If you’re a strength athlete, you know that the right gear can be a game changer for boosting your performance and getting the most out of your workouts.
For athletes who are looking to improve their technique or prevent injury, wrist wraps can offer a number of great benefits. If you’ve wondered whether you should add wrist wraps to your list of essential equipment, understanding how they work and what they have to offer can help you decide if they’re right for you.
What do wrist wraps do?
When lifting heavy weight, the wrist joint is prone to unwarranted stress, especially if you’re unable to keep your wrist in a neutral position. Wrist wraps stabilize the wrist joint under heavy load which can prevent pain, inflammation or injury to the joint.
Changing the way that you wear a wrist wrap can also enhance specific benefits. For example, if your main goal is to protect the wrist joint after an injury, you might wrap it differently than if your goal is to increase your grip strength.
Do you need to wear wrist wraps for strength sports?
If you’re new to lifting and are working on learning exercises and building strength to perform them, wrist wraps may not be necessary for you. But if you have serious lifting goals and are looking to perfect your technique or add more reps or heavier loads to your workouts, then wrist wraps are a must. Wrist wraps are also easy to use and inexpensive as far as gym equipment goes. For the number of benefits they offer, wrist wraps are definitely a worthwhile investment.
Benefits of wrist wraps
How you wear your wrist wraps and what you use them for might depend on your specific performance goals, but here are some of the top benefits that you can expect when you add wrist wraps to your equipment arsenal:
1. Increase grip strength
Wrist wraps improve your grip strength by squeezing around your wrist which brings your fingers closer together. They also prevent fatigue in the wrist which can allow you to grip more weight for longer. Wrapping your wrist can make your hands stronger for exercises like chin-ups and deadlifts.
2. Make the weight feel lighter in your hands
By increasing your grip strength, wrist wraps increase your proprioception or your sense of effort exerted by your muscles which, in turn, makes the same amount of weight feel lighter in your hands.
3. Increase joint stability
Any time your wrist joint is not in an optimal position while under load, there is a risk of injury. Wrist wraps stabilize the joint and help to maintain proper form preventing stress and injury to the joint.
4. Add more reps to your workout
Smaller muscles tend to fatigue more quickly than larger muscles and the muscles in your wrist are a lot smaller than the muscles you’re intending to target when you lift. Stabilizing your wrist with wraps can keep you from missing out on more reps.
5. Reduce pain and aid in injury recovery
If you’ve had a past or recent wrist injury, wraps can add stability and rigidity to the joint and help reduce pain and prevent reinjury.
6. Allow for more workout variety
With supported and stabilized wrist joints, delayed fatigue and improved grip, odds are you might be more likely to try new workouts or include a greater variety of exercises in your workouts. More variety equals less boredom and more gains.
If you’re a beginner, you may not need to start wearing wrist wraps right away. But if you plan to get more serious about lifting or are already a serious athlete, the numerous benefits make investing in wrist wraps a no-brainer. With a wide variety of styles and materials to choose from, you can customize your wrist wraps to your needs and training goals. Whatever those goals may be, adding wrist wraps to your gym bag can be an easy way to up you game and enhance your performance.
