How to Put On and Take Off Stiff Knee Sleeves

After having used every stiff sleeve imaginable, here's the methods I've found work best for getting them on and off.
Instagram: / basementbrandon
Affiliates
Rogue Fitness: bit.ly/3JG7KVq
REP Fitness: bit.ly/3Y5J90t
The Strength Co: bit.ly/2PA6FF0
GymWay USA: bit.ly/3REE5Of
Use code "BASEMENT" to save at:
www.lift.net/
www.juggernaut...
macrofactorapp...
hspowerfitness...
www.notdeadyet...
conqueringbarb...
Got a home gym question, product idea, or want to work together?
Email me here: [e-mail]

[@VeryAmateurBrewer]

As i sit here with my brand new inzers stuck on my leg… I thank you for the advice! 😂 they are my first knee sleeves.

[@BasementBrandon]

😅

[@keepit100kg]

If you're wearing really tight and stiff sleeves with bigger calves, I would also play with completely rolling them inside out as you get down the leg. This has helped me with my IR sleeves and makes a noticeable difference since I have one calf that is larger than the other that I have to do it on.

[@BasementBrandon]

I found this way for me causes them to stick more and then I end up pulling too much, but different strokes for different folks!

[@pigsmasher7665]

Late comment, but my calves are also relatively large and I can get the sleeves up wearing socks but my feet go numb after 5-10mins because of how tight they are (Pioneer) was it the same for you in the beginning?

[@keepit100kg]

@@pigsmasher7665 Yes, you gotta get used to it and make sure you clear the calves as much as you can. If you let them squeeze your calves you're gonna get even more numb. It has become less of a numb issue and more of a discomfort issue with rubbing on the back of the knee.

[@drickph3066]

My finger skin already ripped 😂 thaaanks for this tip its much easier , reverse and roll up

[@Massenomics]

Tried to get my Pioneers on for the first time last week but had to give up. Going back for round two this afternoon. Needed this as motivation before the fight.

[@BasementBrandon]

The first few times are a bit rough until you figure it out!

[@HughLeFitness]

My guy droppin' that wisdom.

[@BasementBrandon]

I have a full head of hair, I just shave it for swimming.

[@MacMillerFlowSicker]

Love the video needed this. I'm new to squatting and doing my first full power comp next month. Been rockin the red stoic you have in your video. Love them for me taking it off is more of a pain lol love the videos Brandon

[@BasementBrandon]

Kick some ass in the competition!

[@adambomb611]

Your video came in at the perfect time. I lost a lot of weight this year (50 lbs) decided to get new knee sleeves and a belt since I out shrunk my old ones. I totally expected the belt to take months to break it, but it came in prebroken in. Who knew the knee sleeves would be stiffer than the belt.

[@BasementBrandon]

Dang, congrats on the weight loss!!

[@panzerqc123]

Got my Hansu yesterday and i cant get them on at all. Your video arrived on point. Will try this method once i get a bigger pair.

[@BasementBrandon]

The first few uses for me I thought my sleeves wouldn't work well, a few times in and you'll get the hang of it hopefully

[@murdog04]

I dont have stiff knee sleeves so I never considered the potential difficulties getting them off and on. Thanks so much for the great information.

[@BasementBrandon]

It's the worst part!

[@arielmorales565]

This is the way I put on and got off my new rigor mortis A7 sleeves. Thought I was gonna need an amputation for a moment lol thumbs in front then in back then in front and they slid off maybe after 15 minutes of fighting lol

[@BasementBrandon]

It's def a learning process. I've updated my method slightly, maybe I'll do a follow up.

[@arielmorales565]

@@BasementBrandon That would be awesome! Definitely a challenge when new to stiff sleeves, these are my first.

[@choisulotezz7068]

Bro same! I just got my pair of A7 rigors mortis and had a small panic attack since I couldn’t get them off lol thought I was gonna have to take a trip to the ER

[@khailephd]

Next can you do a video on how to put on deadlift socks?

[@BasementBrandon]

Yes, it'll be a 3 part series.

[@Garage_gym48]

Haha underrated video. I felt guilty researching this topic a while ago without having many gym bros to talk to in my garage 😅 I started off taking them off in reverse but agree with a previous comment just inverting them inside out. That seems to work for me.

[@BasementBrandon]

Right on!

[@maxbuc1]

I use the same technique.Even the new sbd, although they are a bit harder to pull on and off

[@BasementBrandon]

The material on them still irks me lol

[@maxbuc1]

Yes lol, they are harsher than the stiffer ones. I do not yet understand if, with a proper long term adaptation, there is no difference on carry over (just the last inch of the movement where some elastic rebound is provided by the stiffers, but something that can be obtained with adaptation). I would say train with SBD, irritate the skin, compete with stiffers lol@@BasementBrandon

[@twistedbarbell3950]

Can't thank you enough! I probably should have gone with a 4x for the Pioneer, because mine don't go up as easily as yours did. Gotta practice this technique, especially with the thumbs to get off. I almost panicked the other day when I tried mine on while home alone and feared not being able to get them off.

[@BasementBrandon]

That fear is normal, once you go through the motions a few times you'll be moving them much easier!

[@pigsmasher7665]

Do yours cut the blood circulation/feet gets numb as well?

[@twistedbarbell3950]

@@pigsmasher7665 No, thankfully.

[@laracoraman222]

Nice of You to assume i could get them off like this without ripping& Breaking my thumbs 😀

[@BasementBrandon]

Need to play more nintendo to build up that hand strength.

