Wraps, Sleeves, Everything Else: A PL Gear Guide

Training Powerlifting
21

6-3. 260
best squat 500raw/585 with staps down on 1 ply centurion

gear experience: APT KRV-pro 2.5M knee wraps and Inzer z wraps 2.5M, apt the wrap 2H 2Metre length

Equipment being reviewed: apt “the wrap” 2H 2M knee wrap

Pro: KNEE WRAP:Very good rebound considering the thickness, great support, great durability, suprisingly very comfortable, they leave no marks even when wrentched on pretty tight and hitting depth is not an issue, they are super thick but still very stretchy. They have more support in the 2M than any other 2.5 M lenth I have tried.

Cons: Not any soo far. They are great even at 2M and I am recomending them for anybody looking for new knee wraps thats for sure. One this though is that you do break a sweat putting them on considering they stretch soo much so you really have to torque it but that being said they are still comfortable when you do torque them on really tight.

Comparison: I used the APT KRV-pro knee wraps for about 1 year. They were very durable until somebody stole them but they were not comfortable in comparison. The rebound was not as good but they did provide excelent support. The Inzer Z wraps are great but I needed a 2M length so I decided to go with something that offered more support for the length and I found those in the apt “the wrap” 2H

Thoughts: I really like the wraps so far. I really dont use knee wraps often at all but these work great for maxing out. If anbody is looking for new knee wraps think about giving these a shot. they are definitly different that the krv from apt and the inzer Z wrap. I know some people will be scared because of the description they have stating that the wraps should only be used by super experiences lifters who lift really heavy weight but frankly I dont see that as the case at all. I am able to hit depth with them on without any weight on my back. All in all great wrap

22

Tommy’s stats 5’ 8" and closing in on 380 bp. Know a raw part of this site? As we are not interested in equipment. That bp is raw for real.

23

[quote]tommy teen wrote:
Tommy’s stats 5’ 8" and closing in on 380 bp. Know a raw part of this site? As we are not interested in equipment. That bp is raw for real.[/quote]

Why don’t you LOOK?

24

No, I said I NEED HELP Trifling with you guys. A raw lifter could you imagine?

25

[quote]tommy teen wrote:
No, I said I NEED HELP Trifling with you guys. A raw lifter could you imagine?[/quote]

What’s there to trifle with? There’s only so much to say and it’s all been said a million fucking times already. You came into the conversation a little late to really offer much on the topic.

Then again, if you can do have something interesting to say that makes you stand out as an unconventional sort of internet troll with a brilliant and ascerbic wit, have at it.

However, we don’t usually get much more than some tired line about how bench shirts are for egomanical man-ginas with mommy issues and how real men lift with nothing more supportive than a jock of thorns wrapped around their daddy parts.

By the way- the best thing you can do as a raw bencher is to use a thumbless grip. They call it a “suicide grip”. But “they” are usually some shirt-lifter pussies with mommy issues. So don’t pay them a bit a bit of mind. Call it a “success grip” instead. Works even better with baby oil on your hands and a staggered grip- keeps the bar from rolling.

26

n/m

27

I’ve used the inzer z wraps but I want to get some better ones. I’m thinking of APT black mambas.

any thoughs?

28

Im looking at this titan toro lever belt.

liftinglarge.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=159

has anyone had any expirience with this before?

29

Personal lifts: 350lb raw bench in the gym, 315 raw in competition (181lb class)

Gear under review: APT Reaper wrist wraps, 24" length

Pro’s: Comfortable, easy to adjust tightness level. Good support without entirely immobilizing the wrist

Cons: Probably not supportive enough for elite level shirted benching (but that probably goes for any 24" wrap)

Comparison: These are the first wraps I’ve owned

Everything else: The Reapers are a great wrap for my purposes. I’m a raw powerlifter, so I want a wrap that I can use for extra support on close grip benching and heavy partials as well as whenever my wrists are particularly sore. I don’t want a wrap that I’ll use as a crutch, because I can’t use wraps in competition. The 24" Reapers are great for this, because they keep my wrists stable and supported without feeling like a hard cast. I’d recommend the 24" Reapers to anyone, except for shirted benchers who handle ultra heavy weight

30

Stats
Ipf lifter, 110kg (242) class
Best Lifts: 262.5kg (578) Squat
Gear Experience: Inzer Iron Z, Titan THP and Titanium, Metal All Blacks (old and new material), APT Strangulator and Convict Pro’s. All 2.0m wraps

Equipment being reviewed: Apt Convict Pro’s

Pros: Reasonably comfortable. Stretch well, but reasonably stiff. Lock up more the tighter they are. Taking it to maximum tightness makes them very stiff and removes 99% of the give. Very good carryover, and capable of making it hard to hit depth! Good price.

