Tips for Using Wrist Wraps to Prevent Wrist Pain

There are many accessories on the market that are available for CrossFit athletes, lifters and pole dancers including straps, thumb loop less wraps, knee sleeves, belts, and lifting shoes, and in my personal opinion, wrist wraps are among some of the most misused and overused support accessories for both lifting and pole dancing motions that require an amount of flexibility for optimal support.

Wrist wraps are meant to provide ample support to the wrist while performing heavy or maximum effort lifts in pressing motion, as well as overhead lifts.

In terms of Pole Dancing, there only seems to be wrist wraps for lifters, and not pole dancers who need flexible support on the wrist. Looking for pole dance wrist support for pole dancers? then check the best wrist wraps and read the reviews and we offer Free shipping over $80 and 30-day returns.

When do you need wrist wraps?

These types of lifts tend to pull the wrist into excessive extension under load, and can then result in compromised wrist mechanics, potential injury, and incorrect or failed lifts. I don’t mean to say that wrist wraps are not useful to wear in the gym, I just have noticed that most people don’t use them in the correct way. And this is not to be confused with weightlifter wrist straps with a thumb loop that are completely different to wrist support.

The following are a few tricks to help you use wrist wraps correctly so you get the most out of your training and get wrist stability:

I have included annotations for Lifters and pole dancers as there are variations of  best wrist wraps

Avoid wearing your wrist wraps while warming up

Lifter Tips: fitness wrist wraps are not required when moving 60% of your 1-RM press. I usually only recommend wearing wrist wraps (Without thumb loop) to athletes who will be lifting max or near-max loads like the bench press.

Wearing heavy duty wrist wraps all the time will make your dependent on them and will severely limit your development of strength in both your wrist flexors and extensors. If you look around your gym, you should notice that the strongest athletes there will only occasionally wear their wrist wraps.

Pole Dancers tips: If you are going to do any kind of pole elements that are intensive on your wrists then you should be using flexible wrist wraps which you will find from our store, however, it is optimal to wear them throughout your strength training session without any complications from any other regular wrist wraps.

Be sure not to tie your wrist wraps too low

Lifter Tips: It is important to remember that your wrist wrap is meant to support your wrist. Wrapping the wrist basically turns the wrap into a glorified forearm bracelet and it will not provide any support to the joint and may even cause wrist issues.

When tying a fitness wrist wrap, be sure that it covers the wrist properly so there is enough support to prevent unnecessary wrist extension; a good rule of thumb is to have the top of the wrap against the base of your hand.

Pole Dancer Tips: Quite the contrary with Sneakydeez wrist wraps, its advisable to wear the best wrist wraps so they are covering your carpal bone area to ensure your wrists are fully supported.

Are you using the right kind of wrap?

Lifter Tips: There are mainly two types of wrist wraps available on the market: the first are cotton wraps such as Strength Wraps which are thinner and more flexible, and powerlifting wraps that are much thicker, bound with Velcro, and provide better wrist support. Its important to note that you can use hook and thumb loop designs depending on if you are a weightlifter.

When attempting to max out a movement such as a bench or shoulder presses, I advise most athletes to use the thicker type of wrap. If you are trying to max out a clean and jerk, or snatch, then a thinner wrap might be a better choice as it allows a little more range of motion in your wrist joint. To do both a snatch and jerk, you will need to slightly extend your wrist.

Pole Dancer Tips: the Same methodology mentioned in the lifters tips is applied here with pole dancers. Fortunately, Sneakydeez offers these features and help the wrists stay flexible while ensuring heavy duty support.

It highly recommended staying away from wrist wraps like cheap and traditional lifting wrist wraps for pole dancers that offer less wrist flexibility as they compromise the overall wrist support and will likely lead to an injury.

Must Read: Check out the do’s and don’t of wrist placement grip on Vertical Wise

Wraps are not always necessary for most gymnastic and dance pole movements

Unless you are going to wear a leotard and perform in a circus or a high impact pole dance choreography or compete in an actual gymnastic/pole-dancing event such as a pommel horse or vault, you likely don’t need to wear heavy duty fitness wrist wraps in order to do bodyweight exercises such as ring dips, handstand push-ups or even flag like elements on the pole.

There are exceptions to such as if you had a wrist injury to begin with, or if an athlete wanted to wear a wrap in order to protect their skin while doing a high number of pull ups with a false grip. Though, fitness wrist wraps that provide a lot of support are not a requirement for many of the gymnastics or pole dance elements that are usually performed in CrossFit or in the gym.

Wrist wraps should not be used to hide mobility and flexibility issues

Many people tend to wear some heavy duty wrist wraps in order to cover up any pain or discomfort while the wrist is extended such as the receiving position of a clean or while doing front squats, but fitness wrist wraps will not make you stronger or more flexible. Athletes commonly experience pain or discomfort in their wrists when cleaning or squatting because of incorrect rack position, and this is usually due to poor upper-body mobility.

Additionally, poor rack position can stem from an incorrect thoracic extension, lack of shoulder flexion and external rotation, and weak wrist flexibility.

This also applies to Pole dancers and gymnasts, if you have a wrist injury is it not ideal to rely on the wrist wraps to help with that existing injury. It’s best to consult a doctor or have a rest period until you have restored mobility in your wrists, start by using fitness wrist wraps and keep them in your gym bag.

Disclaimer: This article is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should only be used at the reader’s own risk. Please consult a fitness and or medical professional (doctor) for any questions and answers you may have.