One of the most common injuries in CrossFit happens with the wrists. If you look around at any box, you’ll find people of different fitness levels performing exercises that require strength and stability in this area. The amount of stress that the wrist can tolerate is rather unbelievable; but like any body part, they’re not immune to injury. Any CrossFitter would be wise to understand how to alleviate wrist pain and furthermore, how to prevent it from worsening — namely through the use of wrist wraps.
As athletes, it is important for us to be able to do exercises properly with minimum risk of injury. We need to have healthy, strong wrists for two huge reasons:
- Many lifts require the backward extension of the wrist, which puts a lot of strain on it.
- Bodyweight exercises like ring dips, pull-ups and push-ups put extra pressure on the wrists since they have to support the weight of your body.
It’s important to keep working to be physically fit and be our best possible selves. To stay in the game longer, you need to protect yourself from injury and pain. One good way to do this is to employ the use of wrist wraps. While they might not completely prevent injury, wrist wraps provide extra support to the wrists. This, along with foundational training and basic conditioning, can help avoid further risk of injury.
Types of Wrist Wraps
There are two main types of wrist wraps: cloth and elastic. Tape wraps also exist, but they are not meant to be replacements for cloth or elastic. These are not reusable, offer minimal support and are not adjustable, but they’re better than no protection at all.
Cloth Wraps
Cloth wraps are the most common type of wrist wraps, and they provide a number of advantages.
- They offer sufficient support for high rep workouts and are adjustable on the fly. You just need to twist to tighten it and twist the opposite direction to loosen. The tighter it is wrapped, the more support it provides — although tighter wraps could impede your mobility by reducing your range of motion.
- Cloth wraps will not loosen as easily during a workout. Especially when wrapped right.
- Cloth wraps are washable, compared to other types.
The WOD Life has a wide selection of wrist wraps available. For those looking for a lightweight but reliable option, you can check out the TWL Wraps that come in a variety of colors.
Elastic Wraps
While cloth wraps are great for bodyweight exercises and the like, those who like to do some heavy lifting might want to consider elastic wraps. Here are some advantages.
- These wraps are stretchy and are secured with hook-and-loop tapes.
- Elastic wraps are sturdier and more reliable for low rep, heavier lifts. Most elastic wrist wraps also come with thumb loops.
- You can adjust these wraps to your desired tightness. The elasticity provides a bit more room for movement and is extra reliable.
The WOD Life offers the WOD Wrist Wrap 2.0, a strong wrap with a soft material that can help longer sessions feel more comfortable. The thumb loop also gives you more support and peace of mind.
If you want to take an extra step as a strongman or powerlifter, the heavy duty WOD Wrist Wrap offers the highest quality support for the toughest workouts when you need it to be wrapped extra firm around your wrists.
Whatever your needs are, anyone can benefit from wrist wraps to stay in the game for longer.
