Another great read, one that was recommended to me by another guy around these parts, is Power by Fred "Dr Squat" Hatfield. Much more easily digestible filled with great concepts that stand today.

Edit: I figured I might as well help build some libraries while I'm in here.

Top 5 for Brain Gains

https://www.amazon.com/Supertraining-Yuri-Verkhoshansky/dp/8890403802/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484762523&sr=8-1&keywords=supertraining

https://www.amazon.com/Science-Practice-Strength-Training-Second/dp/0736056289/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1484762523&sr=8-8&keywords=supertraining

https://www.amazon.com/Periodization-5th-Methodology-Training-Tudor-Bompa/dp/073607483X/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1484762523&sr=8-20&keywords=supertraining

Those first three are big bucks. So I opted to go to the library, I suggest many of you do the same. Photocopiers are the shit. (Or just gift yourself a $100 book.)

These last two are relatively cheap and extremely helpful. The first a great stepping point for some of the nuances of strength training. Appropriately written by a doctor who squatted a grand, most appropriately titled "Power."

https://www.amazon.com/Power-Scientific-Approach-Frederick-Hatfield/dp/0809244330/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484751012&sr=1-1&keywords=power+fred+hatfield

And it pays to not be a dumbass about the very basics:

https://www.amazon.com/Strength-Training-Anatomy-Frederic-Delavier/dp/0736092269/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1484762523&sr=8-15&keywords=supertraining

Don't Use That Link! Use This Link HERE.

Name: Knee Sleeves for Weightlifting, Crossfit, Chinese Style.

Price: $15.00 - $18.00

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Expereince with Slippers:

In prepping for my first meet, I decided to originally get some slippers from LiftingLarge.com. But, I tried them for a week or two's lifts (3 or 4 times) but the issue I was expierencing was that my foot is a size 9, and I ordered the 7-9, meaning my foot was slightly over the edges of the little rubber sole. When I tried to spread the floor, this caused me to have my foot slide around over top of it. Once I got to heavier weight, the whole thing just wound up slipping out from underneath. NO BUENO.

Asics or Sabos?

So I then went and asked some of the other powerlifters in my gym what they used. Some, as in this thread, suggested MatFlexs by Asics. I tried looking for them later, but found there are the MatFlex 4's and 5's. In trying to search which of the two were "better" for Sumo pulling, and what the differences were, I found a lot of reviews comparing Sabos to Chucks to MatFlexs to weightlifing or other powerlifting shoes (AdiPowers, Romelos, etc). This was the one that sold me, ultimately.

Every one I could find said that while Matflexs are ok, there were a number of things that made the Sabos nice. The metatarsal strap, the strap around the top, the design of the sole (and marginally thinner sole), and material were all some of the differences. So, I bit the bullet and just said, "Well, if I dont like em, I can return em."

I've used these now for a few deadlifting sessions, and even a few bench and squat ones to wear them in a bit. I have to be honest, when I first got them, I was a bit disappointed when I put them on. They fit the width of my foot (I usually hover between 9 Wide - 9.5 Wide) nice and snug, but felt long in the foot. There is about a half inch or so that my toes don't go all the way up to. This, combined with the thin/breathable material means theres a weird sound that happens when it bends in the toe of the shoe - HOWEVER, this is fairly quiet, and when i was in the actual gym (and not my silent wood floor house), you can't hear it. My other complaints were that were the material meets the sole of the shoe looked kind of flimsy, and that the shoelaces are a bit too short to use all the eyelets (though thats easy enough to replace).

On the topic of the "flimsiness" though that I thought I saw, after having worn these shoes a few times, I have to say I was completely wrong. They have held up just fine, and I wonder if it was just some rough edges from the machining. With a bit of lifting put into em, these have pretty much gone away. Guess it's just been awhile since I've purchased a new pair of shoes for myself.

With all of that said: I absolutely love these shoes though. The tightness of the shoe as a result of the metatarsal strap is awesome. While the sholelaces are short, by skipping a few eyelets, I can tie them fine and get them much tighter than my older shoes. I get a lot of grip from the sole to the floor, and don't feel any slippage at all no matter how much I try to spread the floor and push outwards really. They feel pretty close or even better actually to when I lifted without shoes for my max attempts (what I used to do). I'd say go with the Sabos,

Some people recommend the Reebok Lite TRs, but from what I've seen, those are nearly as expensive price wise... While these aren't available prime on Amazon, I ordered mine on Mar. 30th, and got them on the 3rd with just the default shipping. Im totally with you on the wanting to stay cheap though. I have a meet in June and have been buying a bunch of the equipment needed (singlet, approved belts/wraps, etc) and god fuckin damn is picking shit up and down apparently expensive as dicks. I prefer the "Buy slightly more expensive for quality once, than buy shit twice" kind of mentality though, so thats part of what influenced my decision as well.

