Update version 1.4
Updated weightlifting shoe links

[spoiler show=”Show past updates” hide=”Hide past updates”]Update version 1.31
Added singlet, shoe (Canadian) and belt (UK) links
Added section on knee sleeves
Added section on chalk[/spoiler]

I get questions periodically on singlets, belts, shoes, etc. This post will link to some older articles, touch on some important points, and open the forum for the input of the readers. Let’s make this a comprehensive gear post where someone can learn about, compare, and find links to various products. It is important to note that 70’s Big is open to advertising for companies that sell lifting gear. Also, you’ll notice that we aren’t talking about squat suits or bench shirts because they are fucking irrelevant (more on this another time).

Shoes
Read about why lifting shoes are important here.


Summary:
Shoes will improve efficiency and safety when lifting.
1. The sole is wider, thus more stable (an important reason why lifting in Chucks is inadequate).
2. The sole is made of material that increases the coefficient of friction when articulating with the ground so that you don’t slip. This is obviously imperative when Olympic lifting but still useful for squatting.
3. The upper is typically made of leather as opposed to canvas, thus it is more stable when compounded with…
4. The metatarsal strap(s) help hold the feet in place to prevent foot-in-the-shoe movement. This is, again, imperative with Oly lifting, but incredibly useful for squatting.
5. Most importantly, the additional heel height (of about .75″) improves mechanics for squatting and pulling. The angle change in the ankle reverberates to the knee and subsequently hip to have a better balance of musculature around the knee and hip. When someone squats in lifting shoes for the first time, it always — ALWAYS — looks better.
6. The sole and heel are made of non-compressible material which prevents any spongy bounce from redirecting the force you are trying to apply into the ground. Yes, Chucks compress. Running shoes are ignorant; each rep is a new experience because of the cushioned sole. Not to mention those shoes don’t have the other qualities already listed.

Shoe Brands
Some times shoes are just called “lifting shoes” and other times they are specifically called “Olympic weightlifting shoes”. In either case, you’ll want the slight heel like the picture above. Avoid any that have a heel larger than one inch. Brands include Risto, Rogue, Pendlay (not direct link), Nike (another), Adidas (or try here), and VS Athletics.
Here’s a site that has various brands.
For Canadian buyers.

Some of the shoe brands only list one of their shoes. If you want to post a link to other brands, or a greater selection in each brand, do so in the comments and I’ll edit the section.

Belts
I’ve written about belts a lot, but I still get workshop attendees who don’t understand why they are necessary (same with shoes). Here are four links to information on belts with varying levels of detail.
One — Generally speaking
Two — types of belts
Three — how to break in a belt (video)
Four — a detailed post, look here for best info



Summary:
A belt most certainly does not “turn the abs off”, but instead makes them stronger to help aid in the Vasalva Maneuver, or increase in intra-abdominal and thoracic pressure that protects the spine in lifting. A belt functions on the abdominals, not the back. Thus, belts that are narrow in the front and flared in the back are irrelevant. The slight constriction of trunk volume by a belt with the same breath of air (a big breath) will result in increased pressure compared to no belt (volume down, contents same = pressure up — Boyle’s Law). The abs contract harder isometrically into the belt and get stronger quicker. Not only are the muscles getting stronger, but the additional pressure increases efficiency and safety. By choosing to not be safe and efficient, you are not only limiting your strength improvement, but doing so with crappier form and a higher potential for injury. Probably something you should think about.

Brands and Types
Good belt websites have changed a bit since this site has been active and I haven’t had to buy one lately, so I’m unfamiliar with the market. Please post belt sites to the comments with some quick comments. It’s important to note that suede belts are used in strength training (including powerlifting competitions) while the velcro belts are typically only used in Olympic weightlifting. Also, in some powerlifting federations you can’t wear velcro belts.
Best Belts
Safe USA
For the UK

Pulling Straps
Unless you’re pulling well over twice your body weight or have been lifting at least for several years, you won’t need to worry about straps. If you are, then I always look to Iron Mind for straps. The world’s strongest men use them. I mean that literally, they use them in the World’s Strongest Man Competition. There are various kinds of various lengths fit for Oly lifting (the shorter, sewn kind) or heavy fat bar pulling.
Iron Mind Straps — Note that there are two pages

If you have used other straps, feel free to post the brand links to the comments.

