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Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.

Squat suit

Stiff canvas or polyester suit worn for squats and deadlifts at equipped meets

A one-piece suit with shoulder straps, made of thick canvas or polyester and worn skin-tight. Sitting into a squat stretches it and the recoil helps out of the bottom; deadlifters often wear the bottoms alone for the same help off the floor. Sizing is unforgiving and pulling one on can take a second pair of hands. Equipped lifters usually train raw most of the year and bring the suit in for the weeks before a meet.

Who backs it

Sorted by strength of stance

  • Coach and IFBB pro · Harder Than Last Time

    Suit bottoms went on for squats and deadlifts around six weeks out from a meet, tightening as the date came closer. Getting the hang of the suits was the hardest part of the sport for him. His advice to anyone starting was to compete raw for a meet or two first, since a suit only takes you as far as the raw strength under it.

    Source: Critical Bench: Interview With Powerlifter Greg Doucette

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Gear entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.