Squatting with wraps, training approach

[KoolaidMannn]

For those who compete with wraps in the squat, how do you structure your training?

Do you do significant amounts of a training block just with sleeves then transition into wraps day 6-8 weeks out?

Or do you keep wrapped squats in your training at all times?

Or is it a mix ?

Interested to here different people's perspectives on this, since someone who squats in wraps wants me to program for them in the coming months.

[Hamburgerfan]

I don't use wraps at all until about 3 weeks before a meet. Until then, I use a lot of box squats with bands so I'm still overloading the top of the ROM a bit. When I get close to the meet I'll do one or two sessions with knee wraps, working up to a couple of singles with 85-95%.

[Les]

If I am way out from a meet, I might do a few training blocks with knee sleeves. But another option would be to use a top set/drop set approach to your squat training, where you only use the wraps for the top set. That is what I am doing now. I actually use the wraps for my last warm up set as well, just to get used to them before the big set. So that is two sets with wraps per session, which really doesn't slow things down much.

Saturday will look like this:
525 (last warm up set with no wraps), 555 (warm up set with wraps), 585 (top set with wraps), 465 for 3 sets (no wraps)

[KoolaidMannn]

I don't use wraps at all until about 3 weeks before a meet. Until then, I use a lot of box squats with bands so I'm still overloading the top of the ROM a bit. When I get close to the meet I'll do one or two sessions with knee wraps, working up to a couple of singles with 85-95%.

Ah so you take a more west side approach?

[KoolaidMannn]

If I am way out from a meet, I might do a few training blocks with knee sleeves. But another option would be to use a top set/drop set approach to your squat training, where you only use the wraps for the top set. That is what I am doing now. I actually use the wraps for my last warm up set as well, just to get used to them before the big set. So that is two sets with wraps per session, which really doesn't slow things down much.

Saturday will look like this:
525 (last warm up set with no wraps), 555 (warm up set with wraps), 585 (top set with wraps), 465 for 3 sets (no wraps)

Ah gotcha this is kinda the style I was thinking about once we get close to a meet.

Have you ever only done wraps (with no sleeved backoffs) leading up to a meet?

at what point do reps with wraps become just silly, like would asking for a set of 5 in wraps be unbareable pain wise?

[Les]

I have done wraps for sets across (like 5x5), but after 3 or 4 sets your skin starts getting a little aggravated. But more than that, it just takes more time and energy to throw them on for every set. When it comes to doing 1 or 2 sets, you can probably do any amount of reps. I've done 550x10 for instance with wraps as a top set. I've found that doing 1 or 2 sets leading up to the top set with wraps seems to be enough to help you adjust to them. I do all my assistance squat work and drop sets without them just to save time. I didn't feel like doing 5 sets with wraps was better than just doing 1 or 2.

[Hamburgerfan]

If you're new to wraps, then I wouldn't go over 5 reps unless they're wrapped fairly loose. Your legs will go numb and it will be easier for your form to get shitty.

[KoolaidMannn]

Thank you both for this info! It's been very helpful