Essential equipment for gym fitness

Well-fitting training shoes that suit your training program, breathable and sweat-wicking quick-drying sportswear, and a sports water bottle that can hold enough water for the entire class. The rest of the items, such as protective gear and auxiliary tools, are all "optional extra points" that are adjusted according to your training stage and sports. There is no need to buy the whole set as soon as you apply for the card.

I ran into a lot of trouble when I first applied for a fitness card. I added everything to my shopping cart after seeing bloggers recommend it, including professional power lifting belts, wrist braces, booster belts, gym bags with partitions, and even protein powder shakers with names engraved on them. I spent a thousand bucks on it. As a result, I couldn’t even practice standard squats in the first three months. The belt was tied around my waist so hard that it hurt my ribs.

Let’s talk about the least practical training shoes first. Don't believe the nonsense that "just wear sneakers". If you wear thick air-cushioned running shoes to squat heavy weights, the soles of the shoes will be too soft to take off the force. If the center of gravity is tilted, it is easy to sprain your feet. But there is no need to spend hundreds of dollars on professional powerlifting shoes when you first get started. I have friends who mainly practice bodyweight and street fitness. They wear flat canvas shoes worth tens of dollars all year round and can still squat 80kg. ； For those who like to go to crossfit gyms, it is enough to choose comprehensive training shoes with multi-directional support. However, the soles of specialized weightlifting shoes are too hard, which will cause pain to the soles of the feet when running and jumping. If you haven’t figured out what you like to practice when you first go there, a pair of basic training shoes with flat, hard soles and strong grip will be enough. Canvas shoes are more reliable than air-cushion running shoes. When you reach the threshold of squatting at 1.5 times your body weight, it is not too late to consider whether to buy special powerlifting shoes. Oh, by the way, don’t wear slippers. I’ve seen people riding the elliptical machine wearing slippers before. Their feet slipped and they fell off and bruised their knees. They couldn’t practice for half a month, so the gain outweighed the loss.

As for what to wear, the core requirement is just one: not sticking to your body when you sweat. Don't believe bloggers who say that you must buy tight-fitting compression garments. I have seen many veterans who have been practicing for five or six years. They just wear a quick-drying T-shirt and large pants in the summer, and add a thin quick-drying jacket in the winter. They are much better than novices who wear a full set of high-end fitness clothes. Of course, if you like running and jumping events, wearing tight pants can reduce the shaking of muscles and make it more comfortable. But if you are afraid of embarrassment, no one will tell you if you wear big pants outside. Just don't wear a large cotton T-shirt. Last time my best friend went to the gym for the first time and wore a cotton oversize T-shirt. After practicing, the whole clothes got wet and stuck to her body. When she walked to the front desk, the wind blew and she sneezed three times. She caught a cold when she got home and it took her half a month to recover. Also, girls must buy sports bras that fit the shape of their breasts. Don’t be too big and don’t squeeze them. Not to mention the wobbling pain, it will cause serious damage to the suspensory ligaments of the chest in the long run, so don’t save money.

The last thing you must buy is a water cup. Don’t go to the trouble of getting a mineral water bottle. Your hands are all sweaty after practicing and you won’t be able to unscrew the bottle cap. Let me tell you. The starting capacity should be at least 1L. If you are doing strength training and aerobics in the summer, 1.5L is not enough to drink. You need something that can open the cap with one click and only 30 seconds between sets. You can't squat and compete with the bottle cap, right? Some people also like to use straws so that they can drink without raising their heads during aerobic training, which is more convenient. It all depends on your habits. By the way, if you practice for a long time and want to add electrolytes or protein powder, a whole shaker cup with partitions will also work. It is not necessary, but it does save you the need to bring another container for powder. Oh, by the way, don’t bring that kind of glass. If you hit a dumbbell on it, it will shatter all over the floor. It’s easy for the cleaning lady to scratch your hands when cleaning. Gyms generally don’t allow glass containers to be brought into the training area.

The rest of the items that are often included on the "must-have list" are really a matter of frugality. For example, there have always been two schools of thought in the powerlifting circle for waist protectors. One school believes that they must be worn as long as the weight is lifted, so as to provide sufficient support to the lumbar spine to avoid injury. The other school believes that they should be worn as little as possible during normal times with small weights, forcing the core to exert strength to practice stability, and then wear them when sprinting to 1RM (maximum weight for a single rep). I usually do not wear them when squatting below 80kg, but only take them out when I sprint to 100kg. I have practiced for three years and have not had any problems with my waist. There are also wrist guards. If your wrist always hurts when you bench press, buy a harder wrist guard and wear it. If your wrist is strong enough, it will be fine if you don't wear it. Especially for power-assisted straps, just buy them when your grip strength can no longer keep up with your back strength during deadlifts. Using power-assisted straps when you are just starting to practice will delay the growth of your grip strength. There are also things like gym bags, anti-sweat bands, knee pads, power hooks, etc. You can only buy them when you reach a certain stage of training and feel "I need this now". There is no need to stock up in advance.

I have seen too many people spend several thousand to get a complete set of equipment just after applying for the card. After three visits, they are too tired to go. All the equipment is sold at half price, which is a complete waste of money. The core of fitness is that you have to move, and equipment is always a supplement. If you can really insist on going three times a week, even if you wear old canvas shoes and carry a plastic water bottle, the effect of practicing for three months will be better than buying a complete set of equipment and lying at home. Oh, by the way, if you are prone to social death, noise-canceling headphones are considered semi-essential. After all, the earthy songs in the gym can really make you dig your toes at times. Wearing headphones to listen to your own songs will make you more immersed in practice, hahaha.