Best products from r/weightlifting

I've spent a stupid amount of time looking things up over the last few years and always keep note on what bars and plates I use at other gyms (I probably drop into 20-30 different gyms every year at least). Always glad to help someone else out so they don't get stuck trying to figure out what works best from the large selection around now.

There are definitely other similar priced bars and plates, but those were the ones that I found best of the group especially considering the price. The Keystone bar was a lot nicer than I expected it to be. Had to do heavy jerks, heavy power cleans, and medium weight snatches and it worked beautifully for everything.

Also this is the electrical tape I used for the plates. I found it best to really clean off the plates first and get them nice and dry, then start applying it. Stretch it very slightly while putting it on, and have it overlap an inch or two at the end. Holds up great actually, better than I expected it to and makes the plates look a lot fancier than they are.

It really depends what youre looking for.




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These are very popular, many elite lifters use them (Lu, Tian tao, Liao hui, etc) http://store.hookgrip.com/shop/blue-white-hookgrip-knee-sleeves/

Those sleeves linked above do not really provide any support, they will not aid you in performing any movements, theyre mostly for warmth and maybe proprioception in some ways.

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Then you have these http://www.amazon.com/Rehband-7mm-Knee-Sleeve-Original/dp/B0088KPT50/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450897198&sr=8-1&keywords=rehband+knee+sleeves

Rehband is also very popular among many lifters, these provide a little more support and are thicker, these still probably wont really add anything to your lifts (maybe 5 pounds if you get them a size down??).


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Then you have this tier of sleeves http://www.howmuchyabench.net/strong-sleeves

http://www.andersonpowerlifting.com/knee-sleeves-p/sbd-knee-sleeves-pair.htm



These are used more for powerlifting or for squats only(i dont think ive seen anyone perform olympic lifts with either), they are supposed to be pretty tight and offer a lot of support, they will definitely allow you to squat more (ive seen most people get 10kg+ out of them)

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The more support you want, the more you will have to pay. There are also knee wraps which generally provide more support than any sleeve can and those have a similar breakdown from less supportive to more supportive.

I'd suggest buying different sizes, and sending back the one that doesn't fit, which should be totally free for an Amazon Prime eligible product.

Some insoles also have cut marks so you can just adjust it to your needs.

Here are some examples after a quick search.

https://www.amazon.com/Sof-Sole-Memory-Plus-Cushioning/dp/B00PKM76U0/ref=sr_1_32?keywords=flat+insole&qid=1569316544&s=gateway&sr=8-32

https://www.amazon.com/Spenco-Comfort-Lightweight-Cushioning-Orthotic/dp/B000S6GBI6/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=flat+insole&qid=1569316544&s=gateway&sr=8-4

https://www.amazon.com/Cork-Insoles-Pack-Size-13/dp/B0043X90ME/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=thin+cork+insole+men&qid=1569316788&s=gateway&sr=8-5

https://www.amazon.com/Generation-Anti-Bacterial-Killing-Insoles-Inserts/dp/B07KFLGL41/ref=sr_1_25?keywords=kaps+insoles&qid=1569317227&s=gateway&sr=8-25

Personally I use Kaps Cork adjustable insoles but they are not sold on the US Amazon (I live in France), but they are very similar to the ones I linked last.

Lastly, you can also go to a Foot Locker or this kind of Sneakers shop and ask for a simple insole, this way you would have the opportunity to try them on and see if they fit. I have an old pair of AND1 flat insoles from when I used to play basketball a decade ago and they are still in a pretty good shape, I use them to replace my cross training shoes soles to flatten the drop.

I hope it helps.

http://www.reddit.com/r/weightlifting/comments/2m6luw/your_favorite_underwear_brands_for_lifting_in/

That is a good post from a few days ago filled with comments about what people wear.

Here is my comment copied and pasted:

I have Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, and Kirkland Signature (Costco), and UA boxer briefs. The UA ones feel strange, so I dont wear them often. They are my "oops, forgot about that laundry thing" pair. I like Fruit of the loom most of the time and really like the Kirkland ones. They are the most....snug fit, which I find to be most comfortable. I should also admit that most of mine are probably a bit too large as I lost weight and the Kirkland ones are the only ones I bought after losing most of the weight.

As for compression gear, I normally wear Nike compression shorts.

I have a pair of Under Armour compression shorts that I do not like as much as the Nikes. They are a bit thicker, but I still wear them on occasion.

I have a few pairs of Athleta tights, but also have these and these and find both comfortable. The first link ones I find to be a bit thicker, which is really useful as it is colder now, but I didnt find them too thick and warm in the summer.

My brother and a few others I know have bought the cheap gear from Target (Champion I think), and that stuff seems decent, they find it comfortable. So that could be something else to try out.

Try oiling the sleeves and see if that does anything.

As for the bar...

