I am about to start the Smolov Squat program and I am interested in keeping my knees healthy as I have never squated 4 times in one week before!
It seemed that although there was some crossover between them, sleeves leaned more toward simple knee health while wraps were more for performance. Thus, for the ease of slipping them on and because I don’t plan on making a career out of powerlifting, I was considering buying sleeves.
After doing some research, it seemed that there was considerable consensus that Rehband were a great brand. Size wise, I was going to get the next size down from my actual measurements. I figured that I would get the benefit of the warmth and also get more support if it was slightly more snug.
Any thoughts?
They are designed to be snug so I would probably stick with the recommended sizes.
To be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t get knee sleeves unless there is something actually wrong with your knees that would indicate their use. In the past I wore sleeves as a preventative measure and I actually developed knee pain where there was none before.
Whether this was from the sleeves being too tight or the patella being held in a awkward position, the fact was that as soon as I stopped using them my knees felt better. I have done Sheiko squatting 2x a week fairly heavy with nothing on my knees and have had no problems. Perhaps give the program a shot before you determine if you need them or not.
That said, if you are looking for a good pair of knee sleeves the Rehbands are your best bet. As dfreezy said, I would also stick with the recommended sizes.
Excellent advice. I will begin the program and if my knees start to hurt too much I will get the Rehbands at the recommended size when my birthday (the big 3-0) rolls around in 6 weeks.
[quote]timmcbride00 wrote:
Excellent advice. I will begin the program and if my knees start to hurt too much I will get the Rehbands at the recommended size when my birthday (the big 3-0) rolls around in 6 weeks.[/quote]
You can get the sleeves. I have elbow sleeves I wear for all pushing work. They keep my elbows warm when they have the ac blowing in the gym. Its all a comfort thing. If the sleeves make you more comfortable go for it.