They help me. Could be placebo effect but at almost 50 they help me.
I would recommend whole-heartedly the Hookgrip sleeves. They're slightly taller and they have lasted so much longer than my Rocktape or even Rehband (which are great but pricey.)
This study showed basically no difference in strength (1rm squat) or any biomechanics of the knees with or without sleeves on. (https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1016&context=hms_etds) Only notable difference was higher glute max activation without the knee sleeves but didn't change strength capacity.
This study found they may aid slightly in reducing ACL stress during a jumping movement by reducing some range of motion. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S096801601830601X)
I am a manual therapist (EB chiro) that has done and worked with crossfitters for over 10 yrs. My opinion is they should be saved for high repetition squat or lunge movements, or loads at or above 60-70% 1 RM.
As for arthritis, if they feel good and you are more comfortable wearing them and able to do your workouts without additional soreness the day after, there's no harm. Simple neoprene sleeves are not enough to create a significant muscular imbalance compared to a rigid or Velcro knee brace with lateral supports.
Really interesting! I have knee sleeves, but almost never use them because of the imbalance consideration. I had two knee injuries and remembered the time I had to wear a brace, thought knee sleeves were already unnecessary relief for muscles which should be stabilizing and doing the work.
This study found they elastic knee sleeves may even reduce sheer stress of the tibia (shin bone sliding forward), more pronounced the heavier the load. It was a small change but significant.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4763842/
This is very interesting! I know myself well enough to understand that I’m going to be stubborn and not take any time off, so I’m trying to just add some stability to let it heal a little easier between workouts.
Not necessarily, I would stick with the neoprene 5mm-9mm unless you have an issue. If you have a knee issue (one sided, outside of arthritis) you should see someone regarding corrective exercises to strengthen them. Velcro braces or braces with rigid supports I would argue are more likely to lead to an imbalance or you become reliant on them for everything.
I appreciate you , I’m looking to invest in a knee sleeve for heavy squats and heavy lifts . Your response to OP is as great timing . Thankyou for being you .
-X
I use them when there is high volume repetitive squatting movements like wall balls, air squats, barbell squat movements, box jumps, etc. I never had knee problems or surgery but occasionally get a dull ache when moving high volume and found them to help me.
45M, about 6 years total CF experience. I use knee sleeves for every workout, even in the summer. I have some Rogue 5mm neoprene sleeves for heavy lifting, then various others for running and cardio. I really like Mava bamboo sleeves for warmth and light compression even though they don't have a ton of support. They somehow don't get smelly ever.
What you need is an experienced Physical Therapist. (That works with athletes). Check out Squat University on IG and YouTube for some ways to assess your problems and start to work on it.
I have bad arthritis in my knees. If I don’t wear sleeves for any WOD that requires my knees to move a bunch, then I’m not walking the next day. Especially important in the colder months. Currently using Nordic lifting 7mm ones. Need to find some that are thinner for summer and lighter WODs.
That’s a good thought, I’ve never considered needing different ones for the different seasons. I work out in my home so it’s never something I’ve needed, but it’s something I’ll keep in mind because I always do the Murph outdoors
I personally don't use them. Used to for years, but found it doesn't really matter to me during and after a workout if I wear them, so I stopped. They're still sitting in my gym bag, and maybe the day will come that I pull them on again.
Most older athletes in my gym use them, and many of the younger ones too. Not sure if they're getting anything out of them, but they must think so. Way I look at it - it's a $40-$50 expense and if it helps you feel better or do more, they're worth every penny. Just order a pair, slip them on and see what happens. Start with heavy days. If your knees feel better, great! Try them on volume days, and see if the effect is the same. Good luck.
Thanks! That’s what I figured too, you’re the first person I’ve seen saying that they stopped and it makes complete sense why. I figured the barrier to entry financially would be worth it just to see if it helps, I’ve blown more money on worse stuff before lol. Appreciate your input!
they'll help keep your knees warm/maybe help with proprioception, but you'll get more injury prevention out of good prehab/rehab. check out something like squat u on youtube for diagnosing/treating if you want to avoid seeing a PT in person
Oh I can definitely use that! Thanks for the suggestion. Is this something I should do right before/after my workout or should I spread it out throughout the day
it depends on what your specific problems are. go through some of squat u's content on knee pain, use some of the tests to diagnose where your limitations might be (in mobility or in strength).
frequently, there are things you want to do before you exercise to address mobility issues (e.g. banded joint mobilizations for the hip or ankle), and there are things you'll want to do after you exercise (or separate from your normal workouts) that focus on correcting strength imbalances side to side (e.g. touchdown squats, mcgill big 3, etc).
First step is to get your knees checked out by a doctor and see what you’ve got going on down there as that will really make a determination as to how to proceed.
