LEE: Using Knee Wraps

[LeePriestLover]

Lee,

Do you and did you ever use Knee Wraps during heavy squatting / leg movements?  I only know of one picture of you - and you were very young squatting around 500 pounds - using knee wraps.  Do you use them or have you used them lately?  If so, for what exercises?

Thanks in advance for your answer!

[soldato]

he's not been using knee wraps lately. for a short time before the iroman - he was having to wrap a bad elbow (but it was just for pain).  trying to work through the injury as he does not like to mask the pain with drugs (asprin, tylenol...nothing).

for what it is worth - i am not lee, but i don't like wraps.  i believe it was dorian who once said if your are gonna wrap your knees all up to help you go heavy - you might as well put a spring under your ass.  wraps are for powerlifters:) --- i don't necessarily want to lift my car - just look like i can.

[weedoutheweak]

he's not been using knee wraps lately. for a short time before the iroman - he was having to wrap a bad elbow (but it was just for pain).  trying to work through the injury as he does not like to mask the pain with drugs (asprin, tylenol...nothing).

for what it is worth - i am not lee, but i don't like wraps.  i believe it was dorian who once said if your are gonna wrap your knees all up to help you go heavy - you might as well put a spring under your ass.  wraps are for powerlifters:) --- i don't necessarily want to lift my car - just look like i can.

I'll disagree w/ this.  Wraps create Hydrostatic tension and can save your joints.  I am a huge believer in wraps.  That being said, I hadly ever use them (maybe 1 out of every 3 leg workouts).  I'll have them w/ me, but if I'm not going to go heavy enough to use them, I won't. 

Arnold used them.  Lee Haney used them.  Don't be dumb, use them.

[rocket]

i believe it was dorian who once said if your are gonna wrap your knees all up to help you go heavy - you might as well put a spring under your ass.  wraps are for powerlifters:) --- i don't necessarily want to lift my car - just look like i can.

Thats good and all - it sounds poetically hardcore but it also sounds like bad advice.  Anybody can make a statement like that and they don't have to live with the consequences. 

[gtbro1]

 Just a thought...I don't know, so I am gona ask..aren't using wraps sorta a crutch,like a weight lifting belt?..What I mean is,of coarse you should use a belt when squating very heavy...but if a person relies too much on the belt even on lower weight sets,it seems to me like they would miss out on some developement and low back strength that they would have gotten if they had not used the belt so much...So when they take off the belt they can't squat nearly as much,because their lower backs are weak...Now I understand the wraps deal with the joint and it isn't exactly the same thing...but doesn't the same theory apply?..Like I said this is a question not a disagreement with what you guys have said about wraps.I have never tried em.

[weedoutheweak]

Just a thought...I don't know, so I am gona ask..aren't using wraps sorta a crutch,like a weight lifting belt?..What I mean is,of coarse you should use a belt when squating very heavy...but if a person relies too much on the belt even on lower weight sets,it seems to me like they would miss out on some developement and low back strength that they would have gotten if they had not used the belt so much...So when they take off the belt they can't squat nearly as much,because their lower backs are weak...Now I understand the wraps deal with the joint and it isn't exactly the same thing...but doesn't the same theory apply?..Like I said this is a question not a disagreement with what you guys have said about wraps.I have never tried em.

Use a belt.  Who cares about 'real' strength?  Are you a powerlifter or strongman, b/c even they use belts and wraps and suits.    If you're bodybuilding, you shouldn't give a shit about 'real' strength.  You should care about how you look, and the health of your joints and spine.  Sounds like you got some bad advice.  I wouldn't follow it.

[gtbro1]

Well I believe I read the thing about the belt in Arnold's Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding...And I was only refering to guys that use a belt on every set.I do not know about the wraps...that is why I asked.

[BrooklynBB]

Bump for a reply from Lee.

And someone above typed "who cares about "real" strength" since you're trying to only build muscle.

Well, unless you're genetically gifted to grow muscle (i.e., mesomorphic) you'd better give a shit about strength! 

Most people wear belts incorrectly and during all sets.  There's no purpose to this, and all they're really doing is weakening thier erector spinae and abdominal muscles. 

As for using knee wraps the main purpose is to stabalize the patella, but again most people wear them incorrectly by wrapping too tightly around the knee itself and not giving more attention to the tendons below and above the joint. 

Not too sure about "hydrostatic pressure" either.  What kind of fluid are you permitting to enter the patella area when circulation has been cut off?  Doesn't make sense.

[bigster]

I think a hardcore bodybuilder needs straps. And if you think heavy lifting is not for bodybuilders, but only have to look strong is engough, then why is Ronny training so damn heavy.  Yates always uses some elbow suppport and liftingbelts etc.  Use your strapping only for the last set in a exercise and make sure you have a good spotter.

[rocket]

The difference between say what dorian said and what lee will say is that lee only ever talks about what works for him and thus he's not giving bad advice.

[hardest core]

I have used knee wraps for 25 years. I have also squatted 804.4 @ 242 competing in the USAPL and I am life time drug free. I have squatted 700+lbs in drug tested meets over 3 decades. I would wrap with anything above 405 while training. The heavier the weight, the tighter I would wrap. I do not believe they are a "crutch". They have preserved my knees over the years through hundreds of extremely hard workouts. I have used them during high rep training and low rep training. As long as you wrap properly and make sure your knee caps are aligned, you should be fine. I am living proof they work. I have had 2 left knee (acl) scopes only due to football injuries. Now....at the age of 41, my knees feel great, no problems what so ever. I should also add that I squatted atleast once a week for 20 consecutive years, other than during the recovery from the surgeries. I truly believe that wrapping during squats have saved my knees.

