Ever been in the gym and seen people use Lifting Belts, Chalk, Lifting Straps, Cuffs etc and wonder why? What’s all the big fuss all about? Do I need to get these things? What do they actually do? In this mini series - we discuss what all this gear (Lifting Straps, Lifting Wraps, the different kind of Lifting Shoes) actually do, how they can benefit you in your Lifting Journey and where to buy for the best quality/prices - so you can have all the Gear and SOME IDEA!

EPISODE 1; CUFFS - THEIR BENEFITS, HOW TO USE AND WEAR TO GET!

Where to get Lifting Cuffs?

Click left on the pics to see where you can get the best quality, but most reasonably priced Cable Cuffs, ranging from buying from RDX, amazon and Mirafit! ***RDX A4 Ankle Straps For Gym Cable Machine - £15.99 - click the pic to buy/browse***

Mirafit Cuffs - £12.95 from Mirafit Store Direct. Click the pic to buy/browse

RDX Cuffs -

£15.99 from RDX Store Direct - click the pic to buy/browse

All The Gear; No Idea - Episode 2

Where to purchase Deadlift slippers below:

£59.99

***NOTORIOUS LIFT - NOTORIOUS LIFTERS GEN 2 - STEALTH. Ideal for Deadlifts, Squats. - Click the pic to buy/browse***

***CANVAS PUMPS, SPORTS DIRECT - Prices vary between £3.50 - £5.99 - click the pic to buy!***

***RIOT DEADLIFT SLIPPERS - IPF LEGAL - £15.99 - direct from Strength Shop - click the pic to buy/browse***

Vibrams are also great for lifting as they have individual Toe holes so the feet can spread and feel more connected and stable on the floor. Can be used for strength training, particularly movements like Bench Pressing, RDLs, any hinge patterns and Deadlifts or Squats.

***Vibrams ‘Toe Shoes’ Barefoot - £95.00 - click the pic to browse/buy***

***Racqua Composite Mesh Barefoot Water Shoes Men Women***

A cheaper alternative of Vibrams can be purchased for £21.99 off Amazon - click the pic for more info!

Or of course, barefoot or regularly converse/vans are also great for deadlifting too

Choosing a shoe to Squat in is very important. Avoid soft, compressible spongy trainers as these will be hard for you squat in. You won’t feel stable and connected to the floor which will make the function of a squat (driving through the mid part of your foot and pushing through the floor with as much force as possible) very difficult. When looking at Squat shoes the best options are:

Barefoot or vibrams, flat Lifting Shoes, depending on your Ankle Mobility and your ability to hit depth - some people with better levels of moblility prefer this option as they feel they can spread their feet better on the floor in a tripod foot position that allows them to better connect and drive their feet through the floor when lifting!
Olympic Lifting Shoes - the best shoe to squat with optimal mechanics and maintain the right form, remain upright etc. Also beneficial to those who maybe naturally do not have amazing knee flexion or ankle mobility, as they provide a higher heel to toe drop (have a higher heel) which allows your knees to travel further over your toes, thus meaning you can squat deeper. Recommended for those who might be looking to compete in Powerlifting/Weightlifting competitions as they will give you the most optimal lifting mechanics. Be mindful though that Lifting shoes are expensive. Below I have listed the most reasonably priced, best quality ones, but they are still within the £60 + plus region. My best recommendation is to squat in converse and if you struggle to hit depth - use small 1.25 or 2.5kg plates to elevate your heel either barefoot or with converse on to replicate the same heel to toe drop as a lifting shoe. Only invest if you are very serious about Lifting would be my recommendation.
A flat canvas shoes like a converse, vans - again, some people prefer using these to squat as they may have more natural mobility than those who wear lifting shoes but maybe less mobility than barefoot. Some people do not like to Squat in Converse though as their toes can often cramp up within the shoe and therefore, they’ll not feel as stable or as connected to the floor.

***Power Perfect 3 Mens Weightlifting Shoes - Pink***
***Sale £65.00***

Hit the pic to buy/browse

click the pic to buy/browse

***ORIGINAL WEIGHTLIFTING SHOE - WHITE***
**£89.99**

***LEGACY LIFTER SHOES - £81.00 - CLICK THE PIC TO BUY/BROWSE***

There are 3 Different Kinds of Lifting Straps: Your Normal ‘Looped’ Straps, Figure 8 Straps and then Multi Grip Straps. All have their pros and cons (will be filming videos on these in due course). But below I have attached a variety of different variations of straps for the best prices.

£17.95 - from Amazon - click the pic to buy/browse

***BEAR GRIP Multi Grip Straps/Hooks, Premium Heavy duty weight lifting straps***

***Mirafit Straps - £7.95 - click the pic to buy/browse***

RDX Straps

***RDX Straps - Amazon - £8.99 - click the pic to buy/browse***

BULK Straps - click the pic to buy/browse

BULK Lifting Straps - £4.99

click the image to buy/browse

Figure 8 Gym Shark Lifting Straps - £15.00

EPISODE 5 - ELBOW SLEEVES

£17.99, £29.99 & £39.99 variations

MORSIA ELBOW SLEEVES - click the pic to buy/browse

EPISODE 6 - ALL THINGS LIFTING BELTS

As I mention in the Videos; Lever Belts are the best bet, rather than a Buckle Belt. Even though Lever Belts are more expensive, they are a much better investment long term.

Avoid velcro belts too - these won’t create enough tension or tightness to brace properly
Avoid buckle belts if you can. They are okay for beginners, but a Lever Belt is a much better long term investment.
Check out my brand recommendations below
Be aware, Lifting Belts are highly expensive! I would go as far as you can without one. Learn the proper Bracing Mechanics first (you can find a video all about Bracing in the Performance Vault). But as you start to consistently Lift Heavier Weight and Less Reps (i.e 3 x 5, 3 x 3 format) or you want to test heavy singles and doubles semi regularly, it’s a good option to invest in one.
Lever Belts can be up to £2-300, but Strength Shop and Morsia are some of the cheaper options, that are still very good quality and do not diminish in quality despite lower and more reasonable prices. I have put together below good quality options for under £100 budget! If you look after your belt, you’ll likely not need to buy another one for many years, so it is a worthwhile investment if you are looking to lift long term!