Jan 30, 2012

Many people find that they need some extra helping in keeping their wrists stable and safe while they are lifting. There are two ways to do this, tape and a pre-made wrap. Tape is the old school method, one which I prefer, because it allows me to custom fit my wrap to the support/comfort level that I want.

The second way to support your wrists is to use a pre-made wrap. These come in all shapes and sizes. Usually a lighter weight, thinner, wrap is preferred for Olympic weightlifting. The heavier and wider wraps are often used for bench pressing.

The reason for this difference is the level of flexibility required for these movements. The Olympic lifts require quite a bit of wrist flexibility and therefore a thicker wrap would limit a lifters ability to complete the lifts. The bench press requires almost no wrist flexibility and therefore it is best for a lifter to have a very sturdy and inflexible wrap to provide the most support possible.

My personal preference for tape stems from my need to have a wrap that is quite flexible and provides some, relatively little, support. If I were a powerlifter I would probably use a much thicker wrap for bench pressing.

Both tape and wraps are pretty inexpensive. If you chose the tape route, you should probably buy a large “trainers” box of tape as that will give you the best price/roll. Wraps should be chosen based on their size and the level of support that they offer. I can’t personally recommend any brand in particular, stick to the major weightlifting or powerlifting brands and you should be fine.

One final point about tape, don’t use Kinesio (or similar style) tape, to tape your wrists! Kinesio tape is great at what it does, but you don’t need a stretch type tape to effectively tape wrists. I stick with a standard ½ inch type of tape that is more than enough to get the job done. Save your money and use your Kinesio tape where you really need it.

Jan 13, 2012

The barbell snatch is a great way to strengthen and protect the shoulder. The long range of motion and flexibility requirements mean that the weight usually stays low (except in elite lifters). This means that your shoulders are able to withstand snatching on a regular basis without hurting recovery or risking injury, provided your technique is correct.

The snatch can be a great lift to compliment the bench press (a high load/ low flexibility movement) because it will help you to stretch out your shoulders while making them stronger. The type of strength that is developed is unique to the snatch and can be a great addition to the training of athletes who execute some form of throwing movement in their sport.

Having alot of strength in shoulder rotation can be very useful in avoiding injury from repetitive throwing motions. It can also help bench pressers by restoring flexibility to the shoulders and providing a novel way to train.

In addition to the ability of the snatch to improve performance or prevent injury in other sports, it can be a great lift to add in for non athletes. The snatch is a lift that requires intense dedication to technical practice and therefore it can be very rewarding to train for those who don’t have a particular sport related goal. Training the mind and the body, the snatch is a great lift for anyone.