Singlets
Singlets are necessary for competition. Styles and colors can vary; Olympic weightlifting are typically spandex material with longer legs and powerlifting singlets typically have shorter legs. I will point out that singlets are made of stretchy material and it’s better to have a singlet that’s a bit too small than too big. I’d suggest getting a size smaller than what the company fits you for — I bought one that was a bit too big and the straps irritatingly slid around (of course it was too small for my thighs).

Brands
CustomSinglets.com
Singlets.com
Cliff Keen
Brute Wrestling

Knee Sleeves
Knee sleeves aren’t required, but some find utility in them. They provide some stability and proprioception feedback that will help the lifter feel more comfortable. More importantly, they will trap heat that the leg is giving off to keep the knee warm. This will provide external warmth (as opposed to internal via blood flow) to the superficial ligaments and tendons of the knee, particularly the patellar ligament and tendon. When these structures are warmed, they are more pliable and less likely to experience pain or be hurt. Powerlifters and weightlifters both use knee sleeves.



Rehband knee sleeves are top of the line. They are expensive (around $60 for a pair) and made of neoprene, but they will be the best warmth and support for knees. They won’t provide an ergonomic aid to the movement like knee wraps would, yet they will feel like they “help”.

The expensive Rehbands aren’t mandatory if you are having general knee soreness (which is usually caused by too much too soon, and can be alleviated over time unless there is an existing injury). I used cheap sleeves from a local sport store. They were black and a similar material to an ace bandage and were five dollars each. It provided the warmth I desired at a low cost. I wore them to nationals. It’s noteworthy that this section isn’t referring to knee sleeves with a whole over the patella (I’d prefer to not have a whole to keep the warmth in).


Chalk
Chalk is necessary for lifting, especially when sweating. It increases the coefficient of friction when your hand touches a bar. Your friends can even draw phallic symbols on your back with it. It is available in lots of places online, whether you are searching lifting or mountain climbing chalk. Most lifters will agree that having the actual block (or pieces of it) to rub on your hands is preferable to a bowl of dust.
Amazon Chalk Selection

Other
If there are any other pieces of gear you think should be on this page (like supportive wrist straps), then give your thoughts in the comments. Feel free to comment on brands that you actually own so that potential shoppers can get objective feedback. Don’t give your thoughts on something you haven’t actually used consistently over time.

Here is the weekly installment of 70’s Big Females by Cori and Ellee.

First, we must address the issue of how to properly measure the 70’s Big Booty. Please watch our instructional video today:
Measuring the Ass
*For total accuracy, it should actually take place in the nude, but for the sake of keeping it clean, we are clothed. Here at 70’s Big Female, we take ass size VERY seriously!



*For the record, Cori qualified at an outstanding 41 inches! ASSessment results: PASS. 70’s Big Female membership was made official with a congratulatory and obligatory ass slap (vital component).

Grunt. Groan. Yell. Scream.
Is it okay for women to make grunting noises while lifting? We are going reply with an emphatic YES and here is why. Have you ever pinned yourself under a clean and couldn’t get up? Grabbed on to a deadlift and tried like hell to pull yet to no avail? Have you had to aggressively finish your pull on a snatch in order to get under the weight? Did you clench your gut and let out a whelp? If you didn’t, maybe you should have. If you did, we bet it felt really fucking good. It’s not just about making beastly noises and showing that you are the alpha female. Part of the grunting is you performing the Valsalva maneuver.

You are basically restraining your airway during an attempted forced expiration against a closed glottis. This keeps air from escaping your lungs, and the muscles of your abdomen and rib cage contract. This creates rigid compartments of fluid in the lower torso and air in the upper torso. The advantage is increasing the rigidity of the entire torso, making it easier to support heavy weights!

