And they'd be right!
These things are terrible. They never really get clean, they warp the first time you use them and they were ripped coming out of the package. There's no defending them. At all.
However, I've had these wraps for a decade...at least. When Harbinger made these motherfuckers they broke the mold and at least two or three times a week I unroll these sad things to go back into the iron jungle and do that the fuck I do.
Now when I got serious about competing a few years ago I went and got some nice, fancy, STURDY wrist wraps that cost about thirty bucks and those are good too, but they aren't MINE.
But maybe, just maybe...there is some dreaded OVERTHINKING going on!
As long as I've been in this game I've noticed that when something works, you do it, but when something is reliable day after day, year after year-you never let it go. After a while though you have to be honest with yourself and ask is the gear still up to the task or am I just unable or unwilling to let go.
These sorry wraps basically stop my sweat from dripping into my hand and that is worth cash money to me as I sweat like its going out of style. I learned this as a young one in the wrestling business, you don't want sweaty hands! You will drop things, possibly yourself, and it is a safety hazard that can be eliminated. Sure, I could wear other, newer, less bacteria-infested wraps but why can't I move on? Do I need to?
I think about that every single time I roll these things on. They serve the minimum purpose and I guess that's really what I need, but I wonder how far we let ourselves get attached to material things and how much they can weigh us down. Maybe newer wraps wouldn't really change any of my lifts, but I've also had the same Adidas wrestling shoes for almost as long. I've wrestled in them hundreds of times and virtually every time I have squatted in the last decade, I did so with those shoes.
Does my 600 pound squat owe anything to those shoes practically, or does the familiarity of those beat up ass shoes give me the confidence to get under the bar and do the work?
I'm a coldly logical person, not quite a stoic but close, however I think that in imperfect pursuits like weightlifting allow for some habits or ideas that aren't exactly scientific. For the very few who go to the gym everyday for work, maybe they have a different set of rules they need to follow, but for those of us who pray to a god of iron each week, we might need minor motivations to come from things like this. The IFBB pro bodybuilder or the NFL player might change their gear out regularly to please sponsors or make a few bucks, maybe they change their gear up to stay extra fresh for the cameras, but for us, its not about that. Its about routine, but its also about identity. Whether its your lucky shorts, your favorite shoes or even if you have a smoothie recipe that tastes bad but maybe you need that for leg day-drink up!
In the world of 24/7 connectivity and armchair scientists holding court everyday, its easy to fall prey to the 'expertise' of someone else when really you just need to put your head down and do the work. I know in my head that no gear or equipment ever did me any special favors, but when I step in that squat rack I want to look down and see my old friends who were there since the beginning. When I reach up to grab the pulldown bar I like seeing my old ass wraps. Its a subtle reminder that no matter what comes next in my set or my workout, I've put a lot of time in to get to this point and as long as I'm moving forward then I don't need to overthink it.
I don't believe in a lot of things, but I believe in the power of positivity, visualization and the sheer force of will that each of us can unleash when called upon to do so. Don't put a leash on yourself-be comfortable, put your head down and do the work!
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