Nothing except some sneakers and track pants! Really, if your healthy and
dont have any specific joint problems or injuries, any extra lifting gear
you buy is just for convenience, pure luxury. Ill explain below what all
those gadgets are for but just remember, any time you use something to assist
you or to make a lift easier, you will usually develop a weakness in that
area when you are not using the device. If you lift bare or without lifting
gear when you first start out and tuff out the sore forearms and fatigued
back, these weaker areas will come up to speed in time and soon you will only
feel the target muscle working and not the little guys. Here is a list of
some gadgets and what they do.
Lifting belt- A Lifting belt is used to support the lower back during
overhead lifting and other heavy compound movements. Some people develop a
dependency on the Lifting belt and dont do a single lift without it. All
this does is ignore the problem of weak stabilizer muscles, while continuing
to develop the main target muscle. The time to use a Lifting belt is when
you are attempting a heavier weight than usual and venturing into uncharted
territory. The other is if you have an injury to the lower back, even still,
in this case I would suggest going lighter until the injured area is brought
up to speed. Again, only use the Lifting belt when youre going heavier than
usual! If you always rely on the Lifting belt your lower back will never be
able to acquire the strength that it needs.
Knee and wrist wraps- These are elastic type bands that are wrapped
around the joint to provide stability. This again is the same type of deal
as above. Use only when going heavy or protecting an injured area.
Gloves- Gloves are a good piece of gear if you find that your sweat
prevents you from being able to grasp the bar for the duration of the set.
The other reason for gloves is if you have and aversion to calluses. I have
never had a problem with either, but to each his own.
Lifting straps- I am kind of divided on this one. Lifting straps go
around your wrists and then you wrap the remaining material around the bar
affording you a much stronger grip. So of course if you use Lifting straps
all the time you never get a strong grip. Eventually though, the power of
your back can jump ahead of your grip. The last thing you want to do is train
your back at sub optimal levels because of a lack of grip. So what to do?
I train as much as I can without Lifting straps and only put them on for my
top end heaviest sets. Every once in a while I attempt to do the set without
Lifting straps and if I can make it through, I ditch the Lifting straps until
they are needed again.
Lifting chalk- O.k., so this is one thing that I like. Chalk absorbs
your sweat when you put it on your hands so the bar isnt so slippery. I will
always use chalk before I use wraps. That way I still get the gripping power
but the slipperiness of the bar is gone.
Your tunes- Most gyms you go into usually wont play the music you listen
to, so bring your own. Music that you enjoy can change your mood and get you
pumping with more intensity. The other benefit of listening to tunes is that
most people will not stop you in order to talk up a storm if you are going
to have to take off your headphones. This way you can keep up your training
pace and not get caught up in someone elses social outing and ruining your
training effect.
Shin pads- I have never personally seen anyone else use these but me.
Maybe I have actually pioneered something, which would be cool. I use the
shin pads during dead lifts so that I dont lose the skin off the front of
my shins. I use a hard shelled front type like the kind a street hockey player
would use. Its important that you dont have bumps on the front so that
the bar doesnt get hitched up. Again, not needed but something that I like
to use.
Stop watch- this is a good one because once you start to get tired
your rest periods will probably get longer than they should be. With a little
watch you can time your rest periods and keep the training pace honest.
Training journal- This is one thing you must have! It is so important
to keep a record of everything you do in the gym. Memory fails and you have
to know how much you did last time in order to make continual upward progress.
Its also good because when you have an exceptional day you can look back and
see what variables caused you to have such a great workout and therefore you
will be able to replicate it again. I record everything. What day I start
certain supplements and if they worked or not. What music I listened to. How
I felt. You name it, if it has an effect on your training then you should
keep note of it.
Pulse monitor- Most gym machines have these built right in. However
if you like to do your cardio outside you might have use for one. If you are
on a regimented program geared for performance than you must monitor your
pulse rate during your cardio. This way you can incrementally increase your
workload with exact parameters.
Swiss ball- Definitely a useful item for at home trainers. You can
do almost every exercise on the ball instead of a bench. The bonus is two
fold. First the ball is a lot cheaper than a bench and second; your stabilizer
muscles will have to work to support your body. The extra work will give you
a harder core and better balance.
So there you have it! There are tons of gadgets and do-hickeys out there
on the market and some of the stuff is really cool. Bottom line though is
that to hit the gym, all you need is a membership! If you have any questions
regarding some new widget, drop me a line and Ill take a look and tell
you what I think.