Wrist wraps are used to provide support when you lift. However, many lifters don’t know how to use wrist wraps correctly and even more don’t know how to put them on. Today, we’ll show you how to put on wrist wraps, how tight you should wear your wraps, and what mistakes to avoid. Are you ready? Let’s get started!
What are Wrist Wraps?
Wrist wraps are specially designed supportive accessories that provide additional reinforcement to the wrists. They consist of a long strip of elastic material, usually with a thumb loop and Velcro closure, which can be wrapped tightly around the wrists. Other wrist wraps, like the TUFF powerlifting wrist wraps, use no thumb loops, making it extremely easy to put your equipment on.
The primary purpose of wrist wraps is to offer support and stability to the wrists, particularly when performing exercises that involve heavy loads or repetitive movements. By securely immobilizing the wrists, wrist wraps help maintain proper form and alignment, reducing the risk of injury. They can also aid in improving performance by allowing weightlifters to exert more force and power through their lifts.
If you already have wrist pain from lifting, wraps help to minimize the feeling by limiting your range of motion. This makes wrist wraps great for rehab and speeding up the recovery process.
VIDEO: Explaining how to put on your Villain Wrist Wraps.
How to Put on Wrist Wraps: Step-By-Step Guide
Using wrist wraps is hard if you don’t know how to put them on. Here, we’ll show you how to put on wrist wraps. We’ll show you how to put on a wrist wrap with a thumb loop, a twist and tuck wrist wrap, and a Villain wrist wrap which comes with no thumb loop.
Wrist Wrap With Thumb Loop and Velcro
One popular type of wrist wrap features a thumb loop and Velcro closure mechanism. This design ensures a secure fit and makes it easier to fasten the wrap correctly. To put on this type of wrist wrap, follow these steps:
- Begin by aligning the thumb loop with the base of your thumb, ensuring that the wrap adequately covers your wrist joint.
- Insert your thumb through the loop.
- Take hold of one end of the wrap and initiate the wrapping process around your wrist joint, completing one full wrap.
- Gradually shift the position of the wrap slightly upward, so it now covers the area just above the previous wrap, while still encompassing most of the material from the preceding wrap.
- Progressively move the material downwards and wrap it just below your wrist joint. This should overlap your first wrap.
- Continue wrapping the material over the previous wraps until you reach the end of the wrap, and securely fasten your wrist wrap using the velcro.
- If necessary, you can revisit each wrap and make adjustments to achieve the desired level of support by tightening or loosening them accordingly.
Twist and Tuck Wrist Wrap
Another method for wearing wrist wraps is the twist-and-tuck technique. This technique offers a secure and customized fit tailored to individual preferences. Here's how to use the twist-and-tuck method:
- Begin by securing the wrap around your wrist so that the initial wraps cover the entire wrist area.
- Continue wrapping the material above and below the wrist joint while ensuring that each subsequent wrap overlaps a portion of the previous ones.
- As you approach the final wraps, focus on wrapping directly over the wrist joint again. Secure the end of the material and the string attachment by intertwining them.
- Upon reaching the end of the string, which should still be wrapped around the material, take the last few inches of the string and tuck it under the existing wrapped portion.
- Finally, grasp your wrist with your hand and twist the material to adjust the tightness according to your preference. A tighter twist will provide enhanced support while loosening the twist will offer a more relaxed fit.
Villain Wrist Wraps (No Loop)
Villain wrist wraps are much easier to put on and take off, thanks to their simplicity. Having no loop means that it’s easier to align the wrap with your joint and find your level of fit for your wrist wrap. Here’s how easy it is to put on a Villain wrist wrap:
- Begin by taking your tab and putting it through the loop of your Villain wrist wrap
- Pull on the tab to adjust the wrap’s tightness to your level of liking
- Once you’ve reached your preferred fit, wrap the tab around and attach it using the velcro on the wrap.
How Tight Should Your Wrist Wraps Be?
Finding the right tightness for your wrist wraps in weightlifting largely depends on what you like. Generally, though, they should be snug enough to limit your wrist movement, but not overly restrictive. The tightness can also vary based on the type of wrap and exercise you're doing.
However, you should never wear your wrist wraps too loose. Wrist flexibility can be needed in some instances, but you should aim for a healthy balance between support and flexibility to suit your lifting style.
