Will using wraps help?

ALD4168 · #1 09-25-2003, 09:20 AM

I've noticed lately that my wrists are killing me during and after my workouts as the weights I'm lifting get heavier. Yesterday I was doing SLDL and by the time I had gotten to my last set I thought my hands were going to detach from my body at the wrists. The same feeling comes when I do chest presses with anything heavier than 20s. I broke both my wrists a long time ago so maybe they're just weak. Will using wraps help? If so what do I do with them? I've never really seen anyone in my gym use them close enough to know.

sage63 · #2 09-25-2003, 09:59 AM

Good question! Also, what about the "straps"? Are they where you strap your hands to the bar for things like SLDL? I also don't know how to use them. I have the same complaint on some of my exercises as I try to go heavier!

BHub · #3 09-25-2003, 10:13 AM

Straps will not help wrist pain. Straps provide some protection to your hands and give some aid to your grip. I use straps only on a few exercises were my grip may fail before larger muscle groups do, eg deadlifts, pullups and shrugs. That's it.
Five or six years ago, I developed tendonitis in my wrists and had to take 2 months to fully heal. I was lifting for about 2 years at the time and starting to get strong, and I overworked myself. That may have happened to you.
Most likely, your form/grip is what is hurting you. Try not wrapping your thumbs around the bar, but keep your thumbs on the same side as your fingers, so your hands are shaped like a hook. This helps me get my wrists in the correct position.
Finally, look into grip strengthening exercises. Sometimes your larger muscles groups will out grow the smaller ones, and you need to play catchup. For me, this happens with calves and forearms. You need to pay special attention to these bodyparts.

W8lifter2 · #4 09-25-2003, 10:45 AM

My 2 cents worth...on pressing exercises, make sure your palm is in line with your forearm when you grip. Meaning, don't bend your hand backwards while gripping, rather, make sure the bar/weight is in line with the forearm on the press. This puts the weight in line with the force being used to push it. Hope this helps...

Jenn · #5 09-25-2003, 03:45 PM

I don't know about the pressing exercises, but do you use an alternating grip on the SLDL's and regular deadlifts?

Adam Knowlden · #6 09-25-2003, 08:02 PM

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I've noticed lately that my wrists are killing me during and after my workouts as the weights I'm lifting get heavier

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Would you describe the pain as exertion failure? In other words is the pain just your grip strength failing? Or is a deep or sharp pain? Can you describe the type of pain better?

Nice signature sage!

sage63 · #7 09-26-2003, 02:19 AM

Thanks for the compliment on the sig, Adam! [img]/forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

For myself only, I'd describe it as exertion failure. Like lactic acid build up in my hands and forearms so bad that I have to stop my set and shake them out (several times). This has happened to me going heavy on SLDL, Seated Cable Rows and Cable Lat Pulldowns using the Freemotion machine. I'd wondered if there was a way to strap or hook my hands to the bar (know that prob isn't safe) or something so that my grip could take it. [img]/forum/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

ALD4168 · #8 09-26-2003, 12:06 PM

Well, with the deadlifts I'm pretty sure it's more of a grip thing. With presses and other overhead type motions, it's more of a stiffening pain. It feels kind of like my wrists are getting locked into place. If I stop and shake them out, they feel better for awhile, but eventually it comes back.

sage63 · #9 09-26-2003, 02:20 PM

Okay, for me...I tried to do BB curls today and I cannot do them b/c the pain in my wrist makes "electric" tingles go into my palm. I think it may be a carpal tunnel type thing. I can do DB curls but not BB. Any suggestions for this? (Besides the obvious....do DB, not BB!! LOL! [img]/forum/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] )