Knee Wraps - Should they be worn?

[Robert]

Ever since my bad knee injury i have been constantly thinking of maybe wearing knee wraps whenever or if-ever i get the chance to squat again.

I have read that people should only wear knee wraps if they have knee problems and i have also read that knee wraps can give you problems?

What's everybodies opinion on this?

And to Tim, how long have you been wearing wraps and have you had any problems with your knees outside of the gym when your not wearing wraps?

Robert

[Tim Wescott]

Rob,I have been wearing them since I used to powerlift back in the early 70`s and I still do .........have never had a serious knee injury other than the usual /occasional minor aches and pains.

I constantly debate with people the importance of wearing a belt and knee wraps(IMO)...........we are pitting our bodies against iron and I feel they are far more of a help ,rather than a hindrance.

I`ll be 50 in June, and did a double with 365 earlier this year..........I`m sure I`ll get to 405 for a few again.........yes I wore wraps,and I wore them years ago when I hit 405-6 at 160 pounds,nothing to brag about ,but OK for this skinny ecto.............am I ashamed to admit it....hell no, I train for me, not for pleasing other people`s opinions.

Some day,I think more people will realize a belt and wraps are needed after a time...........screw all this talk about core strength,your lower back and abs will still be strong if you train hard and heavy while wearing a belt....same with the knees, and your longevity in the game will be insured (IMO) !!

I might add,that all the videos I`ve seen of pro bodybuilders....they all wear belts,and are wrapped up like freakin` mummy`s!!

[Mrbig7]

Robert,
I used to question this VERY thing as well. When I was young, impressionable & first read everything I could about Tom Platz, I was CONVINCED that knee wraps were a hindrance & you couldn't build "Platz" type thighs using them b/c in EVERYTHING I read about him, he said he NEVER used them and they only promote weakness in the knees & supportive tissues. Dorian Yates stated this same kind of belief. In the years since then, I've come to find their beliefs are the EXCEPTION, rather than the rule. Most pro's & local competitors alike that I've witnessed training over the years do INDEED wrap their knees on the heaviest WORK sets of squats. As long as you don't do all your sets(IE: warmups) and every leg exercise with them on, your ligaments & connective tissues should strenghten just fine. If you have the genetic predisposition for BIG QUADS and the WORK ETHIC to go along with it, you shall SURELY develop them, wraps or not. Good luck and SQUAT HEAVY & DEEP!!! :Thumbs Up:

[hamhock]

Hey Tim,

How do you wrap your knee's? I'm in the Air Force and over the last year the Air Force has changed our yearly PT test from a bike test to a mile and a half run. I was always a fairly decent squatter and never had any knee problems until I began running last year while deployed to Iraq. My problem is I weigh 243 right now at a height of 5'9 and running is destroying my knees. When I train legs I have to warm up for at least a half hour before I can squat. I had a friend who is a nationally ranked powerlifter check out my form yesterday and he said it was very good. He suggested that I put icy hot on my knees and wear knee wraps not too tight but snuggle to help keep my knees warm and stable. Although I have to run my test once a year I have to do some type of cardio to maintain some cardio fitness to past this yearly test. Any suggestions you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Although I will be 43 next month, I refuse to believe it's old age kick'n in. Thanks in advance.

[Tim Wescott]

Old age......never heard of it !!!

What I do is what an old friend of mine taught me back in the 70`s.......he was a Superheavy who squatted 650 in 1974, so I guess if it was OK for him, it was good enough for me too.

I start by putting my leg straight, and foot up on a bench or some type of support,then I tightly wrap, while slightly overlapping around my knee 4 times,I then criss-cross over the patella,then once or twice around again straight over the criss-cross section,tuck them in,pull tight, and go for it.

I hope that was clear,it`s a little hard to explain, but very easy if I was to show you in person.

[cavemuscle]

Thanks for that, Tim!

I got some new wraps and was wonderin how to use'em.

I also read that it's a good idea to use your newest, stiffest wraps on your heaviest weight and older, stretchier ones on the lighter leading up to.

so you'd be doing

135 x 10, no wraps.
225 and 275, older wraps
305 to 375 or above, new wraps.

Also, Crains suggests that they be replaced every 6 months.

Did you see my squat shoe question?

Thanks
B

Tim said:

Old age......never heard of it !!!

What I do is what an old friend of mine taught me back in the 70`s.......he was a Superheavy who squatted 650 in 1974, so I guess if it was OK for him, it was good enough for me too.

I start by putting my leg straight, and foot up on a bench or some type of support,then I tightly wrap, while slightly overlapping around my knee 4 times,I then criss-cross over the patella,then once or twice around again straight over the criss-cross section,tuck them in,pull tight, and go for it.

I hope that was clear,it`s a little hard to explain, but very easy if I was to show you in person.

[Xena]

Kind of depends on the purpose of the knee wrap.

If you are feeling a lack of support/stability from the knee from either an older injury or that the knee is starting to not hold up to new weight demands, a knee wrap is not a problem. They do offer real support and can help stabilize pressure within the joint to resist a higher force.

Doesn't mean don't pay attention to your body.

The problem is when people have injured their knee(s), don't want to take care of the injury properly, and use it as a bandage of sorts. If you tear or strain a knee and think that you can keep doing the offensive activity just because you have a wrap on your knee, you'll do yourself a world of no good.

I've treated quite a few builders (I'm a Kinesiologist and Occupational Therapist) so I can tell you that if you try to train through a fresh knee OR back OR wrist injury by simply wrapping it and continuing as though nothing is going wrong, you might find yourself out of the gym for a lot longer than if you took care of it properly.

Hope this helps.

Xena