Are compression arm sleeves good for weightlifting? Yes!

Did you know that there are many benefits of wearing compression arm sleeves when weightlifting? Compression arm sleeves help your muscles to perform better, to avoid injury, and to recover better and faster between sets. And make mistake about it, there is a tremendous difference between the various kinds of compression arm sleeves you can get. Here are the facts on why compression arm sleeves are good for weightlifting and which compression arm sleeves are the best for you to use!

Why Compression Arm Sleeves Are Good For Weightlifting?

Compression arm sleeves are good for weightlifting for a number of reasons. But first, it is helpful to understand the science of compression. Simply put, compression is pressure. When compression is applied to your body such as wearing a compression arm sleeve, it increases your blood pressure. This in turn results in an increased flow of oxygen rich blood to that part of the body, in this case your arm.

#1 Benefit of Compression Arm Sleeves for Weightlifting – Muscle Recovery

For most weightlifters, the top benefit of compression arm sleeves is muscle recovery. When you are doing arm curls, bench presses, overhead presses, pull-ups, or chin-ups, etc, you know all too well that feeling in your arm muscles just after you have finished your first repetition of a set. It can sometimes take a minute or more for your muscles to recover so that you can continue your reps and finish your sets. But with more support compression arm sleeves, your arm muscles recover much quicker. You can literally feel the muscle recovery as the pressure of the compression arm sleeves promotes blood flow, oxygenation, and immediate muscle recovery.

#2 Benefit of Compression Arm Sleeves for Weightlifting – Prevents Injury

More support compression arm sleeves protect you against injury. They do this in a number of ways. The tight, compressed fit keeps your arm muscles and tendons together and where they are supposed to be. This means that arm muscles and tendons are less likely to become pulled or stained. Also, elbows are less likely to experience snapping and popping. And then there are those times when you finish one set of exercises and move on to another muscle group such as finishing your biceps exercises and then starting your triceps exercises. It is not uncommon to experience a slight muscle twitch, strain, or pain on account of the movement and stretching of your muscles as you change the muscle that you are working on. But when you wear more support compression arm sleeves, your muscles are kept snugly in place where they can work with less risk of injury.

#3 Benefit of Compression Arm Sleeves for Weightlifting – Performance

When you wear more support compression arm sleeves, your muscles perform efficiently. By keeping your arm muscles compressed, they stay precisely on their intended path of motion as they work. This results in increased efficiency of the muscle which in turn builds muscle strength and stamina. And all the while, the more support compression arm sleeves are putting pressure on your arm muscles and increasing blood flow and oxygenation which keeps your arm muscles, tendons, and joints energized throughout your workout. The better performance that is produced results in better gains toward your weightlifting goals.

Which Compression Arm Sleeves Are The Best For You To Use?

There are many different kinds of compression arm sleeves in the market and make no mistake about it, some are better than others. For use in weightlifting, there are basically two features that your arm sleeves must have; more support compression and quality workmanship.

#1 Feature: Compression

Compression arm sleeves come in a variety of different compression levels. The term mmHg stands for millimeters of Mercury which is the measurement used to measure pressure. For uses such as running, cycling, and golf, etc, you do not need a great deal of compression as these uses for compression arm sleeves are more for sun protection and moderate muscle support. For these sports, 5 to 10 mmHg would be adequate. But for weightlifting, you want and can benefit from significantly more muscle support. Here, you will want to use more support arm sleeves that offer additional compression in the 15-20 mmHg and 20-30 mmHg ranges.

#2 Feature: Quality Workmanship

When weightlifting with compression arm sleeves, you will want arm sleeves that are well made, because poorly made arm sleeves will burst at the stitching seams, lose their compression, and not hold up over time. Be sure to look for more support compression arm sleeves that are made of
high quality nylon/spandex and that utilize a seamless construction throughout the arm sleeves for greater comfort and flexibility. Also look for compression arm sleeves that provide graduated compression which acts to stabilize muscles and provide increased support for the entire length of the arm from the more narrow end at the wrists to the wider end at the top of the triceps.

Summary

Every weightlifter has heard or said the expression, “No pain, no gain.” Whether you are a competitive weightlifter, personal trainer, or fitness enthusiast, pushing yourself to the limit is inherently part of the weightlifting experience. More support compression arm sleeves can help. They will help your arm muscles recover. They will prevent injury to your arm muscle groups, tendons, and elbows. And they will help your arm muscles perform better helping you to achieve your weightlifting goals.