Necessary Gear and Apparel

No matter what you choose to do in life, you'll need the necessary gear and apparel to successfully perform the activity. Weight training is no different, and there are a few items that are worth purchasing to improve the effectiveness and safety of your weight training routine.

By doing so, you can reduce the probability of suffering an injury, promote improvements in workout effectiveness and efficiency, and ensure proper form and technique.

When purchasing gear and apparel for weight training, always remember that you get what you pay for. In other words, while it may be cheaper to initially purchase lower quality items, in the long run, medium to superior-quality items will last longer and provide greater support.

For individuals who intend to purchase their own weight training equipment and perform their exercise routine at home, use the balanced approach of comparing the quality, features and functionality to the purchase price.

Purchasing individual pieces of weight equipment can be very expensive. One approach may be to purchase a multi-station gym that offers several different types of exercises designed to work multiple muscle groups. Purchasing individual weight training equipment that only allows for a single exercise type can get very expensive when you consider all of the different types of exercises you will be performing.

Basic Gear and Apparel for Weight Training

• Weight Training Gloves: Weight training gloves are beneficial in preventing blisters and calluses. In addition, weight training gloves reduce the probability of a weight (i.e. dumbbell) or exercise bar slipping out of your hands and either damaging the equipment or causing an injury. Whenever you are performing your weight training exercise routine, weight training gloves are a wise investment well worth the price. Typical prices for a good pair of weight training gloves generally range from $15.00 to $40.00.

• Weight Training Belt: Several weight training exercises where the lower back is strongly involved should be performed using a weight training belt. A good weight training belt not only supports your lower back, but also your lower abdominals. While deciding whether to wear a weight training belt is completely up to you, some individuals claim that weight training belts promote a false sense of security and are unnecessary for individuals that have never suffered a back injury.

  However, weight training belts do promote good form when performing an exercise where the lower back is utilized. Typically costing between $20.00 and $40.00, weight training belts are inexpensive investments that can add an extra layer of protection against lower back injuries.

• Knee Wraps: The primary purpose of knee wraps is to provide support and stability to the knee while performing exercises that require the knee to bend. Much like weight belts, knee wraps are mostly unnecessary for the average weight trainer. In fact, several doctors and weight lifting experts actually agree that knee wraps can cause more damage than not wearing them at all.

  Knee wraps will allow you to lift more weight but will not necessarily develop muscles. Still, they can be invaluable to individuals who have suffered a knee injury, or older adults who have minor aches and pains associated with their knees. Quality elastic knee wraps generally cost around $10.00 to $15.00 per pair.

• Wrist Wraps: Similar to weight belts and knee wraps, wrist supports will artificially allow you to lift more weight by adding stability to your wrists. In general, wrist wraps are unnecessary for individuals who have never suffered a wrist injury and do not suffer from weak wrists due to arthritis or other structural complications. Wrist supports are most often used in exercises that involve dumbbells and exercises where the wrist is bent (i.e. clean and jerk). Wrist wraps are typically priced between $5.00 and $20.00.

• Apparel: Comfortable clothing that is neither too loose nor too tight is recommended for weight trainers. Loose clothing can get caught in the exercise machines, while tight clothing can be uncomfortable and constrictive. Several individuals that weight train prefer to wear tights or spandex-type attire to promote maximum mobility when performing their weight training routine. However, this type of attire is optional and is not considered a necessity.

• Shoes: Almost every sport has a specially designed shoe, and weight lifting is no exception. Weight training shoes are unique because they feature a raised heel that allows for maximum mobility of the ankle. The shoes are typically made of leather, and the top portion of the shoe is fastened to the sole with tiny nails.

  While there have been some reports of injuries related to poor or heavily-worn shoes, these types of injuries are extremely rare. While not necessary for the novice or amateur weight lifter, weight training shoes can be very useful for individuals that perform squats and overhead barbell lifts. A good pair of weight lifting shoes typically cost between $75.00 and $200.00.



