Essential gym equipment

Fitness is a very common thing nowadays. Fitness is very helpful to all aspects of the human body, and fitness is also very helpful to regulate all aspects of the human body, so that the human body will not have other problems. However, when exercising, you should also pay attention to choosing the correct method. For some early users, you can't force yourself when exercising. So what are the necessary sports equipment in the gym?

Many people are not very clear about the necessary sports equipment for the gym, so when preparing, they don’t know what to prepare. When going to the gym, the preparation of some equipment is relatively simple.

Essential gym equipment:

Weight-bearing belt: effectively protect the lumbar spine

A weight-bearing belt can not only increase your strength, but also provide you with the necessary protection to prevent sports injuries, especially to the lumbar spine. There is evidence that belts also help develop core strength rather than hinder it. One study found that participants' abdominal muscle activity increased by 10% when wearing a belt during the deadlift, while another study documented a 23% increase in erector spinae activity during the squat.

When to use: Use it only when you are training with heavy weights. This is especially true with exercises that place weight directly on the spine, such as squats, bench presses, and bent-over rows.

Knee pads: protect joints and help complete squats

Why does every Romanian wear knee braces? It's because these elastic bandages provide support to your knee joints when doing squats. In addition, the elasticity of the knee pads will allow you to squat heavier weights.

When to use: Like a weight belt, knee pads are for when you are doing heavy weight training. Because they provide you with elastic energy when you squat to the bottom. Knee braces can actually reduce the involvement of the gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, and lateral quadriceps (vastus lateralis), muscles that are typically activated during the bottom portion of the movement. While knee braces allow you to squat heavier than normal, they can help increase the activation of leg muscles such as the vastus medialis and rectus femoris during the upper range of motion.

Note: Do not wrap your knees too tightly, as the excessive pressure may cause damage to the knee joints. You should look for knee pads that are thick and long.

Weighted Grip Bands: Increase Muscle Activation

Because wrist straps can help you increase your grip strength and complete more repetitions, while weighted grip straps can free your hands from the equipment. It allows you to focus more on the muscles being trained. Studies have found that using a grip band during high pull-down and seated cable row exercises can increase the activity of the latissimus dorsi by 50% and 90% respectively compared to a normal grip. However, muscle activity in the forearm was reduced by more than 70%.

When to use: When you do at least 3 to 4 sets of training for each movement, it is recommended to use grip bands in 1 to 2 sets, or use them in alternate back training. However, you should not only use it for your back training. Free grip bands can also be used for triceps, biceps and shoulder training.

Weight-bearing assistance belt: increase the number of back exercises

At the 2008 National Strength and Conditioning Association's annual meeting, it was announced that bodybuilders who used belts during back training were able to do an average of 1 to 2 more repetitions per set.

When to Use It: Use the band only during the last few sets of pulling movements (such as most back and trap exercises) when your grip begins to fatigue and become a limiting factor. However, new evidence suggests that you should consider using a strap during every set of your pulling exercise. If you're worried about this affecting your grip strength, you can definitely train your grip strength separately.

The above is a detailed introduction to the essential sports equipment in the gym. When going to the gym, you must prepare these equipment so that you will not harm your health when exercising. In this regard, you must understand it when exercising so that you can do it with confidence.