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mikedfromaz
01-19-07, 3:11 pm
im about 185 and getting up to about 350 in my squats for maybe a solid three reps. i see guys using knee wraps at about 405 and up. when should you use these are what advantages if anything?

gottalift
01-19-07, 6:22 pm
You shoud'nt let weight determine wether or not you use knee wraps,I think when one starts to feel the exersise in their joints as opposed to their muscle thats when precaution should be taken and support for the joints be added,(i.e wraps)

Hellreaver
01-19-07, 6:30 pm
Knee wraps are used for knee support, mostly for people who have joint problems. Personally, I use knee wraps anytime that I am going to be doing any kind of exercise involving my knee joints. Wraps don't take less pressure from the muscles. They simply reinforce the joints and reduce stress on the joints. If you are feeling any sort of pain or stiffness in your knees, then I reccomend using them. You could try using them to see if it feels better for you. Peace out.

1samtheman1
04-06-08, 12:29 pm
when and how should i correctly use knee wraps,
also what are the benifits of useing them.

hallde
04-06-08, 6:37 pm
I use my knee wraps when I start doing heavy single or triples over about 85% of my max. When they are wrapped tight they will give your knees support and you will also get a little help at the bottom of the lift.

I think the best way to use knee wraps to to make one wrap just under the knee and then wrap up the knee until you have two wraps above the knee, if you have extra wrap then wrap back down the knee. Make sure you leave enough slack to tuck the end in and try tuck it on top of your knee and let the excess hang loose. The tighter you keep the wraps the more you will get out of them.

scals
04-06-08, 7:59 pm
I have a bad left knee. I won't start using them until I can feel that I need them. Sometimes its 315, others its 365. All based on feel.

Matt Dickerson
04-06-08, 8:12 pm
I just use them on top singles of 90% and up. I have had re-constructive knee surgery on my left knee as well and I don't want to use the knee wraps as a crutch but I do like the added stability that the wraps give especially if I am walking out a weight. Leave the wraps to your heavy singles only or else they will become a crutch or bad habit. They are not needed for leg presses. If you have to wear them on leg presses just drop the weight.

Usage: I always wrap toward the inside. Wrap the wraps up tightly into a roll at first. I like to start from the bottom and wrap around a couple of times and then do a criss-cross X up each side that crosses over the knee cap. Once I do this I keep wrapping. Make sure your legs are straight as can be when you start the wrap.

MassMan
04-06-08, 8:17 pm
I just use them on top singles of 90% and up. I have had re-constructive knee surgery on my left knee as well and I don't want to use the knee wraps as a crutch but I do like the added stability that the wraps give especially if I am walking out a weight. Leave the wraps to your heavy singles only or else they will become a crutch or bad habit. They are not needed for leg presses. If you have to wear them on leg presses just drop the weight.

Usage: I always wrap toward the inside. Wrap the wraps up tightly into a roll at first. I like to start from the bottom and wrap around a couple of times and then do a criss-cross X up each side that crosses over the knee cap. Once I do this I keep wrapping. Make sure your legs are straight as can be when you start the wrap.

What he said... I have never used wraps before, but if you are, use only when going real heavy for singles...

Young&Hungry
04-06-08, 8:23 pm
I just use them on top singles of 90% and up. I have had re-constructive knee surgery on my left knee as well and I don't want to use the knee wraps as a crutch but I do like the added stability that the wraps give especially if I am walking out a weight. Leave the wraps to your heavy singles only or else they will become a crutch or bad habit. They are not needed for leg presses. If you have to wear them on leg presses just drop the weight.

Usage: I always wrap toward the inside. Wrap the wraps up tightly into a roll at first. I like to start from the bottom and wrap around a couple of times and then do a criss-cross X up each side that crosses over the knee cap. Once I do this I keep wrapping. Make sure your legs are straight as can be when you start the wrap.

Totally agree here. Today's wraps are designed to get spring out of the hole and in turn an extra 30+ pounds when done right, so use them as infrequently as you can. Otherwise like Matt said they will become a crutch, leaving you with a crappy squat without wraps and potential knee ligament weakening.

Adrenaline Junkie
04-06-08, 8:34 pm
im about 185 and getting up to about 350 in my squats for maybe a solid three reps. i see guys using knee wraps at about 405 and up. when should you use these are what advantages if anything?



let your body determine when you need knee wraps,if your knees hurt when you squat, use em. all they do is support, usually for people with bad or weak joints.
Im squatting 400 x 3 right now and dont use a belt or knee wraps.

Its all about GOOD FORM!

Matt Dickerson
04-06-08, 8:40 pm
let your body determine when you need knee wraps,if your knees hurt when you squat, use em. all they do is support, usually for people with bad or weak joints.
Im squatting 400 x 3 right now and dont use a belt or knee wraps.

Its all about GOOD FORM!

This statement is dead on. People that complain about knees hurting when squatting usually have terrible technique.

