Should I get knee wraps???

[ProWrestler]

when I do ass to grass squats My knees are popping and cracking and they hurt. I stopped doing them for a while and starting using box squats put my legs didnt seem to get as good of a workout from them. So what I am wondering is should I just push through the pain when I do ATG Squats or should I get knee wraps or will knee wraps just to make my knees weaker in the long run???

[ProWrestler]

anybody???

[brakloes]

Hey I dont know about anyone else...but do you have to do ATG squats...I always just went parrell and had good quad development. I know some of the pros do them...but with a weight that would be like 135 for a normal person. Here are my squat suggestions, without wraps or belt unless you are lifting 4-5 reps or less. go parrell and vary your foot position, do heavy sets generally 4 sets of 6 reps or so....then sometimes throw in a day of 3x20

I dont know if you are performing for sports but if you are another really good one for football is to use a smith machine and step back so you are accually leaning into the rack (feet outside)...um at this angle / then drive through what feels like a normal ROM, start light and work up to it (like any new exercise) Its great cause its sport specific to your tackling/blocking motion

[Chimeraman]

I never did ATG aquats just for that reason. Like I've posted before, if you are doing squats for quads specifically, the absolute lowest you need to go is parallel. I go just above parallel. Anything past that get your hams involve, which can be good, but at the expense of your knees, like you're experiencing.

[youi09]

your knees are just fine squatting ass to grass, if you are having problems get the knee wraps. there are 1000 benefits of going ass to grass.

[MT!]

forcing yourself to stop at parallel on very heavy squats puts a lot more stress on your knees than going all the way down and could damage them more.

[$AJ]

i would say first start box squatting to ensure proper form - it's not normal for pain and cracking to be present. i say box squatting because it teaches damn good form very quickly, so that may be your problem (form)

[ProWrestler]

I did box squats once for about 8 weeks on a 16" box is that the box I should use now??? I am 5'8" if that helps.

[brakloes]

I agree with the wisdom of aj (once again) and disagree with the other two who say ATG are good. First off, if you have to use wraps just to perform the exercise then whats the point....wraps are for heavy lifting only. As to stopping at parallel..is this founded on anything. I competed in powerlifting and you go to parallel and I never heard anything about it being hard on them reversing the motion..it doesnt make sense...at some time what goes down must come back up (well i guess not really, but you get my point)

[JnJ23]

i use knee wraps and they help me out alot with my squats and help prevent knee injuries. i always do ATG squats so that helps with it as well.....

[brakloes]

well you got alot rep...so maybe I will conceed that its a difference of opinion....do you wear them all the time...and is it because you already had an injury...i look at wraps like a belt...you dont use them till the weight is really heavy. That way then you train to handle higher weights without all the assistance...especially for sports, since you cant have them in sports (only your body).

[JnJ23]

well you got alot rep...so maybe I will conceed that its a difference of opinion....do you wear them all the time...and is it because you already had an injury...i look at wraps like a belt...you dont use them till the weight is really heavy. That way then you train to handle higher weights without all the assistance...especially for sports, since you cant have them in sports (only your body).

yes i wear them all the time. no, i have no previous injuries, i just wear them to prevent injuries and because it makes me feel more comfortable squatting, ATG squatting for that matter. i always lift heavy so every quad exercise i do, the wraps go on, except warm-ups ofcourse. i dont compete so i can give a rat's ass about the difference in poundages with and without the wraps although there isnt a really big diff....

[brakloes]

Ok...wait a minute..I dont mean any disrespect but your only 17? You have alot of posts but son I dont know what to say that doesnt make me sound like one of these old grampas that goes "In my day." Basically, I guess at this point I disagree with you....no disrespect but I have alot more experience lifting and training other people. As with anything it is the individuals choice to do whatever they want, so I can only give my advice to the author of this thread....

[JnJ23]

Ok...wait a minute..I dont mean any disrespect but your only 17? You have alot of posts but son I dont know what to say that doesnt make me sound like one of these old grampas that goes "In my day." Basically, I guess at this point I disagree with you....no disrespect but I have alot more experience lifting and training other people. As with anything it is the individuals choice to do whatever they want, so I can only give my advice to the author of this thread....

bro, if thats the way you feel thats fine. im young but i know what im doing. i have been reading and training for a while now. i dont care if your 50 or 200, you can always learn something from anyone, dont assume that kind of sh*t. you might have more experience but it doesnt mean you experienced everything i did....i just gave you my opinion on the subject, but if you dont think its valid enough because of my age than thats fine with me....

[brakloes]

I didnt mean it to sound bad(but it might have)...I dont think I know everything...and as long as you feel the same..I think we are cool Trust me, I know what its like to be judged by age, odd I would do it to you...For that I may owe you an appology. I am only 28, but I do work in the field....but it is only a mater of opinion...keep doing whatever works for you....again, sorry if I was a d!ck

[$AJ]

i use knee wraps and they help me out alot with my squats and help prevent knee injuries. i always do ATG squats so that helps with it as well.....

but theoretically they can also cause more injuries because of lack of tendon and whatnot development.

[JnJ23]

but theoretically they can also cause more injuries because of lack of tendon and whatnot development.

well, well just hope that doesnt happen

[JnJ23]

I didnt mean it to sound bad(but it might have)...I dont think I know everything...and as long as you feel the same..I think we are cool Trust me, I know what its like to be judged by age, odd I would do it to you...For that I may owe you an appology. I am only 28, but I do work in the field....but it is only a mater of opinion...keep doing whatever works for you....again, sorry if I was a d!ck

np bro....were cool

[ProWrestler]

ok, back to what I asked earlier. I used Box Squats for 8 weeks on a 16" box.....Is that the box I should use now??

[brakloes]

yeah...the bench/box height all depends on your height...just aim for about parallel and your golden

[$AJ]

ok, back to what I asked earlier. I used Box Squats for 8 weeks on a 16" box.....Is that the box I should use now??

too high. my box is 10 1/2''. I think 12'' is about minimal depth (unless you're doing higher box squats to work a part of your squat)

[kwyckemynd00]

but theoretically they can also cause more injuries because of lack of tendon and whatnot development.

The unfortunate part about tendons is that they have almost nothing for a blood supply, so they hardly develope (and heal for that matter)....i think knee wraps are necessary.