Gym Equipment That Has a Time & Place
I get asked all the time what equipment I use by lifters
"Do you use wrist wraps? How about knee sleeves? When do you wear a lifting belt?"
I am very cautious on how I respond to these questions because in today's industry it is more about looking cool or fitting in with societies trends than it is about being effective.
In this blog I am going to go over what gear can be used and when the appropriate time to use them are.
Belt: HEAVY compound lifts; squats, deadlifts, barbell rows,
NOT: bicep curls, lat pulldowns, lateral raises, etc.
Many people throw on a belt and think it is helping them out... The fact is that every time you put on your belt it is making your core weaker which can lead to serious injuries or problems down the road. Only put it on during your heavy sets!
Knee sleeves: heavy squats
There is not a whole lot of options where you can utilize knee sleeves. The only time I would suggest these to someone is if they plan on competing in a powerlifting competition or they follow powerlifting workout programs.
Wrist straps: heavy deadlifts
This style is the strap the goes around the barbell and eliminates the required amount of grip strength to hold onto the bar. Just like the belt, every time you use straps you are making your grip strength weaker!
If you want to get a strong deadlift or develop strong grip strength I would highly recommend excluding these from your routines.
Wrist wraps: heavy bench press or shoulder press
These wraps go around your wrist strictly for support. I only suggest using these if you are performing heavy barbell pressing movements. If you have wrist pain wearing these is the worst thing you can do for it!
Resistance bands: warmups, corrective exercises, rehab
These are overlooked by many strength and powerlifters because they are not "masculine" a light resistance band is not comparable to a barbell, cable, or heavy set of dumbbells. The main reason people don't use these believe it or not is ego. Most people overlook how beneficial a light duty resistance band can be in thier routine!
Foam rolling: warmup, cooldown, tension release
Research does in fact supprt in favor of foam rolling. It does not tell us when the best time to perform it is though. I recommend to trying it before and after your workouts, or as needed. Figure out what feels best for your body and stick with that!
I hope you learned something valuable in this post you can encorporate into your workout routine! If you did please share this post or let Platinum Training know how it impacts you!
Keep up the hard work!