, will therefore find more potential trainees than if the commercial gym route
was the only option.. For family people, a home gym keeps you at home for your training, elimi-
nates travelling time, and gives you more time for family matters. While you
need to avoid being disturbed while you train, other than for emergencies,
your family will probably appreciate having you home more of the time.Support gear
. Regardless of where you train, the use of support gear is a possibility. If used
it can easily become a crutch that is difficult to rid yourself of.. You may be able to add about pounds to the total of your best squat and
bench press singles, but without building any strength or adding any muscle.
Just become an expert with the use of a squat suit, knee wraps, a thick belt,
and a bench shirt. is serves no function other than removing an advantage
your competitors would have should you be lifting in powerlifting contests.
As they prepare for a contest, powerlifters must use all the support gear that
is legal. At other times, though, and for all non-competitive powerlifters,
train without support gear other than perhaps a belt.. A belt can help to prevent injuries to the lower back, especially if you have
previously had problems there. But it cannot help you much unless it is very
tight. A tight belt is uncomfortable, so cannot be used for high-rep work.
Strong torso musculature, especially midsection, is your own natural belt.
Be sure to train your midsection seriously and progressively.. A belt, if used, should not be on for every exercise or every set. It should
not be worn as part of a trainee’s “uniform.” Use it selectively—for low-rep
squats and deadlifts, and overhead presses—or not at all. Otherwise, you
will become dependent on it to generate the necessary intra-abdominal
pressure you need to protect your spinal column during heavy lifting; and
without that armor you will be a shadow of your usual self.. If you are used to wearing a belt for all your heaviest lifting, do not lift heav-
ily without it. Start a new cycle with reduced poundages, and no belt, and
build back your poundages over time. en you can safely condition your
belt-free body to lift increasingly heavier weights. Eventually, and belt-free,
you can return to your belt-assisted poundages, but you will need a few
months to do it.