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Sphinx
10-12-08, 10:46 pm
Can someone direct me to a site or perhaps a store (I reside in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada) where I can get a pair of knee wraps? I am totally clueless as to what to look for or the amount I should be paying for them.

Cstlfx
10-12-08, 10:51 pm
www.prowriststraps.com

or

www.elitefts.com

or

www.inzernet.com

Those are almost all the wraps. Personally, I like the APT line. I just like the feel and fit. I'm also not experienced enough nor lifting enough to get the Metal Line.

Also, to add, APT and Inzer have a link that helps you choose which wrap to get based on how much weight you're using. The link on APT is on the left "Wrap Usage Chart" and Inzer's is titled "Choosing Knee Wraps" on their Power Wrap page.

Young&Hungry
10-12-08, 10:54 pm
Do you like a tight, stiff wrap or a looser, more pliable wrap?

Sphinx
10-12-08, 11:01 pm
I've never used knee wraps before, only beginning to now because me knees have been a minor issue for quite some time now and I want to prevent them this issue as much as I can.

A question though, I looked up all the pages and guides to picking the straps, but how do I decide whats the best length for me?

Cstlfx
10-12-08, 11:19 pm
I Think it depends on how much you lift, for how many reps.

3 meters is long, and can wrap around the knee many times. I havent gotten great at it and I can get almost 3 whole layers out of it. 2.5 I can get about two layers, and 2 I can get about 1 layer out of.

I started with 2 meters, with a medium strength, just to get accustomed to it. I liked it and went heavier and longer.

The way I see it, the longer you get it, the stiffer it will make things. The shorter it is, means there's less fabric there, thus not aiding as much. So, 3 meters of heavy wraps will make it so you cant do a bodyweight squat. Where as 2 meters you'd still be able to bend.


Do not be stupid like me and get ones with velcro. I regret ever doing that, now I have to buy a new pair of medium wraps in order to get some training in.

Sphinx
10-12-08, 11:27 pm
I Think it depends on how much you lift, for how many reps.

3 meters is long, and can wrap around the knee many times. I havent gotten great at it and I can get almost 3 whole layers out of it. 2.5 I can get about two layers, and 2 I can get about 1 layer out of.

I started with 2 meters, with a medium strength, just to get accustomed to it. I liked it and went heavier and longer.

The way I see it, the longer you get it, the stiffer it will make things. The shorter it is, means there's less fabric there, thus not aiding as much. So, 3 meters of heavy wraps will make it so you cant do a bodyweight squat. Where as 2 meters you'd still be able to bend.


Do not be stupid like me and get ones with velcro. I regret ever doing that, now I have to buy a new pair of medium wraps in order to get some training in.

Alright, I guess I'll go for 2.5m, just cause I do want there to be support, at the same time I'm not exactly going super heavy with my squats and deads.

I'll make sure I get no velcro as well, thanks for your help.

Cstlfx
10-12-08, 11:52 pm
No problem. I'm no expert on them, but i've been playing around with them. To put things into perspective, Sam Byrd wears the Black Mambas from APT when he's doing his 1000+ pound squats.

jeff00z28
10-13-08, 12:35 am
every1 at my gym said to get apt cuzz they are heavy duty, but i bought osme inzer true blacks because i dont want to need 3 ppl to help put them on like they do. they haven't come yet we'll see how they are, i am still squatting less than 500bls so i doubt it will matter

Cstlfx
10-13-08, 12:56 am
APT has wraps ranging from light to super super heavy. Blood Stripe, Commando, these are really light. Then you have wraps like Thug, Reaper, and the Mambas, that are Medium. Convicts, Strangulators, Hybrids, are your heavy boys. Then You have their new 2X and 3x which are hardcore as hell. These are absolutely a two person job to get them wrapped properly.

jer
10-13-08, 10:34 am
Thanks for the links and tips bro.

I'm looking for wraps too, as my knees have been sore as of late after my leg workouts.

Guess it's not so simple and just picking a color I like. lol

Linebacker
10-13-08, 10:40 am
how come yous dont like ones with velcro ?

Cstlfx
10-13-08, 3:05 pm
In order to get maximum benefit, you're supposed to cinch them tight. When at the bottom of a squat, the velcro can come undone, which at heavy weights can become dangerous.

When you dont have velcro, you tuck the wrap underneath, so when the wrap squeezes, it also squeezes the wrap, ensuring that it will stay tight.

Young&Hungry
10-13-08, 4:07 pm
If you like a tough wrap, the APT Convicts are the way to go. I use these personally and they are mean motherfuckers, pinch the hell out of you and they're rigid, but I couldn't ask for a better knee wrap with more support and rebound than these. I'd reccommend a more pliable wrap to a bodybuilder. Check out the Inzer Z-Wraps and the APT Strangulators or ZRV-Pro's. You will never need longer than 2.5 meters unless you're squatting 700 or more pounds.

