A lot of the questions we get at Catalyst Athletics are regarding equipment and personal gear, so I thought it would make sense to lay out all the gear we use here at the gym and what I use personally, from wraps and straps to supplements and barbells.

 

 

Knee Sleeves I typically use knee sleeves only when cleaning, squatting or jerking heavy. I don’t wear them when snatching. The support of neoprene sleeves is great when you’re squatting or jerking, but they cause me problems by deviating my fibular head, so I limit their use. Mike Gray said it best when he likened the thick blue Rheband knees sleeves to that one ex-girlfriend you know you shouldn’t call but you can’t help it. So what I do is this: for competition or when I really want to push the squat, clean or jerk, I will use the blue Rheband knee sleeves. For training days when I’m feeling beat up and need a little help but my knees feel fine, I will throw on the thinner gray Rehband sleeves that aren’t too tight. And for the majority of my training, I use some thin McDavid elastic sleeves whose purpose for me is just making the Sombra on my knees get hot (they don’t provide any support). I like this system as it keeps my knees feeling good, and I get a little boost in competition or max lifting when I add the bit of rebound that comes with the thicker Rehband sleeves.

 

Belt I use a Valeo belt with the plastic cam buckle. These things are lightweight but strong, conform well to your body, and are freely adjustable unlike a traditional buckle that has preset holes. They’re pretty cheap too, but durable—I’ve been using the same one for 5 or 6 years.

 

Straps I use homemade straps that are 1” nylon because they allow me to snatch without restricted hand and wrist movement. We will be offering straps for sale shortly modeled after these.

 

Tape & Related I almost always tape my thumbs when snatching and cleaning. I use elastic tape (2”) made by Jaybird-Mais. For non-thumb-taping needs, I use a standard athletic tape (2”) also by Jaybird-Mais. I also use Tite-Grip to keep my hands dry and/or Tuff-Skin to keep my thumb tape sticking well.

 

Liniment I have used a number of different liniments, and I’m a big fan of Sombra. The trick is that you need to be sweaty for it to really get hot (hence the thin knee sleeves mentioned above). Outside of training, I like good old Icy Hot (actually the generic version from RiteAid that smells like Wint-o-green Lifesavers) to slather on any areas that are bothering me. For cold only, Bio-freeze is good.

 

Compression Shorts I use BodyScience compression shorts when I train, and at night, I sometimes wear the BSC compression pants for a couple hours after a rough training day following a dip in the hot tub and/or ice bath. I will say that these things are made for emo butts, but it appears that all other brands are too. So I can’t train in the long pants without them being halfway down my ass each time I move, and I’ve blown out the asses of two pairs during squat workouts. The shorts have held up just fine in training, however, and these are what I wear under my singlet in competition.

 

Barbells & Weights We use Werksan barbells and plates at Catalyst Athletics. We do have a collection of other barbells, but these are specifically for squatting and other rack work.

 

Other I like inhaling noxious fumes before a big lift, and lately I have been using Nose Tork ammonia. I do suggest covering the bottle with some athletic tape, though, so any leaking won’t make the outside slick.

 

  

 

 

Most of the supplements I take are for help with sleeping, but a few aren’t. Here’s the list:

 

Energy Earth Fed Muscle Stammpede is good stuff, fairly tasty, and gets me pumped to lift well without making me feel strung out. This is especially true if I’m keeping my daily caffeine intake minimal or nothing outside of Spark.

 

Creatine I use Earth Fed Muscle Transcend. I do 5 g before training and 5 after. No loading phase, and I usually don't take it during back-off weeks.

Fish Oil I use Carlsons or similar. A few grams/day. I keep mine in the freezer for maximal oxidation protection.

 

Vitamin D I use Carlson or similar. One normal dose with breakfast depending on how much sun exposure I’ve gotten lately.

 

Natural Calm This is just a magnesium powder I mix in hot water to down all my nighttime supplements with. Just about a tablespoon or a little less.

 

Holy Basil This helps drop cortisol levels. I take 2-3 caps at bedtime and keep a couple next to my bed to take in the middle of the night if I wake up and can’t fall asleep again.

 

Protein I use Earth Fed Muscle whey and casein.

 

Glutamine I throw 10 g of powder, usually Jarrow, into my post workout shake.