Reddit mentions: The best ergonomic supports for labs

Any and all questions about materials, methods, and possible complications are very welcome! I will be at work all day but when I get home I will be sure to answer as many as I possibly can!

I got almost everything from Amazon in one big order (I looked through each product's list of prices and origin to find the cheapest one). Everything else like the athletic tape, brads for the belts, the old white T-shirt for the arm wrap, boots and makeup I already owned or are very easy to find.

The pants were a pair of orange Stone Touch cargo capri shorts from Amazon, slightly lighter orange than I wanted but it would still look fine without the tea staining like I did. They could also just be dirtied up with some makeup or real dirt to get a good effect.

The gloves were brown, unlined leather driving gloves from Amazon. Amazon has a universal sizing chart they use to size jackets, pants and gloves, and I found it to size pretty true, if not a bit small for gloves. I got the smallest size that would still fit me so they would be skin tight and just broke them in. Note: these were the gloves that matched the psycho's best, but I saved a bit buying ones that were close enough.

The knee and elbow pads were Alta Tactical Superflex/AltaFlex pads from Amazon (one size, if I remember correctly)

The shins guards I got at Dick's Sporting Goods before I started looking online for all of the supplies. They were a pair of Umbro GT soccer guards (could only find the youth guards online, but any hard plastic shin guard will do).

As I said in the pictures, I used a plastic primer on the guards before the silver paint. There are probably many options for these paints, but the primer I used was Krylon Fusion For Plastic (Gloss, White). It said "Bonds to Plastic" at the top and "No Sanding or Priming" towards the bottom, both things I wanted. The paint I used was Krylon Dual Paint + Primer (Hammered Silver). For the paint to get the ideal texture, you need to get a good medium coat on; too light a coat and the effect doesn't happen, too heavy and the effect is flooded. You get a good idea after doing a couple of coats, it isn't too difficult.

The leather straps were made from some cheap buckle-less leather belts from Amazon. They were size 44 so I could have a lot of extra for vertical straps as well. I had enough, but I'm a skinny guy, so I guess it depends on how wide your thighs are.

The snaps for the arm wrap were a bit difficult to find, only since I had no idea what I was looking for. I went to a Michael's arts and crafts store, had to ask a couple people where I could find snap fasteners. They have a kind that you sew on (do not want) and the kind that you need a press or a tool for (these are the ones). As a word of advice, I needed to use needlenose pliers to spread the head of the protruding bottom section before hammering it down or else it just basically wanted to go back through the hole in the top part (you'll know what I'm talking about here only once you've tried to install a snap already).

And finally, the mask was the cheap latex one by Neca. I got it from Amazon along with pretty much everything else, but it's the only oficially licensed latex mask and you can find it at a lot of different places (I got it when it was on sale for $30).

As for the markers I used for the body lines, I used some black artist pens that I already owned (Faber-Castell 1,5 was the most useful, then M). I got them in an 8-piece pack from Michael's. The only reason I mention this is because the lines came off fairly easily in one shower (except near my arm pits, for some reason), and I don't know if you'd be able to say that about Sharpie lines.

One last note, I'm naturally a very hairy guy, and if you're like me, please shave your chest/stomach before trying to draw any lines on yourself; it won't work and you won't look like a psycho. Just a fuzzy weirdo. If you've never shaved your chest before, don't be ashamed to look up some tips, because it can go bad if you have no idea what you're doing and just jump into it (wicked razor burn, bleeding, ingrown hairs, etc).

Good luck and have fun!

Edit: Sorry if it seems like I'm karma-whoring, I just didn't want the How-To to get lost in the comments of my first post

Edit 2: I accidentally a spelling

Lifting gloves - No, you do not want to buy these. Don't waste your time. BUY CHALK INSTEAD. Ask yourself--have you ever seen elite powerlifters wearing gloves? Never, because they dont (and arent allowed anyway). Gloves are very beginner friendly as a lot of women are afraid of getting their hands torn up by the barbell--then they eventually realize (like I did) that the gloves are a big hindrance to your grip. Please don't bother with gloves. If anything, you should be buying yourself some gym chalk instead (if you dont have any at your gym)

Belts-- i will admit, I used to resist the belt. For no good reason really. I just felt that my lifts weren't heavy enough to justify it. Most I have deadlifted without a belt is 216lbs which is pretty good for my bodyweight (114lbs). It's the most I've lifted without a belt because shortly after that, I got a belt after trying out my friend's belt ona heavy squat. Now that I own a belt, there's just no good reason to lift heavy without a belt as far as I'm concerned. It really does make a huge difference in making it easier to maintain internal pressure because I have something to push against. This makes it less likely I'm gonna injure my back. I hurt my back once after one too many heavy clean and jerks and it really messed me up for a while. Although I am not positive, I am pretty sure it was a combination of weak bracing on that clean and being tired. Now I always ALWAYS wear a belt for clean and jerks. I have a harder time with the valsalva maneuver during olympic lifts because there's just so much more going on that I kinda "forget" about holding in that breath and bracing my abs and stuff, unless I have the pressure of the belt against me to remind me.

