Workout Gear

Everyone needs gear to work out and I bet your gear is different than mine. Here’s what I use:

Notebook This is first because tracking my lifts has helped me make solid strength gains. I use a pocket Moleskine notebook to track the date, muscle group, and body weight across the top of a page and then exercise, weight, sets, and reps on each line. A tick goes beside each exercise as I complete them so I don’t have to remember what set I’m on. If a weight is too light or heavy, I put a little up or down arrow beside it for me to consider next time.
Shirts and Shorts Quick dry shirts that breathe and don’t hold onto smells – the ones in my bag right now are Lululemon. Shorts that don’t hamper movement for exercises like squats or deadlifts – I have a good pair of Nike running shorts which are the right length.
Gym/Running Shoes I’ve run in Saucony, Asics, New Balance, and Nike. Asics have proven to be the best for me. The shoes I have now are the Asics GT-2000 7s and use them mainly in the gym. Next time I’m buying shoes, I’ll head back to Asics unless they dramatically change their construction and fit.
Squat and Deadlift Shoes I researched squat and deadlift shoes for a month before settling on the Sabo Deadlifts. They’re everything I was looking for: flat sole, grippy, flexible, and feel like I’m rooting my feet into the ground. Plus, the metatarsal straps are a nice bonus to help lock in my feet during squats and deads.
Weightlifting Belt When getting into heavier squats and deadlifts, I have a weightlifting belt to protect my lower back from the risk of injury (and provide me with some mental support). Something I’ve come to realize is a belt will not fix poor form so I don’t use it all the time. I’d tried a smaller, tapered belt at my gym but it didn’t give me the support I was looking for. After researching forums, reviews, and YouTube videos, I landed on the Inzer Forever 10mm Single Prong Belt. The first month of using it was hard because it needed to break in and conform to my body shape but it’s been really comfortable to wear ever since.
Barbell Pad Having a barbell pad helps avoid a lot of discomfort when loading up a bar for seated calf raise, standing calf raise, and hip thrust. I found this one on Amazon; the high-density foam is holding up well and I’m really happy with it.
Wrist Wraps I tend to lift without but, if I’m looking for additional wrist support when doing a heavy bench press or help with grip strength on a deadlift, row, or pull-up, I use the 20″ Inzer Wrist Wraps.
Chalk To combat sweaty palms and slippery bars, especially during deadlifts. This is actually a sidewalk chalk that made its way into the home gym courtesy of our kids. Whatever works.