MassMan
04-06-08, 8:44 pm
let your body determine when you need knee wraps,if your knees hurt when you squat, use em. all they do is support, usually for people with bad or weak joints.
Im squatting 400 x 3 right now and dont use a belt or knee wraps.

Its all about GOOD FORM!

Damn!! 400x3 without a belt!! That's impressive!

palchod
04-06-08, 9:47 pm
Knee wraps should only be used when going really heavy. And I mean heavy, or for people who have problematic joints.
Tying them too tight applies a lot of pressure on the knee cap, which can then cause too much pressure on the bursa, and in fact cause more trouble down the road. The kneecap needs to be free to move over the bursa with the help of the synovial fluid, "like a skate" over ice. Too much pressure will hinder this movement, leading to much greater stress on the joint.
I would recommend not using wraps unless you have weak joints, and Animal Flex didn't help out, or you are trying for a very heavy one rep max. I can bang out over 305 for over ten reps and don't use wraps. And my knees are fine.
Don't use them unless you need them.

1samtheman1
04-07-08, 6:05 am
thanks for the advice, it has made me realise exactly why and when to use wraps,
i think i should just push through the liitle pain in my knee just to get my body used to the squatt and then think about useing heaver weight, and knee wraps,

LegendKillerJosh
04-07-08, 12:48 pm
I have no knee problems at all but I wear them anyways so I don't develop knee problems. I only put them on after 405, if you got a pair you may as well use them. Some people act like using them is cheating or something...that's BS. If you have them use them so you don't need surgery at age 25.

Enforcer
04-07-08, 12:59 pm
im about 185 and getting up to about 350 in my squats for maybe a solid three reps. i see guys using knee wraps at about 405 and up. when should you use these are what advantages if anything?

Your best bet would be posting to Sam Byrd in his thread or shooting him a PM. He would be the best person to ask in this case. Me personally I have never used knee wraps. Squatted over 600 with nothing but a belt on- so I wouldn't know when to put them on.

Torque757
04-07-08, 2:33 pm
What he said... I have never used wraps before, but if you are, use only when going real heavy for singles...

Good Idea... just walk off all that knee pain and inflimation from not using wraps because you werent doing singles...

I use to think it was a bad idea to use them all time, but if I dont, I can really feel it in my knees. If it means no knee pain, I will use them. So what if I use them all time? As long as I make progress in upping weights/size of the muscle, I dont see what the problem is... is there something I am missing here?

Also, I usually only wrap around the bottom of the knees, as that is where the pain is.

Cstlfx
04-07-08, 5:28 pm
Its just like a belt, only use them when they are necessary. The amount of weight doesnt matter, it matters whether your knee is going to pop or not.

BrotherInArms
04-08-08, 12:17 am
They also provide an elastic effect when worn tightly enough. Use with heavy weight.

StockRock
03-14-09, 1:24 pm
Between leg press and sqautting, my knees are really starting to take a beating. As I am getting stronger and lifting heavier, some support would be worth buying.

This is a new area for me, what knee wrap is not a waste of money?

Thanks

Phil800101
03-14-09, 2:23 pm
Anything by APT should serve you well. Here's their website:

http://www.prowriststraps.com/

eric downey
03-14-09, 3:30 pm
make sure your doing full range squats and presses. when you short it the knee socket gets week and causes pain. also if you squat wide the tear drop and the bottom of the quad isnt used and stops firing correctly causing knee trouble. if thats the case you have to work and isolate that muscle in workouts through TKE's or toes out leg ext

Maiden69
03-14-09, 5:48 pm
make sure your doing full range squats and presses. when you short it the knee socket gets week and causes pain. also if you squat wide the tear drop and the bottom of the quad isnt used and stops firing correctly causing knee trouble. if thats the case you have to work and isolate that muscle in workouts through TKE's or toes out leg ext

Wide you mean Sumo style? I started squatting about 6 months ago, after having scope surgery to fix my meniscus last June. I have been using shoulder width, but started last week with my heels straight with were my shoulder ends (about 6" wider than my last stance) also toes pointing a little to the outside rather than straight forward. I was about to buy knee sleeves, but this new stance don't bother my knees. Should I get the sleeves anyway, or just keep this stance and do the TKE's as you pointed above?

eric downey
03-14-09, 7:25 pm
Wide you mean Sumo style? I started squatting about 6 months ago, after having scope surgery to fix my meniscus last June. I have been using shoulder width, but started last week with my heels straight with were my shoulder ends (about 6" wider than my last stance) also toes pointing a little to the outside rather than straight forward. I was about to buy knee sleeves, but this new stance don't bother my knees. Should I get the sleeves anyway, or just keep this stance and do the TKE's as you pointed above?

the sleeves wont hurt. there good for staying warm. the tke's are great for powerlifting and anyone with a knee issue. i had ACL recon 12 years ago and have no problems with my knee. EVER However i dont use a knee sleeve (b/e ive never bought hem and i squat and only squat full range. never half squats

