Best gear guide for fitness enthusiasts

I have a rule regarding purchasing new exercise equipment: I may only purchase equipment if I have been actively participating in the sport or activity for at least six months. Otherwise, I use what I have or borrow what I can from others.

Before I ultimately bought my first pair of cycling shoes, for instance, I took spinning courses intermittently for two years. This was only because I was preparing to teach indoor cycling classes at the time and needed to look the part. The same is true for weightlifting; I put off purchasing equipment for months, and even then, I only added it when absolutely required.

In any case, I carefully analyze my workout gear purchases and only buy what I need, perhaps because I'm cheap and detest spending money on items that simply sit in my closet (sorry, handbags don't count).

You can guarantee that I didn't make a hasty buy when it came to lifting weights. Given where I was in my training, I really added gear gradually and only when needed. To assist, I've compiled a brief guide to the top four pieces of equipment you might (or might not) need to buy in order to become a barbell badass!

Shoes for lifting weights

Weightlifting shoes are worth the money if you're serious about gaining strength and lifting large objects.

First of all, weightlifting shoes offer a firm foundation of support to drive force through, making them more sturdy than your average cross-training sneaker. The shoe's raised heel comes in second and is perhaps the most advantageous feature. This little but important design feature gives you more range of motion around the ankle joint, which can help you keep an erect torso, improve your squat form, and snatch and clean.

However, consider your training objectives and training style before pulling out your wallet:

You don't need a weightlifting shoe if you're more of a general fitness enthusiast who just squats once or twice a week. Actually, I would rather you squat with Chuck's flat shoe or barefoot.

However, without weightlifting shoes, you will be at a significant disadvantage if you enjoy powerlifting or the Olympic lifts. After all, these activities involve moving a lot of weight, so being prepared will increase your effectiveness and safety.Several pairings to test

Sleeves for the knees

Knee sleeves, like weightlifting shoes, are totally dependent on your training objectives and style. While some individuals, like me, don't mind going without them, others swear by them. Actually, it wasn't until after my first powerlifting competition that I began wearing knee sleeves, even though I had been lifting for at least two years by then.

The main purpose of a knee sleeve is to shield your knees from harm, which can occur from the repetitive stress and hammering around the knee capsule in a barbell sport. Some people say it can improve performance, but I haven't seen any scientific proof of it.

Despite their low cost, knee sleeves offer a lot of benefits. By promoting blood flow, the compression aspect can help with knee pain or injury reduction, edema reduction, and improved recovery.

Because you're probably not yet smashing hefty mass (i.e., weights), knee sleeves aren't necessary if you're new to weightlifting.Worth the expenditure, though, if you lift weights three to five times a week. Those items may smell worse than any men's hockey room, so be sure to wash them!

belt for weightlifting

When a large lift comes up, a weightlifting belt will come in handy, and investing in a quality one is well worth the effort and money. In your lifting career, you will probably go through a number of belts since, similar to leggings, you have to test a variety of styles to find the ones you enjoy.

Belts with velcro straps (easier to exercise with), levers, or belt loops are available, as are thick leather belts (essential for powerlifting). To find out what you like most, I suggest trying as many different training methods as you can, utilizing whatever equipment your gym or training partners have available.

Weightlifting belts are typically used for really heavy lifts in order to support the spine and lessen back strain. Using them each time you exercise or when lifting at 60–80% of your 1-RM is completely unnecessary. Instead of becoming overly reliant on them, I would prefer that you practice the lift without one. That being said, if you utilize belts properly while training, they can help you increase the strength of your lifts and boost your performance.

Make sure you can still breathe while wearing the belt and that it fits properly. Make sure to utilize it for near-max lifting attempts and avoid making it so tight that you can hardly speak!

I've used and like the following ones

Wraps for the wrists

Admittedly, I haven't started using wrist wraps myself yet. mostly because, when it's required, I'm not pushing overhead with a significant amount of weight. However, similar to knee sleeves, wrist wraps can significantly reduce the risk of future joint injury from hard, repetitive lifting.

Wrist wraps can help you build and target the muscles you're really training rather than shifting part of the weight to your wrist. They also assist stabilize the wrist joint during big exercises like the bench press, push press, and jerk.

Although they are not always required, wrist wraps are an excellent training aid. Over-reliance on this training aid can easily become a liability that eventually results in injury or poor performance. Wearing wrist wraps, for instance, is not necessary when performing warm-up exercises or when pressing 60–75% of your 1-RM.On training days, however, when you're working out really near to your 1-RM or going all out, you may and should utilize wrist wraps.

Trish's Advice Regarding New Equipment

Belts, wraps, sleeves, and shoes are training aids, not regulations. You might not require all or all of these items of equipment, depending on your sport or fitness objectives.

Although lifting equipment has many performance advantages, it may also work against you if you become overly reliant on it or, worse, if you use it to cover up any discomfort or mobility problems you may be experiencing. Keep in mind that belts can rescue your spine if you have poor technique or underlying difficulties, and wrist wraps cannot compensate for poor mobility or technique defects any more than knee sleeves can relieve pre-existing pain and stiffness in your knees.Start with one piece of equipment (shoes are my recommendation), then add others as necessary.

Best Gear Guide For Fitness Enthusiasts