I have this belt - Valeo 4" velcro belt. Now I chose this belt over a more traditional thick leather powerlifting belt, because I also do olympic weightlifting as I have already mentioned. Right now I've moved my focus more towards powerlifting, but I use the belt for powerlifting and I personally still prefer it over the more normal powerlifting belts. I hate lever belts because they aren't as adjustable as this. Also, these are easier to take on/off. But you would not be able to use a thick powerlifting belt for olympic lifts (the belt is too thick, would literally get in the way) so this thin velcro type of belt is popular for oly lifters. If you ever see yourself trying oly lifts in the future, this is the kind of belt you want (plus it's WAY cheaper than those fancy shmancy Inzer powerlifting belts). If you want to just stick with powerlifting, this belt is still quite suitable in my experience. I prefer different levels of tightness for different lifts, and even on a day to day basis my preference for things can change...plus depends on the weight I'm pulling. I honestly don't think there's any reason you need to wait to get a belt like I did--I wish I had bought a belt much sooner, because it would have helped a lot with my progression. Plus maybe I would not have hurt my back that one time.

Again, I want to reiterate there's no prerequisite "weight level" you need to be at to get a belt. Get a belt now. It can only help you, regardless of if youre a dead beginner, novice, or whatever.

I was squatting in flat shoes similar to converse, but I bought lifting shoes because I started olympic lifting. Yes, they do make a gigantic difference for your squat. I am of the opinion that lifting shoes are probably not for everyone, but neither are converse. Sometimes the key to unlocking better form really is in the shoe. For me, I squat much better in my squat shoes, at least when the weight gets heavy. Why? Because oly shoes have a lot of lateral support--in other words, the walls of the shoes are quite hard. You can press your toes/feet against them from the inside and not see the shoe move. That's really useful in the squat--if you are more into powerlifting, you want to maintain tension all the way down and this is easily maintained by flexing your glutes and also "twisting" your feet out a little bit within the shoe--you dont want to MOVE the shoe itself though. I personally prefer to push against the wall of the shoe and have the shoe push back at my feet because this makes it easier for me to maintain the tension. I lift at a pretty serious powerlifting gym, and I'd say we have a good 50/50 mix of people who prefer squatting in olympic shoes, and people who squat in converse/converse style shoes. The twisting should be happening regardless, but if I were to wear my converse and twist, I'd be more likely to roll my ankle because you're pushing against fabric which has a lot of give. The guys squatting in converse, you can see their toes pushing the fabric past the sole of the shoe on the sides, sometimes by quite a lot. That's what helps them --that hinders me.

Now when it comes to DEPTH, if you have trouble hitting appropriate squat depth, you should def want to try shoes. They help immensely with this. I personally never had issues hitting depth, I'm super mobile, but I had a hard time keeping my chest upright when squatting heavy when wearing flat shoes. Wearing oly/squat shoes helps me a lot with this. it's much easier to stay upright, for ME. And obviously, there's the question of heel hardness. I'll be real here--converse heels are hard relative to running shoes, but they aren't nearly as hard as the heels in my oly shoes. BUT, a lot of successful competitive powerlifters wear converse to squat, and it obviously works out well for them. Again, to each their own. Squat shoes will most likely benefit almost anyone who tries them I think, but plenty of people don't necessarily need them.

having said that, I still fucking love my Adidas Adipowers. You can pry them from my cold dead feet before I ever go back to squatting in flat shoes. I also have a pair of Reebok Crosslifter 2+'s that I really like. They were my first lifting shoes. I wanted adipowers but could not afford them, and I found a really good deal on the reeboks at the time. Then black friday rolled around and amazon was selling Adipowers for $97...so I snatched (ha) those bad boys up.

The only other gear you might want to consider at this point is wrist wraps. They can really help with benching and OHP's when the weight gets heavier. I personally prefer the shoestring variety as they are much more adjustable than the velcro variety, also the velcro ones are really thick and uncomfortable in my opinion.