Cons: Real difference in feel between a firm wrap and a maximum wrap. Constricting, and weaker lifters or beginners wrapping themselves will have problems stretching the material completely while wrapping.

Comparison: Much more comfortable, in terms of ripping and bruising skin, than any of the Metal, Titan or Inzer offerings. Also, much more constricting than any of these. You’ll feel a lot more compression on and around your knee.

Definately gives more carryover than the others.
Thicker than the Metal, Titan or Inzer, but not by too much. They fell stiff like the Iron-Z’s but are also a bit rubber-y like the old Metal All Blacks. I’d say they are less rubbery to feel and stretch slightly less than the Metals, though.
The same price or cheaper than Titan or Inzer. MUCH cheaper than the All Blacks.

Thoughts: A very good wrap, suitable for most lifters. If you don’t do them hard, you get firm comfortable “rubbery” wraps, and doing them hard you get a stiff stabilising wrap that shoots you out of the hole. The flip side is that compared to the other companies wraps, it’s harder to wrap these tight. It isn’t much harder, but it’s worth noting.

The comfort is a real deciding factor. Even taken to the absolute limit, you can wear these for longer and they’ll hurt less than any of the others. Coupled with better carryover, I’m happy I’ve found them, and triply happy that APT wraps are IPF approved.

Note that I use a spiral wrap, as do my training partners, so I can’t really comment on carryover with a cross style.

31

Gear Experience: Inzer Iron Z, Titan THP and Titanium, Metal All Blacks (old and new material), APT Strangulator and Convict Pro’s. All 2.0m wraps

Equipment being reviewed: APT Strangulators

Pros: Very thick. Comfortable. Stiff as hell and really constricting. Very good carryover.

Cons: Stiffness, constriction. Difficult to wrap with

Comparison: Read my review on the Convict Pro’s. Now, these are noticably thicker and stiffer than the Convict Pro’s, and less “rubberly”. They have a very linear stretch, and feel similar to Pro’s stretched to the limit; they are stiff and cast-like. They maintain that characteristic regardless of how tight they are, and provide a constant rebound out of the hole. They are more comfortable than the Pro’s, but when done tight there will be more pressure than the Pros.
They give a tiny bit more carryover than the Pro’s when they are done to the limit, but when they are at 90% or 80% tightness they give more and stabilise more than the Pro’s. The support and carryover is very linear with the tightness of the wrap. This is the only wrap I have used where this is the case.

They require more strength and effort to apply than the Pro’s, and as such more than any of the Metal, Inzer and Titan wraps I’ve tried.

Thoughts: Probably unsuitable for those that prefer a rubbery, elastic wrap. For those who wrap their knees spirally, I honestly feel this is the best wrap to buy. The only caveat is that you need to realise that it is physically harder to apply properly than others. My 161lb training partner could not wrap them to competition tightness when he first wrapped my knees.

That said, a reasonably tight wrap with these gives more and feels better than an extremely tight wrap of anything else aside from the Convict Pro’s. The same goes for when I wrap my own knees; I’ve always been an advocate for having others wrap your knees in comp, and I’ve always felt like I wasn’t getting close to the same support when I wrapped my own knees. This has not been the case with the Strangulators thanks to their rather linear characteristics, and I was genuinely suprised.

In a nutshell: Everything that is good about the convicts, except for the rubbery characteristics, is better with these wraps. Everything that is a problem, like the stiffness and give, is more of a problem with the Strangulators.
I love them and they’re perfect for me, but I don’t know about everyone else

32

Mini-Review (I’ll edit once I have a complete opinion)

Gear being reviewed: APT “THE WRAP” 3XH

Pros: Ridiculously thick. Stiff as hell. Intense pressure

Cons: Stiff as hell. Intense pressure. Cannot be properly applied without help. Does not stretch far.

Thoughts: The Strangulators on steroids. Same characteristics, just taken to the extreme. Very thick, very stiff. I cannot stretch the wrap properly simply by trying to tear it apart with my hands.

A single proper wrap feels like a doubled over wrap of anything else. Starting the wrap is difficult, and the finish is a real bitch if you tuck it under the last wrap. You better have strong fingers.

