What’s missing? Lots of people carry around a gym bag, but what items should be inside to propel your workouts? These 4 items can take your training to the next level.
1. Weightlifting Shoes
Extremely underrated product. A good pair of weightlifting shoes can help you to lift more weight almost instantly. Most weightlifting shoes have a hard sole or are really flat to the ground. This helps you to generate more force from the ground up, keeping you more stable and putting greater force behind the barbell.
2. Lifting Belt
A good quality weightlifting belt is a must. Belts can improve your performance in the gym along with protect your core and lower back. A weightlifting belt can help to create abdominal pressure, which helps to stabilize the whole core, keeping you tight and safe. However, too much of a good thing can be bad, and you can actually overwear your belt, which may lead to a weaker core. I recommend wearing a belt only during super heavy sets. You want to develop pure core strength, but when going for a new 1RM it’s wise to wear a belt.
3. Lifting Straps
Lifting straps are a must have. They help you grip onto the barbell or dumbbell. One of the things that holds most people back, especially during back days is their grip. A good pair of lifting straps can aid in getting more reps and better isolation of the working muscle. Similar to a belt, too much of a good thing can become a bad thing. If you rely completely on your straps your grip will naturally become weaker. I recommend using your straps on your last 2 sets for each exercise.
4. Chalk
In most commercial gyms this stuff is banned, and for good reason. It gets everywhere. However, chalk can help improve your grip to the bar. When we workout our hands can get moist from sweat. That little bit of moisture can cause you to lose your grip on the barbell or dumbbell. Less grip means less muscle activation. The advantage to using chalk is that it protects your hands from cuts and burns when gripping the barbell. Chalk also dries up the sweat on your hands giving you a better grip. If you decide to use chalk make sure you wipe off the equipment after using. Have proper gym etiquette when using chalk.
Your gym bag is your tool bag to gains. Having proper equipment to work with will ensure each one of your workouts will be better then the last.
