Increasingly, athletes can be found in gyms using knee wraps. Learn how to use this inventory and when to do it. When squatting with a barbell, athletes are increasingly beginning to use bandages. Today we will talk about the rules for using knee wraps. This topic is very relevant for athletes whose training experience does not exceed two years. It is believed that thanks to this special equipment, the risk of injury to the knee joints can be significantly reduced.
Reasons for using knee wraps
In order to understand the need to use knee wraps, it is necessary to find out the motives that push athletes to use them. The first and foremost of these, of course, is the desire to reduce the risk of injury to the knee joint.
No doubt the knee is vulnerable enough to be protected. Athletes looking to protect their joints in a variety of ways are commendable, but there is one caveat to consider. One of the basic rules for using knee wraps is the need to use them only when working with large weights. The use of bandages is advisable only in this case. If the working weight is small, then it is quite possible to do without the use of bandages.
The next motive for the use of special equipment is a possible increase in strength and muscle mass. Very often, for an athlete, when choosing bandages, their cushioning qualities are of decisive importance. If you tightly wrap the knee joint with an elastic bandage, then the lifting capacity increases at the lowest point of the trajectory of movement.
In this case, it is much easier to get up and return to the starting position. For example, when you are not using bandages, you can perform one repetition with the maximum weight. If you use additional equipment, then the number of repetitions will increase to two or three. Thanks to this, you can significantly increase the mass and increase the strength indicators of the leg muscles.
Of course, with increasing weight, the risk of injury will also increase, and the use of bandages becomes very relevant. But at the same time, one should not think that if the knee joints are wrapped in bandages, then they are completely protected from injury. This is a completely wrong assumption. The likelihood of injury to the joint and ligaments remains in any case, although, of course, the risk of this is somewhat reduced. But it is still worth using knee wraps when working with large weights. Very often, the decisive factor for the use of bandages is the performance of professional athletes in powerlifting competitions or in strength athletics. Very often, representatives of these sports use bandages when performing squats. But not many athletes know that they have to do this to a greater extent not to protect the joints, but out of necessity. Special standards have been developed, which stipulate the need for the use of certain equipment. Thus, if in a specific competition the rules, the use of knee bandages are prescribed, then the athlete is forced to use them.
You probably know that the goal of a powerlifting competition is to lift as much weight as possible. Bandages are often used to achieve this. For this reason, the standards for obtaining the title of, say, master of sports, with and without equipment, differ significantly.
Knee wraps when recovering from injuries
In addition to all of the above, knee wraps should be used during the recovery period from previous injuries. Of course, a special bandage can be used for these purposes, but in the absence of it, bandages are quite suitable.
Also during this period, you should revise your training program. Particular attention should be paid to nutrition, warm-up and those exercises that you plan to do in class. But the use of a brace or knee bandages is necessary to reduce the risk of recurrence of the injury.
How to bandage your knees
There are several basic rules for using knee wraps. In order to wind the bandage, you must:
- Take a sitting position and stretch your leg forward.
- The toe should be pulled towards you, and the leg should be tense and not bent at the knee.
- The left leg is bandaged clockwise, and the right leg, respectively, counterclockwise. This is necessary for the reason that the kneecap moves when squatting and it is this application of bandages that will be correct from an anatomical point of view.
- You should start bandaging from the outside under the cup, and place the bandage closer to the side where the coil will be directed.
- After one turn, the bandage should be lifted in such a way as to capture about 1/3 of the previous turn.
- To fix the bandage, after the last turn, you need to insert your thumb between the knee and the bandage and pass the end of the bandage into the vacated space. Professionals often use a special hook for this.
All of the above is more related to experienced athletes. Novice athletes work with light weights and their joints are able to withstand such a load. By and large, beginners need not be afraid of ligament rupture or that the knee will pop out of the articular bag.
If you started training after an injury, then knee wraps should be used. Beginners at the initial stage of training should pay all attention to the technique of performing the exercises. If this is not done, then neither a large working weight, nor other methods will be effective in gaining mass.
When you gain experience, start working with serious weights, then you can familiarize yourself with the rules for using knee wraps. In the meantime, work on the technique so that in the future your progress from the training is obvious. Also, proper nutrition plays an important role in keeping the joints in order.
If you eat poor-quality foods or consume insufficient amounts of nutrients, then the ligaments and joints will not be strengthened, which will cause possible injury.
In this video tutorial, you can visually familiarize yourself with the knee bandage technique:
