If You Need Support Get A Therapist!

Posted on April 22nd, 2009 by Sean

Using Supportive Gear

The Problem

There is an age-old argument at every gym; to wrap or not to wrap. You will find equally passionate arguments on either side; However, I am here to help stop this argument in its tracks.
Using supportive gear has gotten out of control. I have seen people walking into the gym with their belts already on. If they weren’t outside lifting cars then the belt should have been in the bag!
I am not saying you should never use supportive gear, I am saying there is an appropriate time and a place for its use.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make, especially as a beginning lifter, is relying on belts, straps, and wraps. Although using them could initially raise your poundage, you could be hampering your performance down the road.
Supportive gear hampers the development of the structural support mechanisms of the body such as the ligaments, tendons, and the smaller support muscles of the joints especially the knees and back. If you use gear too often you will create an imbalance in your muscular development and greatly increase your susceptibility to joint and muscular injury. The supports do the job your body is supposed to do. The larger primary movers will get strong but the tendon the muscles are attached to, as well as the ligaments that hold your joints together, will not respond at the same rate. You will get to the point of having to don a belt and wraps for your warm-ups because you feel weak without them. Never mind lifting weights, what about real life? How are you going to lift groceries out of your car or your child in to a car seat? Are you going to take a couple of minutes and wrap up? This is an issue that has ramifications far beyond the gym.

The Solution

The first thing you can do to break your equipment addiction is decrease the amount of weight you are lifting by 10% to 20%. I know that is blasphemy however; some times you have to take one step back before you can take a giant leap forward.
Now that you are using lighter weight, there are two things you can focus on, proper technique and full range of motion. Making sure you are doing the exercise properly, assures that you are getting maximum muscular involvement. Doing an exercise in a full range of motion assures that your connective tissue is getting the work it needs in order to get strong. Connective tissue,(ligaments and tendons), get stronger when you stretch them under load. This happens when you perform an exercise in a full range.
Training this way will make your body strong all over, with no weak links.

Conclusion

Don’t burn your belt just yet. As I mentioned earlier, there is a correct time and method to using supportive gear. I like to follow these parameters:

1. A minimum of three years of serious training
2. Intensity range of 90%-100%+ (if you are doing 10 reps, then you are not in the 90%-100%+ range)
3. Rep range of 1-3 repetitions.
4. Only with squats, deadlifts, pressing movements and the Olympic lifts.

Once you have met those parameters, feel free to start using your gear. Here is some simple advice to help you get the most out of your equipment.

5. Knee wraps
a. Use standard wraps found at any sporting goods store. Gold line or Red Line triple thick wraps are unnecessary unless you are squatting three times body weight or more.
b. Do not wrap directly over your kneecap. This will prohibit your kneecap from tracking properly and cause knee irritation.
c. When your knees are wrapped properly, you will feel a nice spring out of the bottom of the squat.

6. Wrist wraps
a. I don’t like the standard wrist wraps found at the stores; they are usually too short. I prefer using knee wraps; cut in half or quarters (depending on your preference). Have the cut ends hemmed so they don’t fray. These will provide the wrist stability you will need for the heaviest pressing movements.

7. Belts
a. Use a four-inch all leather belt with a metal buckle. This will last forever. The six inch and above sizes do not provide any more protection and are cumbersome.
b. A belt will provide you with the increased intra-abdominal you will need to handle those big squats and deadlifts.

–
Sean
Pure Strength