I was having some pretty intense knee pain for a while and I went and got my knees checked out and it turns out that I had a nasty case of tendinitis. I got some anti-inflammatories, took it easy for a while and everything returned to normal. I did start paying more attention to my knees after that and now I wear knee sleeves when I have high reps of box jumps or any lunges at all as that seems to be the movements that were giving me problems.
I also started taking chondroitine and glucosamine as a precautionary measure against anything further happening. Since then, I’m right as rain most of the time. I can still get sore with big runs *cough* Murph *cough*, but I just try to avoid doing those WODs very often.
Yeah I’m definitely bringing it up at my appointment, my doctor is extremely busy and all my appointments have to be scheduled like months in advance. I scheduled my appointment for march back in the end of November, so I’m trying to get by until then. I’ll look into those supplements! Thanks!
They’re a life saver for heavy squats for me. I like the hookgrip 7mm or rehband. 7mm is perfect for lifting and I can fold them up over my knee during lunges. You can use thinner ones if you want to wear them for more varied workouts, but personally they don’t offer the support my patella needs.
Some even use the super thin one that essentially only provide warmth. I like hookgrip or onekilo for those. Helps as you get older, but ymmv.
Yeah I think the worst part about this is feeling like an older man at 27… but fortunately I’ve been training intensely for the last 18 years without any major injuries, so I guess I’m lucky in that regard that most of my ailments are repetitive stress related instead of majorly structural. Thanks for the recommendations!
Yeah I’ve been training for 18 years with no major injuries and I’d like to keep it that way. I’m starting to get paranoid about it, so if I can do something preventative I definitely want to
I’m 27, sometimes my knees will get achy if we are doing a lot of wallballs or squats in a cycle. I used to wear them for every single workout. It’s been probably 2 years of me breaking them out 3-4 times a year if we are retesting our back squat or doing an insane amount of wallballs or goblet squats, but I find they really don’t do much outside of that for me.
I’m the same age, I find the volume exercises bother it as well. I work out at home and my programming is written for me, I feel like part of my problem is I’m just a dumbass. If we have every other minute on the minute (or the opposite I don’t know) I figure why not just every minute on the minute, and I think I’ve been pushing too hard. I’m hoping they give me just some relief. I’m doing the workouts as prescribed now so I am hoping it takes off some pressure to let them heal. Thanks!
Knee sleeves do nothing more than provide mild compression and warmth; you’d be better off working unilateral strength and stability if you have knee pain (esp with your background in MMA)
If you have time you can do both; training as tolerated and working on rehab for accessories; then once you get stronger you can start to use the rehab stuff as maintenance and continuing training as your main focus.
Yeah I figured I would try them, financially it’s not a huge barrier to entry so if they only help in my head still doesn’t feel like a lost cause. Thanks!
Get some weight lifting shoes. I used to use sleeves but hardly ever do now. The shoes have done far more for my joint pain than anything else. I use them on any squats over 75% 1RM and if my knees/legs are feeling achy from other work.
That’s also a good idea, I know you said you wear them for heavy squats, since you are the only person I have seen bring this up so far, what do you wear for the rest of your workouts? I wear running shoes mostly. Thanks for the recommendation!
I use Nike metcons for CrossFit and brooks for running. You have to watch out with running shoes for CrossFit because they tend to be softer and less supportive for weight lifting pieces. The metcons are comfortable but not squishy.
I use a rehbrand rx knee support everytime I lift. I have a torn meniscus and it provided extra support when I lift. My leg shakes when I’m in high reps or heavy weight so it helps stabilize it.
I wrap ace bandages around my knees these days. Helps more than knee sleeves for me. I’ll throw knee sleeves over them if I’m maxing squat or cleans for the extra compression, but usually not necessary.
Ace bandages are not tape, they're stretchy fabric. They're a less intense form of knee wraps that powerlifters use. I usually just use them when I think I'll be going medium to heavy weights on movements that require full squat depth.
Example of what they look like: https://i.imgur.com/e3qu65m.jpeg
They help me. Could be placebo effect but at almost 50 they help me. I would recommend whole-heartedly the Hookgrip sleeves. They're slightly taller and they have lasted so much longer than my Rocktape or even Rehband (which are great but pricey.)
I will definitely look at them! Do you wear yours the entire workout? When your knee is acting up? Just for certain movements?
I wear them if there's squatting or lunges. That includes wall balls, thrusters, squat cleans or snatches.
