I’ve previously made some recommendations about the gym kit I’d recommend for strength training, and I thought I would consolidate it into one place. There are a lot of gym gadgets out there, some of which are useful and some of which are little more than gimmicks. The kit I’ve recommended won’t just help you lift more; it will make your strength training sessions more effective. They also make great gifts for that special gym-goer in your life.
Note: I’m not affiliated with any of the brands featured.
Weightlifting Shoes
These shoes have a built-in wedge at the heel, giving a slight elevation that allows you to get your knees further over your toes. This is great for squatting and Olympic lifting variations where you need to keep your torso upright whilst sitting low. They’re also more stable than the average shoe, as the heel is pretty solid.
There are some mobility-fanatics out there who will say that everyone should be able to squat ass-to-grass whilst being barefoot. This simply isn’t realistic for everybody and shouldn’t put you off buying weightlifting shoes – but you should probably work on your ankle mobility too.
Lifting Straps
This piece of gym kit is hotly debated – they help wrap your hands to the bar, making for a more secure grip. This can make holding onto weights a little bit easier. This is especially useful when performing lots of reps, such as on deadlifts or pulldowns, as the muscles responsible for grip may fatigue much quicker than the muscles you’re working.
Some people feel this is cheating, but it depends what you’re training for. If you’re training for enjoyment, or better back strength, then I say go for it. It’s not like your grip gets to completely relax when you use straps. That being said, you may want to do some extra grip training on the side.
I bought these lifting straps from MyProtein for my clients to use. They’ve been fine so far, but you may wish to buy from a specialist powerlifting brand if they’re getting frequent, heavy use.
You may also want to work on your hook grip.
Lifting Chalk
Chalk increases the amount of friction between your hands and the bar, which aids your grip. It also keeps your hands dry, to stop your palms getting slippery. It’s pretty useful stuff, and is particularly useful for pullups and hanging work.
Liquid chalk is more portable and tidier than a solid chalk brick, and is more likely to be approved in your local gym.
Shorts That Stretch
This may seem like a weird one, so bear with me.
You’d be surprised how many people turn up to a gym session in shorts made of tight materials that don’t allow movement. This can cause real problems when trying to get into deep hip positions such as squats and deadlifts. Usually this forces people to choose between sacrificing movement quality or ripping a hole in their shorts; people usually choose the former.
Shorts made of an elastic material such as cotton will stretch as you descend into a lift, allowing for comfortable, unrestricted movement. I’m not remotely interested in buying the most expensive, fancy gym brands: these £7 jersey-style shorts have worked fine for me for years. Bargain!
If you liked this post: 6 Things You Need to Know About Strength Training
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