When to Wear Your Wrist Wraps Very Tight
You should wear your wrist wraps very tight when you need the maximum support possible and wrist flexibility is not a priority.
A tight wrap provides the highest amount of wrist support. These wraps are tailored for athletes like powerlifters who regularly face heavy loads and need their wrists to remain rock-solid under extreme pressure.
So, if you're engaged in activities that demand unwavering wrist stability, make sure to wear your wrist wraps as tight as you can.
When to Wear Your Wrist Wraps Normally
You should wear wrist wraps normally when you need support, but the exercise requires more wrist movement than other lifts. For example, dynamic lifts such as snatches, cleans, and jerks require your wrist to move in different directions quickly. Wearing your wrist wrap at a standard tightness here will give you the support and flexibility needed to complete the movement.
When to Wear Your Wrist Wraps Loosely
Generally, you want to wear your wrist wraps loosely whenever you need more wrist mobility. Most Olympic lifts and bodybuilding exercises fall under this category. However, you don’t want your wrist wrap to be too flexible since the purpose is to help provide stabilization during your lift.
Avoid These 6 Mistakes When Putting on Wrist Wraps
Wrist wraps aren’t practical if you wear them incorrectly. Here are six mistakes to avoid when putting on wrist wraps.
Not Lining Up the Thumb Loop With Your Wrist
If you don’t line up the thumb loop with your wrist correctly, you’ll feel discomfort and skin irritation over time. It also affects the overall fit of the wrap and an improper fit means you won’t receive the wrist stability needed for lifts.
If you suffer from this problem, the next time you put on wrist wraps, focus on aligning the thumb loop correctly with your wrist when using wrist wraps. By doing so, you can avoid discomfort, maintain a secure fit, and maximize thebenefits of the wraps.
Not Wrapping Your Wrist Wrap Tight Enough
If you don't wrap your wrist wrap tight enough, you won't get the wrist support you need. The right tightness varies from lifter to lifter and depends on the specific lift. For example, a dynamic lift will require more wrist mobility than a heavy bench press.
Our best advice for you is to aim for a snug fit that keeps your wrap in place without cutting off too much circulation. When you find this sweet spot, you’ll maximize comfort an wrist stability.
Wrapping Too High Up on Your Wrist
When wrapping your wrist wraps too high, most of the wrap ends up positioned above the wrist joint. This can restrict your grip's ability to open and close, but more importantly, it compromises your wrist stability.
To avoid wrapping too high up on your wrist, make sure that the center of your wrap is aligned with your wrist joint.
Wrapping Your Wrist Too Tight
Wrapping your wrists too tight may restrict blood circulation to the hands, keep you from fully closing your hand, and affect grip strength.
Different lifts require varying levels of tightness around the wrist. For instance, heavy bench presses prioritize wrist stability without the need for flexibility (wrist bending is undesirable). On the other hand, exercises like snatches demand wrist support while allowing some level of flexibility.
Wrist wraps are not like lifting straps. You need some wrist mobility. If you wear your wrist wrap too tight, you might not be able to achieve the flexibility needed to fully complete the lift. Experiment and find the best tightness for your wrist wraps. This will help you stay comfortable, promote blood flow, and improve performance during your workouts.
Wrapping Too Low on Your Wrist
Wrapping too low on your wrist has a similar effect as wrapping too high. You won’t have any support in your wrist, because you are not covering the joint.
Using Too Long of a Wrist Wrap.
Wrist wraps come in a wide range of sizes and different size wraps serve different purposes. Using too long of a wrist wrap adds extra stiffness to your wrists and this could affect your performance.
We recommend finding looking through wrist wraps and finding which length suits you best for your lifts. If you’re a beginner, start with an 18” wrist wrap and move up as you progress to more dynamic lifts.
Use Your Wrist Wraps Today
Now you know how to put on wrist wraps and use them correctly. Make sure to find the perfect fit for your pair and avoid the mistakes we’ve highlighted above. If this is your first pair of wrist wraps, we recommend taking a look at our Villain wrist wraps.
Villain wrist wraps are great for all lifters since you won’t have to worry about wrestling with a thumb loop before every lift. It’s easy to put on and use, so you can focus on your workout and not the alignment of your wrist.
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