Despite all the BS on the APT website, this wrap can be applied by one person (i.e. your training partner on you). You’d want them to be pretty strong and experienced in wraps, though.
More pressure than anything else I’ve experienced. Doesn’t feel like it gives less rebound than the Strangulators, but can’t really tell much more than that at this stage.

I’m unsure of carryover and won’t know till I try come heavy shit with them and I’ll update as I flesh out my experiences a bit more. Any questions please take to the gear guide discussion: http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=2415555

33

[quote]BlackLabel wrote:
Im looking at this titan toro lever belt.
has anyone had any expirience with this before? [/quote]

Stats: 85kg
Best Lifts: Squat 185, Deadlift 192.5
Gear Experience: Not a whole lot, old power belts with double prongs and bodybuilding belts.

Equipment being reviewed: Titan Toro Lever belt.

Pros: Its a lever belt. Easy to tighten, easy to take off, always the same tightness, great support.

Cons: Adjusting the tightness is a pain, if you prefer a looser belt to deadlift in or you put on a bit of weight, you have to get a screwdriver. A prong lever belt might suit you in that case.
They could have just as easily made this belt the same way as a normal belt (ie, had the prongs go into any number of holes to adjust tightness) but instead they chose to have one set of holes for the prongs, and to adjust you have to unscrew and move the lever. I will never know why…
Oh, and its a bit ridiculously thick.

Comparison: The first time i tried a lever belt, i thought it was the coolest thing i had ever seen (after only using old style double pronged powerlifting belts). Ever been in that situation where try as you might you can’t get your belt off after a hard set because you did it so tight and you’re tired? That’s just plain embarrasing.
I love the lever belt.

Thoughts:
Read this:
http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_forum/sports_body_training_performance_bodybuilding_strength/gear_guide_discussion?id=2415555&pageNo=0
There is a good discussion about belts and belt thickness.

34

[quote]tmcg86 wrote:
BlackLabel wrote:
Im looking at this titan toro lever belt.
has anyone had any expirience with this before?

Stats: 85kg
Best Lifts: Squat 185, Deadlift 192.5
Gear Experience: Not a whole lot, old power belts with double prongs and bodybuilding belts.

Equipment being reviewed: Titan Toro Lever belt.

Pros: Its a lever belt. Easy to tighten, easy to take off, always the same tightness, great support.

Cons: Adjusting the tightness is a pain, if you prefer a looser belt to deadlift in or you put on a bit of weight, you have to get a screwdriver. A prong lever belt might suit you in that case.
They could have just as easily made this belt the same way as a normal belt (ie, had the prongs go into any number of holes to adjust tightness) but instead they chose to have one set of holes for the prongs, and to adjust you have to unscrew and move the lever. I will never know why…
Oh, and its a bit ridiculously thick.

Comparison: The first time i tried a lever belt, i thought it was the coolest thing i had ever seen (after only using old style double pronged powerlifting belts). Ever been in that situation where try as you might you can’t get your belt off after a hard set because you did it so tight and you’re tired? That’s just plain embarrasing.
I love the lever belt.

Thoughts:
Read this:
http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_forum/sports_body_training_performance_bodybuilding_strength/gear_guide_discussion?id=2415555&pageNo=0
There is a good discussion about belts and belt thickness.[/quote]

Thanks alot man.

35

I wanted to tell you guys about a real shitty experience I had recently with Werksan.com. I realize they are a pretty big / reputable company, which is partly what surprised me so much about this.

About 4 weeks ago I placed an order for a pair of the Do-Win Rogues. I’ve heard consistently great things about these shoes, and I have trouble hitting depth on squats, AND my Free’s are starting to get a little unstable after consistent use so I figured I’d spring for something with a raised heel. Like anyone, I was hyped as hell to get these things.

Two weeks pass… nothing in the mail… no tracking number or any sort of update. The money had been taken out of my account, however. Finally I fire off an email, politely asking what the status was.

Approximately, I got back: “Hi, unfortunately these shoes are on back order. Sorry for the inconvenience. They should be in real soon, and when they’re in, we’ll ship them right off. Thanks.” They didn’t give me any kind of approximate date, didn’t mention why it wasn’t stated initially on the ordering page that they were back ordered, or why they didn’t tell me after ordering, or anything. I am a first time customer, by the way, not a customer with established trust.