Bosu -- you can get them inexpensively at stores like Academy. I have the "mini" size one. I use it for several things: (1) using interval timer, stand on one foot on the bosu for 3 1-minute sets for each leg, (2) when you get good at that, do one-leg squats on the bosu, (3) flip it over (flat side up) and do normal squats while holding extra weight as needed. You'll find that you'll wiggle all over the place, and maybe fall off sometimes, until you get good. Just standing one-legged on the bosu will strengthen your foot, ankle, calves, knees, and hip, and especially in all the little micro-adjustment places that you need for stability.

You can do the same thing with a sissel.

Rubber bands: put band around your ankles and do side-shuffles and walk forward/backwards (move like a speed skater). Put them around your knees and do clamshells. Anchor a band in a door, stand on one foot, holding the free end of the band at arm's length and rotate your upper body against the tension of the band. Think wood chop exercise but standing on one foot so you put some beneficial torque on the knee and test its stability.

Movement exercises: sit on the floor (I have smooth wood floors) like you're in open guard, stretch your feet out in front of you, anchor your heels, and pull yourself forward; think like a butt-scoot, but using nothing but your glutes, hams, and calves. A bunch of normal calisthenics that work the leg chain (leg lifts, scissors, crazy legs, etc.). Lots of normal BJJ warmups are probably really good stability workouts.

Stretching: every leg stretch you can find. I found this book from the flexibility subreddit, and it's been amazing.

I'm really not sure where to find this stuff all put together, it's what I learned from my PT guys. I do this stuff about three times a week. Bosu every time, the other exercises I kind of mix in so I get to all of them once or twice a week.

Protection: I do wear knee braces, with the little silicone donuts in them. It helps a lot with impacts. Also keeps you thinking about knees and being careful and healthy.

In my humble opinion, a feder followed by a really good pair of gloves. Some may disagree with me prioritizing gloves, but I'd recommend them early because 1) You're going to need time to get used to them, 2) It'll give you plenty of time to break them in, and 3) it'll allow you to more safely train techniques that specifically target the hands.

On a budget, back-of-head protection is as simple as buying a mask cover (like the AF cover @ $42. Personally, I wear a Destroyer Modz mask mod w/ the crybaby for extra throat protection.

Next, buy the jacket, as it will allow you to do some light contact drills. To be honest, mask, gloves and jacket are the big-purchase items. Everything else you can get pretty inexpesive. A lot of us in my club wear these for rigid knee guards: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IO4EZG4/

They're cheap, comfortable, and a great bang-for-your-buck.

Let me be 100% clear -- these recommendations assume that your intention is to start getting into steel sparring, and eventually steel competitions. If your goal is just to practice some set plays in a purely cooperative setting, that's a different story, and you're probably fine with the gear you have.

What are your specific training goals? Any timelines for events/tourneys that you want to participate at or milestones you want to reach?

You can go with a fully hidden kit using mostly modern stuff you can buy online. I wear a Nike football girdle for thigh protection, modern knee pads that are good enough for HEMA, and a lacrosse rib protector for my kidneys. All this just covered with a gambeson (depending on pain tolerance, you may require a little bit of additional armor or padding but this meets minimum in my kingdom +some).


My elbows are bokolo (that I strapped and padded) which are very affordable and vambraces are technically not required, but are highly recommended. You can make a cheap pair of brigadine vambraces out of leather, riveted over something rigid like metal or even plastic (good for 14th century). They also make padded arm sleeves for football if you want to buy something and hide it.

Depending on your helm you may need a gorget, which also can be purchased, or made cheaply out of plastic with padding behind it.

The 2 things you will want to spend your money on are gauntlets and a helm. Protect your head and your hands. That said, I have a cheap ironmonger helm that I fitted a chain drape to and it was very affordable.

I'm sure you'll also be able to borrow gear from friends or the loaner bag (if you have a nice knight marshal). But this will get you on the field then you can improve it one piece at a time.

I'm going to 2nd a few things from other members:

Take care of your knees. Pocket kneelers are awesome and fit in the back pocket of most jeans or work pants. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IWZ86WO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_sJ-CDbD8RCA6A

Take care of your back. I had a 19yo kid who was in really good shape on my crew who blew out his back because he always lifted heavy shit without help.

Take stretch and flex seriously. Look up extra wrist, shoulder, and torso stretches and do them at home.

Pick up a portable, quick and convenient hobby. Board games, cribbage, magnet fishing, disc golf, etc. Mental health is also super important when you're working and driving long hours.

You're probably going to spend long hours driving at certain points in your career. Find something to listen to. NEC does a podcast. There are some really good fiction podcasts. Public libraries have a free audiobook app called Libby.

