Olympic Lifters Straps

[magicman531]

I've noticed that some oly lifters use wrist straps/braces while lifting and others don't. My question is what, are they wearing and why is it that only some of them wear them. Now some of you may be thinking they're just "straps" but it's not the normal ones used for powerlifting. These just wrap around their wrists like a boxers. Are they just to compress the wrist bones and prevent injury?

 

[Standard]

yeah there to prevent injury by adding some stability to the joint, i think most of the top benchers anywas tape their wrists in a very similar method to boxers to prevent the joint from moving.

 

[magicman531]

I'm just wondering because I've been having some pain in my wrist after doing cleans. What kind of tape or straps do people normally use?

 

[Alon]

Some lifters wrap up their wrists, although the source of pain is usually jerks or snatches (sometimes more so because of the angle the hand has to make with the bar). This usually happens because (and this isn't for everyone) the hand flexes back a fair bit, putting a lot of strain on the wrist. When you clean, there shouldn't be any real weight going through your wrist, perhaps try racking the bar a little bit higher/closer to the neck?

I'd caution against using wrist wraps all the time, yes they're good but you can become dependant on them and the problem will just resurface. i try to cycle anything like that, or not wear them at all when I can avoid doing so.

 

[Standard]

I'd caution against using wrist wraps all the time, yes they're good but you can become dependant on them and the problem will just resurface. i try to cycle anything like that, or not wear them at all when I can avoid doing so.

Great advice

If you do need something tape is a bit of a pain to use and not really that practical for most people, i had injured my hand/wrist awhile ago doing some heavy bag work and found that a normal hand wrap for boxing worked really well for me to lift with, and it is a very cheap re-usable solution.

Edit: these may be what you originally saw, i have lifting straps with the same basic wrist support, i feel the boxing wrap adds better support personally though.

http://www.fitnessscape.com/page/F/PROD/gloves_belts/pwr_wrist

 

[SmashiusClay]

I've got a ganglion (busted up bit in the back of my wrist) from MT, i use athletic tape around my wrist sometimes if it's bothering me when benching, push pressing or doing cleans. It's also worth your time to do some wrist strength work (sledgehammer levering, weaver lifts and wrist roller) as this has really helped me. You could also buy some proper wrist straps, I see them used a lot on strongman events for overhead pressing events, but I have'nt a clue about brands and unless you're shifting serious weights the tape is a pretty good stand in.

 

[PhxJudoJujitsu]

Yes some use them for injury prevention, but i think its a bad idea since they are illegal in competition

 

[Lusst]

Thanks to Smashius, I went and invested in a pair of hand wraps for when I'm tooling around on the Heavy Bag.

BTW, what the hell is a ganglion?

 

[Alon]

Yes some use them for injury prevention, but i think its a bad idea since they are illegal in competition

Straps that wrap around the bar for grip assistance are illegal, straps around your wrists are not (although the IWF may have some rule about strap width).

 

[thomas87]

I'm just wondering because I've been having some pain in my wrist after doing cleans. What kind of tape or straps do people normally use?

If you are doing the cleans right, the pain might come from inflexibility. I also had pain in the wrists when I was learning front squats; after a few sessions however, it was non-existant.

 

[magicman531]

Wow Thomas change your avatar now! I could barely read your post I was so disgusted.

 

[Das Uberdog]

yeah, seriously, change that shit.. i'm eating dude..

 

[thomas87]

No way, that girl's my idol. Look at her fitness, pure bodybuilder!

 

[SmashiusClay]

Thanks to Smashius, I went and invested in a pair of hand wraps for when I'm tooling around on the Heavy Bag.

BTW, what the hell is a ganglion?

http://www.surgerydoor.co.uk/medical_conditions/Indices/G/ganglion.htm
http://www.eatonhand.com/hw/hw013.htm

As I understand it, mine is due to not wearing hand wraps when i started Muay Thai, I've fucked up one of the tendons in the back of my wrist and now have to be careful with it. sucks but you get used to it (I've had mine for about 6 years now). Best thing to do is make the supporting muscles of the wrist stronger, hence wrist roller and sledgehammer levering.