Looking to elevate your resistance training program?
Then you should think about upgrading or adding to the list of products you have available when you lift weights.
The best products for weightlifters will give your workout performance a boost, make them more challenging (which drives gains) and help boost recovery so that you can work out more and get results faster.
In this article, we’ll look at the best products for weightlifters and why you should add each of them to your repertoire.
The first tool any serious weight lifter should acquire is a nice weight lifting belt. It’s a common myth that only older people or those with back problems already should use a weight belt. In fact, it’s quite the opposite—the only person who should use a weight belt is someone who wants to get stronger.
Weight lifting belts increase intra abdominal pressure when you brace to perform big, compound lifts like bench presses, back squats or deadlifts. With a belt on, your abdominal and lower back muscles are forced to brace against this resistance, making your core stronger over time as a result.
So it’s not even a real matter of safety. It’s a matter of how fast you want to get strong in the compound lifts.
Valeo Belts have been around for years and enjoy one of the best reputations for this product.
Many lifters love the calluses that develop on their hands as a result of their hard work. But that doesn’t mean a good pair of weight lifting gloves can’t come in handy for even the strongest or fittest guy or gal in the gym.
Believe it or not, your hands are one of the areas that take the biggest beating when it comes to regular weight lifting. You’re constantly gripping and holding onto heavy things, which can wear down the skin and joints over time if you aren’t careful.
After all, calluses only develop because your hands need to toughen up. But any seasoned gym-goer can tell you what it’s like when one of them rips. It’s painful, and makes weightlifting or gripping of any kind very difficult.
In fact, most people deal with callus rips by simply taking several days off from the gym. This is when having a good pair of weight lifting gloves can be really helpful.
Nowadays, if you don’t want to wear the regular gloves you can get functional fitness hand grips that go over the biggest calluses that form on your index, ring and middle finger. Choose whichever seems like the best style and fit for your hand!
Many beginner to intermediate weight lifters misunderstand how supplements should fit into their routine. It’s a common mistake to think fitness supplements are the key to getting great results from your workouts.
But the truth is, hard work is still the key. And it all comes down to the type of supplements you’re taking based on your goals.
Supplements, even the best ones, can only contribute or add to what you’re already doing in the gym. And depending on the type of supplement, you might be able to recover faster or boost your in-workout performance.
Good supplements that many weight lifters take include:
Just remember to use supplements the way they’re meant to be used. Think of them as the ten percent addition to what you’re already doing.
Working out can make you sore, tight, and fatigued. Especially when you’re lifting heavy weights four or more days per week or doing cross training exercises.
That’s why a foam roller (or other myofascial release tools) can be an awesome workout product to have around.
Myofascial release is a sort of self-massage technique that helps break up and reduce fascia tension. Fascia is a thin piece of connective tissue that sits over the muscle belly. Believe it or not, when you’re sore or tired after exercising, it might be due to tight fascia, not sore or overworked muscles.
Rolling out your major muscles, like the quads, hamstrings and glutes on a foam roller can help reduce tightness and get you back to feeling normal.
For your upper body or hard to reach areas, grab a tennis or lacrosse ball or smaller myofascial release tool.
Sure, we’re living in the technology age where you can find a hundred different apps to log your workouts. But ask any experienced weight lifter what their most prized possession is, and they’ll likely reach for their old notebooks containing information on their workouts from year’s passed.
A nice fitness journal is a great way to keep track of your progress. It also becomes a cool relic that you can look through years from now and see how far you’ve come. As such, you should get a piece of equipment that will hold up.
You don’t want loose leaf notebook paper all over the gym!
As a weight lifter, hard work is the number one ingredient you need to find success in the gym. But there are absolutely some pieces of equipment you can add to your gym bag or home gym that will boost your progress.
The best products for weight lifters include a weight lifting belt, weight lifting gloves, the right supplements to fit your goals, a foam roller and a fitness journal to track progress.
Keep reading if you’re a weightlifter that wants to add strength and power during your workouts!
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