For those of you who missed it last week, "Eat Clen, Tren Hard: The Guide For Steroid Use In Powerlifting" has been released! Available in e-book format and paperback:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1520989946

If you would like a FREE copy, please PM me with your e-mail address and I'll give one to you. In exchange, I would kindly ask if you could write an honest review of my book on Amazon.

Cheers!

Haven't tried the one in OPs link, but I'd say they're mediocre for bass, probably though decent for <$20. Honestly, most Mpow stuff hits $15 at some point, so I'd pick them up as a "backup" for that price at the very least. I have two sets right now, the "Flame" and the "Wolverine". I like both of them, and use them interchangeably. Model names change, so who knows what they'll actually be called on your device when you sync.

Both work well for gym. I think the smaller Wolverine has slightly better sound quality, but it might just be a better fit. Both last 6-8 hours on a full charge.

Honestly, before i broke them running them over with an office chair, I had better sound quality out of my cheapy pair of Aukey Bluetooth headphones, but I didn't like them as much in the gym on account of their longer cord that didn't fit snug around my neck (big guy, so if it's uncomfortable on my 18+ inch neck, it'll be uncomfortable for most).

I actually work in a biomechanics lab and work with kids, so I feel fairly confident in telling you no I don't know any good resources. There's nothing I'm aware of that has a basis in real science and discusses technique in the power lifts well. I don't work in sports at all but have some meh journal articles on the subject I could send you. I would suggest personally that it may be more advantageous for you to look into motor control/learning. Identifying the types of practice that bring about the most consistent, ingrained motor behaviors may be just what you need. I like this book a lot for that purpose. It gives good info but is still an easy read. I know its not free but maybe you could find it

https://www.amazon.com/Motor-Control-Learning-Behavioral-Emphasis/dp/0736079610/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1481657897&sr=1-5&keywords=motor+learning

nice! I'll definitely check them out. I was looking here: https://www.amazon.com/Red-Monster-Pull-up-Resistance-10-50lbs/dp/B00KLMU4NA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1472814045&sr=8-3&keywords=serious+steel or elitefts bands because of amazon gift cards. Just sitting on it a bit to make sure they see usage, but I feel banded bench/DL would help improve my explosiveness.

No experience but honestly they just look like wrestling shoes. ASICS makes the Matflex for less than half of what you'll pay for other stuff. Matflex are probably the best bang for the buck deadlifting shoes.

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I like deadlift specific footgear, but as a sumo puller (like me), you might need more than just slippers—my experience with a really cheap pair I got from my local sporting goods store is that if the floor and the slipper’s sole don’t have enough traction, I might roll my ankles, which you don’t have to worry about right now in your hi-tops.

I have a pair of Sabo deadlift-specific shoes (in red because they make my lifts go up 3 times faster) and they’re pretty nice. If that’s out of your price range as a student, you might consider a pair of hi-top wrestling shoes instead. ASICS is a trustworthy and affordable brand.

I just bought these guys a couple weeks ago, and they seem like they are good quality for the money. No issues pairing, charge quickly, and sound ok. Obviously not amazing, but good enough.

Before, I had these guys and I liked them, but they didn't stay in my ears as well as I had hoped, and the they weren't very loud.

Is this bench press a good inexpensive “competition” style bench?

https://www.amazon.com/Rep-FB-4000-Competition-Light-Bench/dp/B07KCN72QF/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=competition+bench&psc=1&qid=1572961067&sr=8-4

I would like to upgrade my home bench and was hoping to get something that will closely resemble a bench used in competition. I’m a little unclear on height/width/“grippy-ness”. Etc.

Thanks!

I’ve had these for almost three years. In those three years I’ve gone through a pair of Beats earbuds, and some $180ish pair of Jabra “Sport (lol)” ear buds. These things keep on plugging. Sound is decent, but who really cares-it’s loud and it’s metalcore. Battery life is also great (I charge once a week). Couldn’t recommend them enough. When they do break I’ll just buy another pair.


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01G8JO5F2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Xp6VCbZ7BA37E


Edit: typo

You are stronger tham me, but I can give some comments.

• I've never used knee wraps but they can take time to learn. As for sleeves the older all blue ones like this are nice. The newer ones are not durable enough for squatting. There's plenty of other good kinds too, but I'm happy with mine.
  
  
  
• Chucks vs shoes with a heel is personal preference and leverages. I recently switched to chucks after a year of using lifting shoes because the lifting shoes pitch me forward when I squat wide and I usually go too deep if I go narrower. It's 100% personal preference. I'd say do a few weeks of heavy training in each and see what feels better (and more consistent).
  
  
  
• I think wrist wraps are worth experimenting with, but if you don't have any issues they're not likely to make a big difference. I can use a wider grip with wraps but that's because I do have pain without them when going that wide near my max. I don't think they'll add anything.
  