Once you hit that sticky point, go ahead and release a tiny bit of that pressure with a hearty groan. Part of grunting, screaming, whaling, etc can be vital to making some of your heaviest lifts! In addition, you can spare yourself from those occasional, unsightly petechiae (broken capillary blood vessels) around your eyes. Better yet, you may avoid keeling over like a woman of the 16th Century whose corset is too tight. We may be ladies, but we are not delicate flowers!
(Editor’s Note: The groan, grunt, scream, or forceful exhaling with the tongue on the teeth will temporarily spike intra-abdominal and thoracic pressure but will relieve a bit of the blood vessel pressure, hence the reason you should do it if you’re about to white out or pass out in the hardest part of a lift [locking out DLs, sticking point of front squat, etc.])

Okay so maybe you are feeling a bit self-conscious and aren’t comfortable showing off your alpha female yet. Fine, but we dare you to give it a go. When you start making crazy faces and wailing like a banshee the weight on the bar is no longer an issue. Not to mention how incredible it feels to just unleash the inner she-beast and scream during most acts of physical exertion and exhilaration. Fuck the neighbors!!! But we digress . . .

70’s Big Female Tasks of the Week:
1. Let it out! Show us what you got! And then tell us how it went and how amazing your lifting was.
2. Make sure your ass has been legitimately measured. Remember, at least 38”!
3. Love your body as much as possible and to celebrate, walk around your domicile in the nude!

–Cori and Ellee

Training consistently is a learning process, an active process of introspection. Getting stronger isn’t easy. It requires a laboring, painful work that will only be expressed in the next bout of laboring, painful work. Yet with strength training, that process is just as important as the end. Choosing to do something hard — of your own volition — puts the mind in a vulnerable state. It forces you to decide whether or not you think you’re capable. Want to complete a set, but don’t think you can? You won’t. Staring down the bar, daring it to beat you and knowing that you will crush it; that is something entirely different, my friends.

It isn’t about merely attempting something that is Very. Fucking. Hard. But shifting the mindset into not just the possibility of completion, but the explosive dominance and subsequent victory you’ll have over that barrier. The mindset itself is the victory. The destruction of the set is the victory lap. The weening moments after when your heart is still racing and short of breath — that’s standing on the podium. Learning how to give everything you have mentally and physically to achieve your goals is what getting stronger is all about.

Happy PR Friday.

These vids are necessary. A lot of you have seen Benedikt Magnusson pull 1015 in just a built, but we my as well make it official on the site:


Some of you have been asking about conditioning. Here’s a friend of mine getting a righteous fucking AMNAP in. Be sure to progress your structures into it.


Oh, and then Bennie pulled 575 for as many reps as possible. Why? CAUSE HE FUCKING CAN


And Jesus Harold Christ, look at these assholes with a 150 lbs dumbbell (Note: second cameraman is a huge Starrett fan, so his comments are in admiration, because Kelly is the fucking man):

70’s Big Workshop Interest
If you are interested in hosting a 70’s Big Programming Workshop, then shoot me an e-mail or post it in the comments. I’ll send you the information about the lectures and lift around.

The following meet recap is by Yosh, a 70’s Big reader and mustache enthusiast. The recap gives you an idea of what to expect at a meet, a unique view of a bench/pull meet, and some info on impressive local lifters.

2011 WABDL Montana State Bench Press and Deadlift Championship

My fiancé, Alicia, and I both deadlifted at the 2011 WABDL Montana State Bench Press and Deadlift Championship this past weekend. The meet was organized by Gus Rethwisch. WABDL is an equipped federation but we both lifted raw. Most of the lifters had equipment, but it also seemed like quite a few people lifted raw. This was Alicia’s first time deadlifting at a meet and she did extremely well. She lifted 4/4 and got a PR and setting the state record of 192.7lbs in the 105lbs class.


I got a deadlift meet PR on my first attempt at 512.5lbs and couldn’t seal the deal on the lockout for my second attempt at 545.5lbs. After nearly passing out from my second attempt, I was out of gas on my third attempt and barely got the weight off of the platform before I red lighted. I’m typically more conservative in my attempts, but in my final workout leading up to the meet I pulled 540lbs and then 545lbs so I felt confident that I would pull 545.5lbs without a problem.



