One of the few pieces of equipment that falls into the category of unequipped and is sometimes overlooked is the weightlifting wrist wraps. Along with the singlet, only the weight belt and knee sleeves are as basic as the wrist support for setting an “unequipped” lifter up for success.
As with other pieces of equipment like weight belts and knee sleeves, wrist supports are optional pieces to your kit. If you do not experience pain in that area, you may not have to worry about investing in wrist supports (Count yourself lucky).
But if you’re like many Olympic-style weightlifters in training, you probably experience some degree of pain in your wrist from time to time. That’s why is makes sense to invest in these supports, as they are relatively inexpensive and they can help you stabilize and focus your strength as you lift ( since you will have less give in your wrist).
Know whats best for you?
So people prefer a longer wrist support while others favor a shorter but thicker support. Whatever your preference, it’s important to realize that wrist supports are a very inexpensive method of adding support to a crucial part of the body that is taxed in the course of a weightlifting workout, and it merely serves to provide lifters with another option to promote health and safety.
Using Weightlifting Wrist wraps properly
The first key is to put the weightlifting wrist wraps on correctly. Many supports are designed with an eyelet to loop your thumb through and then quickly and easily wrap the support around the wrist.
Recognize that it is not a giant wristwatch with no clock on it. The wrist support should actually wrap around the bottom of the palm as well, so this way, the wrist is enveloped in the middle of the support and it will not bend back when receiving the massive pressure from the barbell.
Leather or Neoprene weightlifting wrist wraps
Many weightlifting wrist wraps are made from a space age neoprene fiber, which is easy to wash and remains durable through lots of wear and tear. Leather wraps can also be used, and some lifters prefer the rigidity of leather instead of the flexibility of neoprene, which naturally has more give to it.
That being said, leather supports are considerably more expensive, can cause chafing and can be too stiff for some people.
But anyone that experiences pain in the wrist area during or after lifting, especially any chronic or sharp pain, must investigate using wrist supports, at least when the current pains or injuries flare up again.
Conclusion on weightlifting wrist wraps
If that’s not enough to convince you, realize that there is a huge strain in put weight on the arms and the body in the course of Olympic weightlifting. Overtime progressive ailments can build up. Without support on the wrist, a lifter can develop a ganglion cyst, which is a painful growth cause by too much strain being repeatedly put on a joint. With one of those, you won’t be lifting anything, so splash a little cash for some wrist supports.
Our Top Pick
Our top pick are the Titan 12” Red Devil wrist wraps. This company has become a specialist in the field and they offer a wide range of size, options, thicknesses and a range of accompanying equipment. When training we believe in safety first and if a pair of these can keep me in the game, then its a easy decision.
In our next post we review our Women’s Olympic Bar top pick. Thanks for visiting Olympic Weight Set Review, if you liked this article please use our social buttons to give us the thumbs up.
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