So, I sent back a terse but professional email asking why I hadn’t been told (like all other websites have done in my experience) of the back order status before or even after purchasing. I also wanted to know the date they expected to have them in stock.

No response for 5 days. After a couple days with no response, I called their office during business hours, and never once spoke to a person, just repeatedly hit voice mail. Finally I send another email telling them to refund my purchase and expressed how I felt I was being jerked around as a customer, again, in a professional wording… A day later, I get the same form I received upon purchase, with the word “purchase” changed to “refund”. No personalization, no closure, nothing, after all that.

Pretty shitty, in my opinion. I tend to not care how ‘big’ a company is, you should hypothetically treat your customers equally. The overall way they acted in this exchange was infuriating (considering how psyched lifters are to get gear!!) and seemed like they didn’t give two shits about my business. It wasn’t worth their time to bring me up to date on the product’s availability or status… but it WAS worth their time to deduct the money from my account.

Alas, I know others have had good experiences with them. Just wanted to put this out there and warn you, perhaps specifically, THE FUCKIN 10.5 ROGUE’s ARE BACK ORDERED.

36

[quote]kudante wrote:
I wanted to tell you guys about a real shitty experience I had recently with Werksan.com. I realize they are a pretty big / reputable company, which is partly what surprised me so much about this.

About 4 weeks ago I placed an order for a pair of the Do-Win Rogues. I’ve heard consistently great things about these shoes, and I have trouble hitting depth on squats, AND my Free’s are starting to get a little unstable after consistent use so I figured I’d spring for something with a raised heel. Like anyone, I was hyped as hell to get these things.

Two weeks pass… nothing in the mail… no tracking number or any sort of update. The money had been taken out of my account, however. Finally I fire off an email, politely asking what the status was.

Approximately, I got back: “Hi, unfortunately these shoes are on back order. Sorry for the inconvenience. They should be in real soon, and when they’re in, we’ll ship them right off. Thanks.” They didn’t give me any kind of approximate date, didn’t mention why it wasn’t stated initially on the ordering page that they were back ordered, or why they didn’t tell me after ordering, or anything. I am a first time customer, by the way, not a customer with established trust.

So, I sent back a terse but professional email asking why I hadn’t been told (like all other websites have done in my experience) of the back order status before or even after purchasing. I also wanted to know the date they expected to have them in stock.

No response for 5 days. After a couple days with no response, I called their office during business hours, and never once spoke to a person, just repeatedly hit voice mail. Finally I send another email telling them to refund my purchase and expressed how I felt I was being jerked around as a customer, again, in a professional wording… A day later, I get the same form I received upon purchase, with the word “purchase” changed to “refund”. No personalization, no closure, nothing, after all that.

Pretty shitty, in my opinion. I tend to not care how ‘big’ a company is, you should hypothetically treat your customers equally. The overall way they acted in this exchange was infuriating (considering how psyched lifters are to get gear!!) and seemed like they didn’t give two shits about my business. It wasn’t worth their time to bring me up to date on the product’s availability or status… but it WAS worth their time to deduct the money from my account.

Alas, I know others have had good experiences with them. Just wanted to put this out there and warn you, perhaps specifically, THE FUCKIN 10.5 ROGUE’s ARE BACK ORDERED.[/quote]

Did you ever get them?

37

[quote]BlackLabel wrote:
Did you ever get them?[/quote]

No, I canceled my order with them on account of all that crap. And ordered them from “Rogue Fitness”. Got them in like 4 days.

38

5’9" 240
Best Lifts: 465 meet bench
Gear Experience: Metal Triple Line wrist wraps (80 cm) and APT Convict wrist wraps (36").

Equipment being reviewed: APT Convict wrist wraps

Pros: these are tight as hell without even torquing them down hard. if you really cinch them tight your hand will be completely immobilized.

Cons: they aren’t comfortable, but who cares?

Comparison: these wraps kill the metal wraps. it’s not even close. with the metal wraps i have to pull on them as hard as i possibly can and they still aren’t nearly as supportive as the convicts are with only minimal effort to pull them tight.

Thoughts: convicts are more comparable to metal’s all black wrist wraps, but they are still superior in my opinion. definitely a must have.

39

Has anyone here tried the Inzer True Blacks Wrist Wraps and got any feedback on them?

Thanks

40

6-0 185
Raw Bench:285
Squat:370
D.L.:470
Clean: 235
All that one really needs when starting is a good thick belt. My favorite brand is Inzer but they’re kinda expensive.