I signed up for the 181 weight class and the Monday before the meet I looked at the scale and it read 194lbs so I had to cut some weight. I have cut weight for most of my powerlifting competitions, so it wasn’t anything new. Alicia also had to cut about five pounds to make weight. I cut back on my complex carbs and food portions and drink a lot of water from Monday until Thursday afternoon. Then I went without food or water for about 24hrs until the weigh-ins on Friday afternoon. As I’ve never had a meet closer than a three hour drive, I have developed a water weight cutting technique where I blast the heat in my truck to sweat out the last few pounds while I travel. I made weight at 181.2lbs and then headed to Famous Dave’s for a BBQ feast. WABDL has weigh-ins 24 hours before lifting, so Alicia and I both rehydrated and refueled.

The meet was at Ruby’s Inn and Convention Center in Missoula, MT. The inn offered discounted rates and I always like when the meet is at the hotel I’m staying at. Not having to worry about finding a random school or gym in a new town is one less thing to stress about. The inn also had a full breakfast buffet which is another plus. The warm up room was small and felt crowded so that could have been improved. The rules meeting started at 8:15am Saturday morning. It was sort of funny at the rules meeting because everyone was walking into the room and there was a lady sitting at a table by the door to get admission from spectators. She totally called out Alicia saying that this meeting was for lifters only. Alicia had to tell her that she was a lifter too. Being 5’2″ and in the 105lbs weight class, she did seem to be an odd one out in the room. The meeting had the typical directions on what commands there would be and Gus Rethwisch also spent a little bit of time on a tangent talking about steroid use. He stated that there are no drug free federations but just drug tested ones and that WABDL does do drug testing and wants a level playing field. He also said that if anybody is thinking about starting to take steroids that it isn’t worth it. Gus said that he used them in the past when they were legal but didn’t feel like he had any gains from it. He stated his PRs from the 1970s that he accomplished clean with minimal equipment. Even though WABDL is equipped, I think Gus deep down likes raw lifting better.

The lifting started a little bit after 9:00am. There were three flights of bench pressers and two flights of deadlifters with about a total of 60-70 lifters. People came from the Spokane area of Washington, Idaho, and Montana to lift. There are many great lifters from this area. Some of the highlights were the bench pressers that train at Baldwin’s fitness center and the Goosetown Athletic Club to include Terry Baldwin, Don Linerud, Charlie Farmer, Dustin Hanson, and Chris Hinkey. Dustin Hanson has the world record WABDL bench press record in the 148 lbs weight class in single ply at about 445 lbs. Don Linerud has about a 606 lbs bench press in the single ply 181 lbs weight class. These guys drive up to 2-3 hours from Spokane or all over western Montana to train together. I don’t know anything about equipped lifting, but those guys are always impressive.

Other highlights include the lifters from Idaho that I see nearly every meet. Curt Tewalt is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, but on the platform his intensity is through the roof. He lifts raw and weighs in around 250-260lbs. If I can remember correctly, I think he benched 407 lbs and pulled 767 lbs at the meet (see video below). Trent Rodgers is an up and coming lifter who is only 19 or 20. He weighed in around 260 lbs and benched 374 lbs and pulled a little over 600 lbs raw as well.



Seeing some of the guys in the master’s division were also very impressive. There was a 77 year old man who benched 303 lbs raw. It kind of funny seeing him need help to get off of the bench after being able to push over 300 lbs in a t-shirt. Gus, during the award ceremony, also said that he was a decorated Korean War veteran.

All in all, it was a smooth meet. The spotters/loaders were very quick and efficient. All flights were finished lifting with a couple breaks by 1:00pm. The results were quickly tabulated and pretty much rolled right into the award ceremony. This was the fifth meet I’ve competed in and the award ceremony never happened that quickly. I’ve typically seen the meet officials looking over a computer or score cards for 20-30 minutes before the awards were ready so kudos to WABDL.