How to choose lifting equipment

Published: 2023-03-25

I get questions all the time about what shoes to wear, which belt to get, how to pick knee sleeves, and basically everything else in the magician weightlifter's bag. Here's my 'buying guide', completely void of brand names and affiliation links!

Before we begin

While I will be talking about equipment for the recreational lifter, as well as for the competitive lifter, there are some big considerations for the competitive lifter that doesn't apply to someone training only recreationally. For starters, while a sport like Olympic weightlifting is pretty chill on what gear you can use, you still need to adhere to certain standards, such as the height of a belt. You'll need to consult the rule book for this. The easier way is to simply only look at gear that's being promoted as competition-ready.

In a sport like powerlifting the situation is very different, at least if you compete in the IPF. They're notorious for only allowing a small amount of brands (yes, it probably has to do with someone making money) which means you have very limited choice. For other federations you'll simply have to consult their rules.

For anyone not subject to the above nonsense, pick what you want.

Another thing to note: for a powerlifter, "equipment" might mean bench shirts and the like. I have no experience with "equipped lifting", as it's known, and will not make recommendations for it. The equipment we're talking about here are the basic knee sleeves, shoes, and so forth.

Shoes

Many will start out their gym journey wearing jogging shoes, probably because they're abundant in sport stores. Those kind of shoes are unfortunately the worst kind for lifting. There are really only four acceptable options once you start doing proper lifts.

1. Lifting shoes
2. Flat shoes
3. Slippers
4. Barefoot

The reason is stability. Try doing heavy squats in a pair of sneakers, then try a pair of lifting shoes and you'll see what I mean.

Lifting shoes

So what's the difference? Proper lifting shoes have a heel that's hard and doesn't try to be cushioned and comfy. It's not a macho thing. One is safer and better to lift in, the other is the type of shoe you've probably always associated with training but was really meant for jogging.

There are many brands and models of lifting shoes. The key differences are the height of the heel, the width of the shoe, and general quality. Don't be afraid to spend as much as you can afford, they will last you a long time if they're good quality. I've had the shoes I use today for probably 10 years.

You can skip reading reviews and go straight to the store. Try out all of them and pick the ones you're most comfortable in. Be sure to try to do full squats in them. Pick based on comfort, not color, brand, reviews, and certainly not based on what a sales person says.

Other shoes

The benefit of the lifting shoe is the heel. For most people it makes it easier to squat. It's the same reason you sometimes see people put plates under their heels. They lack the ankle mobility to do proper squats.

While I've yet to see a highly competitive Olympic weightlifter not wearing lifting shoes, powerlifters don't always do because they don't have high demand on their squat depths (and thus flexibility). In such cases the go-to is a completely flat shoe, again because it's not unstable like sneakers. Chuck Taylor's Converse is probably the most classic but since you're likely to pay premium for the brand name I'll say that any shoe that's as flat and uncushioned works just as well.

Speaking of powerlifters, many use deadlift slippers for deadlifts but they of course work for any lift if you're into that. I dislike them for squats and am overall generally not a fan of the ones I've tried but you do you.

The final option of foot wear is to go barefoot. It's often frowned upon in gyms so be sure to check if it's within the rules unless you want conflict. I guess using Five Finger style shoes would work as well but I've never tried.

The key to picking shoes (or lack thereof) if you don't want to use lifting shoes can thus be summed up by:

• Make sure it's flat and hard.
• Make sure you have the proper ankle mobility for squats and deadlifts (or be prepared to work on it).
• If you want to do Olympic weightlifting just get lifting shoes.

Knee sleeves and knee wraps

I consider knee sleeves crucial for many. When I started lifting I used to get knee pain until I got a pair of knee sleeves and it immediately went away. These sleeves were very thin, like a pair of thick tights, so they were a far cry from the knee sleeves I will talk about soon. I still have them and use them when I train "without" knee sleeves.

Wait... How does that add up? Well, proper knee sleeves that Olympic weightlifters and especially powerlifters use can add a fair amount of weight to the bar. They're thick, tight and elastic. It makes it much easier to get out of the bottom of a squat, for instance. The above knee sleeves adds *nothing* (aside from a tiny bit of warmth) which is why I use them when I don't want the support of proper knee sleeves in a lift.

If you're going to do the Olympic lifts, the sleeves shouldn't be too thick or tight as it will make it difficult to get under the bar fast. They should still give you a significant strength boost.For powerlifting, they should be as thick and tight as possible. They should be difficult to put on.

There are other options. One can use wraps, either thick or thin. I like this option because it lets the knees "breathe". Knee sleeves can get very sweaty. I have experimented with thick wraps for squat and clean & jerk but mostly just use thin ones (think bandage but specifically made for weightlifting). Unless you're competing in an equipped powerlifting meet, be careful not to wrap them too tight or they will cut off blood flow.

So pick based on the following criteria:

• More comfortable knee sleeves that will give you support in the bottom of a squat if you want to do Olympic weightlifting or lifting in general and want knee sleeves.
• You can try wraps and see if you like the feeling better.
• As tight knee sleeves as you can get on if you want to lift as much as possible in the powerlifts.

Belts

Lifting belts are a fairly simple matter if you're a powerlifter or training in that style as IPF has severely limited the options for you. These belts are thick and wide. The purpose of them isn't just to protect the back as some think, they're also for increasing core tension.

Olympic weightlifting belts on the other hand are only wide on the back (to ensure lumbar support) but not on the front. Traditionally they're made of leather but softer, synthetic material has become more popular in recent years, probably due to Crossfit.

Belts are not a must for any sport, though it's very rare to see powerlifters without them because they do add kg's to the bar. With Olympic weightlifters they're not as given, though most seem to favor it for clean & jerk and squats (but not snatches). Even for recreational lifters a belt can be a good idea but certainly not a must. I personally haven't used a belt in probably at least two years. Belt or not, regardless of sport, I think you should at least periodically lift without it.

Other stuff

Wrist wraps

Wrist wraps are either of a softer or a harder kind. Powerlifters tend to favor harder (though certainly not everyone) while people who demand more movement in the wrist should definitely pick softer ones. Being a former Olympic weightlifter myself, I don't care for hard ones at all. In fact, I just use the same style of bandage I use for my knees.

Straps

Straps can be useful in lifts where the grip gives out or where you want a certain amount of relaxation in the arms. They're used by wrapping from underneath (not above) that way you can quickly release them and they're safe to use even in snatches (but not for clean & jerk). Straps can be basically a circle, have a long end, or in the case of mine simply be a cut up belt from H&M. You don't need anything fancy. If you're charged a lot for straps you're being scammed.

Clothes

Use whatever clothes you're comfortable with. Shorts, tights, t-shirts, tank tops, who cares. You don't need gloves. If you're going to compete you should at least periodically train with the outfit you'll wear in competition (typically a singlet).

Before you leave

You don't need everything. Unless you're a competitive powerlifter. Then you need so much stuff people look at you like a weirdo wizard with his bag of tools and tricks when you come to the gym. If you're not, just use what makes life better. Buying more stuff doesn't make you stronger. Make sure you have comfortable shoes (that are not soft) and take it from there.