We’ve all seen the guys and girls in the weight room, methodically wrapping their wrists. And if you thought that wrist wrapping was only for boxers, you’re not alone.

1. WRIST WRAPS: EVERYTHING
YOU NEED TO KNOW

3. We’ve all seen the guys and girls in the weight
room, methodically wrapping their wrists. And if
you thought that wrist wrapping was only for
boxers, you’re not alone.
Next to lifting gloves, wrist wraps are a proven,
convenient, and cost-effective piece of exercise
equipment. They aren’t just for show or the overly
cautious. Wrist wraps have been shown to provide
several benefits to weightlifters including wrist
support, enhanced performance, and reduced risk
of injury.

4. 1. WHAT ARE WRIST WRAPS?
Wrist wraps are pieces of fitness
equipment used during exercise, usually
weightlifting, to provide support and protect
your grip, wrist, and forearm.
Weightlifting wrist wraps are especially useful
during heavy lifting workouts such as
powerlifting or Strongman where pressing
movements and overhead lifts are common.

5. 2. TYPES OF WRIST WRAPS
There are several types of wrist wraps that can help your
workouts depending on your fitness goals and exercise
program.
• Wrist Wraps
The traditional wrist wrap is a durable piece of material
with a closing mechanism, usually a Velcro strap. There is
also a thumb loop on the side to ensure security.
It should be noted that the thumb loop is not required to
use the wrist wraps. In fact, many lifters prefer to leave it
hanging on the side or safely remove it from the strap
altogether.

6. • Lifting Strap Combo
Just as the name implies, this wrist wraps and
lifting straps combo puts together the supportive
benefits of wrist wraps with the lifting support of
straps.
Unlike wrist wraps, lifting straps are not focused on
providing muscle and connective tissue stability.
Rather, they take over when your grip fails allowing
you to lift more weight to fatigue the target muscle.
More on this below.

7. • EZ Grip Combo
The EZ Grip combo mixes the classic wrist wraps
with an extended leather pad. They are
sometimes called wrist pads.
The wrist straps provide support while the
leather pads ensure a tight grip on the barbell.

8. • Lifting Hook Combo
This wrist wrap combo is similar to the EZ Grip but
instead of a leather pad, there is a lifting hook.
The wrist straps themselves are heavy duty, usually
reinforced with several layers of a tough neoprene
material. The hooks should be steel – and don’t
accept anything less – with a plastic coating as not
to damage the barbell.

9. 3. WRIST WRAPS VS. LIFTING STRAPS
There’s an odd trend in the online fitness
community where wrist wraps are mistakenly
being referred to as lifting straps. These are two
completely different things.
While there are some combinations of the two,
as we discussed above, wrist wraps and lifting
straps serve two different purposes:

10. 4. BENEFITS OF WRIST WRAPS
Before we discuss how to use wrist wraps, it’s
important you understand the benefits of wrist
wraps and why you should invest in a pair to
support your fitness goals.

11. • Form Support
Wraps provide weightlifting wrist support. Take
a minute to think about how many exercises
your wrist is involved in. If you’re using a free
weight, your wrist is going to be a part of the
action.
Is it any wonder that wrist strain is one of the
most common weightlifting injuries?

12. A wrap provides additional support to the bones
in your wrist during all exercises and helps you
keep proper alignment and form during the
movement.
For example, during movements like the barbell
snatch, your wrist is kept in place and the
chance of overextension is minimized with the
help of a wrist wrap.