Best gear for strength training
LUKE STOLTMAN ADJUSTS the thick leather belt around his waist as he stares down the 470-pound tree trunk on the competition floor. With his coach just inches from his face shouting words of encouragement, the pro strongman tightens the straps stabilizing his wrists. Stepping into the sprawling arena, where hundreds of spectators wait in anticipation, he pauses at a bin of chalk and meticulously covers his palms and fingers with the white powder. Standing before the bar, he raises his arms overhead to mobilize his shoulders, bending slightly at his neoprene-sleeve-clad elbows, then reaches down to adjust his compression shorts.
“You see the athletes using every bit of kit they’re allowed,” pro strongman and commentator Laurence “Big Loz” Shahlaei explains to viewers watching the Arnold Strongman Classic via live stream. “These are all going to help protect their body as much as possible and allow them to lift as much as possible.”
As the crowd shouts in anticipation, the athlete known as the Highland Oak takes one final deep breath, then reaches down to grab the handles affixed to the inside of the log. He pulls it from the floor to his lap, where it comes to rest just above his neoprene knee sleeves. Then in one swift motion, he stands up, rolls the log up his chest and over his grip shirt, pausing at the top of his shoulders. With a quick bend of the knees to generate leg power, Stoltman extends his arms and swiftly presses the log overhead, nailing the lift—then pauses to take in the eruption of applause from the crowd before dropping it to the mat. He looks toward the bleachers and raises one finger in the air in acknowledgment of his ascent to the top of the leaderboard. Slapping his chest and creating a cloud of chalk that hangs in the air, he turns his focus to the camera: “Easy!” he booms. “Warming up!”
At his level of athleticism, and throwing around that kind of weight, Stoltman, who won the title of Europe’s Strongest Man in 2021, relies on his gear to provide joint protection, stability, and power. But do you need the same for your casual trip to the weight room?
I walked into my first CrossFit class nine years ago with just a water bottle and a pair of Asics running shoes. We were told to work up to a three-rep-max barbell clean (the heaviest weight you can pull from the floor to your shoulders, for three consecutive reps). I grabbed a barbell and returned to my spot when I noticed the classroom floor was empty—everyone was crouched by their gym bags, rifling through their gear. They pulled out thick neoprene sleeves which they tugged over their knees, tied on shoes that had a shiny wedge affixed to each sole, and wrapped long pieces of cloth around their wrists. I instantly felt underprepared, but I also wondered: Was all of that really necessary?
Yes and no, I later learned. For the experienced athletes moving heavy barbells, for whom joint stability and lower back support are significant concerns, that kind of gear might help them hit bigger numbers safely. For me, working on technique with an empty 35-pound barbell? Not so much.
READ MORE ABOUT THE BEST GEAR AT WIRED