EDITORS NOTE: We know how hard it is to gift shop, so we thought we would help you out with ideas. Powerlifting and strength coach Chet Morjaria suggests ten gift options that any lifter would be pleased with.
Chet’s Powerlifting Holiday Wish List
What do you give the lifter who has everything? Something from this list, of course! Whether you are after a stocking stuffer or a big surprise, you will find plenty of thoughtful options for your favorite strength athlete within these ten suggestions.
1. Nose Tork Smelling Salts – $6.00
Ever feel like you just need to clear your head before an important lift? Or that you just need to be a little bit sharper or more aggressive? Try taking a whiff of these next time you are going for that big lift in competition. You won’t quite know what has hit you – but you will feel ready to lift big!
2. Mini Deadlift Jack – $65.00
There comes a point when it becomes more of a workout to take the plates on and off than it does to do the actual lifts. This simple but very useful contraption almost makes plate loading fun. Save your energy (and your back) for the things that matter – the lifts themselves.
3. Rogue Butcher Prowler – $265.00
Conditioning for powerlifting is where you just lift heavy weights faster right? True, but if you don’t believe in conditioning, consider this: the better your work capacity is, the better quality of training you will be able to maintain as your day, week, and program goes on. The prowler is a incredible way to improve your heavy conditioning in a way that is simple, effective, and fun. Okay, I lied about the fun part. This prowler was, in fact, designed in conjunction with Westside Barbell.
4. Basic Physics Book -$19.95
Speaking of Westside, the concepts in this book are where it all comes from. Take yourself back to basics, the real basics. How does kinetic energy contribute to lifting and sports and how do you increase it? Once you have this stuff figured out, everything else makes a lot more sense.
5. Zulu Glove Dominator Powerlifting Belt – $89.00
For big and sturdy lifts, you need a big and sturdy belt. I swear by my Zulu Glove belt. These guys make well manufactured, well thought out belts. The Dominator belt boasts some innovative, yet simple features. The oversized grab handle helps to get the belt as tight as you need it, and the quick release single prong buckle is exactly what you need to rip that belt off immediately after a taxing lift. This belt is IPF compliant, too.
6. Voodoo Floss Bands – $24.00/pair
As the first part of the name suggests, this stuff can feel pretty magical on beaten up knees and elbows. And as the second part of the name suggests, it goes places no other mobility tool can go. I have known Voodoo Floss bands to help improve both feel and range of movement where nothing else seemingly does. Well worth having in your kit bag. Floss every day!
7. Carlson’s Very Finest Fish Oil – $48.50/500ml
Powerlifting is one hell of a taxing sport, and fish oil should be top of your supplement lists to keep your body ticking over. This fish oil is very high spec and tastes of lemon, not fish. The list of benefits are mind-blowing. I think Lift Big Eat Big says it best: “If you can’t fix it with squats and fish oil, you’re probably going to die.”
8. Titan Max RPM Wrist Wraps – $17.25
Give yourself confidence and support for those heavy bench presses – invest in a pair of these. Go for a pair like this one that is IPF-approved so you can use them in competition.
9. EliteFTS Yoke Bar – $445.00
If you are going to get one speciality bar, make it this one. Otherwise known as a safety squat bar, EliteFTS calls this the Yoke Bar, and it includes handles for even more versatility and stability. If you’ve used one, you’ll know how brutally effective it is. If you haven’t, then know that training squats with this bar will do wonders for your upper and lower back strength, along with glute and hamstring strength out of the hole. Plus, it’s a great option if you have a wrist or shoulder injury.
10. Powerlifting Gym Membership – Price Varies
Training with people with the same goals as you, some of whom are stronger than you, and some of whom are more experienced in the sport than you, will make an incredible difference to your training. If you are not a member of a powerlifting gym already, or at least a gym with a good powerlifting coach, then take the plunge and surround yourself with strength and excellence.
