You Should Buy Fractional Plates
Fractional plates are lightweight plates (typically half pound incraments between 0.5 through 2.0lbs or their kilogram equivalents) that can be added to barbells or dumbbells to allow for a greater range of weight between full plates/dumbells. Fractional plates can be very useful for beginner and experienced lifters alike.
Lifting Aids
Lifting aids like straps, wraps, and belts are useful tools for heavy lifters who are looking to maximize their muscle and strength building. They can also aid in preventing injury while training difficult and high weight lifts. When used properly, lifting aids help you train harder, longer, and more efficiently. Improper usage can cause issues, but that risk is minimal when you adhere to safe practices.
How Beginner Lifters Mess Up Their 1RM Attempts
Testing your one rep maxes (1RM) is a way to measure strength progress, but there are a lot of wrong ways to go about them. Attempting maxes too frequently or too soon, wasting your energy during a warm up, or not tapering/peaking beforehand, can all lead to 1RM that aren’t representative of your strength. It’s extremely important to take proper precautions when doing 1RM because the heavier the weight, the more likely it is it’ll cause a serious injury if something goes wrong. Remember that there are many other ways to measure strength and progress, and not meeting your goal on a 1RM is not the end of the world, nor proof that your training isn’t working.