[BigSexy50]

He is getting ready for the show, I don't think he will be replying.

[gtbro1]

I have used knee wraps for 25 years. I have also squatted 804.4 @ 242 competing in the USAPL and I am life time drug free. I have squatted 700+lbs in drug tested meets over 3 decades. I would wrap with anything above 405 while training. The heavier the weight, the tighter I would wrap. I do not believe they are a "crutch". They have preserved my knees over the years through hundreds of extremely hard workouts. I have used them during high rep training and low rep training. As long as you wrap properly and make sure your knee caps are aligned, you should be fine. I am living proof they work. I have had 2 left knee (acl) scopes only due to football injuries. Now....at the age of 41, my knees feel great, no problems what so ever. I should also add that I squatted atleast once a week for 20 consecutive years, other than during the recovery from the surgeries. I truly believe that wrapping during squats have saved my knees.

How is the proper way to wrap?How can you wrap your knees "wrong"? This is a serious question not a smart a** reply.

[benchthis]

Thats good and all - it sounds poetically hardcore but it also sounds like bad advice.  Anybody can make a statement like that and they don't have to live with the consequences. 

dorian never squated

[weedoutheweak]

Bump for a reply from Lee.

And someone above typed "who cares about "real" strength" since you're trying to only build muscle.

Well, unless you're genetically gifted to grow muscle (i.e., mesomorphic) you'd better give a shit about strength! 

Most people wear belts incorrectly and during all sets.  There's no purpose to this, and all they're really doing is weakening thier erector spinae and abdominal muscles. 

As for using knee wraps the main purpose is to stabalize the patella, but again most people wear them incorrectly by wrapping too tightly around the knee itself and not giving more attention to the tendons below and above the joint. 

Not too sure about "hydrostatic pressure" either.  What kind of fluid are you permitting to enter the patella area when circulation has been cut off?  Doesn't make sense.

Whatever you say.  I just come at you w/ facts.  I can't combat crazy. 

[hardest core]

Yes...you can wrap your knees wrong. Lets say that you are wrapping your left knee clock wise. If you do not lock the knee to hold the knee cap in place, it will be pulled over to the right. Same with the right leg, if you wrap counter clock wise. With the knee cap not aligned and the wraps, wrapped tightly.....your knee caps will grind while squatting. Years of this can really screw up the inside of the knee cap. It is call "condemalacia". I'm not sure if that is the proper spelling. Lock the knee caps in place, then wrap the knees. When your done wrapping, relax the knee. You'll be fine.

[gtbro1]

Yes...you can wrap your knees wrong. Lets say that you are wrapping your left knee clock wise. If you do not lock the knee to hold the knee cap in place, it will be pulled over to the right. Same with the right leg, if you wrap counter clock wise. With the knee cap not aligned and the wraps, wrapped tightly.....your knee caps will grind while squatting. Years of this can really screw up the inside of the knee cap. It is call "condemalacia". I'm not sure if that is the proper spelling. Lock the knee caps in place, then wrap the knees. When your done wrapping, relax the knee. You'll be fine.

Thanks for the response.I have never used wraps,but have considered it because as I get older my knees are doing a lot more popping and aching than they used to.I never knew you could wrap em wrong,but what you said makes sense.

[hardest core]

NO PROBLEM. Your welcome!

[LeePriestLover]

Guess Lee never saw this;  I'll bump for one last time for a (hopeful) response.  If not, all have to say to Lee is THANKS for the honorable mention, I almost crapped my pants when I read the new MD. 

[GMCtrk]

dorian never squated

of course he squatted. He worked his way up to high 600lb squats and then stopped doing them

[rccs]

I see a lot of guys here who are not fond of heavy trainning, and that's because they cannot go heavy. Being just big is not enough, we must go heavy, what is the point of having a Ferrari if you can't "squeeze" it to the the botton... just for the "looks". Screw the "looks". Drug based trainning sucks, if you don't go heavy yhen you don't need wraps, but if you catch a flu you will loose 8 kgs of muscle because they are weak and drug "addicted". See Levrone´s video and Markus Rhul and learn something about training.

[ramazon]

Lee,

Do you and did you ever use Knee Wraps during heavy squatting / leg movements?  I only know of one picture of you - and you were very young squatting around 500 pounds - using knee wraps.  Do you use them or have you used them lately?  If so, for what exercises?

Thanks in advance for your answer!

Err on the side of caution, my friend.  Wrap, wrap, wrap, esp. when you perform hacks or any movement that places more emphasis on the anterior cruciate ligament and its associative muscles.  If you sink your glutes past knee level, beyond a 45-degree angle and with a maximum load, do protect your knees at least with a light wrap.  It'll delay arthritis by at least 10 years.

[Eat2Grow]

dorian never squated

Neither do I ,,,I stand up and piss.

[LeePriestLover]

Anyway ...

Back to the question: Lee, have you ever used Knee Wraps or do you use them now?

[Lee_a_priest]

I have used them along time ago.And no i dont use them now