  
  
• A few inches off the chest is a normal sticking point for raw benchers. There are lots of suggestions (training with longer pauses, extra chest work, extra shoulder work, overload work) but it's likely to always be the weak spot unless you bench close grip, so it's mostly just getting stronger. I'd say make sure you're uncomfortably tight, but I doubt you have a 370 bench without knowing that already.
  
  
  
• I don't think the singlet matters much. I've used an old one I borrowed from my gym owner both times I've needed one.
  
  
  
• I don't personally like deloading for 2 weeks, but I'm not elite and my technique suffers if I don't lift heavy for that long. I doubt it's necessary either, but you'll have to learn over time what works for you. It's definitely useful to do lighter weights as you get close. In the past for a Sunday meet I lift heavy up through Friday the week before (9 days out) then light (50-70% for low reps to keep technique on point) the Monday and Wednesday before the meet. In the future I wanna try a little heavier on that Monday, but I don't want to be near my max for at least 5-7 days.

OFFERED/US/NEW SABO Powerlift Weighlifting shoes/ Black and Red/ Size 36 RUS

OFFERED/US/NEW adidas Performance Men's Crazy Power Cross-Trainer Shoe/ White/ Size Men's 7

Either pair $35 plus shipping. I bought them super duper discounted a long time ago and have never worn them. The Sabos are very small, like a women's 7 or smaller maybe.

This is the one I have: https://www.amazon.com/92-Buffalo-Bar-Bow/dp/B0017RFX5M

Knurling is great.

What /u/voidnullvoid said. I got these and they're great.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01GQ99JJ6/ref=asc_df_B01GQ99JJ645394433?smid=A8413PO20P3N7&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&creative=22218&creativeASIN=B01GQ99JJ6&hvadid=208035572560&hvpos=1o5&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3388699034134812568&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046834&hvtargid=pla-338932886281

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00M2EQU4W/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1
White one is great in 1.5 inch size. I've tried all others and they just don't work as well.

Bored at worked searched powerlifting on amazon and this gem of a movie came up about a women who has to win a powerlifting meet to get into college

https://www.amazon.com/All-She-Can-Corina-Calderon/dp/B00F3HKFUA/ref=sr_1_32?keywords=powerlifting&qid=1568306037&sr=8-32

I use wrestling shoes, stable and low to the ground. Think i paid something like £30 - £40 on Amazon for an Adidas Pair

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/4m8/Adidas-Unisex-Adults-AQ3325-Wrestling-Shoes-Black/B01GQ99JJ6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491927631&sr=8-1&keywords=adidas+wrestling+shoe

literally the same cost as vans and chucks and way thinner and better fitting

https://www.amazon.com/ASICS-Matflex-Wrestling-Black-Silver/dp/B00Q77UPB4/ref=sr_1_4_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1538158320&sr=8-4-spons&keywords=asics+matflex&psc=1

Science and Practice of Strength Training by Vladimir Zatsiorsky

the book for starting strength is https://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-Basic-Barbell-Training/dp/0982522738

Practical Programming is the follow up that will teach you how to program your own intermediate/advanced programs.

I've been using the blue rehbands for about 3 years, and they're still in good, usable condition.

I don't know about wraps but Reband knee sleeves are a great investment imo. Sleeves. They are great at warming up the knees and getting everything moving. They have really helped with any sort of pain I had IN my knees in the joint area. However, it seems like you are having pain above the knee. Perhaps this is a mobility problem? Do you regularly stretch your quads and hamstrings? And do you regularly work your hamstrings?

if you want a pair to use during other activities I would get a second pair similar to the Hookgrip knee sleeves. the hook grip ones can be pricey but there are cheaper versions on amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017A1MRP2/ref=twister_B017A1MRMA

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071H7RFQB?aaxitk=lZyedrYxxR34H6xhXyIL8A

Hey dudes, have an equipment question. I'm going to purchase some knee sleeves soon and have narrowed my search down to the following:

• Strength Shop Single Ply Hercules
  
  
• Strength Shop Double Ply Thor (I should note these are on sale right now for $23 USD.
  
  
• Rehband 7mm Knee Sleeve - Model 7051 (I think these actually went up in price since I first checked.)
  
  I have a bit of a budget on this (at or below the $50 USD mark) so if there's another brand that may be better I'm open to suggestions. Doesn't have to be IPF compliant (I'm not competing). Also, I'm not quite sure the difference between single ply and double ply other than "one more ply than the other" which I'm assuming means a bit more support.
  
  Edit I am an actual retard and didn't notice the one very small line on the Rehband sleeves that mentions they are sold as singles and not a pair. This changes things.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBbSV-ZndRs

I do a similar thing to this. I just bought a cheap one on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KLMU4NA/ref=twister_B0064DPLMY?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Try it out. And try filming yourself up close and seeing if your form changes at all. It was so slight for me I couldn't tell when I filmed from normal range, but I noticed during my sets and when I filmed up close that my chest was sinking in and my shoulders were coming up too high.

$10 cheaper per sleeve on amazon