We all have an eccentric lifting friend or relative whose entire personality seems to revolve around their total and their depth. If you don’t, you’re likely that person. It can be hard to find that certain someone a gift that they’ll enjoy, especially if you don’t know them very well. They likely have an identity outside of lifting, even if they’ll never openly admit it. I’m here, as a diplomat, hoping to bridge the gap between these two worlds.
Clothing:
The entire goal of lifting is to get “bigger”. For parents, this can be a harrowing flashback to your child’s early years when they could never wear the same piece of clothing for more than a couple months. Fortunately, there’s a plethora of awesome, lifting specific clothing brands that make their products lifter forward.
Lift Evil: A personal favorite brand of mine, with a cult following of long haired, stinky, angry looking lifters that’ll likely just as soon jump into a pit at a deathcore show as they are a squat rack. Lift Evil is a unique brand offering comfortable clothes targeted towards the metalhead lifters.
Depth Before Dishonor: Another awesome lifting brand, that boasts bad ass designs on their clothing. However, this shirt becomes a bit of a responsibility. To squat “high” is one of the seven deadly sins in powerlifting, and therefore wearing a brand of clothing that promises you will always hit depth will certainly take a sharp turn in the comment section if you ever miss it.
SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION: Disciples Of Steel also sells clothing. Well, I use TeeSpring to fulfill orders on clothing that I have put designs on. This is a two-way Christmas present, and will definitely get you on the nice list. If you get your beloved lifter one of my shirts, you will also be supporting me, so, you should probably just do it to cover your bases.
Equipment
Buying equipment for a lifter is a gamble, on one hand, lifters will always be grateful for a new pair of wrist wraps, knee sleeves, warmup bands or any piece of equipment. Trust me, they can never have too much. However, most lifters have spent their endless hours the gym trying out pieces of equipment to find the exact size, material, and seam type that best suits their lifting style.
Pioneer Lifting Equipment: Pioneer is a groundbreaking leathercraft company who makes, in my opinion, the best belts on the market. Their claim to fame is “half sizes” which means that instead of the traditional series of holes, they’ve staggered the belt loops so that you’re often bloated powerlifting friend can always find the perfect fit. They offer an array of options, and most importantly, they offer gift certificates so that your lifter can build their perfect belt.
SBD Apparel: SBD is the most popular lifting brand. They regularly sponsor top tier strength athletes, and even host international events in powerlifting and strongman, boasting huge cash prizes to the best lifters in those competitions. They’re also often regarded as the gold standard in strength training for this reason and carry a gold standard price tag.
Stoic Apparel: If SBD is the Galactic Empire, Stoic is the Rebel Alliance. Another widely successful lifting brand, they provide high level lifting equipment, from belts to wraps and knee sleeves at an affordable price, and even better, they’re on Amazon.
The “probably won’t get this but it’s still pretty cool” section:
Tonal: While not directly a powerlifting brand, Tonal is the cutting edge of at-home fitness. Using electro-magnetic resistance, it simulates a cable machine that you would find in a gym. The reason why I’m infatuated with this equipment is that it’s incredibly light, where most cable machines are as heavy as the weight plates in them. This product is definitely in its early stages, but after the wide success of Peloton, and the widespread lockdowns, this will probably be the “next big thing”.
Just paying their rent:
Your local barbell junkie probably spent all their savings preordering Rogue equipment so they can finally workout at home in the early 22nd century. This means that between a squat rack, barbell, and enough plates to keep your favorite lifter happy, they’re probably broke. Give them peace of mind this holiday season by patting them on the back and saying, “I got you this month, weirdo.”
Stocking Stuffers:
It is very common to see powerlifters munching on sugary treats during training sessions with the excuse that their glycolytic metabolism needs to stay up, eating a little bit of sugar to stay strong. Sour Patch offers customizable boxes of Sour Patch Kids, where you can put their name, or the name of the gym they train at on the box. This is guaranteed to get a smile.
Smelling salts are probably the most distinguishing characteristic of a strength athlete. Used before max effort attempts, or warmups, or when you’re trying to write an article about what to get your lifting friend for Christmas, these awful little things can give you the extra little boost you need to break personal records. SkullSmash, aggressively but accurately named, is my favorite.
Dark Ritual Coffee: A personal friend of mine, and avid log presser, Michael Gute makes some of the best micro-batch coffee I’ve ever had. Each of his roasts are made to order and have a unique and profound flavor profile. Reasonably priced, and shipped quickly, you cannot go wrong getting this for the lifter in your life. Trust me, they will always want more caffeine.
Hopefully I’ve shown you the ropes of your average lifter’s mind and made shopping for a gift a little easier this holiday season. Now, more than ever, it’s important to let the people in your life know that you’re thinking about them, and sometimes a well thought out gift is the perfect start.
