Squats and Knee Wraps

[ChunkyThunder]

I have no plans to now

[thachozenonebx]

Lately, I've been doing Hack Squats and Leg Presses before I even get to squats. My legs are already fatigued and I don't need to worry about piling a ton of weight on the bar (Yet another tip from Yates). When I do get to squats I alternate between Free Weight and Smith Machine, I don't use a belt/wraps (I've never actually used wraps). My legs are a strong body part already, but they respond even better using this method.

i started a similar formula of fatiguing my quads b4 free weight squats.My gym has a squat machine...its a lying sled that has weights pre loaded...i use 200 lbs and do 2 sets of 40 reps ( 80 total) and altho my quads burn like hell..i feel as if my knees are primed for squatting

[Sliced N Diced]

I will only use them on my heaviest set. I used them today and it made my knees feel terrible....

[thepump]

I would wrap up on heavy days.

Yup, that's pretty much my philosophy for years. Had good luck with it.

[crashcrew56]

I will only use them on my heaviest set. I used them today and it made my knees feel terrible....

I think it's something you have to get used to, my knees felt like hell after the last time I used them

[Por2gue]

cool avi buster
that makes sense altho i have no medical background
when i used wraps it seemed like my knees wud hurt..and im like...WTF?
it dont seem like these things are helping at all!!!!!!

If you wrap from the inside of your knee on out, that will cause the knee to be out of alignment. The wrap needs to come from the outside in. I wear my straps once I've gotten to 315 on squats and keep putting them on as I add more weight every set there after.

[tropo]

yea, I know. I'm talking about now in his wiser age, he advises against them.

I'm getting old myself and at 51 I have the beginning stages of tibiofemoral osteoarthritis in both knees and patella arthritis in my right knee.

I've experimented for about 2 years using knee wraps and knee sleeves, both tight and loose. I can manage up to 300 lbs with no sleeves or wraps, but as soon as I cover them, even with a loose sleeve they feel uncomfortable.

Now I use sleeves to keep the knee warm between sets, but squat without them.

Even if I do bodyweight squats with knee sleeves the knees feel bad.

[Ryan Bracewell]

its unfortunate that TPT does not post here anymore(atleast not much) because he made some good points in this thread. However, majority of his arguement is geared toward bodybuilders and for them I agree 100%. When you are doing lower reps with more extreme weights I really do not like to go without some kind of knee support. As stated the knee is the "weak link" in the equation and when your walking out and moving 600-700 pounds it is much more comfortable to at least have a knee sleeve.

Another thing to consider, IMO, is when someone is taking their body beyond its natural limits you do not want to treat it like your within those limits. ( i.e. the joints do not strengthen at the rate of muscles when your enhanced) So additional supports could become beneficial.

[Ryan Bracewell]

I just wanted to add that even I think studies can be extremely valuable for our training techniques, I doubt there are too many studies looking at how knee sleeves/wraps affect your knee when squatting 500+ lbs. How your body reacts to something when doing an exercise, say squats, at 50% of your 1RM can be quite a bit different then how it responds to 95% of your 1RM.

[Hammerfit]

I use them along w sleeves but only when go over 315 and I dont cover the kneecap 2-3 wraps under the knee and 2-3 wraps over the top of knee

[nitrous]

i was thinking about using wraps on my heaviest set only.. tried it once in the past and thought it felt quite well.. now that i'm going heavy again on my squats i'm thinking it would help but haven't decided

[thesamewords]

wrap every single time. even on the leg press, I dont want development first i want to be able to retain power under the same conditions that I compete under. i compete with wraps so I train with them. staying familiar with your tools is essential.

[Gymrat65]

I use them over 400lbs on squat but wrap for light support, i don't wrap them tight until 500+. I do some exercises to strengthen around the knee area on leg day helped me out a lot (rotational movements).

[The Big Sexy]

I use the PJ Braun method. I start toward the middle/top of my calf, and wrap until I get to the top of my knee cap. On the last 3rd and 2nd revolutions of the knee wrap, I criss-cross over the knee and on the last I wrap straight over it on the top of the cap.

This keeps my knee stable, and doesn't assist in the lift like when I keep wrapping above my knee up my quad a bit. My knee feels stable as shit, never hurts, and because of that confidence - I can do either more reps or more weight.

And this is from a guy who has suffered a knee injury (from paintball, and then softball) and it makes a huge difference on the heavier weights for stability.