Little Houghton
10-13-08, 5:05 pm
young, you seem to know your stuff, im lookin for some wraps, id like to keep them for a while, my squat is in the low 4's right now, but i definitely wanna be around 500 in the next year, what would you recomend? the convicts?

Young&Hungry
10-13-08, 5:10 pm
young, you seem to know your stuff, im lookin for some wraps, id like to keep them for a while, my squat is in the low 4's right now, but i definitely wanna be around 500 in the next year, what would you recomend? the convicts?

If you like it tight and tough Convicts are hands down the way to go. 2-2.5 meter whichever you prefer and no velcro.
If you like it loose and pliable, Inzer Z-Wraps or APT Strangulators or ZRV-PRO with the same specifications.

Cstlfx
10-13-08, 6:05 pm
If you like it tight and tough Convicts are hands down the way to go. 2-2.5 meter whichever you prefer and no velcro.
If you like it loose and pliable, Inzer Z-Wraps or APT Strangulators or ZRV-PRO with the same specifications.

Those are excellent choices, but those are very tough. I dont know if he's using them for powerlifting or not. If he's bodybuiling, its probably better to go with a lighter wrap.

Little Houghton
10-13-08, 6:27 pm
Those are excellent choices, but those are very tough. I dont know if he's using them for powerlifting or not. If he's bodybuiling, its probably better to go with a lighter wrap.

im using them for powerlifting, although not necessarily squatting in meets, the one i have picked out next is a push-pull, but obviously a bigger squat leads to a bigger dead, so yea.

Cstlfx
10-13-08, 7:06 pm
im using them for powerlifting, although not necessarily squatting in meets, the one i have picked out next is a push-pull, but obviously a bigger squat leads to a bigger dead, so yea.

Sorry, I didnt see your post up above that. As Y+H said, those are good choices. But APT also has an in between called the Hybrid, which is a mixture of Strangulators and Convicts.

But like I said, Sam Byrd squats with the Mamba's, and those arent supposed to be as heavy or as strong as convicts, strangs, etc.

If you havent used wraps before, I'd get a medium - heavy pair, like the mambas. You'd be surprised how much help they can be. The first time I used them, I snapped up and almost fell over face first.

Sphinx
10-13-08, 8:22 pm
The first time I used them, I snapped up and almost fell over face first.

Whoa, the straps snapped you forward? So are they like a cheat? I'm under the impression they are used to relieve some of the pressure on the knees, is that how they work?

Cstlfx
10-13-08, 10:28 pm
Whoa, the straps snapped you forward? So are they like a cheat? I'm under the impression they are used to relieve some of the pressure on the knees, is that how they work?

They will give you extra push, they work exactly the same way a belt does. It tightens everything up, and then your muscles work on top of that. They're not a cheat, just like a belt isnt a cheat, but depending the wrap, your raw number wont be the same. However, like a belt, they can help you increase your strength.

But also, when I first used it, I didnt go heavy because I didnt want to kill myself not knowing how to use them. I wasnt used to the feel of my knees being supported like that, so I popped up so fast I started going forward. Once you use them once or twice, that doesnt happen, especially in the heavier weights. I'm not that strong yet, with my wraps I can do a 415 squat (at least thats all I've tried), with mediums, and I can feel a slight rebound, but I still had to do all the work.

Fullback#35
10-23-08, 3:04 pm
ok, iv read this and came to the conclusion im gonna get my self some Mambas, i train for football so cant really afford to hurt my knees before the season, what length do you think i should go for bro?

#35

Cstlfx
10-24-08, 2:55 am
ok, iv read this and came to the conclusion im gonna get my self some Mambas, i train for football so cant really afford to hurt my knees before the season, what length do you think i should go for bro?

#35

Awesome choice!! I would say go for 2.5 meters. 3 meters when done properly can almost make a cast. But 2 meters really isnt that much. So, for best protection, I'd get the 2.5.

Cstlfx
11-18-08, 10:11 pm
All right, I was just perusing APT and just for shits and giggles decided to look at their new 2XH and 3XH. They say it takes 1-2 people other than yourself just to put them on. 2XH are 25% heavier than convicts/strangulators, and the 3XH are 50% heavier than c/s.

I've felt both cons and strangs and they are heavy as hell, almost impossible for me to put on by myself.

My question is, at some point, will these things actually start to restrict blood flow and affect the lift?

I mean, some guys like their stuff tight, with how heavy it is, cant it act like a tourniquet?