10 Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Lift

10 Christmas Gift Ideas for Those Who Lift

A few more nights left until December 24… and I’d venture a guess that there still are a few gifts that need to be bought before it’s time to attack that juicy roast turkey and ’em delicious jam pastries?

This Christmas, do yourself and the lifter/meathead in your friend/family member/significant other a favor by forgoing the Calvin Klein long johns, cheap imported vodka and Mariah Carey concert tickets that typically only generate a lukewarm reaction upon unwrapping a much awaited holiday present, and opt for one (or more) of the items on this list instead.

1. Medicine Ball

Med ball

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A great tool for developing upper body explosiveness.

2. New Balance Minimus Zero v2

newbalance_minimusv2

My favorite training shoe at the moment. Squatting, cleaning, overhead pressing… everything feels right when I’ve got these beauties on.

I saw one of the athletes at Endeavor Sports Performance wearing these while I was in the US and I thought they looked dope, so I had to get them.

3. Spud Wrist Straps

Spud-Lifting-Straps

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Secure your grip for big pulls and rows with these wrist straps from Spud.

I’ve had some crappy straps snap in two even with some pretty light weights but these bad boys will withstand heavy lifting in the gym for a looong time (and if they break while lifting, Spud will send you a new pair for free).

4. Sleep Cycle App

Sleep_cycle_app

The single biggest change I made that improved my recovery in 2014 was getting this app on my phone.

The Sleep Cycle app tracks your sleep quality and wakes you up in your lightest sleep phase, resulting in you waking up refreshed and ready to take on the world in the morning.

After I started using this program, I’m logging a solid 8-9 hours of sleep each night and feel fucking fantastic.

5. Gymnastic Rings

Jordan Jovtchev_rings

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I’m a huge fan of advanced bodyweight movements for strength and size gains.

To build all-around athleticism, you’ve got to incorporate some gymnastic rings training alongside the big barbell lifts into your strength training program.

You don’t need to get expensive gymnastic rings used by gymnasts in official competitions but make sure that the rings you buy are made of wood. I’ve tried metal and plastic ones in the past but they’re either heavier or don’t provide as sturdy a grip as the wooden rings do.

6. Log Bar

Log

Strongman competitors are some of the strongest, best conditioned athletes on the planet.

Rip a page from their playbook and grab a log bar, then proceed to clean and press it for 8-20 reps just for kicks. You’ll be sucking wind long after. Plus pressing a log overhead looks damn manly.

7. Hampton International Bar Pad

Hampton_bar_pad

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Not a very versatile tool in the weight room but gets the job done extremely well for one purpose – no more excruciating pain when the barbell brushes against the lower abs/pubic region when performing heavy barbell hip thrusts.

8. Under Armour Boxers

Underarmour_boxers

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Extremely comfortable boxerjocks for sports and leisure.

9. Jump Rope

Jump_rope

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The simplest conditioning tool out there. Boxers and fighters have been using jumping rope for decades for a good reason – it’s cheap, fun and works like gangbusters.

10. Sled

prowler-push

If you truly want the gift receiver to praise your gift choosing abilities upon unwrapping the present, then curse your name after being soaked in sweat when training with said training implement, give them a sled.

No other training tool can generate a similar love/hate relationship than pushing, pulling and dragging a heavy sled will. And the determined lifter battling a sled all winter long will thank you profusely come summer time when tons of body fat has been shed while sporting jacked legs and possessing unparalleled conditioning for flag football.

If you enjoyed this article, please do a brother a favor by liking, commenting and sharing it with others who might dig it as well.

Thanks!

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Yunus Barisik
 

Yunus Barisik, CSCS, specializes in making hockey players strong, fast and explosive. He has trained 500+ hockey players at the junior, college and pro levels, including NHL Draft picks and World Champions. An accomplished author, Yunus has had articles published on top fitness and performance sites, including T Nation, STACK and Muscle & Strength. He also wrote Next Level Hockey Training, a comprehensive resource for ice hockey players on building athletic strength, size and power, while staying injury-free.

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