength aswell imo, my 2 cents
 
leachy said:
Wank more....

I mean wear wrist straps, it will help heaps!!
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i like to save my testosterone for when its needed ;)

Zdeněk;167005 said:
I know your asking about wrist straps and what I'm saying is not really on topic.

depending on the reason's you get pain, wouldn't it be better to focus on strengthening your wrists/forearms, after all the hands must be strong for the rest of your body to be strong. that's just my opinion, i don't know how much pain your in etc.
But if the pain isn't going away, and it's only going to get worse as you progress with weight ( or stopping you progress ) then maybe a more proactive solution is needed.
Things like working plate pinch's, captains of crush?, finger extensions, thick grip holds.

To answer your actual question, yes definitely use wrist straps if you need them but work on your wrist/forearm strength aswell imo, my 2 cents
Click to expand...

fair point, but im pretty sure its not a strength issue. my wrists (when not in pain) are actually very strong. or at least i think they are.

for example, if i clench my fist and keep my wrist straight, no one i know can bend my wrist (i've had some strong people try this with both hands). i don't know, maybe everyone can do this, but they feel like steel plates when i do this. my grip strength also seems to be decent (not sure if this is linked to wrist/forearm strength), in that i have not had any problems with my deadlifts over the last 3 months as the weight has gone up.

i have had a few injuries in the past tho, and i think this is may be what causes the pain. my right forearm was fucked by a sports doctor who tried to 'fix' the problem. i now have a permanent 'lump' in my right forearm, feels like calcified tissue, but i can't be sure, ultrasounds have been inconclusive. back when it first happened, i couldn't even stir a glass of water or open a bottle comfortably. now, i don't really notice it anymore, and it doesn't seem to affect my training, so i just live with it. however i think this is what causes the discomfort in my forearm/wrist when doing bicep curls.

my left wrist (the more troublesome one), i fell on heavily a few years back. its got a few small ganglion cysts in it, not sure if that was related. so every so often it flares up, and i can't put weight on it (as in pushup etc).

all that said, i think i might take your advice and incorporate some wrist/forearms strength in my program as well, never hurts to have additional strength in that regard i guess!
 
on a related note, how tight do you wrap these and how long can you leave them on for? i imagine if you put them on tight, that you would take them off between sets?
 
How long you can tolerate leaving them on will depend on how tight they are.

Some people have told me they prefer them a bit looser (or get the shortest wraps, done tightly), because the tighter they are the less proprioception you get from squeezing the bar. The tighter you can squeeze the bar in squats and bench the better. Some people prefer more support. You'll need to experiment for yourself.

Speak to Minh at Titan Australia and ask him what he would recommend. Most people seem to go for the 50cm ones to start with. If you want to wrap them like johnnie suggested you'll need longer ones. FWIW I'm about to buy some 50cm MaxRPMs for squats.
 
you've said that when you clench your fist hard no one can move your wrists...so how bout before you go out and spend some coin on the wrist wraps you try (for bench) gripping the bar as tight as you can and positioning the bar in the lower part of the palm of your hand so that there is a straight line between the bar, your wrist and your elbow.....also if you are getting sore wrists when squatting you aren't loading the bar on your back correctly, if you are positioning the bar correctly there should be next to no load on your wrists, again grip the bar tight on your back and pull down slightly...
 
thanks for the advice guys

too late jonnie, already bought them (only $20 tho...). i like the advice tho. i'll try to focus on my grip a bit more.
 
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