Gym Equipment

[Squat1]

What equipment do you feel is necessary for the average lifter who just wants to be strong but is uninterested in competition?

According to the website below only shoes are necessary
http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/Equipment

PS: I have not read SS or any of rip's books

[KAG]

Are you asking what equipment should you personally own to take to a gym? Or do you want to know what you should own to make your own home gym?

Equipment that I take to a gym when traveling:
*shoes
*knee sleeves(personal opinion, they help me warm up)
*chalk(as Rip and many others say, if they don't allow it, find a new gym)

That's it really.

And that article did a good job of listing what is needed for a home gym.

[Shaun]

Chalk is probably the most important. Shoes help (whether they be actual lifting shoes or just a pair of chucks that you like for lifting), too. A belt also but that tends to be quite a lot to carry about.

[frosty-g]

PS: I have not read SS or any of rip's books

a copy of the book "starting strength" might be a decent start as part of your necessary equipment

[MikeC1]

If you haven't read starting strength, then that is definitely the most necessary thing. After that is a good pair of lifting shoes. Belt would come next, but that is only necessary for squats, you don't really need it for anything else. Microweights and straps are necessary. Chalk you can probably do without, especially if you have straps, unless you have very sweaty hands, in which case it would become more necessary.

And you need to have access to a good barbell and plates, and a rack with adjustable hooks and pins, and you need a flat bench.

[Squat1]

I am sold for the need of SS,shoes and microweights as personal equipment.
With belts I heard these improve performance as stated in Gary Gibson's article, however I have read they can make injuries more severe and may be unnecessary.
With straps do these allow to lift more weight which enables better progress through lifting heavier weights.
Are knee sleeves beneficial?

Thank you for the assistance

[PaulBeech]

On a related note where sells microloading plates cheap?

[Squat1]

I got mine from a second-hand store which fitted onto a 10kg barbell (non-olympic). There are sites on the internet.
Small plates are cheap as plates are sold according to weight I believe.

[JT in MD]

On a related note where sells microloading plates cheap?

Find a Fastenal or similar store. Find the big washers with 2" hole - they weigh right around .625 lbs each... makes for easy microloading. Only cost a couple of bucks, too.

[Dastardly]

If you haven't read starting strength, then that is definitely the most necessary thing. After that is a good pair of lifting shoes. Belt would come next, but that is only necessary for squats, you don't really need it for anything else. Microweights and straps are necessary. Chalk you can probably do without, especially if you have straps, unless you have very sweaty hands, in which case it would become more necessary.

And you need to have access to a good barbell and plates, and a rack with adjustable hooks and pins, and you need a flat bench.

You are making a lot of sweeping generalisations here arent you? Ones that seem pretty wrong in most cases too.

EVERYONE can get great benefit from pressing with a belt on. Most people would find belts useful for deadlifting/rack pulls, benching, and even stuff like curls if they are heavy enough.

When someone is very proficient at WL, they usually get benefit from using a belt for heavy clean & jerks.

The chalk thing is just ridiculous, how can you possibly say straps are more useful than chalk?