What I Wear to Lift
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If you’re new to weight lifting, then you may notice people wear certain shoes, belts and leggings while the work out. The why they are wearing it gets a little tricky, so here’s what I wear while I lift.
Shoes: I wear flat, thin-soled shoe to help me connect with the ground. I prefer the Chuck Taylor’s because they are flat with a canvas lining preventing my feet from moving around. When I first started, I was wearing a running shoe with a thick sole, like most beginners. The pillowing of the sole will disrupt kinetic energy and your foot will move around a bit, so you frequently see new clients in my gym lifting barefoot. Feeling the ground and taking away the cushions helps your lifts. There are other options out there, some people chose to wear a shoe with a heel. I haven’t felt like I needed to switch over to this type. Ben Pollack has a great YouTube Video about the difference between a flat shoe and a heeled shoe, if you’re interested in finding out more about the different types of shoes lifters use.
Knee Sleeves: These are very new to me and added them to my program after some time lifting. These sleeve bring warmth, blood flow, and compression to my knees. I purchased SBD knee sleeves recently because they are competition approved and I feel that it added a boost of confident when I squat. If you want to know more about knee sleeves, Meg Squats has a great in-depth informative video about knee sleeves and
10mm Inzer Lever Forever Belt: The reason I got the Inzer lever belt was because it was approved for competition and it looked really cool. I really like the belt because I feel like the lever belt is really easy to get on and off. It’s an adjustable lever, so when you gain or lose weight you can adjust the lever to what you need. A single-prong belt is adjustable on the fly, but it can be a little tricky to get it on when it’s new. I don’t have experience with double-pronged belt, so just do your research before you purchase a belt.
Compression Pants: These aren’t allowed during competition because you have to wear a singlet, but I wear compression pants during my training. I prefer the Virus bio-tech compression pant because it’s supposed to help with performance and recovery time. I haven’t worn them long enough to give commentary about recovery time, but I like the blood flow and warmth I get to my legs while rocking Virus. It helps me get going and helps get and keep my legs warm.
Now, when you are a beginner all this stuff doesn’t really matter. You should be focusing on your technique and consistency. Building a solid foundation for your lifting program and slowly adding in a few items is what I recommend. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy lifting!
Yo! I’m not a licensed therapist or Doctor, I just talk about real shit that’s happened to my clients and me.
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