Newbie. Bad knees. Wraps vs sleeves.

[Ckdjim]

So I started starting strength last week. Today was day 1 of week two. I'm 43 and I'm 6'8" and 270 lbs. I've had bad knees from youth and neglect. As my squats get heavier I can feel the old knees grind and creak but I'm not letting that stop me. I'd like to try wraps or sleeves to help me out a bit but don't know which to try. And what is a good yet cheap brand?

[irongrandpa]

I've never tried wraps but I have Evolutionize sleeves and will get them again when they need replaced. I had Rebands and like these alot better.

[RestoringTally]

Depends on what you want and hope to accomplish. Do you want compression? Or do you just want to keep the joints warm?

My knees respond well to being kept warm. I have not yet felt the need for compression. When my knees act up, I use a pair of cheap neoprene sleeves I got at a big box sporting goods store for almost nothing. They are snug enough that they warm my knees. I put them on about a half hour before I squat and my knees like them.

[bobcat255]

Wraps are for competition only - they'll hurt you more than they'll help.

Wouldn't hurt to try out some sleeves. I would NOT get anything like SBD/STrong/Evolutionize and all the other ones we talk about here all the time. I'd get something like Rehband sleeves from Amazon or a local sporting goods store if they have them. Keep in mind Rehbands are many times sold as singles... not a pair, so pay attention and buy accordingly.

[KoolDJVader]

My knees are achy as well. Tried knee sleeves but what works best for me are light knee wraps. I like Hookgrip's Russian Knee Wraps. Wrote a review a year ago https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...hp?t=172373933

They are nowhere near as stiff as powerlifting knee wraps, probably just a tad stiffer than Ace Bandages (which may work as well). They are insanely long....after I wrap a couple times above and below my patella (I keep the patella open), I just wrap the excess around my thighs. Some people cut it in 2 but you have sew it back up to avoid the threads from coming apart

[litljay]

Depends on what you want and hope to accomplish. Do you want compression? Or do you just want to keep the joints warm?

My knees respond well to being kept warm. I have not yet felt the need for compression. When my knees act up, I use a pair of cheap neoprene sleeves I got at a big box sporting goods store for almost nothing. They are snug enough that they warm my knees. I put them on about a half hour before I squat and my knees like them.

This. Sounds like you need to just get/keep them warm. I would consider getting the least supportive and work my way up. Granted, this is not necessarily the cheapest route, but I would want my knees to strengthen/adjust as much as my muscles do.

[KBKB]

I occasionally have achy knees too. I've found that they hurt a lot less or not at all when I keep up on my foam rolling.

For knee pain, I roll from the knee to the hip, hitting all angles from the outside of the leg, working around to the front, and then to the inside. I pause on any areas that feel especially painful.

I do soft tissue work on other areas too, but the above is what I do for my knees.

When my knees stop hurting, I'll often forget to do the foam rolling. If I neglect it for too many days, my knees start hurting again.

[TomMutaffis]

So I started starting strength last week. Today was day 1 of week two. I'm 43 and I'm 6'8" and 270 lbs. I've had bad knees from youth and neglect. As my squats get heavier I can feel the old knees grind and creak but I'm not letting that stop me. I'd like to try wraps or sleeves to help me out a bit but don't know which to try. And what is a good yet cheap brand?

Sleeves are going to be a lot easier to use and can be worn for your entire workout, versus wraps that would only be worn for your heaviest sets and would actually increase the amount of weight lifted which could also increase potential for injury. My advice would be to look for a decent quality pair of neoprene sleeves (7mm thickness).

You may also want to look at possibly doing additional warm-ups and/or re-evaluating your technique (foot angle, width of stance, etc.) as you progress to heavier weights.

[cmarti063]

You want sleeves, not wraps. Stoic (used to be Evolutionize) are hands down the best for the money.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01A2JF54O/

[Ckdjim]

I just bought a pair of Nordic lifting 7mm based on Amazon recommendat ion and customer reviews. Right now I'm just a garage lifter and in week 2 so I didn't want to go too all out yet lol. Anyone have experience with Nordic?

[Ckdjim]

I see you're in Charlotte, Tom. Just moved here to Concord

[rlundregan]

[QUOTE=TomMutaffis;1522082631

You may also want to look at possibly doing additional warm-ups and/or re-evaluating your technique (foot angle, width of stance, etc.) as you progress to heavier weights.[/QUOTE]

I would take a close look at this ^^. When I first started lifting, I had been running for years. My knees often ached. As my squats/deadlifts got stronger, my knees ached less and less. Strengthening the muscles around the joints helped me a lot. Your experience may be different if you have had injuries. etc.

[Ckdjim]

Of my biggest problems is that my knees were injured when I was younger in sports, Etc. When I do my squats I can feel and hear my knees grating. Like I said I'm trying to get back in shape so I'm not going to let it stop me. I think the stronger I make my legs the better my knee joints will feel

[WolfRose7]

I just bought a pair of Nordic lifting 7mm based on Amazon recommendat ion and customer reviews. Right now I'm just a garage lifter and in week 2 so I didn't want to go too all out yet lol. Anyone have experience with Nordic?

I have nordic wrist wraps. Pretty nice and seem like they will be long lasting.

no experience with sleeves, so will be curious to see what you think of them

[dragon360]

The sleeves can certainly help as keeping your knees warm is key. I also use a heat rub or ointment prior to working out to start the warm up process early. I tend to apply to the areas where I have or may have issues (elbows, pec shoulder area, knees) with really good results. Started that when I worked out in a really cold garage for a time.

Also try to ensure your proper hydration and good fats in your diet to help lube all your joints. It can really help.

Luck.

[KarlMurdock]

I just bought a pair of Nordic lifting 7mm based on Amazon recommendat ion and customer reviews. Right now I'm just a garage lifter and in week 2 so I didn't want to go too all out yet lol. Anyone have experience with Nordic?

I got some Nordic elbow sleeves a couple months ago. Using them 4x a week they've already gotten loose and the edges are fraying.

I use this the blue rehband knee sleeves. 2x a week for about 3 years now and they've held up great.