A CrossFit Gear Guide

When new athletes start training with us they often have the same questions about their training gear:
What kind of XXXX should I get?
Is XXXX better than XXYZ?
I heard that XXXX is bad and XXXX is best. Is that true?
What should I wear?!

The short answers are:
Find what works for you.
Buy, or don’t buy, anything you like.
Research and make your own decisions.
Wear anything you are comfortable working out in.
You really don’t need much.

That said, if you’ve been training with us for at least a few months, you might have a few items you want to update or take to the next level. Plus, the holidays are approaching and you might like to use this as an opportunity to update your training gear!

So here are the long answers to the most common questions on WHAT SHOULD I BUY?:

1. WHAT SHOES SHOULD I GET?

We often recommend something like Inov-8 or Reebok Nanos.

Both are great for our varied workouts but the fits are very different (Inov-8’s are narrower than Nanos) so try them out to see which fit you prefer.

I wear these Inov-8’s for running-based training, and Nano 4.0 for almost everything else.

We are not attached to brands. Any brand works. What we are looking for in shoes is that they let us feel solid and stable on the ground, don’t have a thick, spongy sole, and they fit in such a way that we don’t think about them during training.

2. WHAT ABOUT WEIGHTLIFTING SHOES?

Yes! If you are ready to take this step, we say “Do it!” Lifting shoes are beneficial during clean & jerk, snatch, some presses, overhead squat, back squat, and/or front squat.

During heavy, fast lifts they keep me feeling solid, stable, and my feet aren’t squishing and slapping around inside of my shoes.

There are several options but if you want to go all out from the start, Adidas is the most common brand, followed by Nike.

There are also some other awesome classic brands out there such as Pendlay and VS.

Try not to wear them outside (I will walk to the 100m mark in them but that’s it!) and they will last long enough to be the only pair of lifting shoes you’ll ever need.

3. CAN WE WEAR GLOVES?

If you want to wear gloves, please do! Gloves might come out during multiple rope climbs or pull-ups.

I’ve noticed a handful of folks in the gym wearing gymnastic grips similar to these or full gloves like these.

4. HOW SHOULD I TAKE CARE OF CALLOUSES?

I mostly leave them alone but if they get thick and keep a “pinched” look after a workout, I tend to them with a callous shaver.

You might find other advice on the matter. There are lots of lotions, potions, balms, and salves on the market. There are also a lot of maintenance routines. If you’re anything like me, you might buy things like these but only use them for a couple of days before forgetting you have it. So, use any moisturizer you already have, try a callous shaver once in a while, and keep any tears/rips clean and dry. Simple.

5. WHAT ABOUT WEIGHT BELTS?

For us, our weight belts tend to come out during max weight lift sessions (which don’t come up often). We don’t wear them for every lifting session but sometimes we do. (How’s that for ambivalent?)

Consider a Velcro belt like this because it will be easy to tighten or loosen between lifts. For those that like pink, this one is saved in my Amazon cart at the moment.

6. ROPE CLIMBS HURT THE SKIN ON MY LEGS!

There are a lot of you who don’t check the WOD the night before. If you are one of these people, then you might consider keeping a couple of the following items in your gym bag–in case rope climbs are in the WOD:

A. Leggings/compression pants (full length, like this). Gents, you can wear your shorts over these.
B. Longer shorts + knee socks
C. Longer shorts + compression calf sleeves (I love these!)
D. Legless rope climbs

(If you do get rope burn, keep it clean, disinfected, and dry. Very important!)

7. RING DIPS/MUSCLE UPS RUB MY ARMS THE WRONG WAY!

Consider a long sleeve compression top or compression arm sleeves. I will also occasionally wear my compression sleeves during pull-up WODs.

8. You might consider getting your own jump rope.
These are incredible, these have several customization options, and here are just a whole bunch of options.

8. ARE THERE ANY PROTEIN POWDERS YOU RECOMMEND?

We usually recommend 3 Fuel because it is clean and delicious, or the Bulletproof Upgraded Whey or Bulletproof Collagen protein powders.

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That’s it! Feel free to ask us about anything else, or share your own experiences on things you have tried and/or recommend.

And I’ll say it one last time: find what works for you. Try not to be too persuaded by what everyone else does.

If CrossFit is your sport, choose whatever makes it the most fun for you.
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Resources:
Rogue.com
Amazon.com
Zappos.com
ShopCrossFitReebok.com
Sports Basement (new location on 2727 Milvia St., Berkeley, CA): CrossFit members get a 10% discount at all locations.