Knee Wraps vs Knee Sleeves: Yes! They Are Different

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Knee Wraps vs Knee Sleeves Yes! They Are
Different

• The final, decision-making, battle of knee wraps
  vs knee sleeves. Ready to find out who takes the
  win.Knee wraps and Knee sleeves, arent they the
  same thing and serve the same purpose?

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What Are Knee Wraps?

• Knee wraps are worn for the purpose of knee
  protection and are usually worn by competitive
  bodybuilders and powerlifters (powerlifting knee
  wraps). Made of elastic, similar to the one, used
  to make wrist wraps, they are intended to be
  wrapped around the knee in a diagonal or spiral
  way to get knee support for squats.
• Before you dive into how to use them, its
  recommended that you first educate yourself about
  their proper usage.
• Why Use Knee Wraps?
• Knee wraps help you add more weights when doing
  weighted squats as they let a lifter conserve
  energy when going down during a squat. The
  energy, being elastic in nature, lets a person
  get up from the bottom of a squat. Besides, knee
  wraps have been proven to decrease the pressure
  exerted on the quadriceps tendon while heavy
  lifting. So, if you use knee wraps for weight
  lifting, your quads will stay attached to your
  knee during max effort squats.

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Pros and Cons of Knee Wraps

• Pros

• Cons

• They reduce stress exerted on the quadriceps
  tendon, which links to the patella and
  quadriceps. Your tendons pull the patella when
  you squat down. So, decreasing the tension on the
  tendon assists in decreasing the chances of
  tearing the quads while lifting heavy weight.
• It is a mandatory piece of equipment used by
  powerlifters taking part in an equipped division
  to prevent any injury. As a matter of fact, knee
  wraps alter the horizontal movement of lifters,
  which changes the targeted muscles.

• You can not use knee wraps for every exercise,
  they are only used for a few specific exercises.
• While they help lift more weight, they dont help
  the lifter to get stronger because they are
  restrictive in nature, and they increase the
  friction between the cartilage and patella of the
  knee cap.

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What Are Knee Sleeves?

• Knee sleeves are used by people in every
  exercise. From bodybuilders and powerlifters to
  crossfitters you will see people wearing these
  almost everywhere. Typically, made from neoprene,
  they keep the knees warm. Some people use them
  for squatting, as well.
• What does a knee sleeve do? A knee sleeve helps
  with pain and swelling by providing compression.
  They can also prevent minor injuries work well
  for mild knee pain.

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Why Use Knee Sleeves?

• As we have already mentioned above, knee sleeves
  are made from neoprene which mainly offers 2
  important benefits to the knee capsule
• It offers compression to the knee.
• It offers heat that keeps the knee warm improve
  blood flow when exercising.
• This way, they protect knees from damage and
  potential future injuries.

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The Differences Between Knee Wraps vs Knee
Sleeves
Tightness Knee wraps are wrapped so tightly
around the knee that it limits the knee from
moving freely in the absence of the loaded
weight. It provides stability to the knee and
helps in lifting more weight.On the other hand
sleeves, hug the knees snugly and are tight, but
they still allow you to bend your knee freely.
Most people wear their knee sleeves as tight as
they can to gain maximum stability and warmth,
but they can never be as tight as knee wraps.
Ease of Use Wraps are difficult to use because
you need to know how to properly wrap them to
minimise injury and maximise performance. They
are meant to be very tight to increase the weight
you can lift. Thats why most professionals ask a
partner to wrap their knees.Sleeves, on the
contrary, are very easy to use as long as you
know you have picked the correct size. Then you
just have to slide them on in a way that they
cover your knees. But keep in mind to centre the
knee sleeve on the knee to allocate equal
material to both above and below the knee.
Type of Lifting Knee wraps should only be worn,
by people, who have tried knee sleeves before or
by competitive powerlifters. If you want to wear
them for powerlifting, then wear them only when
you compete in a specific division. They are
perfect for gaining extra advantage during heavy
squats.
Knee sleeves, however, are perfect for the
majority of people working at the gym. They add
slight compression for stabilisation of the knee
and can be used for an array of exercises without
any real deal-breaker.
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Knee Wraps Vs Knee Sleeves Which One To Choose?
Knee wraps are designed to be pulled as tight as
possible to provide the maximum amount of support
to the knee joint, quadriceps tendon, and
surrounding muscles. The elastic material used in
knee wraps helps to store elastic energy during
the downward phase of the squat, which is then
released during the upward phase, allowing for an
increase in the amount of weight lifted. Knee
wraps also help to increase the blood flow to the
knee joint, warming up the joint and reducing the
risk of injury.
On the other hand, knee sleeves are designed to
provide compression and warmth to the knee joint,
making them ideal for activities that require a
lot of knee movement, such as running or
CrossFit. They are made of thinner neoprene or
similar materials and are easier to put on and
take off than knee wraps, as they do not require
wrapping around the knee joint several times.
Knee sleeves are also less expensive than knee
wraps and can be worn during a range of
activities.


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So, Which One Is Better For Prevent Injuries
During lifting? (Final Word)
It depends on your requirements and your
preferences as well. If you have weak knees, then
knee wraps can improve your deadlifts and squats
because they work wonders for weightlifters and
powerlifters. There isnt much you can do other
than using them.
But if you feel that knee wraps are too much for
your knees then try knee sleeves. They have
similar perks, but they are easier to wear and
offer a good amount of support without being a
hindrance.