Like do you lift significantly more when you use them? Or are they more for stability?

A bit of both. I've used knee wraps a few times and they seemed to increase my strength. It takes a lot of strain off the joints too, which'll help you in the long run.

It's similar to using straps for deadlifts and wrist wraps for bench press.

Straps - poor grip or want to lift more weight.
Wrist wraps - decrease the strain on your wrists from heavy weight on bench press. Allows for a more controlled press

Reminds me, I should get a pair of wrist wraps today or tomorrow. Next week is my heavy week, which includes bench press. I should also get a pair of knee wraps for squats.

The belt is also good for anything that involves using your lower back and core, I'd suggest everyone to wear one if they're doing things like deadlifts, squats, bent over rows, t-bar rows, etc. Anything that'll put strain on your lower back and is heavy. I've seen a few videos with those pro bodybuilders wearing them the entire workout, or most of it.

Belts, wrist wraps, straps, knee wraps, and probably elbow wraps are probably I'd ever use for working out. Offers stability and takes pressure off important areas you don't want hurt. Everything else I wouldn't use, they take away from you actually lifting the weight.

For example, a bench press shirt. Those make your arms basically like a spring. While wearing one you can probably lift 50-100 more pounds than you can do now, but it's not really you doing the lifting.

A total of 30 sets for chest and triceps.

Just wanted to put this out there: I probably won't be able to achieve this on every workout. I go based on feel, I don't set a goal of sets to do for myself. If I'm feeling tired and sore at around 20 sets while doing back or whatever other muscle, I'll leave. I won't force myself to do more exercises. That's how you end up hurting yourself.

They say "no pain no gain", it's somewhat true, but if you're doing several exercises and aiming for high reps, then you should stop at a decent amount of sets.

Also changing my workout schedule, nothing dramatic, just moving some muscles around. I'll post it later when I'm done.

Came up with this last night:
Sunday - Rest
Monday - Chest and shoulders
Tuesday - Back and traps
Wednesday - Legs and biceps
Thursday - Chest and triceps
Friday - Back and traps
Saturday - Biceps and legs

I don't want to do back and legs on the same day because they're the biggest muscles on the body and I think they deserve their own day. Doing traps and biceps on those days won't interfere much either, those muscles aren't difficult to work and don't require a lot of sets.

I'll be doing squats on my first leg day and deadlifts on the second.

Sunday - Rest
Monday - Chest and shoulders
Tuesday - Back and traps
Wednesday - Legs and biceps
Thursday - Chest and triceps
Friday - Back and traps
Saturday - Biceps and legs

Nope, **** that. I'm aiming for intensity, so I did a good number of leg exercises for a lot of reps, once I switched over to biceps I felt like I was gonna puke.

I think that I'll keep most things down to once a week, but I want to fit in back and legs twice a week because they're so big.

I'll post a new schedule later.

Wow you seem to be doing quite a good job. Did you ever get costochondritis where your rib cage and chest wall hurt but it feels more like a heart attack? Because if you do, it's often caused by stress.

Just wanted to put this out there: I probably won't be able to achieve this on every workout. I go based on feel, I don't set a goal of sets to do for myself. If I'm feeling tired and sore at around 20 sets while doing back or whatever other muscle, I'll leave. I won't force myself to do more exercises. That's how you end up hurting yourself.

However, you should not exceed 75 to 90 minutes for your workouts. This is when cortisol levels begin to rise, leading to catabolic effects on the muscle. That's not to say that you won't build any muscle with daily two hour sessions, but you're not maximizing your gains by doing so.

Do weight belts and knee wraps actually help with your lifts? Like do you lift significantly more when you use them? Or are they more for stability?

Knee wraps compress your knees giving less mobility but they work as a spring sort of and keep everything compact.

Weight Belts support your lower back and Your abdominal. I use it with anything that has to do with barbell rows, deadlifts, squats, etc.

Wrist Wraps have ups and downs. They help with keeping the bar on your hands but they also limit your grip strength, I use them later in the sets when my forearms are dead.

However, you should not exceed 75 to 90 minutes for your workouts. This is when cortisol levels begin to rise, leading to catabolic effects on the muscle. That's not to say that you won't build any muscle with daily two hour sessions, but you're not maximizing your gains by doing so.

Honestly I don't believe in that at all. I've worked out for 2+ hours my whole life, and I've gotten amazing gains.

Ps- Squatted 320 for 5 reps saturday, my supposed "off day." Can't stay out of the gym haha. I was geared with knee wraps, a belt, and a small amount of chalk.

Pss- My weight has dropped at a steady rate, I am at 178ish Lb's without the sauna. Anyone want a progress picture for 2 weeks on a cut?

Oh and I'm sorry, double post but...

Using gear increases the weight, so you lift more then normal, my theory is... you LIFT MORE, you GAIN MORE. So by using gear to up your weight your muscle is somewhat shocked. Just a theory, what do yall' think?

Using gear increases the weight, so you lift more then normal, my theory is... you LIFT MORE, you GAIN MORE. So by using gear to up your weight your muscle is somewhat shocked. Just a theory, what do yall' think?

