I’ve been lifting weights for more than a decade now and, bar a misinformed early phase dominated by bicep curls, I’ve been doing heavy squats for most of this time. But despite this, I’ve never worn knee sleeves.
It started off as a budget thing – while I was at university I wasn’t exactly flush with cash – and after that it just became a habit. I wanted my legs to be able to support heavy weights without any assistance, so I continued to squat with naked knees. However, that all changed recently when Myprotein sent me a pair of knee sleeves to try.
Intrigued, I laced up my trainers and headed to the gym for a heavy squat session. And what I found changed my mind, at least partly, on whether knee sleeves would earn a regular space in my gym bag.
What are knee sleeves?
Knee sleeves are tubes made from a stretchy material (usually neoprene) which can be worn around the knees for support and compression during certain exercises. There are a variety of thicknesses available, with 3mm, 5mm and 7mm options being the most common.
The 7mm sleeves are used for knee support during compound exercises like squats, lunges and the Olympic weightlifting lifts – anything heavy that involves the knee joint, essentially. The 3mm sleeves are often used for high-impact, high-volume training such as a circuit workout or a CrossFit class with lots of box jumps, and the 5mm sleeves provide a happy medium between the two if you’re after a great all rounder.
Knee sleeves should fit snugly, providing enough compression to keep the tissues around the joint warm, but shouldn’t be so tight that they restrict blood flow in this area. A good test to do for this is to check you are able to snugly fit two fingers between your skin and the sleeve.
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What does a knee sleeve do for your knee?
The compression provided by knee sleeves can increase blood flow to the knee joint, keeping it warm during and between sets. They can also help stabilise the knee joint, reducing discomfort in the bottom position of a squat, according to the experts at British Weightlifting. The sum of these parts is that you feel more confident and supported when lifting heavy weights on leg day.
You might also rely on knee sleeves if you’re new to weight training and squatting or are concerned about the health of your joints. A little extra support can help you ease into new types of exercise while your bones and muscles get used to the movements and you start to build your strength.
My experience trying knee sleeves for the first time
I follow an online CrossFit programme for my training, and on the day of the test it served up a series of Olympic weightlifting drills followed by some heavy squats. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to try the knee sleeves, so I warmed up then slipped them on.
They passed the two-finger fit test, feeling snug yet comfortable, and impressed me during the Olympic weightlifting drills. At 5mm thick, the Myprotein training knee sleeves didn’t feel too restrictive, which was for the best as I was working on the squat snatch. This is an exercise that commands mobility galore, tasking you with pulling a loaded barbell explosively from the ground then catching it overhead in the bottom position of a squat.
The knee sleeves allowed me to move freely. However, whether it was psychosomatic or not, they also made my knees feel slightly more stable, and I noticed a little bit more spring in my squat while I was standing it up.
Next came the back squats – three sets of three repetitions at 85 per cent of my one rep max, followed by a max-rep set at the same weight – while wearing the sleeves.
Last year I’d had a chat with two top-level CrossFit athletes and when I’d asked them what they hoped to gain by wearing knee sleeves, they joked that, “an extra 20kg on the back squat would be ideal”. The answer might have been on the hyperbolic side, but they did both agree that the confidence to handle a few extra kilos was a must.
This is what I found when squatting in knee sleeves for the first time. They didn’t earn me a PB or perform any miracles – decent biomechanics and a strong set of legs will always be the common denominators in a successful squat – but I was able to move smoothly with a fairly challenging weight. My knees felt slightly stronger at the bottom of the squat, and the first rep of each set felt smoother than usual, with the knee sleeves keeping the joint primed between sets.
Overall, I enjoyed my inaugural knee sleeve experience. They proved comfortable and made me feel more confident handling heavier weights while squatting, which could potentially lead to a new PB later down the line. But I still also enjoy the idea that my body can handle some pretty hard tasks on its own. For this reason, knee sleeves have earned a regular spot in my gym bag, but only come out for my heaviest sets.
The knee sleeves to buy
Myprotein training knee sleeve: Was £24, now £11.99, Myprotein.com
As a CrossFit fan, I’m no stranger to seeing people spend £50 or more on a set of knee sleeves. But, if you’re a keen lifter looking to give them a go, this affordable Myprotein set makes for a great first pair, especially while they’re down from £24 to £11.99. They’re 5mm thick, making them a decent all-rounder, and come in five sizing options to suit all-comers.
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