Cheating?

[Shortstack55]

Hello PM. I've been around this board for a long time and have found the wealth of knowledge on this board to be just amazing.

Anyway, i used knee wraps for the very first time today when squatting due to some mild knee pain and was amazed at how much my squat increased.

So by using knee wraps do you take away from the effectiveness of the squat and if so can this be corrected by increasing the weight?

Hope this question makes sense.

 

[Diesel City]

Hello PM. I've been around this board for a long time and have found the wealth of knowledge on this board to be just amazing.

Anyway, i used knee wraps for the very first time today when squatting due to some mild knee pain and was amazed at how much my squat increased.

So by using knee wraps do you take away from the effectiveness of the squat and if so can this be corrected by increasing the weight?

Hope this question makes sense.

It's a debatable topic really. You could look at it this way though, Ronnie Coleman did his squatting in a suit. Why?

 

[donjoy]

Hello PM. I've been around this board for a long time and have found the wealth of knowledge on this board to be just amazing.

Anyway, i used knee wraps for the very first time today when squatting due to some mild knee pain and was amazed at how much my squat increased.

So by using knee wraps do you take away from the effectiveness of the squat and if so can this be corrected by increasing the weight?

Hope this question makes sense.

I would stick with the wraps and see how things work out. If you make some gains then the effectiveness is not really in question. Obviously you are not cheating yourself if you can squat without knee pain and still make gains.

 

[Shortstack55]

thanks for the opinions. I think i will continue using them for a bit, it just seemed to easy as if i was cheating myself. But my knees did feel great using them!

 

[VTliftVT]

Lets put this one in perspective...


1) dont use knee wraps...injure knee...can't lift legs for months while healing and then still come back and never really feel the same

2) use something to support the knees, keep your knees safe, continue to progress into heavier weight and make gains

i like option 2 best

 

[Ashop]

Hello PM. I've been around this board for a long time and have found the wealth of knowledge on this board to be just amazing.

Anyway, i used knee wraps for the very first time today when squatting due to some mild knee pain and was amazed at how much my squat increased.

So by using knee wraps do you take away from the effectiveness of the squat and if so can this be corrected by increasing the weight?

Hope this question makes sense.

I dont see it as cheating,,,perhaps a mild assist though
If it helps you by all means use them.

 

[gelatine]

Knee sleeves - easier to use, not as much assistance, and they work great for putting just enough pressure to keep things feeling good.

 

[gridlock]

Hello PM. I've been around this board for a long time and have found the wealth of knowledge on this board to be just amazing.

Anyway, i used knee wraps for the very first time today when squatting due to some mild knee pain and was amazed at how much my squat increased.

So by using knee wraps do you take away from the effectiveness of the squat and if so can this be corrected by increasing the weight?

Hope this question makes sense.

if you are targetting yourself on getting stronger and you can do it without then its a kind of cheat, but if you're going for muscle and its a safer way for you to lift without injury, you are only doing what you HAVE to do to make progress.

 

[MAINEVENT]

Ive never used knee wraps until lately out of necessity. I can say my numbers have gone up but at the same time my knees aren't killing me now.

As long as your stimulating the muscles properly i say who cares!

 

[Shortstack55]

Usually the day after heavy squats i can feel it in my knees, but today my knees feel great. I guess as long as i increase the weight to over come the added assit of the wraps they will work just the same.

And hey if they are good enough for coleman, i guess they're good enough for me

 

[tommyguns2]

Cheating on your wife is a no-no.

Cheating on an exercise is only cheating if it prevents you from adequately stimulating the target muscle in an effective manner. If a wrap or brace or whatever helps you hold better form, or go deeper, etc. it may very well be aiding you in better stimulating the target muscle.

Even half reps have helped some people hit a target muscle. Cheating on form in a counter-productive way is kind of like obscenity, I'm not sure exactly how to define it, but I typically know it when I see it.