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Strength training

This section is for people who lift, do push-ups or train with their body weight and want their wrists to keep up with the rest of them. Pole has taught me how much strength you need in your hands and forearms, and the same ideas carry over to the gym, so these guides are about building that strength gradually and setting up your grip so it does not hurt.

The best place to begin is how to strengthen your wrists, which is an eight-week plan you can follow alongside your usual training. The seven-minute warm-up in the article on exercises to prevent wrist injuries fits nicely before any session. If one exercise in particular is the problem, go straight to its article, because push-ups and bench press each have their own guide, and there is a list of seven common push-up mistakes with a fix for each.

When you want extra support, read the guide to wrist support at the gym for when to wear it and how tight, and the one on wrist wraps for lifting weights for presses, front rack and overhead work. The best gym wrist support article compares wraps, straps, sleeves and braces side by side. If pain stays with you between sessions, ease off and have it looked at by a physiotherapist.

Illustration of a smiling woman sitting on a bench doing wrist curls with a small dumbbell, her forearm resting on her thigh, with more small weights and a soft ball on the floor

Start here · Strength training · 8 min read

How to Strengthen Your Wrists: A Progressive 8-Week Plan

A proper progressive programme for stronger wrists, from gentle isometrics to bodyweight holds, with sets, reps and a weekly plan you can actually stick to.

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Illustration of a bearded man bench pressing a barbell with straight wrists while a friend stands behind the bench to spot him

Strength training · 7 min read

Wrist Pain When Bench Pressing: Causes, Grip Fixes and What Helps

Most bench press wrist pain starts with the bar sitting too high in your hand, and fixing your grip is the first step before accessory work and smarter loading do the rest.

Illustration of a smiling woman doing an incline push-up with her hands flat on a low wooden bench in a cosy home workout corner

Strength training · 6 min read

Wrist Pain From Push-Ups: Why It Happens and How to Build Tolerance

A flat-palm push-up bends your wrist close to 90 degrees under more than half your bodyweight, which is why it hurts so many people, but the right variations and a gradual plan can get you back to comfortable push-ups.

Illustration of a smiling bearded man on a gym bench fastening short black and white patterned wrist wraps before his workout

Strength training · 7 min read

Wrist Support at the Gym: When to Wear It, How Tight and How Long

Wrist support works best when you wear it for the right sets and take it off for the rest, and this simple routine shows you when to wrap, how tight to go and how to cut back over time.

Illustration of a woman pressing a barbell overhead with straight arms and stacked wrists, wearing short black and white patterned wrist wraps

Strength training · 7 min read

Wrist Wraps for Lifting Weights: Presses, Front Rack and Overhead

Wrist wraps help on the lifts that push your hand back and do nothing for pulls, so this guide covers how to wrap for each lift and the technique cues that do most of the work.

Illustration of a smiling man pressing a barbell overhead with straight wrists while a woman holds a kettlebell in the front rack position in a bright gym

Strength training · 7 min read

Best Wrist Support for the Gym: Wraps, Straps, Sleeves or Braces?

Wraps, straps, sleeves and braces all do different jobs, so this guide matches each one to the training you actually do and explains what to look for when you buy.

Illustration of a smiling woman doing a push-up on a mat with her hands under her shoulders and her body in one straight line

Strength training · 6 min read

7 Push-Up Mistakes That Hurt Your Wrists and How to Fix Each One

Most push-up wrist pain comes from a handful of small form mistakes. Film one set, run through this checklist and fix them one at a time.

Illustration of three smiling women of different body types standing on exercise mats and warming up their wrists before training

Strength training · 6 min read

Exercises to Prevent Wrist Injuries: A 7-Minute Warm-Up and Prehab Routine

A quick wrist warm-up you can do before every session and a short prehab finisher for afterwards, so your wrists are ready for what you're about to ask of them.