I have a question…I have been doing Cosgrove’s fat loss complexs program cause I need to shed some pounds…heres the issue…I have relatively small wrists for my arm and forearm size…but when I do that complex even with wrist wraps…my wrists feel like they are gonna give out on me…cramping and fatigue that really stops me from doing the hang cleans and front squats and presses about set 2-3…
what can I do to strengthen my wrists to be able to handle heavier weights and be resistant against injury and get thru my sets cause they feel like the weak link in my chain…
Hey I would try doing rack lockouts with a really heavy weight and hold the bar for 5 secs between reps… or you could get a really heavy weight for you and hold it for as long as you can(in a rack of course) and do this for 3 sets. As far as the front squat prob I would tie wristwraps around the bar and hold on to the wraps while the bar is on your shoulders Charles Poliquin mentions something about look it up!
Well the thing is…I am doing 5 reps bent over row, then 5 hang clean, then five front squat and press then 5 squat then 5 good morning…thats how his complex works I was usuing light weight 95lbs but still very very hard in that complex to do…and having my wrists in there at bent angle made them hurt during the lift and feel a cramp on my muscle pad at the base of my thumb…and I was referring to pure old wrist strength…so as to be able to handle and stabilize heavier weights…any help?
when doing cleans, catch the weight on the shoulders, not with the wrists. when doing front squats, if you cant do the olmypic grip version whitout pain, go with the powerlifter version ( arms crossed ) .
Wrist flexibility could be the culprit. Stretch out your wrists several times a day and before you do the exercises. I am also doing complexes, but I only do them to warm up. Check the progression of exercises and/or types of exercises. Moving hand position during complexes seem to bring on the same with me. Just because it is written doesn’t mean you can’t deviate. If you combine all the squat variations you do into just high rep overhead squats it could be sufficient and save your wrists. Maybe instead of doing hang cleans do hang snatches.
FYI I do the following: Hang (or full snatches), overhead squats, presses wide grip, good mornings, and end with wide grip rows (reps 8 to 10 on each). I also note that although it does control the weight gain, it makes me look soft. So I do some high tension deadlifts and side presses to balance out.
Would benching strengthen your wrists? Someone said rack lockouts were good for them. Would this actually help or would putting that much weight on your wrist expose them to injury?
I use the BNS wrist roller strap. It’s supported, so your poundage isn’t limited by what your shoulders can hold up. I’m no monster, but my wrists have grown enough that I need an extension for my watch band because it doesn’t fit anymore. My current weights:
40lbs 2x8 forward
49lbs 2x8 reverse
There are lots of guys who are much stronger, check out Joe DeFranco’s site.
Perform this exercise several times a day and you will be well on your way to strong wrists. WARNING: performing this exercise may cause blindness or unusual hair growth on your palms.
[quote]blue9steel wrote:
I use the BNS wrist roller strap. It’s supported, so your poundage isn’t limited by what your shoulders can hold up. I’m no monster, but my wrists have grown enough that I need an extension for my watch band because it doesn’t fit anymore. My current weights:
40lbs 2x8 forward
49lbs 2x8 reverse
There are lots of guys who are much stronger, check out Joe DeFranco’s site.[/quote]
hey - do you which websites sell this? I’ve been looking for one of these for ages!
Grip and hand strength in general are the most neglected aspects of most people’s training. Plate curls are good, sledgehammer levering is better. And much cooler. Bending steel bars also scores high on the cool factor, and will really strengthen your wrists.
[quote]kcushijima wrote:
Also, get two hand towels, and drape them over a pull-up bar. Then do pull-ups and chin-ups while hanging onto the hand towels.
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Personally I have found a combination of the above and no-handed chinups to be great wrist strengtheners. To do no-handed chinups just flex your wrists inward and hook them over the bar. Hurts like hell but is quite effective, but make sure to strengthen the extensors as well.