Top 10 Gifts for the Rookie Lifter: Everyone is a Beginner Once
Anybody can be a rookie in the gym. You may be 15 and wanting to improve at the physical side of your sport, or 55 and thinking it’s time you got silverback-huge to intimidate your daughter’s potential boyfriend. Regardless of age, your lifting experience could be zero. If so, you’ll be pleased to hear that with a bit of information and the right approach, your time as a novice in the gym can be extremely productive. Below are some suggestions to help you get started:
1. Starting Strength
Regardless of your aims or sport, solid technique in the big lifts is fundamental. This book covers that in superb depth and will be useful for years to come. I had to pay quite a bit more than the elitefts™ price to get this in England, and still regard it as a bargain. I believe the third edition arrived recently.
$29.99
Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Exercises, 2nd Edition
The best book on strength training just got better.
B-SSTRENGTH2
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2. 5/3/1
The vast amount of programs and training information can understandably seem confusing to a new lifter, but Jim Wendler’s ebook will point you unfailingly in the right direction. There is a reason you see 5/3/1 recommended so often. The key points outlined within – the right attitude, hard but smart training and gradual progress – will serve you well throughout your lifting life.
$19.99
531: The Simplest and Most Effective Training System for Raw Strength (E-book)
The book that will make you strong.
Jim Wendler EBOOK-WENDLER-531
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3. Whey Protein
While you don’t need a long list of supplements, some whey is useful if you’ve got a little spare cash. Buying it from a reputable site also means you won’t be acquiring a ton of some suspiciously discounted powder from a local health store and can thus avoid farts that would lay waste to a crowded elevator.
$34.00
Biotest Low Carb Metabolic Drive 2lbs
Contains micellar casein and whey isolate and just enough flavoring to make it heavenly.
Biotest S-BIO-LCMETDRIVE
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4. Foam Roller
Proper recovery is just as important as time spent in the gym, and this is an inexpensive but hugely useful piece. It’ll work out knots and muscle tightness and can help improve flexibility and mobility, which are crucial for correct technique and injury prevention. Particularly good for hitting your upper back, IT band and groin.
$19.95
EFS Foam Roller 36×6
Work out the kinks with our tough roller.
A-EFSFOAMROLLER-366
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5. Kettlebells
One of these doesn’t take up a lot of space, lasts forever, and is a useful tool for conditioning. It’s extra helpful for beginners because a kettlebell can help groove basic movement patterns – such as squatting and hinging – through goblet squats and swings. It also makes for a handy doorstop.
$57.99
York 40 lb Kettlebell
York 40 lb Kettlebell
York DSYB-15140
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6. Bands
Depending on your level of strength, you may find average bands helpful while you work up to doing full pull-ups. Alternatively, mini bands can be used for flexibility exercises, upper back work like pull-a-parts, and (if required) to help you learn to “push your knees out” during a squat.
$149.95
EFS Pro Band Pack
(2)Strong, (2)Average, (2)Light, & (2)Mini Bands
EFS Pro Bands PD-BANDPAC
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7. Economy Belt
You don’t have to wear a belt, but if you feel you’d benefit from one as you get stronger, don’t settle for something substandard. Like several other things listed here, this belt will serve you long after you move beyond rookie status.
$69.95
EFS Economy Belt Single Prong
As good as it gets – 13 mm thick.
Custom made for EFS EFS Economy Belt Sin
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8. Chalk
Cheap, but invaluable for safety and confidence when lifting. Whether you’re going for a deadlift PR, or benching without a spotter because everyone in your gym is busy balancing on bosu balls, this will make a difference. However, void doing a LeBron James-style handclap to psyche yourself up.
$14.95
Gym Chalk
8 blocks per pack
A-CHALK
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9. Ab Wheel
Some beginners underestimate the importance of “core training” and I was one of them. Don’t make this mistake. A strong midsection is absolutely vital as you begin to put more plates on the bar. The ab wheel is another cheap purchase, but will enable you to get in some valuable work when you’re not at the gym.
$59.95
Pro Ab Wheel
Built like a Monster Truck
Custom made for EFS DSWS-ACC-AW
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10. Multi-Purpose Sled
Can’t spring for a Prowler just yet? Not a problem. Get some conditioning in with this versatile piece of hardware. Load it up with plates, bags of cement, your largest friend, whatever. Just push and pull regularly and watch yourself improve.
$185.40
Dragging Sled
This is one of our best sellers. Includes (1) sled strap.
Custom made for EFS PD-DSLED
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If you’ve never spent time in the weight room before, then right now is a great time to start. Not only can you request some of these items as Christmas gifts, but all that holiday food will assist your recovery and pursuit of bigger lifts! The stuff above is included because it’s simple, effective, and will continue to be useful in the long term. If you take the time to start properly, you can look forward to years of rewarding lifting.
Have a great Christmas and an even better New Year!
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Martin Flynn is 22 years old and lives in Leeds, England. He is working hard to become better at writing and lifting, and has just achieved his first qualification in the fitness industry. Having committed multiple rookie gym errors himself, he would like to help others avoid the same mistakes. He can be contacted at m.davidflynn@gmail.com. 
I wouldn’t recommend 531 for the beginner, it’s more for intermediate to advanced lifters. There’s not enough volume for the beginner. The 531 whole body maybe ok, but Starting Strength is best for the rookie.
Pepe, I agree that starting strength is a great choice for a rookie lifter, and you may be referring to the frequent squatting which is central to that programme? Personally I’d say the 5/3/1 template also allows for plenty of volume if desired (to what level might be specific to a person’s sport/goals).
Regardless of the potential for volume with assistance work as chosen by the lifter, the ‘Boring But Big’ protocol in the book seems like a good option to me for somebody who wants to add some volume.
(I also think the mindset for training outlined in 5/3/1 could be helpful and clarifying for a lot of beginners)
Thanks for commenting!
@pepe – He’s already included Starting Strength. The 5/3/1 book isn’t just about the program, lots of other insightful info in there too.
The new version (3rd edition) of Starting Strength is now out.
I disagree. And far more importantly, so does Jim Wendler himself. The only prerequisite for using 5/3/1 is the ability to calculate 90% of your 1RM to use as your Training Max. If you can do that, and follow relatively simply instructions, you can use 5/3/1 as a Noob lifter.
As for lack of volume, I’ve got three words for you – Boring But Big.
It’s been almost one year since I began powerlifting. I’ve been using 5/3/1 since the beginning, and the gains are coming at a steady rate. Volume isn’t a problem at all. I get plenty of volume from Boring But Big and assistance work. Once a new lifter learns proper form, 5/3/1 is the perfect program to start with.
5/3/1 is fine for a beginner. There isn’t anything intermediate or advanced about it. Pick things and put ‘em down. As for Starting Strength, frankly, you can go to elitefts’s youtube or associated sites to learn lifts. They made the vids for a reason. It’s the internet age, people. A little Google research never hurt anyone.
I knew my volume comment wasn’t going to go over well. First off let me say I love 531, I’ve been doing it for almost two years now.
I’m referring to volume of strength training, BBB and assistance work is a lot of volume, but it’s for hypertrophy. Jim has you doing a strength workout(531) for SQ, DL, bench and military once a week(if you do the four day). SS has you doing SQ and pressing on the same day, three days a week and alternating DL and cleans. If you’re using poundages that an intermediate or advanced lifter would use, you would have a tough time recovering, especially over time. This is why I say 531 isn’t for the beginner, sure a noob could use it with good success, but SS would show faster gains until he started plateauing.