Hand-wraps help protect the bones and tendons in your hands. In addition, they will help support your wrist and thumb. To help prevent injuries, always wrap your hands before working out.

The Basic Beginners Wrap

As your skill level improves you can progress to the more technical wrap. There are many ways to wrap your hands, but the most important point is that you make a comfortable wrap. Not so tight that it cuts of your circulation but functional enough to stabilize your fingers, hand and wrist and offers support to your wrist. The wrap will also offer added protection to your knuckles. The key to a good wrap is of course practice, practice and yet more practice.

The basic wrap - Place your hand out straight with your fingers spread apart.

1. Start by putting the thumb loop over your thumb: wrap across the back of your hand, away from the thumb (some wraps now have a label saying which way down the wrap should face so the Velcro ends up facing the correct way once your wrap is complete).

2. Wrap around the wrist two or three times to support the wrist.

3. Bring the wrap around the backside of the hand and wrap the knuckles two or three times; cover the knuckles tightly. Whilst wrapping your hands ensure you keep the correct tension on the wraps to offer support, to tight and it will effect your circulation, to loose and the wrap will offer very little support. It is by trial and error that you will find the right formula.

4. Bring the wrap across the back of the hand and down. Wrap around the thumb. Go back around the wrist and wrap the thumb the opposite way.

5. Bring the wrap back across the back of the hand and wrap the knuckle area again.

6. Wrap around the hand and wrist area in a figure of eight motion three or four times. Finish by wrapping the rest of the wrap around the wrist and secure the Velcro fastening.

The Advanced Wrap

1. Put your hand in the thumb loop and pull the wrap across the back of your hand away from the thumb.

2. take the wrap and circle around your wrist two or three times to create a support system for the wrist(.make sure the wraps are tight and wrinkle free )

3. Work the wrap towards the knuckles. The wrap should cover the knuckle entirely.

4. Starting with the smallest finger, run the wrap between that finger and the ring finger, straight down the palm of the hand; tightly weave the wrap in between each finger.

5. To wrap the thumb, circle the wrist, once then circle the thumb once more.

6. Take the wrap and make figure-eight around the backside of the hand between the thumb and the fore finger. With the leftover wrap circle you’re your wrist to secure it and Velcro the wrap shut.

Advice & Tips

If your hand-wraps don't feel right, do them over.

Proper tightness of hand-wraps is important. Wraps should be tight enough to stay firmly in place, but not too tight, or they will cut off your circulation. It takes practice.

Hand-wraps have a top and bottom. Some hand-wraps are clearly marked "This Side Down". The reason is that the Velcro should be face up when finished. If you started with the wrong side down is no big deal. On the last step around the wrist, flip (twist) the wraps over.

Hand-wraps can be machine-washed. Hang up to dry. Hand-wraps get tangled when washing in a machine. If needed, buy a special hand-wrap wash bag or nylon bag.

Depending on how much you sweat, it is suggested is to roll the hand-wraps back up, when finished with your workout.

If you work out several times a week, buy a couple of pairs of hand-wraps.

For smaller hands, avoid wrapping too many times around the palm, because the hand-wraps will bunch up. For very small hands, you might need to include a couple figure 8's and extra times around the wrist.

Most sporting goods stores sell hand-wraps, but usually are the short versions, only good for small hands.

Wrapping your hands looks to be very easy... until you try it for the first time. With practice, you will figure it out.