Maiden69
03-14-09, 8:31 pm
the sleeves wont hurt. there good for staying warm. the tke's are great for powerlifting and anyone with a knee issue. i had ACL recon 12 years ago and have no problems with my knee. EVER However i dont use a knee sleeve (b/e ive never bought hem and i squat and only squat full range. never half squats
Cool, thanks. Then as long as I keep doing full range I should be good. Ever since I started going all the way down my knees haven't bother me at all. I thought about the sleeves for insurance. My poundages went down (from 355 x 5 at 90 degree bent, to 225 x 5 all the way down) but my legs and knees are feeling good. Thanks for the response!

eric downey
03-14-09, 10:39 pm
Cool, thanks. Then as long as I keep doing full range I should be good. Ever since I started going all the way down my knees haven't bother me at all. I thought about the sleeves for insurance. My poundages went down (from 355 x 5 at 90 degree bent, to 225 x 5 all the way down) but my legs and knees are feeling good. Thanks for the response!

when you stop half way you jam the femor in to the top of the knee. thats causes most of the pain over time and why after doing a while you cant squat all the way down b/c it hurts. the lbs will come back and doing the full range is gonna increase blood flow which means bigger wheels

Maiden69
03-15-09, 8:33 am
when you stop half way you jam the femor in to the top of the knee. thats causes most of the pain over time and why after doing a while you cant squat all the way down b/c it hurts. the lbs will come back and doing the full range is gonna increase blood flow which means bigger wheels

That's what I wanted to hear! Thanks a lot!

Mattman33
03-15-09, 8:49 am
if thats the case you have to work and isolate that muscle in workouts through TKE's or toes out leg ext

i was just wondering what TKE's were as I have never heard the term.

edit: nevermind i found it in another of your posts. thanks
http://www.postrehab.com/pr_video/term_knee_ext/term_knee_ext1.htm

eric downey
03-15-09, 9:01 am
i was just wondering what TKE's were as I have never heard the term.

edit: nevermind i found it in another of your posts. thanks
http://www.postrehab.com/pr_video/term_knee_ext/term_knee_ext1.htm

oh sorry its
Terminal Knee Extension

http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.asp?qid=33895&tid=115

SolidTongan
03-17-09, 4:47 am
You supplement with AnimalFlex? I use knee wraps on my heaviest sets, but they're still takin' a beatin'. When I supplemented with Flex, it got much better real fast.

IronWilson
06-22-10, 3:16 pm
I have crappy knees. I have been through physical therapy and every doctor in the Cleveland Clinic to no avail. Some of the doctors speculate that I have Fibromyalgia. I don't buy that, but thats another story. So I have accepted that is not an injury that is curable, but possibly a condition where I will have to deal with my knee hurting when I do certain things.

Anyway, sometimes my knees start to hurt during my leg workout and I haven't really been able to squat. I am considering removing squats from my routine because of my lopsided ankle (the doctor says that there is no way I can fix that).

My question is, would something like a knee wrap (see link) help the pain, or potentially make it worse?

http://www.prowriststraps.com/inc/sdetail/93831

Would it be worth it for me to purchase them considering that I am not currently squatting heavy?

Aggression
06-22-10, 3:23 pm
You don't need to squat heavy just to wear something like that, bro. You can try it out. But it seems to me like it might be something a little more severe. Maybe just rely on leg presses, hack squats, etc, for your main movements. Or you could try squatting at the end, when you're already spent. This way you won't have to worry so much about going heavier.

Cstlfx
06-22-10, 3:36 pm
Thats a knee sleeve, wrap is something different. I would try a good neoprene knee sleeve like Tommy Kono TK Bands or Rehbands. They'll give you a little support but more importantly, keep the knee warm and the synovial fluid moving. Both brands are really good.

These are not for only people who squat heavy. They're for people who want to keep their knees warm and alleviate some pain from squatting. I'd say give it a go and see if it helps you out. TK's are cheaper but Rehbands last quite a bit longer. So, its your call on which to get.

jeff00z28
06-23-10, 1:31 am
ill wear em when i can squat enough weight to need em.

Fearless Rabbit
06-23-10, 11:32 am
I make mine from old shirts. Just find some that is solid enough, and the material is semi-elastic. Cut it with scissors, and you`re done, no money spent.

I use them while running, because I run on hard surface, and my sneakers are not exactly perfect. I used to feel slight pain in my lower left knee after some longer sessions (started with basketball and lots of jumping to be precise), but ever since I run and squat with these improvised wraps, I never had problem again.

J Wong
06-23-10, 11:43 am
make sure your doing full range squats and presses. when you short it the knee socket gets week and causes pain. also if you squat wide the tear drop and the bottom of the quad isnt used and stops firing correctly causing knee trouble. if thats the case you have to work and isolate that muscle in workouts through TKE's or toes out leg ext

That is some good information, thanks. I squat kind of wide, and since I have moved from my commercial gym to a garage, I don't really do any direct quad work anymore. What are TKEs? And do you think sled dragging will isolate that muscle enough?