As we all know from Ronnie Coleman, Yeah Buddy and Light Weight Baby became a way of life for many of us. When doing a squat stand or doing heavy lunges, it is important to stay upright. But how are you supposed to counteract this when your knees and posture give way quickly in the event of massive pre-fatigue, although the strength itself is available? First and foremost, of course, you should work on mobility and control. But we wouldn't be the wodstore if we didn't bring you useful tools that make your workout more effective without you taking on more risk. One of these aids is the knee bandage. How do they work, how do you use them and how should you pay attention to the fit? We will provide you with comprehensive information so that you can soon move more fluently under the barbell and with more weight on your shoulders!
How do knee bandages work?
Knee bandages, as the name suggests and to put it very simply, fit tightly around the back of your knees and provide a certain amount of support and stability. This type of compression is also used to a lesser extent in sports shirts. On the one hand, you keep more body heat with you, on the other hand, the shirt, or the knee bandages, gives you a little extra strength so that you can rely on your muscles afterwards. At the same time, joint protection is also exercised during the reduced load.
Advantage 1: control
Have you ever found yourself doing a strength-enhancing physio session or working with your coach? If so, then surely there have been moments when you felt like miracles were being worked. With a few small steps, your posture was temporarily improved, and your muscles reacted more relaxed and direct at the same time. That was because your coach or physio might have touched the relevant muscle groups very cautiously at that moment. For athletes and for normal everyday life, such a small gesture has advantages that can be implemented directly: through the touch or the pressure exerted, the muscles are linked to the brain with a noticeable signal (explained in simple terms). Because of this, you can use this carryover and, with long-term practice, "program" your muscles and tendons to unwind the correct movement pattern. Knee bandages like those from RockTape are based on the same concept. Depending on the strength of the pressure, make sure that you consciously bring your knees outwards and thus increase your power transmission in the squat.
Advantage 2: Compression
RockTape knee wraps come in different sizes. You can easily see which size is right for you using our tables in the Wodstore. We will also come to the point of wearing comfort, but we have to anticipate one aspect: only if the knee sleeves are tight enough can they develop the desired effect. Ultimately, they provide strength that your supporting muscles may not be able to provide enough of. At the same time, this compression serves to protect against injuries, as you are less inclined to pull away when the weight tries to bring you down again. Less bad posture ultimately leads to better health and more strength. Knee sleeves like those from RockTape serve as a kind of double upgrade for your sports bag!Advantage 3: Linkage
We have already established that your body is "programmable". But by the point of connection we mean that the protection against injuries for athletes, which only comes through aids, can even be integrated into the muscular musculoskeletal system over time. This is how a habit is formed, plain and simple. We try to explain it in a simple way and to abstract it: A dog that always wants to bump into a lantern on its walkies will always be pushed sideways away from the lantern. Sooner or later, the dog will understand that the lantern is not for him and switch sides. The Rocktape Assassins trigger something similar because they integrate more leg and fit more form-fitting due to the longer fit. In this way you ensure in the long term that your body will be able to retrieve the movement pattern with bandages at some point without!
A few words about fit:
The fit of your knee bandages is an art in itself and we cannot give you a clear preference here. Some, especially in the area of maximum strength, rely on tight-fitting bandages, others still want to maintain a certain freedom of movement. But what always applies is that the sleeves should not slip during movement, regardless of their length. It's okay for them to move with you, but they should still hold the form at the knee and fit snugly, otherwise the above benefits will slip through your fingers almost entirely.
At the same time, they should not cut in completely and hurt even during the exercise. It is quite clear that the mesh fabric is sometimes difficult to remove from the leg. But bruising from squats is, drastically speaking, overkill. As a beginner, perhaps use the size charts more as a guide, as time goes on you will probably know better and better which RockTape version etc. is the best!