1. I've used one of those cheap bars with the bolt at the end. Not good. Especially when you have re tighten them from time to time and hope the sleeve doesn't fall off.
   
   
   
2. Waste of money if you're gonna dare to Sn or CJ with it. Passable to do strength lifts on.
   
   
   
3. No, don't buy it.
   
   
   This seems to be the best option I could find on Amazon. I've never heard of them, who knows about the quality control and how long it will last but reviews seem ok. Only about 30$ more than your prior selection.
   
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Bonnlo-Barbell-Weightlifting-Capacity-Rotating/dp/B07BXHF8H6/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=weightlifting+barbell&qid=1574724081&sr=8-8
   
   
   https://www.amazon.com/CAP-Barbell-Olympic-Weightlifting-Renewed/dp/B07RH732VH/ref=sr_1_90?dchild=1&keywords=weightlifting+barbell&qid=1574724518&sr=8-90
   
   https://www.amazon.com/CAP-Barbell-Power-Olympic-Weightlifting/dp/B006R4EOXM/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=weightlifting+barbell&qid=1574724081&sr=8-5
   
   We used to use CAP barbells as our general purpose barbells. No idea what model but it wasn't uncommon for them to get bent over time or spin poorly.
   
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   https://www.amazon.com/Training-Equipment-Olympic-Barbell-Crossfit/dp/B07NZ7T1VJ/ref=sr_1_59?dchild=1&keywords=weightlifting%2Bbarbell&qid=1574724518&sr=8-59&th=1
   
   probably the next step up but you could just pony up another 50$ and get something from Fringesport with excellent customer service and a return policy. They bought out AgainFaster a few years ago which was pretty popular in the CF community.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/XMark-Lumberjack-Manganese-Phosphate-Powerlifting/dp/B01NBTGVNI/ref=sr_1_29?dchild=1&keywords=weightlifting%2Bbarbell&qid=1574724081&sr=8-29&th=1
   
   https://www.amazon.com/XMark-Crowbar-Olympic-Weightlifting-Powerlifting/dp/B07T6C2ZWL/ref=sr_1_12?dchild=1&keywords=weightlifting+barbell&qid=1574724081&sr=8-12
   
   
   Never heard of XMark. They have plenty of reviews though.

I actually have purchased or received as a gift the hookgrip wraps, hookgrip knee sleeves, and rehband sleeves.

I agree with /u/ronniedowd that if you want warmth only, the hookgrip knee sleeves work great and they're cheap. Rehband sleeves provide a lot more support, and they are super durable, but they are fairly expensive. Now I only use the hookgrip wraps, because they're adjustable. If I only want warmth I can wrap them loosely, but if I'm squatting heavy and need support I can wrap them quite tightly. I can't say yet how durable the wraps are.

"Thigh clean" isn't a thing. Whoever was coaching you probably doesn't know what they're talking about.

I recommend getting Greg Everett's book. He does a good job explaining the principals of weightlifting technique and making sense of the lifts. Trust me, it is well worth the $40.

Afterward, get a coach. The content in the book should help you determine whether or not a coach has a clue of what they're talking about. If you coach seems to be thoughtful and informed about what they're having you do, then stick with that coach.

I'd recommend the first exercise in this video for shoulder flexibility, it has helped me a lot. I generally do a short stretching circuit after training two or three times a week. As my flexibility improved the amount of stretching I do has lessened. It is usually composed of the shoulder dislocate in the video, I touch my toes standing and sitting, I stretch my hips and glutes with the butterfly stretch, stretch my quads and hips with the quad stretch, and I also stretch my shoulders/pectorals with the pectoral stretch. Many of these can be found by googling them, though I've gotten most of my stretch work from this book

Also a nice guide.

http://www.catalystathletics.com/articles/article.php?articleID=137

Covered extensively in my new book - http://www.amazon.com/Olympic-Weightlifting-Complete-Athletes-Coaches/dp/0990798542/

Short version is you need to be learning and practicing the lifts with very light weight for an initial period; during this time, you need to be covering any GPP needs and working on fundamental strength movements. When you reach a basic level of technical proficiency, you begin training the competition lifts along with the strength lifts.

One basic "starter" program here for someone who knows how to snatch and CJ well enough and wants to transition into more dedicated WL programming - http://www.catalystathletics.com/article/131/Starter-Program-for-Catalyst-Athletics-Online-Workouts/

I tried it while my thumb/shoulder was injured. Botched the numbers (supposed to take a a percent of your max and then put that number into the program) and wound up doing it all with too much weight. After three weeks, I had a severely strained hip flexor and couldn't squat anymore, which took a couple months to recover from, plus the thumb and shoulder issues. If I hadn't messed up the numbers I think it would have been great!