For the feet, check out some plantar fasciitis stretches. I was once told by a coworker that if she does them at work intermittently (I had always just done them at home) that it really helped her throughout the day. When you get home from work elevate them, ice them, and rest them. I find these socks to be really helpful in icing. You can freeze a bottle of water and then roll it under your foot. You may also want to get some compression socks. I thought they'd be really uncomfortable, but they are comfy, just warm.

As for shoes, get a pair that when you push/pull on the toe/heel that they have not a whole lot of give. If the shoe is really flexible, it's not giving you a lot of support. I have inserts from a podiatrist (might be worth looking into), but I have heard amazing things about the Dr Scholls inserts (Where you step on the machine and it tells you what kind to buy - I read /r/talesfromyourserver and they recommend them over there all the time. You could check out their posts about shoes too - there are ones about shoes like every couple weeks and they have a lot of experience on their feet.

As far as your back - I'm not sure because I haven't had back problems, but make sure when you lift that you're using proper ergonomics - lift with your knees. Consider a lifting brace. Back injuries are no joke and anything you can do to avoid them could literally save you a lifetime of pain.

I dunno if this is safe or not so check with someone qualified first, but what about putting a weight belt underneath the point where your harness is digging into your gut. It should distribute the force the harness is exerting on your waist over an wider surface.

You could get something like this. It also comes in a 6" width belt as well.

Again, check with an expert because this may reduce safety somehow. The buckle may interfere somehow or also not be suitable due to digging in as well. The full harness is likely the best option available to you.

If you have work trousers with knee pad pockets these are the best I've ever used

NEW - Redbacks Lightweight Advanced Slide-in Knee Pad for Workwear Trousers https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00J09ZLUG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_xxhSBbEYPA63Q

So comfortable and yet your knees don't sweat as much as others plus they've not flattened out in over 12 months use.

these are the best I've found so far. The gel cushion doesn't collapse after a few weeks of use like foam pad but theyre not huge and clunky like normal gel pads. I can wear mine on flat or pitched roofs for 8 hours a day easily. I didn't really love having two straps so I only use the bottom one and they stay put just fine

Before investing in the inzer, I tried some of the belts at the gym and also bought a cheap belt off Amazon:

Valeo 4-Inch VLP Performance Low Profile Hand Washable Lifting Belt For Men and Women, Large, Back Support For Weightlifting https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001QKCHW2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_RoUnzbS374CF2

That gave me a good idea of my preferences.

I ran with these today for the first time after bruising the crap out of my knees last week and they were a lifesaver in the woods with all the rocks. They work pretty good.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008217B1U/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I really like the Valeo belt for wods and olympic lifts. I've been using it for almost a year and its held up great.

these can help, great for kneeling too

Seems gay, but I also have one of these. Love it.
http://www.amazon.com/Osteoarthritis-Nighttime-Relief-Pillow-Alignment/dp/B002YPUFA4

NoCry Professional Knee Pads with Heavy Duty Foam Padding and Comfortable Gel Cushion, Strong Double Straps and Adjustable Easy-Fix Clips https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N0O7CT0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_RtlpDbSESGDJT

Chances are you've seen them wearing lifting belts. While they do provide some back support, their main function is to assist the athlete with bracing the core. I personally use this belt and love it Valeo 4-Inch VLP Performance Low Profile Belt (Medium) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001QKCHVS/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_BzfNwbVWWNM2G

If you're on a laptop, this can happen easily happen. You need to get a mouse for sure and maybe a wrist elevator, maybe even a wrist band. Something like this.

These are the exact ones I used for both kneepads and shoulderpad.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018GWO7M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

For the shoulder pad just take one and flip it upside down, works pretty good if you can attach it to a vest properly

I'd tell you to share with a friend but you seem like you might need both.

Toughbuilt KP-G3 Gelfit Thigh Support Stabilization Knee Pads - Ergonomic Fit https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0140V9LWC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_2FzrDb75YVCK4

I've been using these for almost a year. I can't even start work without putting them on anymore. And my knees haven't ached a single day since.

Any suggestions on kneepads? I use these, and ever since I spent 1 minute kneeling on concrete without them I've made sure to keep them near me at all times lol.

Woot!! Knee pads on sale at Amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001P30BQE/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1459170427&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=knee+pads&dpPl=1&dpID=41wKT0s20iL&ref=plSrch

Just about everyone in roofing (my current trade) wears these or a similar style. They're fairly inexpensive, comfortable enough to be worn 8-10 hours a day, and don't slide around too much. Would highly recommend.

http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DG5204-Professional-Kneepads-Layered/dp/B001P30BQE/ref=lp_553612_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1462995508&sr=1-1

i grabbed these myself first day i had my vive xD

I'm just thinking out loud here, as I've never done a build like what you stated, but what about using back support suspenders and then attaching pieces to it using snaps or straps?