While your logic is sound, based on what I've been reading, I don't really think there's a need for support. People on bodybuilding.com are saying that they're only necessary in times when your lower back/core/knees can't properly support the weight you're lifting without assistance.

I'm going to try this schedule starting tomorrow:
Sunday - Rest
Monday - Chest and triceps
Tuesday - Back
Wednesday - Legs
Thursday - Shoulders and traps
Friday - Biceps
Saturday - Legs and back

Saturday will be a half and half. I'll do half of what I'd do for those muscles, so about 20-24 sets in total. That's a day where I'll focus on areas that require more attention. On Tuesday and Wednesday I'll just do most of the exercises to target all the muscles there.

I'm also going to fit in forearm exercises once or twice a week. Most likely on my back and biceps days. About 4-6 sets at the end of the workout.

Did you ever get costochondritis where your rib cage and chest wall hurt but it feels more like a heart attack?

No

However, you should not exceed 75 to 90 minutes for your workouts. This is when cortisol levels begin to rise, leading to catabolic effects on the muscle.

Kai Greene and other pro body builders have said this is bull****. If you want to get anywhere in bodybuilding you have to train long and hard. If you're eating and sleeping right, you shouldn't have a problem. You shouldn't worry about time while in the gym, you should worry about what you're going to accomplish there.

I'm also only in there for about an hour and a half. Shorter rest periods to increase the intensity.

People on bodybuilding.com are saying that they're only necessary in times when your lower back/core/knees can't properly support the weight you're lifting without assistance.

It's necessary with heavy weight so you don't end up hurting yourself in the long run.

I can get 315 up on a deadlift without the belt, but I'm not going to do that because it'll harm my lower back in the long run.

Leg pressing or squatting heavy weight without knee wraps will hurt those joints. My knees were hurting after I got done leg pressing on Saturday because I don't own knee wraps. I'm usually in the 400-600 weight range on leg press, so I'll have to get some soon if I want to go any heavier.

If you plan on doing any heavy weight make sure you have gear.

Anyway, try it for yourself. You'll see once you start getting above the 200 mark on most exercises your joints will start to hurt if you're not using gear.

Kai Greene and other pro body builders have said this is bull****. If you want to get anywhere in bodybuilding you have to train long and hard. If you're eating and sleeping right, you shouldn't have a problem. You shouldn't worry about time while in the gym, you should worry about what you're going to accomplish there.

Unfortunately, Kai Greene and other pro bodybuilders are also on steroids. (And they're not scientists either.) And I'm not using "steroids" as a hackneyed cop-out response; anabolic steroids mimic testosterone, which is, at least regarding muscle building, essentially the inverse of cortisol.

Again, that's not to say that you can't build muscle by working out for 2+ hours; it's just less effective. Besides, if you're able to work out for that amount of time, you may want to consider reevaluating the intensity of your regimen. But I'm sure this is largely based on individual physiology; I'd stay in the safe range.

Anyway, try it for yourself. You'll see once you start getting above the 200 mark on most exercises your joints will start to hurt if you're not using gear.

I'll see what happens when I get to that weight range. But I'd argue that if you're experiencing joint pain without any support, you either are lifting too heavy or have some sort of medical condition. Or you're not warming up properly.

From various users on bodybuilding.com, it seems like the consensus is to use knee wraps mainly for high weight, low rep lifts (1RMs for instance). I imagine it'd be the same for weight belts. You don't want to become reliant on them.

And they're not scientists either.

It's not to be arrogant or anything, but I'm not going to listen to some puny lab rat when my body speaks for itself.

Just like I'm not going to let some 150 pound trainer in the gym tell me how to bench press or squat. If it's working for me and I'm fine, no need to change.

But I'd argue that if you're experiencing joint pain without any support, you either are lifting too heavy or have some sort of medical condition. Or you're not warming up properly.

I can hit 225 on bench for 8-10 reps. It's considered heavy weight to a lot of people. If you do heavy bench press without any sort of gear, in the long run you'll be experiencing joint pain (elbows and wrists). It's not an immediate thing, it takes time to develop.

You see those big guys that can bench press 405+ for 10+ reps? They're almost always wearing some kind of gear. Be it wrist wraps, elbow wraps, and/or a belt. It's dumb to not workout with those, because heavy weight will have an affect later on.

And on leg press it's kinda mandatory to wear knee wraps. A lot of people with strong legs can lift heavy on that machine.

From various users on bodybuilding.com, it seems like the consensus is to use knee wraps mainly for high weight, low rep lifts (1RMs for instance).

It depends on the person. If you can do heavy weight like 315+ squat for around 10 reps, you'll want to wear knee wraps. Heavy weight like that has an affect on you after a long time of not wearing gear.

I imagine it'd be the same for weight belts.

Weight belts are for lower back and core support. Lowers the chance of getting a hernia and pulling out your back. I'd say to wear a belt for most things that involve the use of those two body parts.

It's not relying on them, just taking safety measures. Gear isn't going to dramatically increase the weight you lift, it's around 10-30 pounds for the gear mentioned. It's mostly there to protect you.

It's like a helmet for a motorcycle. Sensible people aren't going to drive a motorcycle without a helmet, because if you fall off you're going to get a major head injury. The helmet reduces the risk of that.