Hey guys, I’ve been lifting for a few years now, I have a pathetic bench, but my squat and deadlift are decent. I’ve got an itch to give equipped lifting a go around now. Any suggestions for a complete Noob to gear? Should I start with single ply and do that for a while? I still want to increase my raw total and I’m kinda thinking that raw and single ply can work together easier then going full bore into multiply. Any help is appreciated!
My suggestion is to find a group of lifters who lift in equipment to help you out. Learning to use gear properly can be very difficult. There is a very, very small margin of error (compared to unequipped) and technique is extremely important. Things can go wrong very quickly.
Secondly, many times experienced lifters will have spare / “hand-me-down” equipment that you can use. This will give you an idea what you’ll want when it comes time to buy your own. Each brand and model equipment is slightly different, and the best equipment for you will depend on your strengths, leverages and tolerances for discomfort.
The difference between single-ply & multiply isn’t as big as it once was. You shouldn’t be afraid of going full multiply. But alas, I personally would find a group to train with and go from there. If they happen to be single-ply lifters then you would probably be best suited to hop in with them.
Do you have access to a monolift? That’s a requirement for multiply squats.