I think it's better to try and find a 1RM for the day, everyday. That method worked a lot better for me, especially while doing the double day squat program from Catalyst. That was my favorite and let me progress the most as well as get accustomed to moving 90% or more on multiple lifts in every session.
Also this is a good book: http://www.amazon.com/Squat-Every-Day-Matt-Perryman-ebook/dp/B00CE5BCFG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412823349&sr=8-1&keywords=squat+every+day

The nylon and velcro Harbinger belts have the benefit of not being super thick or overly supportive, light weight, and they have a very simple overlap buckle + velcro closure. You can also pick one up at Walmart, Target, Amazon, etc... and they are very inexpensive (plus I've seen them used by a lot of really strong folks).

Many of the ones sold online are the 5-inch which is 7mm over IWF regulations. Go for the 4-inch model like this one

Disclaimer: Also not an expert, in fact I posted a form check as recently as yesterday.

You shouldn't be using arms, once you use your arms u negate most of the power from the ground plus the bar swings away from you. Your arms should be loose, elbows external rotated, chest up, lats engaged (personal cue: I think about bending the bar around me with my chest/lats/core).

There are a bunch of other issues but its best to tackle one thing first. I agree its too much to start from the floor at this point. I'm not sure what you've been reading but I got a lot from this book

Try a velcro belt, I I got this one and it's been great. For myself, velcro belts fit better while in the start position and Ilya even used the exact model in 2012.

I can't read Russian but I know for sure Everett is the best in the English language. I can't recommend his book highly enough.

Catalyst Athletics

Oleksiy TOROKHTIY

Coach Zach Telander

Coach Max Aita has some stuff out there in youtube, but not his own channel. He does the Training Make podcast with ZT, and does coaching/programming with JTS (has a few things on their channel).

I'm pretty new too (about 4 months), but this is what I found so far. But I would really make finding a good coach in your area a priority. They will correct problems as they see them, which is really important for beginning weightlifters. Also, if you can, find a WL team you can train with. I would also buy Everett's Olympic Weightlifting book, and use it as a reference (he's the guy that runs Catalyst above).

I don't feel like I'm qualified to give advice so here are some great resources to check out until you get a coach:

Snatch tutorial from Juggernaut

Clean tutorial from Juggernaut

Jerk tutorial from Juggernaut

Catalyst Athletics excercise library (The rest of the website is also a complete treasure trove)

Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches by Greg Everett (the owner of Catalyst Athletics)

EDIT: Oh, and if you live in the US you can find nearby USA Weightlifting affiliated clubs on this site.

Get Greg Everett's Book and do the Weight Gain Program

High Calorie snacks: whole milk, nuts / nut butters, jerky, cheese, full fat yogurt, avocado. great now im hungry and im supposed to be dropping weight

Catalyst Athletics makes a great book. I use it and it’s available on Amazon. Has a everything from programming, exercise selection, tchinqje, nutrition, and much more. Here’s a link https://www.amazon.com/Olympic-Weightlifting-Complete-Athletes-Coaches/dp/0990798542/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Catalyst+athletics&qid=1573231159&sr=8-3

If you're interested in the new adipower 2's, Amazon has them for ~$100 instead of the $160 - $200 from Rogue and Adidas.com. I bought a pair to try out and it was $110 after tax. I've also seen Leistung II's for sub $100 lately too.

This the link I bought mine from on Amazon -

https://www.amazon.com/adidas-Adipower-Weightlifting-Cross-Trainer/dp/B07KWZH6ST/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=adipower%2B2&qid=1574543871&sr=8-1&th=1&psc=1

Here's a great book on the subject. You can probably get it at your local library or on inter-library loan if you're a student (or, you know, buy it).

I also agree with what u/Flexappeal said. Training the classic lifts without any real understanding of what you are doing will just drill bad habits. If you are going the self-learning route, Greg Everett's Olympic Weightlifting for Athletes and Coaches is a pretty comprehensive book that you can read and re-read to understand the mechanics of each lift.

I know everyone else is saying find a coach, and you definitely should..but the book is only $26 on Amazon and it shouldn't cost you anymore to ship to Toronto.

Link

Otherwise, I could pick it up for you and you could pay me for shipping. It would still cost you $35 probably.

Questions like these are answered here (and other places): Squat Every Day, by Matt Perryman

I personally use a Harbringer 243 4-inch belt I bought it off amazon for around $15. [Link] (http://www.amazon.com/Harbinger-4-Inch-Nylon-3-Inch-Medium/dp/B00074H7WI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396208198&sr=8-1&keywords=harbinger+velcro+belt)

Ilya Ilyin used this belt in the 2012 Olympics.

Another good belt is the eleiko weightlifting belt that is around $50 but it's seems that it is always sold out.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00074H7WI/


https://www.strongerbyscience.com/the-belt-bible/

Harbinger 360890 4-Inch Nylon Weightlifting Belt https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00074H7WI/