Essential Lifting Gear
This is what we would consider essential lifting gear for anyone doing a linear progression (LP) strength methodology like we teach at Freedom Strength.
Lifting Shoes
Lots of online opinions about lifting shoes. Everyone has their favorites, but the main thing you need to know is DON’T wear cushy running shoes or shoes not designed for lifting or strength training. You want something that either has a flat sole, or a hard leather/rubber sole that does not give under a load. I’m a big fan of wide toe box shoes, and personally wear the Vivobarefoot Motus Strength. If you want a more traditional lifting shoe I would recommend the TYR L-1 Lifters (Amazon). TYR Dropzero’s (Amazon) look like a great option as well.
Lifting Belt
For lifting belts we recommend and use Pioneer Powerlifting Belts. Chose either the 4″ or 3″ wide leather belt with a 10mm thickness. These are very high quality belts Made in the USA. They make a version with staggered hole spacing that allows you get just the right amount of tension.
Knee Sleeves
Knee sleeves help support your knees during squats and also help to warm up your ligments and tendons prior to lifting. We recommend and use the Rehband 7051 Classic 7mm V-Knee-Sleeves (Amazon).
Timer
Using a gym timer helps to keep your training sets consistent, in addition to keeping you on schedule during your training session. We’ve tried many timers and prefer the Lavatools KT3 Kitchen Timer (Amazon) due to the ease of use and the pre-programmed 3 min and 5 min timer buttons.
Lifting Straps
Lifting straps, while not required, are nice to have for sessions where you’re doing higher reps, or heavier weights. Several different strap materials are available, but we like and prefer a strap made of cotton. The Harbinger Cotton Lift Straps (Amazon) work well.
Wrist Wraps
Wrist wraps are designed to provide support, stability, and protection for the wrists during heavy lifts or exercises that put significant strain on the wrist joints. The Harbinger 18-Inch Weightlifting Wrist Wrap is a great choice.
Phone/Camera Stand
This is a fantastic way to record yourself to check your own form, or to send us form check videos. Two items make up our preferred Phone/Camera Stand. The first is the high quality NEEWER Tripod Mount (Amazon) and the second item is the COMAN Extendable Photography Light Stand (Amazon). This combination is a high-quality combination that’s very flexible as it can also be used with a ARCA-mount camera tripod.
T-Shirt
Get yourself a Freedom Strength T-Shirt if you want to look strong and cool at the same time. Always lift in a quality t-shirt made of cotton, not synthetic material. This helps keep the bar in place during low-bar squats.
Order one in the Swag store.
Chalk
Gym chalk will help maintain your grip during the lifts. If you lift in a “real” gym, pick a magnesium carbonate chalk like the Rage Fitness Gym Chalk Block (Amazon). Otherwise, get some Evmt Brands Liquid Chalk (Amazon).
Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are great for assisting with pull ups or chin ups. They can also be very helpful for rehabbing shoulder injuries. We recommend and use both the LEEKEY Resistance Bands (Amazon) and the Rogue Monster Bands.
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