DUMBELLS

78.DUMBELLS Dumbells are the baby brothers of barbells. Instead of holding one long bar in two hands, you hold a shorter one in each hand. Dumbells range in size from one pound up to over 150 pounds. You will use dumbells on such exercises as biceps curls, flyes, presses, and side raises

BARBELLS

77.BARBELLS It's probably safe to say that no weightlifting machine will ever replace the good old-fashioned barbell. Barbells come in an assortment of sizes and shapes. Olympic bars are the largest at seven feet long and 45 pounds. Youll use these on such exercises as bench presses, squats, deadlifts, and barbell rows. Shorter bars are more convenient for various biceps and triceps exercises. Finally, EZ-curl bars have a series of s-shaped curves that allow a more natural grip. Many people find straight bars hard on the wrist and elbow joints and opt for the curved EZ-curl bar. You should try to use all types of barbells in your training program.

CHALK

76. CHALK The body's primary cooling mechanism is to release water to the skin surface in the form of sweat. While sweat does wonders for cooling the body, it plays havoc with gripping sports. The next time you watch a gymnastics competition take a close look at the hands of the athletes. They are virtually white with chalk. Weightlifting is like gymnastics in that a firm grip is an absolute must on all the exercises. Chalk is cheap ($2 to S3 for a six-inch block) and makes an excellent training aid for drying sweat and giving you a better grip. Just check with your gym's policy on chalk before buying. Some gyms don't allow chalk as it messes the floor.

HEADBANDS

75. HEADBANDS Also called sweatbands, headbands are another simple piece of equipment that will make a big difference to your workouts. Nothing is as irritating as getting sweat in your eyes. The problem is compounded if you are wearing contacts. Even those who train in an air-conditioned gym are not immune to having beads of sweat rolling down their forehead. For a few dollars (or mere pennies if you want to make your own) invest in a headband to soak up the moisture before it starts giving you a severe case of redeye.

HEAD STRAPS

74. HEAD STRAPS This is nothing more th.in a special harness that fits over the head, allowing you to attach a weight to the other end. By moving the head in various directions (forward and back, side to side) you can strengthen the neck muscles. Be careful, as the neck muscles are very easy to strain. You'll probably get enough indirect neck stimulation from the other exercises you'll be performing, such as upright rows, shrugs, etc., but if you participate in sports where a strong neck is vital (judo, wrestling, football), you may want to consider direct neck training.

HI TECH VS LOW TECH STRAPS

73- HI-TECH VS LOW-TECH STRAPS
You can purchase a set of fancy wrist straps for S15 or $20, or you can make your own for mere pennies. If you decide to make your own, use a strong piece of material. Martial arts belts, car seat belts and woven nylon are three dependable choices for making wrist straps. There are two styles of wrist straps. Some are straight at both ends. Others have a loop at one end that you feed the other end through. Neither style is better than the other. It comes down to personal preference.

WRIST PROTECTION

72- WRIST PROTECTION If you decide to use straps, a word of caution. Many bodybuilders place the straps directly over the bony extrusion located between the lower forearm and hand. This bump is really the meeting place for the ends of the radius and ulna (two bones that make up the forearm). These small bones were not designed to have hundreds of pounds placed on them, and this is the weight you'll be using down the road on exercises such as shrugs. The solution is to place the wrist straps above this area. If the straps cover any part of the wrist or hand, they are too low.

STRAPS

71-STRAPS
Straps are short (one and a half to two feet) pieces of woven cloth that you wrap around a barbel!, handle on a machine, or horizontal bar to give you a better grip. You'll quickly discover that on such exercises as deadlifts, shrugs, rows, chins and pulldowns, your forearm grip will be the weakest link. Straps allow you to handle more weight in these exercises. As with weight belts, don't get too dependent on straps. It's better to allow the forearms to strengthen than assisting them all the time with straps.

BENCH PRESS SHIRTS

70.BENCH PRESS SHIRTS If you decide to test your ego on the bench press, you might want to invest in a bench press shirt. These specially made shirts are usually made of polyester and about two or three sizes too smalll By compressing the arms, shoulders, and chest muscles, the upper body is put into a better leverage situation, enabling you to lift more. Some powertifters will add 50 to 100 pounds to their bench press with the aid of a bench shirt.

BELTS

69. BELTS The most popular piece of weightlifting equipment is the lifting belt. However, wearing a belt at all times never allows the lower back muscles to strengthen. We suggest that you use one only if you really need it. Our advice is to only wear a belt for lower back protection on such exercises as squats, deadlifts, barbell rows and overhead standing presses, and only when using heavy weight.

WRAPS

68. WRAPS No matter how diligent you are with proper technique, your joints wilt be subjected to a tremendous amount of stress. The soft tissues at the Joints will occasionally start letting you know that maybe you should take some sort of preventive measure. Many bodybuilders find that by wrapping the common trouble areas such as the knees, wrists, and elbows, they can reduce the chances of injury to the joint. Wraps come in many shapes and sizes. Some are elastic in nature and have a preset tension. Others are nothing more than simple first aid elastic bandages that allow you to adjust the tension. While we dont recommend wrapping yourself up like an Egyptian mummy, you may want to experiment with wraps on such exercises as squats,deadlifts, and bench presses.

GLOVES

66. GLOVES Unless you are used to manual labor, you'll notice after your first few training sessions that your hands will develop blisters. The way to prevent this is to wear gloves. You can use gloves specifically made for weightlifting or you can substitute golf gloves. Keep in mind that once you start wearing gloves you are committed to them. Your hands will never get a chance to toughen up and callous over. Forget your gloves just once and it's back to the blisters. Unless you need soft hands for your job or hobby (i.e. musician or surgeon), our advice is to give the gloves a pass.