• Chalk: Many individuals use chalk to improve their grip when performing a weight training exercise with free weights. The chalk is applied to the grip of the bar or dumbbell as well as to the hands.

  Chalk can be especially beneficial when lifting heavy weights and can reduce the probability of the hands shifting or slipping from their original grip location.

  However, several fitness centers do not allow the use of chalk as the powder can create a mess on the weight equipment and the floor. Because of this, you should ask the manager of your fitness center if they allow the use of chalk.

• Weight Training Log: A weight training log is one of the most important pieces of gear for the active weight trainer. Not only is a weight training log inexpensive to purchase, it is a valuable tool that can be used to monitor your progress, track your goals, contain your new goals, and assist in maintaining your level of motivation. A good weight training log will contain all of the necessary input fields to allow you to monitor and track virtually every aspect of your weight training.

  There are also online weight training software programs that you can download onto your computer, tablet or smartphone that allow you to easily input your weight training information and workout results, and thereafter quickly calculate your progress and associated statistics.

• Nutritional Log: Typically used as a supplement to a weight training log, a nutritional log is used to determine how your dietary intake affects your weight training workouts on a daily basis. By using a nutritional log, you can determine the best time to eat relevant to your workouts, and the best foods for supporting your weight training routine. Usually male kids love to play with robots because it is gives reality to the robot games and movies that they admire on television. Although most robot movies demonstrate fighting and power exhibition, it is still proven as good toys for kids. Before make your decision look at Robottler - robot online store - the toy companies that make scientific toys or robots or robotic kits have come out with robotic kits for different levels. Read reviews on our website to choose the best robot for kids!

  A nutritional log can also be used to record and monitor your vitamin and supplement intake, and to monitor your overall intake of various types of energy sources (fats, carbohydrates, proteins). Similar to weight training logs, nutritional logs are readily available as a booklet that you can purchase, an online program that you can easily download, or even as a standalone electronic device.

• Calorie Counter: A calorie counter is a great tool that is designed to measure and record your daily caloric intake. Calorie counters can be used to either manage a diet to lose weight (i.e. excess body fat), or to raise caloric intake to gain weight (i.e. increases in lean muscle mass). Calorie counters can be combined with weight training, nutritional and physical measurement logs to form a well-organized database of your weight training progress and achievements. Just like weight training logs and nutritional logs, calorie counters are readily available as booklets, online programs that can be downloaded onto your computer, and electronic devices.

• Physical Measurement Log: Physical measurement logs are normally combined with weight training logs to provide an overall view of the effectiveness of your weight training program. By simply entering your body's measurements into your physical measurement log once every week or two, you can proactively track your weight loss or muscle growth. Physical measurement logs can be combined with weight training, nutritional and calorie counter logs to form a well-organized database to track the progress and achievements of your weight training program.

As is evident, purchasing the necessary gear and apparel to successfully perform a weight training routine is fairly inexpensive. By taking the time to thoroughly define your weight training program, your personal fitness goals, and thereafter purchasing several of the items that are designed to track your progress, the probability of achieving your personal fitness goals rises significantly.

The Right Gear is a Tool for Success

As with any other training routine or sport, the more tools you have to support and monitor your progress, the better you'll be in terms of maintaining focus, determination and motivation.

For many individuals that begin a new physical activity, the frequency of their workouts tends to decrease over time until they discontinue the activity altogether. Under this scenario, many individuals fall victim to the feelings of failure, depression and the lack of motivation to continue their exercise routine.

By adding tools that track and monitor your progress, in relation to your weight training routine, you will be able to visually see the positive health and fitness benefits that your exercise routine is producing. In addition, by monitoring your physical and performance results on a real-time basis, you will be able to quickly access where you need to make adjustments and modifications to accelerate the rate at which you are achieving your weight training goals.

Of course, discipline is required to input, track and evaluate your results, whether it be your gains or losses in physical measurements or your increases in strength and endurance. This being said, tracking your results with this level of discipline and commitment will most likely improve the probability of achieving all of your weight training goals.