Jun 14, 2019

2019-05-23 Gangsta vs. STrong Wrist Wraps

GANGSTA VS. STRONG WRIST WRAPS

My mission today is to ‘Make the World a Better Place to Lift’. That includes inventing products that will help every man or woman, lift heavy with no pain. I have played around with many different types of wrist wraps over the years and invented several of my own that meet the needs for any workout. One of the biggest questions I get is, “Smelly! Do I use Gangsta Wrist Wraps, or STrong Wrist Wraps when I bench?!”. Well, kids, I am about to school you on some wrist wraps.

GANGSTA WRIST WRAPS

The Gangsta Wrist Wraps are my wrist wrap baby. These wraps have seen a lot over the years. Different colors, sizes, and stretchy variations are all part of the Gangsta Wrist Wraps family. I originally created the Gangsta Wrist Wraps as a play on words. Super Training Gym has Gangsta Rap legends Tupac, Eazy-E, and Ice Cube turned all the way up during our training sessions. I guess you could say that there ain’t nothin to it, Gangsta Rap made me develop the Gangsta Wrist Wraps.

The Gangsta Wrist Wraps are an all-purpose supportive wrist wrap. I have used the Gangsta Flex Wrist Wrap to bench press 500lbs at a 242lb bodyweight this past April, as well used the Gangsta Wrist Wraps on most of my upper body workouts during my show prep in the summer of 2018. While I was training at Gold’s Gym Venice with my boy, Mike O’Hearn (or O’Tren), we would train our chesticles in a high intensity and fast-paced fashion. I needed a wrist wrap I could adjust tightness and support accordingly as I moved from the bench to the floor for push-ups, to cable cross overs, and to the dumbbells quickly without having to change wraps.

The Gangsta Wrist Wraps come in two different sizes, 20” and 36”. Some considerations you should make when picking a size, are 1) the size of your wrist, and 2) what type of training will you be utilizing the Gangsta Wrist Wraps for.

1) Size of the Wrist: For individuals with smaller wrist joints, they can get several layers of wrap with a 20” wrap. If you have larger (or fatter) joints like me, you would want to consider the 36” wrap where you can get about two to two and a half layers of wrap around your wrist.

2) What Type of Training: If you are powerlifting and are looking to compete, the Gangsta Wrist Wrap transfer great from benching in the gym to competition. They are IPF, USPA, & USAPL approved and contain Level 3 elastic which is great for the platform and other accessory exercises in the gym. The thumb loop is sewn flat to the wrap which allows you to apply compression in different areas of the wrist, as well as the split velcro design allows you to establish varying amounts of stability and compression. If you want a super tight wrap on your hand and wrist for your heavy bench work, then move it down to the wrist and loosen the compression for dumbbell skull crushers, you can with the Gangsta Wrist Wrap.

The Gangsta Wrist Wraps are used by some of the top athletes in STrongman (Brian Shaw), powerlifting (Jim Cooper), and CrossFit (Ben Smith). These wrist wraps are also great for any bodybuilder, weightlifter, and newbie who is looking to start their journey to living Jacked & Tan.

STRONG WRIST WRAPS

The STrong Wrist Wraps, as their namesake implies, are the STrongest wrist wraps on the market today. These behemoths of wrist wraps were designed for the heavy hitters, the bench specialists, and the world record attempters. I have benched 500lbs at 242lbs, 578lbs at 275lbs and 832lbs in the Super Heavy Weight class (soo fat). In benching those heavy ass weights, I knew that not only myself but the other monsters breaking bench press world records needed something more. A wrist wrap that would be strong enough, stiff enough, long enough (hey now!) and supportive enough to take a lifter to new bench press heights.

The STrong Wrist Wraps are created out of level 4 elastic material. This is the same elastic material that our STrong Knee Wraps are made out of. This material is tightly stitched and when applied properly, can produce a lot of tension and tightness to fuse the hand and the wrist together in an optimal position to bench in. This wrap also features the flat sewn thumb loop and split velcro so you can adjust the tension to be exactly where you need it. This fusion helps create a STrong foundation for the wrist and hand to settle into to ultimately support the barbell. The STrong Wrist Wraps come in varying lengths of 30”, 38” and 42” inches. For those stepping on the platform, keep in mind that both the 30” and 38” versions are approved by IPF, USAPL, and the USPA. The 42” version is great for use in the gym, but using them in competition is considered cheating worse than a sumo deadlift.

Similar to the Gangsta Wrist Wraps, one must consider the size of their wrist and how many layers of wrap they prefer when benching heavy. One should aim to get about three to four layers of the wrap when using the STrong Wrist Wraps. These wraps should primarily be used for heavy benches, and heavy overhead barbell or log presses.

I have thought long and hard about how I can make the world a better place to lift. I have reflected on some of the problems I found in the industry and created my own solution, paved my own path. The all-purpose and supportive Gangsta Wrist Wraps were designed to help lifters protect and support their wrists while training regardless if they are powerlifting, bodybuilding, weightlifting, doing CrossFit or STrongman. When I needed something more supportive, more intense, more savage, I went out and made it. The STrong Wrist Wrap is my way of giving back to those heavy hitting, big benching, record breaking mother fuckers who are pushing the boundaries of strength on the platform.

Find the wrist wrap that works best for you here or at the Sling Shot STore located at 855 Riverside Parkway, Suite 10 in West Sacramento, CA.

STrength is never a weakness, and weakness is never a STrength and may all your shits be tapered. That being said, class is dismissed. Catch you guys later. POW!

The People's Coach

Mark "Smelly" Bell