The Beginners Guide to Olympic Weightlifting Gym Gear
One of the beautiful things about weightlifting is that it's one of the easiest sports to get started in.
All you need is your body, a gym with a barbell and bumper plates, and you're good to go.
But if you watch other weightlifters training, you'll notice they all seem to have their own pieces of gear in their gym bag.
In this article I'll break down the most common types of equipment you'll find in a gym bag and my recommendations!
Weightlifting Belts
Weightlifting belts are, in my opinion the only necessity outside of weightlifting shoes if you want to lift big weights.
They are not a back support to prevent injury like most people think.
They are simply a tool to remind you to brace your core.
With that being said, most lifters worry that relying on a belt will make your core weaker, but it's actually the opposite!
Wearing a belt more often trains your core to be stronger by recruiting more core muscles, which ultimately helps you lift more weight. That's an important distinction to make; a belt does not allow you to lift more weight, it teaches you to use your core more, which allows you to lift more weight.
It's also one of my favorite tools for teaching beginners how to brace. Simply place the belt around your waist, tight enough that it's slightly uncomfortable, but not so tight that you can't get a full breath in. Then, imagine pushing your stomach, lower back, and sides out into the belt. You'll immediately feel all of your core muscles engage.
There's multiple types of belts, which I explain in this video if you want to nerd out, but if you can afford it, I recommend investing in a high quality leather belt as it will last you a lifetime.
And if you're someone who likes to support small businesses, I recommend grabbing a belt from Onyx.
I few months ago I spoke with Danny, the owner and founder of the company and the dude just oozes passion for this. I asked about how he designed the belts and he went on a 30 minute rant about how none of the belts out there were designed by weightlifters which is why he started making his own. These belts are designed with olympic lifts in mind first, which means the hole sizing is more flexible, the belt loop doesn't stick out as far so the bar doesn't hit the belt in cleans or snatches, and of course, the height of the belt is competition standard, meaning you won't show up to a competition with a belt that's not regulation size and have to borrow someone else's belt (true story, this happened at my first competition).
Danny was also kind enough to give you guys 10% off your order at Onyx + every purchase supports our business too!
Click here to grab one of their belts!
Weightlifting Shoes
Weightlifting shoes are the most important things you could buy in your weightlifting journey. If you could only buy one thing, these would be it.
Weightlifting shoes do three things that no other shoes do...
Elevated heel: This allows you to squat deep while keeping your upper body as upright as possible, essential for snatches, cleans, and squats. If you feel likel squat mobility is a struggle already, then weightlifting shoes are a MUST.
Hard sole: Most training shoes have either a relatively soft sole or if you've got running shoes, a huge cushiony sole. Neither of which are conducive to lifting weights, because when pushing against the floor to pick the bar up, we want as little give under our feet as possible. A hard sole means you get immediate transfer of power from your legs to the bar.
Lateral stability: This is a sneaky one, but weightlifting shoes have both laces and straps to tighten the sides of the shoe, which means that you have more stability side-to-side. Especially in the split jerk, this becomes really helpful if you don't have perfect technique yet (who does, really?) and happen to land in the wrong spot. This has saved many of my lifts over the years.
So which shoes should you get?
My top recommendations are...
Nike: Nike makes some great weightlifting shoes, but their best are the Nike Romaleo 2's if you can find them in your size. If you're a men's shoe in an average shoe size, you might be out of luck, but smaller or larger sizes and more wacky colorways can usually be found still. The Nike Romaleo 4's are a great next option, or the Savaleo's if you want a slightly cheaper option without a drop in quality. Do not buy the Nike Romaleo 3's, they will fall apart in a year or less.
Tyr: Tyr makes a great weightlifting shoe from what my clients have told me, I have not personally worn them so I can't say for sure, but I have not heard a single complaint. Their standard Tyr L-1 or L-2 shoes will do just fine, but their new Elite Carbon Lifter's with a wooden heel look beautiful and remind me of the legendary 2008 Adidas Adistar (for the connoisseurs). These are also a great option for people who prefer a wider toe-box as most weightlifting shoes feel a little too tight around the ball of the foot.
Cast-Iron: If the first two options price tag made you flinch, then I recommend the Cast Iron weightlifting shoes! These are a great affordable option. Many of my high school lifters wear these and love them, and they won't fall apart on you within a year!
Weightlifting Wrist Wraps
Wrist wraps are one of those items that totally depend on the lifter.
When I first started weightlifting my wrists bothered me for years, especially on Snatches or Jerks. Anything overhead meant wrist pain, so I bought some wrist wraps to help support my wrists and reduce the stress on them until they got strong enough to not need the extra support.
I'll be honest, you might not need these. But if you struggle with front rack or overhead mobility, these can save you a lot of trouble.
Our friends over at Onyx make three types of wrist wraps...
High Top Wraps: These are thick and sturdy leather wrist supports that take a minute to break in but will last forever. I like these the most for people with really bad mobility as they give a ton of support. Get 10% off here!
Low Rider Wraps: These are just as sturdy, but have a lower profile and not quite as tall, so it's perfect for people who don't have severe mobility issues or wrist pain, but like the extra bit of support. Get 10% off here!
The Joint Wraps: These are my personal favorite wrist wraps, they're made of a softer hemp-cloth material that you can easily take on and off between lifts and even loosen or tighten for your preferred amount of support. Get 10% off here!
Weightlifting Knee Sleeves
Knee Sleeves are an optional, but very helpful piece of equipment, especially if you've got cranky old man knees like me.
They basically do two things; the main thing being keeping your knees warm. The extra material helps keep the knee joint warm and lubricated so that it moves a little smoother. Especially if you train early in the morning or somewhere cold, this can help you get more out of your training and need less time to warm up.
The second benefit of knee sleeves is that they can provide you a little extra spring at the bottom of your squats if you get the right kind. Cloth knee sleeves like these won't give you much spring, but they will give you warmth. Neoprene knee sleeves like these will give you warmth AND spring at the bottom; I recommend going with 5mm sleeves at first as they'll feel a little more comfortable, but 7mm will give you a lot of help, so if you've got terrible knees, that works well. I'm not affiliated with any of these knee sleeves btw, I just like the brand and think they make great products.
Weightlifting Straps
As a beginner, pulling straps won't be necessary because you're still learning the hookgrip, how to bail out of lifts, and probably need the extra grip work.
But as you get stronger, you'll need a pair of pulling straps to survive hard training sessions.
They're best used for Snatch or Clean Pulls after your normal lifts to help ensure you aren't limiting your leg or back strength because your grip strength is tired. You can also use them for high volume snatches or complexes where grip could be a limiting factor in performance, or if you tear a callous on your hands and can't hold onto the bar!
There's two types of weightlifting straps you'll commonly see...
Loop Straps: These are most common for the olympic lifts as they're slightly shorter straps which make it safer for snatching and complexes if you need to quickly let go and bail out of the lift, and they help just as well with snatch or clean pulls. Get 10% off the Onyx Loop Straps here.
Lasso Straps: These are less common for weightlifting and more common in powerlifting or bodybuilding. These have a longer strap which can be wrapped around the bar multiple times compared to the loop straps, but this makes it slightly less safe for olympic lifts, but perhaps more sturdy for deadlifts or bodybuilding accessory work. Get 10% off the Onyx Lasso Straps here.
Figure 8 Straps: Avoid these at all costs. These are only to be used for deadlifting or strongman events and incredibly dangerous for olympic lifts.
Hopefully you found this helpful!
Even if you're not ready to buy any of these yet, now you know exactly what they're for, and can grab yours whenever you're ready!