Weightlifting Equipment List
Weightlifting is something that people of all levels of experience can do to improve their strength and fitness. Depending what a person’s fitness goals are will determine what equipment that person uses. Different equipment is used for different body parts and muscles, and many pieces of equipment target the same muscles. Below is a comprehensive list of equipment and their uses for weightlifting.
Weightlifting Equipment List
Bar Clamps
One of the things that you should always remember to use when weightlifting is bar clamps. Some more experienced weightlifters may not use bar clamps since they have developed good balance. However, especially for someone new to lifting weights bar clamps are key to preventing injury to yourself and others around you. Bar clamps prevent the weights from slipping off the barbell during exercises such as squat, bench press, and deadlift. Typical bar clamps cost around $12.
Cable Machine
A cable machine is a larger piece of equipment that you will see in many gyms. The cable machine has many different functions that can target different muscle groups along with the ability to use different types of handles. It is used for a exercises including: lunges, squats, bicep curls, side planks, cable rows, and more. A cable machine that you would typically see in a gym can be a couple thousand dollars, but cheaper ones for just lat pulldowns are a couple hundred bucks.
Dumbbells
Dumbells are one of the most important pieces of equipment in a gym. They have many different uses that can target different muscle groups. They also come in a variety of different weights, which allows you to train different body parts based on strength. If you do get a set of dumbbells, it is a good idea to get a dumbbell rack, as the weights will be more easily stored and allow you to keep them more organized by weight. A dumbbell set and rack of six weights goes for almost $400, but prices can vary depending on how many dumbbells in a rack’s set and size.
Gym Chalk
For many people who do weightlifting with heavy weights, a common thing to use is chalk. Powdered chalk is used to help increase grip strength and prevent your skin from tearing up when lifting heavy weights. Climbers also use chalk a lot for those same reasons, and you often see climbers with a chalk bag attached to their waist. Depending on quantity, gym chalk is not too expensive. On Rouge their prices range from $10 for a small bag to $60 for a big bag of gym chalk.
Kettlebells
Kettlebells are another good piece of workout equipment that can be used for exercises such as goblet squats and swings. Kettlebells can range in weight, which allows people of all strength levels to use them. They also are a smaller piece of equipment which makes it easier to store and use within your own house. A kettlebell can cost from $30-80, depending on the weight of the kettlebell.
Medicine Ball
Medicine balls can be used to work out many different muscle groups. You can do squats, ball planks, overhead presses, slams, and more. Additionally, medicine balls come in many different weights, which allows for people of different levels of strength to choose which weight of ball they use. Medicine balls typically go for $30-50.
Olympic barbell
Olympic sized barbells are roughly 44-45 pounds and 7 feet long. These barbells accompany the three of the most important weightlifting exercises; the squat, deadlift, and bench press. Olympic barbells are also used for other exercises like military presses and clean and jerks. Olympic barbells cost around a couple hundred dollars
Power Rack
A power rack will be in almost every gym that you go to. It is essential because it is used to perform three exercises: the bench press, deadlifts, and squats. These are three of the most important weightlifting exercises, because they target so many different muscle groups at once. It is one of the largest pieces of equipment you will see in a gym, weighing a few hundred pounds and standing at over 7 feet tall. A power rack costs about $200, however; if you want a weight bench or lat pulldown attachments, it will be a couple hundred dollars more.
Resistance Bands
For many weightlifters, stretching is important. Proper stretching before and after lifting heavy weights helps prevent injury. One such method for stretching is the use of resistance bands, which uses your natural body weight to stretch out different parts of your body. They are a great way to improve flexibility and warm up before lifting. Resistance bands cost anywhere from $10-20.
Weight Bench
Weight benches are another piece of equipment that, like the olympic barbell, is used in conjunction with lots of other equipment on this list to perform a variety of exercises. The weight bench is an adjustable bench which you use for exercises like the bench press, which you would have it flat for, and incline dumbbell presses where the bench is upright. A weight bench is a vital piece of equipment to have especially in a home gym. Weight benches themselves typically sell for a couple hundred dollars.
Weightlifting Belt
If you are serious about training with heavy weights, a weightlifting belt is a piece of equipment you may want to buy. Weightlifting belts help prevent hyperextending your back during heavy lifts, by keeping your spine straight. It is especially helpful during deadlifts, where it is easy to hurt your back with incorrect technique. It is commonly used in powerlifting competitions by the competitors. Typical weightlifting belts go for around $50-100.
Weightlifting Shoes
Weightlifting shoes give you more support and mobility in weightlifting. One key part of the weightlifting shoe is that it has an elevated heel of an inch, which gives the ability to have deeper squats. Additionally, there is increased ankle mobility through the elevated heel. This also helps prevent injury with the increased mobility that the elevated heel gives you. Especially when lifting heavy weights, weightlifting shoes will help you lift more safely. A typical pair of weightlifting shoes is roughly $100.
Wrist Wrap
Another piece of equipment that is used to help prevent injury is a wrist wrap. Wrist wraps help to prevent injury to the wrists on heavy lifts. It also helps to maintain better technique during your lifts. Wrist wraps are typically used in competition settings with heavy weights being lifted. A typical wrist wrap goes for about $25.