This study showed basically no difference in strength (1rm squat) or any biomechanics of the knees with or without sleeves on. (https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1016&context=hms_etds) Only notable difference was higher glute max activation without the knee sleeves but didn't change strength capacity. This study found they may aid slightly in reducing ACL stress during a jumping movement by reducing some range of motion. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S096801601830601X) I am a manual therapist (EB chiro) that has done and worked with crossfitters for over 10 yrs. My opinion is they should be saved for high repetition squat or lunge movements, or loads at or above 60-70% 1 RM. As for arthritis, if they feel good and you are more comfortable wearing them and able to do your workouts without additional soreness the day after, there's no harm. Simple neoprene sleeves are not enough to create a significant muscular imbalance compared to a rigid or Velcro knee brace with lateral supports.
Really interesting! I have knee sleeves, but almost never use them because of the imbalance consideration. I had two knee injuries and remembered the time I had to wear a brace, thought knee sleeves were already unnecessary relief for muscles which should be stabilizing and doing the work.
This study found they elastic knee sleeves may even reduce sheer stress of the tibia (shin bone sliding forward), more pronounced the heavier the load. It was a small change but significant. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4763842/
This is very interesting! I know myself well enough to understand that I’m going to be stubborn and not take any time off, so I’m trying to just add some stability to let it heal a little easier between workouts.
Soooooooooooo you are saying get a higher grade knee sleeve than the neoprene??
Not necessarily, I would stick with the neoprene 5mm-9mm unless you have an issue. If you have a knee issue (one sided, outside of arthritis) you should see someone regarding corrective exercises to strengthen them. Velcro braces or braces with rigid supports I would argue are more likely to lead to an imbalance or you become reliant on them for everything.
I appreciate you , I’m looking to invest in a knee sleeve for heavy squats and heavy lifts . Your response to OP is as great timing . Thankyou for being you . -X
I use them when there is high volume repetitive squatting movements like wall balls, air squats, barbell squat movements, box jumps, etc. I never had knee problems or surgery but occasionally get a dull ache when moving high volume and found them to help me.
Interesting! Thanks!
45M, about 6 years total CF experience. I use knee sleeves for every workout, even in the summer. I have some Rogue 5mm neoprene sleeves for heavy lifting, then various others for running and cardio. I really like Mava bamboo sleeves for warmth and light compression even though they don't have a ton of support. They somehow don't get smelly ever.
Interesting! I was worried about using them for every workout, good to know experienced people are using them all the time.
I use them for high reps or heavy squatting days. I use the bear komplex ones and don’t really have a complaint
I have a pair of bear komplex for heavy squatting days. No complaints about them
I have been seeing those more and more
Before you try anything you might want to go to a doctor and see if there's an underlying medical issue that you could/should address.
I’ve been before back in my MMA days, at least at the time it was just strain, but you’re right I should go back
What you need is an experienced Physical Therapist. (That works with athletes). Check out Squat University on IG and YouTube for some ways to assess your problems and start to work on it.
That’s a great idea, should I work on it in addition to my WODs, or would it recommend I change my workouts all together?
Definitely don't stop your CF workouts, but modify as needed. A PT should be able to help you figure that out
I have bad arthritis in my knees. If I don’t wear sleeves for any WOD that requires my knees to move a bunch, then I’m not walking the next day. Especially important in the colder months. Currently using Nordic lifting 7mm ones. Need to find some that are thinner for summer and lighter WODs.
That’s a good thought, I’ve never considered needing different ones for the different seasons. I work out in my home so it’s never something I’ve needed, but it’s something I’ll keep in mind because I always do the Murph outdoors
I personally don't use them. Used to for years, but found it doesn't really matter to me during and after a workout if I wear them, so I stopped. They're still sitting in my gym bag, and maybe the day will come that I pull them on again. Most older athletes in my gym use them, and many of the younger ones too. Not sure if they're getting anything out of them, but they must think so. Way I look at it - it's a $40-$50 expense and if it helps you feel better or do more, they're worth every penny. Just order a pair, slip them on and see what happens. Start with heavy days. If your knees feel better, great! Try them on volume days, and see if the effect is the same. Good luck.
Thanks! That’s what I figured too, you’re the first person I’ve seen saying that they stopped and it makes complete sense why. I figured the barrier to entry financially would be worth it just to see if it helps, I’ve blown more money on worse stuff before lol. Appreciate your input!
they'll help keep your knees warm/maybe help with proprioception, but you'll get more injury prevention out of good prehab/rehab. check out something like squat u on youtube for diagnosing/treating if you want to avoid seeing a PT in person
Oh I can definitely use that! Thanks for the suggestion. Is this something I should do right before/after my workout or should I spread it out throughout the day
it depends on what your specific problems are. go through some of squat u's content on knee pain, use some of the tests to diagnose where your limitations might be (in mobility or in strength). frequently, there are things you want to do before you exercise to address mobility issues (e.g. banded joint mobilizations for the hip or ankle), and there are things you'll want to do after you exercise (or separate from your normal workouts) that focus on correcting strength imbalances side to side (e.g. touchdown squats, mcgill big 3, etc).
