Weak wrists struggling with press and power clean.

[Ponyboy]

I find both the above exercises difficult as my right wrist is quite weak and I've injured it as a result once or twice.

What can I do to strengthen my wrists to get past this?

[Adam Franklin]

Welcome to the forums!

First, let's make sure your press grip is correct. Please review the two links below:

Gripping Matters | Jordan Feigenbaum

Mark Rippetoe: Press Grip - YouTube

Pressing and bench pressing while squeezing the crap out of the bar, with a correct grip, will build requisite grip as part of the whole system. So will deadlifting with a double overhand grip. Just curious, what are you deadlifting for a set of 5? How do you grip it?

As far as the power clean goes, I would like to see how you rack the bar. Assuming you let it roll into your finger tips like it should, your grip may be too narrow. It's hard to say though, I can't see you from here!

[Ponyboy]

Welcome to the forums!

First, let's make sure your press grip is correct. Please review the two links below:

Gripping Matters | Jordan Feigenbaum

Mark Rippetoe: Press Grip - YouTube

Pressing and bench pressing while squeezing the crap out of the bar, with a correct grip, will build requisite grip as part of the whole system. So will deadlifting with a double overhand grip. Just curious, what are you deadlifting for a set of 5? How do you grip it?

As far as the power clean goes, I would like to see how you rack the bar. Assuming you let it roll into your finger tips like it should, your grip may be too narrow. It's hard to say though, I can't see you from here!

Hi and thanks for the welcome and the speedy reply!

My bench is pretty weak too and I also have an issue with my right wrist...

I have been doing the programme since 24.01.2017

Weight 79.5 kg to 82 kg
Deadlift : 50kg to 102.5kg
Squat : 25kg to 82.5 kg
Press : 25kg to 37.5kg
Bench : 35kg to 45kg
Clean : 30kg to 47.5kg

For deadlifts I have recently moved to a mixed grip having used a double overhand before. I tried a hook grip with my clean last time around and hurt my wrist somehow. I am generally not happy with my power clean technique and try to work on it each time I train it - I am not 'throwing the bar' high enoughand am almost lifting it and I don't get my elbows forward enough, I am aware of that.

On the press, I was using a wide grip but moved to a closer grip as it was helping my lift the bar above my head - I have also started to add a bounmce in my knees to aid the push above my head - I realise this isn't right either as I am bypassing my shoulders to a certain degree, so I need to go back to basics probably, but the wrist thing is worrying and purts some fear into my mind at the time.

[David Geiger]

Wrist wraps for heavy sets can be helpful (for bench and press). I use them for my last heavy warmups and work sets, or more if my wrists hurt on a particular day.

[Ponyboy]

Wrist wraps for heavy sets can be helpful (for bench and press). I use them for my last heavy warmups and work sets, or more if my wrists hurt on a particular day.

Thanks

[Dave Joksimovic]

Wrist wraps for heavy sets can be helpful (for bench and press). I use them for my last heavy warmups and work sets, or more if my wrists hurt on a particular day.

+1

I wouldn't say I have "weak wrists" but I have noticed as my press got heavier the angle of my wrists wants to slack in the later reps. My belt/wraps got delivered today and I'm gonna (hopefully) press 145lbs in an hour... I'll update with my thoughts on the wraps if you'd like...

EDIT: Wraps absolutely make a difference. Night and day. 145 went up faster and more reliably than 140 did last Friday.

[Greg Ruhl]

I have been doing the programme since 24.01.2017

Weight 79.5 kg to 82 kg
Deadlift : 50kg to 102.5kg
Squat : 25kg to 82.5 kg
Press : 25kg to 37.5kg
Bench : 35kg to 45kg
Clean : 30kg to 47.5kg

On the press, I was using a wide grip but moved to a closer grip as it was helping my lift the bar above my head - I have also started to add a bounmce in my knees to aid the push above my head - I realise this isn't right either as I am bypassing my shoulders to a certain degree, so I need to go back to basics probably, but the wrist thing is worrying and purts some fear into my mind at the time.

Something is definitely wrong if you've only increased your bench 10kg in 4 months and with a push press you've only increased 12.5kg. You haven't put on any weight... how did you expect to get stronger?

[Ponyboy]

Something is definitely wrong if you've only increased your bench 10kg in 4 months and with a push press you've only increased 12.5kg. You haven't put on any weight... how did you expect to get stronger?

Defintiely something wrong. Re not putting on weight: I am eating more, I am getting a lot of protein in; weight doesn't seem to come tbh - however the deadlift and squat numbers are going up, so I am getting stronger...

I onyl get to train 2 times a week if that is any consequence?

[MBasic]

Defintiely something wrong. Re not putting on weight: I am eating more, I am getting a lot of protein in; weight doesn't seem to come tbh - however the deadlift and squat numbers are going up, so I am getting stronger...

I onyl get to train 2 times a week if that is any consequence?

Height? age?

How long resting between the work sets (3x5)?

What are your bar weight increase between workouts?

etc.

[Ponyboy]

Wrist wraps for heavy sets can be helpful (for bench and press). I use them for my last heavy warmups and work sets, or more if my wrists hurt on a particular day.

Height? age?

How long resting between the work sets (3x5)?

What are your bar weight increase between workouts?

etc.

183cm
43 years old
I take 120 seconds between work sets
Bar increase 2.5kg a workout
Have increased my food intake by @1000cals a day.

I did take my bench back to work on my form and to go at it from a stronger position as I have no spotter and worry about dropping the bar on myself.

Typically the bench is also the busiest part of the weights room as I live in an area where a lot of guys just want to pump their pecs... So I've often had to resort to the Smith machine.