I got my 5'2 128lb girl this. She seems to like it and its cheap and fits well.

http://www.amazon.com/Valeo-4-Inch-Performance-Profile-Large/dp/B001QKCHW2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397050333&sr=8-1&keywords=weightlifting+belt

I was shocked myself! I just have this cheap one I found on amazon... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001QKCHW2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ended up working out great!

Maybe these? https://www.amazon.com/NoCry-Professional-Comfortable-Adjustable-Easy-Fix/dp/B01N0O7CT0

DeWalt knee pads seem popular among tradesmen. What brand and model were the ones that fell apart in a week?

Hm. I don't know if size is really all that important.

My boyfriend has a weight lifting belt he recently started using. Since it's velcro adjustable, I tried it out for my deadlifts. Definitely noticed a difference. Probably going to steal it on leg day.

FYI: This is it.

This is my favorite

https://www.amazon.com/Valeo-4-Inch-Performance-Profile-Medium/dp/B001QKCHVS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1475258142&sr=8-2&keywords=valeo

Nice! I'm severely contemplating it. Rugburn fucking sucks lol. Gonna try to find some cheap ones.

These ones look cool.

https://www.amazon.com/Industries-Knee-Ultra-Flex-Black/dp/B00IO4EZG4?ie=UTF8&ref_=zg_bs_553612_2

https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Knee-Pads-Work-Construction/dp/B075Y452L8/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1M4MG0FJXYUL4&keywords=knee+pads&qid=1570550802&sprefix=knee+pads%2Caps%2C232&sr=8-6

This will help you with your recruiting (ass kissing) skills

Might want to invest in these

Anyone got the address for the KFC Yum! Center? I need to express these to the refs BECAUSE THEY ARE BLOWING THE FUCKING GAME

http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DG5204-Professional-Kneepads-Layered/dp/B001P30BQE/

Get to work.

These should help

I use this and it gets the job done for me

https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DG5204-Professional-Kneepads-Layered/dp/B001P30BQE

This' n. No problem. Good luck bro

Valeo 4-Inch VLP Performance Low Profile Belt (Large) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001QKCHW2/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_Cjyavb1R7RQ1C

This is what I'm wearing now, probably the 10th different pair I've tried. Best so far. The two downsides are that they squeek, and on occasion but very rarely it will pinch and it hurts like a MF'r. I'm going on 6 months with daily use with no sign of failing. That's pretty damn good.

https://www.amazon.com/K-P-Industries-Knee-Ultra-Flex/dp/B00IO4EZG4/ref=pd_aw_fbt_469_img_2/144-5562727-6542308?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00IO4EZG4&pd_rd_r=980874eb-220c-4324-bb94-dedd10141707&pd_rd_w=3tsaO&pd_rd_wg=UxotV&pf_rd_p=3ecc74bd-d08f-44bd-96f3-d0c2b89f563a&pf_rd_r=QB8KEHXBK4M949XZ98XS&psc=1&refRID=QB8KEHXBK4M949XZ98XS

Which knee pads are those? I got these dewalt ones. They're a little uncomfortable and a little excessive.

I’d order a pair of these and go into that supervisors office to try for a promotion. Don’t be fooled by the brand name there will be tears, atleast the first few times.

Kit details in case anyone's interested:

Uniform:

• Tri-color DCUs from surplus store (top is surplus, bottom is actually Tru-Spec because there were no surplus pants at the store)
  
• Danner Acadia boots from surplus store
  
  Gear:
  
  
• ESS Profile NVGs from surplus store
  
• Black tactical vest
  
• Alta knee pads
  
• Cheap bicycle helmet with logos sanded down and painted over as Pro-Tec knockoff
  
• FREETOO gloves (Nomex flight gloves are just too hot and don't breathe)
  
• Matrix retention holster with modular drop leg attachment (Blackhawk! style universal holster caused my magazine to drop out when it got pushed against my side and hit the mag release)
  
• ALICE Y-harness with buttpack, magazine pouches, water canteens, pistol mag pouches, radio, etc.
  
  Weapons and weapon accessories:
  
  
• KJW 1911 HI-CAPA
  
• Boneyard Elite Force M4A1 all fixed up
  
• Barrel-mounted flashlight with remote pressure switch
  
• Carryhandle picatinny rail adapter
  
• Pinty Tactical brand red/green dot sight