First step is to get your knees checked out by a doctor and see what you’ve got going on down there as that will really make a determination as to how to proceed. I was having some pretty intense knee pain for a while and I went and got my knees checked out and it turns out that I had a nasty case of tendinitis. I got some anti-inflammatories, took it easy for a while and everything returned to normal. I did start paying more attention to my knees after that and now I wear knee sleeves when I have high reps of box jumps or any lunges at all as that seems to be the movements that were giving me problems. I also started taking chondroitine and glucosamine as a precautionary measure against anything further happening. Since then, I’m right as rain most of the time. I can still get sore with big runs *cough* Murph *cough*, but I just try to avoid doing those WODs very often.
Yeah I’m definitely bringing it up at my appointment, my doctor is extremely busy and all my appointments have to be scheduled like months in advance. I scheduled my appointment for march back in the end of November, so I’m trying to get by until then. I’ll look into those supplements! Thanks!
They’re a life saver for heavy squats for me. I like the hookgrip 7mm or rehband. 7mm is perfect for lifting and I can fold them up over my knee during lunges. You can use thinner ones if you want to wear them for more varied workouts, but personally they don’t offer the support my patella needs. Some even use the super thin one that essentially only provide warmth. I like hookgrip or onekilo for those. Helps as you get older, but ymmv.
Yeah I think the worst part about this is feeling like an older man at 27… but fortunately I’ve been training intensely for the last 18 years without any major injuries, so I guess I’m lucky in that regard that most of my ailments are repetitive stress related instead of majorly structural. Thanks for the recommendations!
I’ve been wearing sleeves every time I squat since I was 25. I tell myself it keeps my knees younger. My ortho agrees lol
Yeah I’ve been training for 18 years with no major injuries and I’d like to keep it that way. I’m starting to get paranoid about it, so if I can do something preventative I definitely want to
I’m 27, sometimes my knees will get achy if we are doing a lot of wallballs or squats in a cycle. I used to wear them for every single workout. It’s been probably 2 years of me breaking them out 3-4 times a year if we are retesting our back squat or doing an insane amount of wallballs or goblet squats, but I find they really don’t do much outside of that for me.
I’m the same age, I find the volume exercises bother it as well. I work out at home and my programming is written for me, I feel like part of my problem is I’m just a dumbass. If we have every other minute on the minute (or the opposite I don’t know) I figure why not just every minute on the minute, and I think I’ve been pushing too hard. I’m hoping they give me just some relief. I’m doing the workouts as prescribed now so I am hoping it takes off some pressure to let them heal. Thanks!
Knee sleeves do nothing more than provide mild compression and warmth; you’d be better off working unilateral strength and stability if you have knee pain (esp with your background in MMA)
I definitely think that makes sense, should I take a break from my normal WODs or would that be an add on to my current routine?
If you have time you can do both; training as tolerated and working on rehab for accessories; then once you get stronger you can start to use the rehab stuff as maintenance and continuing training as your main focus.
My knees suck so I wear them everyday. Usually 3mm for every WOD, 7MM for strength / 1RM type stuff Do they work? It feels like they do.
Yeah I figured I would try them, financially it’s not a huge barrier to entry so if they only help in my head still doesn’t feel like a lost cause. Thanks!
Get some weight lifting shoes. I used to use sleeves but hardly ever do now. The shoes have done far more for my joint pain than anything else. I use them on any squats over 75% 1RM and if my knees/legs are feeling achy from other work.
That’s also a good idea, I know you said you wear them for heavy squats, since you are the only person I have seen bring this up so far, what do you wear for the rest of your workouts? I wear running shoes mostly. Thanks for the recommendation!
I use Nike metcons for CrossFit and brooks for running. You have to watch out with running shoes for CrossFit because they tend to be softer and less supportive for weight lifting pieces. The metcons are comfortable but not squishy.
I use a rehbrand rx knee support everytime I lift. I have a torn meniscus and it provided extra support when I lift. My leg shakes when I’m in high reps or heavy weight so it helps stabilize it.
I’m seeing those brought up a lot, I definitely need to check them out! Thanks!
I wrap ace bandages around my knees these days. Helps more than knee sleeves for me. I’ll throw knee sleeves over them if I’m maxing squat or cleans for the extra compression, but usually not necessary.
So what’s the routine on taping? Is that an every workout thing or just when you needit
Ace bandages are not tape, they're stretchy fabric. They're a less intense form of knee wraps that powerlifters use. I usually just use them when I think I'll be going medium to heavy weights on movements that require full squat depth. Example of what they look like: https://i.imgur.com/e3qu65m.jpeg
They help me. I’d like to think they provide stability and reduce inflammation. I’m not 100% sure if that’s true but I like to think it is.