How to Use Knee Wraps

Often times, when you see a person doing heavy weightlifting, he will have his knees wrapped. Knee wraps are not generally necessary for light lifting. They are useful, however, if you have weak knees or are doing training that requires excessive exertion. Learn how to wrap your knees properly to best prevent injury. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Get a set of pre-rolled knee wraps from a local sports store. Most knee wraps are cotton and spandex strips or an elastic weave about 3 inches wide and 4 feet long.
2. Sit down and straighten out your leg and foot. Always wrap your knee with your leg straight and relaxed, never bent.
3. Place the knee wrap roughly 3 inches below your knee. Begin unrolling the knee wrap around your leg, spiraling upward and overlapping the wrap on each pass by roughly half its width.
4. Continue the wrap above your knee as far as you desire. Then, go back down, wrapping until the knee wrap runs out. You can crisscross the wrap over your kneecap if you wish for added support.
5. Tuck the loose end of the knee wrap in wherever you wish. Some bodybuilders like to tuck it into the front of the leg right above the knee.
6. Stand up and bend your knee to make sure the knee wrap is comfortable--not too tight and not too loose. If it feels like your circulation is being cut off or like the knee wrap is not giving you enough support, rewrap your knee.

Tips & Warnings

• Wrap your knees just tight enough to provide support, not so tight that you rely on them for help with your lifting.