page_title: Weight training
section_title: Equipment
hierarchical_section_title: Weight training / Equipment
context_page_description: Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It utilizes the force of gravity in the form of weighted bars, dumbbells or weight stacks in order to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction. Weight training uses a variety of specialized equipment to target specific muscle groups and types of movement.
  Sports for which strength training is central are bodybuilding, weightlifting, powerlifting, strongman, highland games, hammer throw, shot put, discus throw, and javelin throw. Many other sports use strength training as part of their training regimen, notably: American football, baseball, basketball, canoeing, cricket, football, hockey, lacrosse, mixed martial arts, rowing, rugby league, rugby union, track and field, boxing and wrestling.
context_section_description: Weight training usually requires different types of equipment, most commonly kettle bells, dumbbells, barbells, weight plates, and weight machines. Various combinations of specific exercises, machines, dumbbells, and barbells allow trainees to exercise body parts in numerous ways.
  Other types of equipment include:
  Lifting straps, which allow more weight to be lifted by transferring the load to the wrists and avoiding limitations in forearm muscles and grip strength.
  Weightlifting belts, which are meant to brace the core through intra-abdominal pressure (and not directly assist the lower back muscles as commonly believed). Controversy exists regarding the safety of these devices and their proper use is often misunderstood. Powerlifting belts, which are thick and have the same width all around, are designed for maximum efficiency but can be uncomfortable, especially for athletes with a narrow waist, as they exert pressure on the ribs and hips during the lifts. Some rare models which are wide on the back and the front but narrower on the sides present a good compromise between comfort and efficiency.
  Weighted clothing, bags of sand, lead shot, or other materials that are strapped to wrists, ankles, torso or other body parts to increase the amount of work required by muscles
  Gloves can improve grip, prevent the formation of calluses on the hands, relieve pressure on the wrists, and provide support.
  Chalk (MgCO₃), which dries out sweaty hands, improving grip.
  Wrist and knee wraps.
  Shoes, which have a flat, rigid sole to provide a sturdy base of support, and may feature a raised heel of varying height (usually 0.5" or 0.75") to accommodate a lifter's biomechanics for more efficient squats, deadlifts, overhead presses, and Olympic lifts.
caption: Lifting belt
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