Accessories

Lifting Belt

The one that actually moves weight

What it does

A belt gives your abs something to push against. You brace, your midsection presses out into the belt, and the pressure that builds stiffens your whole trunk - so less of the load leaks out through a soft midsection and your lower back is better supported.

When to use it

Heavy squats and deadlifts, generally your working sets from roughly 80% upward. Put it on for the top sets and take it off for warm-ups and accessory work.

Skip it: Not for warm-ups, light technique work or general accessory training - you still want your bracing to work without one.

Knee Sleeves

Warmth and a little bounce

What it does

Neoprene sleeves keep the joint warm and add light compression, which makes the knee feel stable and supported. A stiff 7mm pair also gives a small amount of rebound out of the bottom of a squat.

When to use it

Squat day and any heavy lower-body work. Unlike a belt you can leave them on for the whole session, warm-ups included - the warmth is much of the point.

Knee Wraps

A different tool to sleeves

What it does

Long, stiff elastic wrapped tightly around the knee. They store energy as you descend and return it out of the hole, which can add a genuinely significant amount to a max squat - far more than sleeves do.

When to use it

Wrapped divisions in powerlifting and heavy squat singles. They take time to wrap properly and are uncomfortable enough that most lifters save them for top sets.

Skip it: Not an everyday item, and not a substitute for sleeves - they do a different job and are banned in raw/classic divisions.

Wrist Wraps

Keeps the wrist under the bar

What it does

Wraps stop the wrist bending back under load, keeping the hand stacked directly over the forearm. That gives you a solid platform to press from and takes strain off the joint.

When to use it

Heavy bench and overhead pressing, and heavy front squats where the bar sits on the hands. Tighten them for the working sets and loosen between.

Elbow Sleeves

For pressing volume

What it does

Compression and warmth for the elbow joint. They will not add weight to your bench, but they make a cranky elbow far more tolerable through a heavy block of pressing.

When to use it

High-volume pressing phases and bench specialisation blocks, especially if your elbows complain about close-grip work and dips.

Lifting Straps

So your grip is not the limit

What it does

Straps tie your hands to the bar so pulling work is limited by your back and legs rather than your grip. That lets you accumulate far more quality volume on heavy pulling.

When to use it

Deadlift back-off sets, rows, shrugs, RDLs and any high-rep pulling where your hands give out before the target muscle does.

Skip it: Not in a powerlifting meet - straps are not allowed. Do some pulling strapless so your grip keeps developing.

Figure 8 Straps

The strongman deadlift strap

What it does

A single loop sewn into a figure 8 - one end goes over your wrist, the other wraps under the bar and back over the same hand. Once you are locked in the bar is not leaving your hands, so grip is taken out of the lift almost completely, far more securely than regular straps.

When to use it

Strongman deadlifts, axle and frame pulls, max-effort rack pulls and very heavy shrugs - anywhere the weight is well beyond what your hands can hold. Most strongman federations allow them for deadlift events.

Skip it: Not for anything you might need to bail from quickly, like cleans or Olympic lifts - you cannot let go in a hurry. Not allowed in powerlifting either.

Chalk

Cheapest grip upgrade there is

What it does

Magnesium carbonate soaks up sweat and moisture on your hands, so the bar stops sliding. A better grip means the bar stays put on deadlifts, does not drift on bench and sits more securely on your back when squatting.

When to use it

Any heavy pulling, benching and squatting, and pretty much every strongman event. Chalk up before each working set, not just once at the start of the session.

Skip it: Check your gym allows it first - some commercial gyms ban loose chalk, in which case liquid chalk or a chalk ball is the usual workaround.

Compression Shorts

Support for the hips and groin

What it does

Tight-fitting shorts that act as a compression base layer - worn as underwear or over it. They keep the hips, groin and upper thighs warm and supported, cut down on chafing and hold everything in place on deep squats and wide-stance pulls.

When to use it

Heavy squat and deadlift days, sumo pulling, and under singlets at meets. Also handy on strongman days for anything that runs the bar or implement up your thighs.

Squat Suit

Equipped lifting, for the meet platform

What it does

A very stiff, tight single-ply or multi-ply suit that resists you as you sit down into the squat or down to the bar. That stored tension springs back on the way up, adding a large amount of weight to a squat or deadlift - often far more than wraps. Suits are fitted tight enough that getting into one usually takes help.

When to use it

Equipped powerlifting meets and training for them, and the heaviest top singles of a meet prep. Lifters usually train in the suit only for their heaviest work in the weeks before a competition.

Skip it: Not for raw or classic lifters - suits are banned in those divisions - and not for everyday training. They take practice to use and are no use to beginners.