[@nhpower1356]

Thanks for making this video!

[@BasementBrandon]

For sure!

[@stephennolan219]

this is a good reminder to moisturize

[@BasementBrandon]

Gonna make the sleeves stick

[@mac5917]

Massive thanks

[@BasementBrandon]

Any time!

[@AdamIZxMiiDNIGHT]

Now this may be a grey area in the rules. But with my PR sleeves I roll them down from the top. Then I use lifting straps to pull them up (one on each side of my knee cap). Then flip them over my knee cap.

[@BasementBrandon]

I know in USAPL the rule book says no other forms of assistance, but I've yet to see people get called for it.

[@AdamIZxMiiDNIGHT]

@@BasementBrandon Same. WPRF notes no “tools” as assistance. So no grabbing a pair of vice grips to reef it on. But is something that’s in everybody’s lifting bag a “tool” probably up to discretion.

[@benchgoblin]

I first saw a british ipf lifter on youtube show using deadlift socks to pull them up and taking them off before squatting, he mentioned it’s probably illegal but nobody ever sees

[@pigsmasher7665]

Did yours somehow restricted your blood flow/circulation in the beginning? I have worn them in the gym, putting them on was hard, but with long socks they came up in 20 seconds. However after 8-10 mins my feet started to get numb. I followed the Pioneer chart.

[@BasementBrandon]

Yes, def a bit hard to wear for extended times.

[@pigsmasher7665]

@@BasementBrandon im literally pulling them down after each set😂. Long socks ftw. Thanks a lot for the response man, big big fan

[@reginaldchesterfield8110]

I wonder if i can use these running haha

[@BasementBrandon]

Waddling perhaps.

[@squealer42]

I don't understand the physics how you are able to pull the Pioneer XLs on. I purchased same, as my calf, knee, quad seems a good shape for tapered sleeves and my calves are only 14,". However, I can't do it. I thought I should have an extra inch, but I realize now the 15" sleeves taper to 12", and no portion above my calf is less than 13". Above my knee is already 16". I think the XXL's would probably fit like your XLs, and therefore I'd want XXXL's since I have no plans of competing. What am I missing? Just get the stretchier Stoics?

[@BasementBrandon]

It's hard to say without seeing, but if they fit the chart, it should in theory work.

[@kennykim5987]

I always use chalks Helps to push through all the stickiness from sweats

[@BasementBrandon]

This would go against USAPL rules unfortunately as well.

[@Abah-cuh-bus]

Thanks! I got the pioneers and it’s my first set of really stuff knee sleeves. How much bunching up do you get needing the knee when squatting? My calf is about 15.5-15.75 and I went with 16. Does that sounds right? I think they fit but it’s my first time with sleeves like this so I’m not sure. Thanks for any help you can give!

[@BasementBrandon]

I think with any sleeve you'll get some bunching jsut due to the material not having anywhere else to go. I think that size should be good for a first set of stiff sleeves. If you find they're sliding down over multiple sets/reps you may be able to size down, but I wouldn't suggest that until you get accustomed to them.

[@fromontgomery]

Great video. How do the Stoic and the Pioneer compare to each other?

[@BasementBrandon]

Different categories of sleeves IMO. Stoics are some of the heaviest "normal" sleeves I've owned at about .6 lbs per sleeve. Most of the stff sleeves are at or above 1lb each.

[@Invictus13666]

So not a glimpse into Brandon’s preferred lube brands? Dang it.... Hey, good information. I don’t use sleeves so I hadn’t even thought about it being kind of a pain in the ass. Nice vid.

[@BasementBrandon]

Lube actually makes these sleeves stick more...

[@troynunley8161]

Another method. Probably not IPF legal. Steel coat hanger method. 2 hangers stacked. Slip em in. Repeat 3x in triangle formation. Wiggle em. Ultra tight? They'll come off.

[@BasementBrandon]

Fancy!

[@octasalg]

Brandon did you bought the new Inzers KONA?

[@BasementBrandon]

I haven't. They look similar enough to the Pioneers that I don't see a need.

[@jasonian6456]

can i ask what your exact calve circumference size is

[@BasementBrandon]

15.25"

[@rpe10]

I used to just roll them inside out all the way down to take them off and my rigor mortis *one sleeve of them* is basically unusable. Had them for about 4 months :/

[@BasementBrandon]

😭

[@rpe10]

@@BasementBrandonpioneer > a7 ?

[@BasementBrandon]

@@rpe10 I prefer the Pioneer ones, but I liked the A7 as well.

[@adambomb611]

I recommend not ordering from Pioneer Powerlifting. I ordered their knee sleeves in L (14” calf) as per their chart. Their customer service was unhelpful and require the customer to pay the shipping cost for exchange.

[@BasementBrandon]

Pioneer has always been great to me and everyone I've known. Sorry you didn't have a good experience.

[@HuntingKilos]

Good luck to the bigger calf than knee joint guys 😂

[@BasementBrandon]

Should still apply if you size appropriately!

[@PNWpowerlifting]

I sized exactly how they had said and just got them today. I almost couldn’t get them off 🤦‍♂️

[@NoFate247]

Came here to see how to get them off

[@BasementBrandon]

I heard you good at that... 🤪

[@blossompure]

The problem is with big calves

[@BasementBrandon]

Preaching the choir. I have the biggest calves I know.

[@R32R38]

First ever no-face video.

[@BasementBrandon]

I have more than you think 🤪

[@destructichron5]

AI thumbnail 🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@BasementBrandon]

Was easier than going to take a picture.