It’s that time of year! Are you looking for the best gifts for a powerlifter? Maybe your best friend or significant other is a powerlifter, and you’re looking for the perfect gift. Some of these are affiliate links to products I use and love.
Gifts for Powerlifters: 2024 Gift Guide
Below is a list of great gifts for powerlifters for a variety of price ranges. While this is mostly for powerlifters, I have to throw in a couple weight training and strongman suggestions too. These are pretty specific to powerlifting and weight lifting, more so than general fitness. These might not all work in a commercial gym or for the casual gym go-er.
But, for that powerlifter in your life? You’ve come to the right place.
Stocking Stuffer Gifts for Powerlifters
These first few gifts are quick and easy, and relatively affordable. As with anything, you can find more expensive versions, but most of these run between $10 and $50. Check out these gifts for your boo.
Wrist Wraps
Wrist wraps are used by powerlifters to give wrist support during pressing movements such as bench press and overhead press. I have two pairs, one from Shiek and one from Elite FTS. One which is stiffer and provides more rigid support, and the other is longer and more compliant. These are fun, and highly portable; easy to throw in the gym bag and go.
Wrist wraps generally run $20-$50, and there are many many brand options out there.
Water Bottle
Water bottles are an essential for any exerciser. If your powerlifter also drinks pre-workouts, protein drinks, essential amino acids, or other powders mixed with water, then he or she will definitely need a dedicated water bottle. Those plastic shaker bottles never feel completely clean to me, so my water bottle keeps nothing but the pure stuff.
The Stanleys are all over now. They’re so cute! This one has a handle so you can throw it in your gym bag without spilling.
My favorite is the Yeti 26 ounce chug bottle. It’s highly durable, and has a great handle top for easy transport. Mine is all covered in stickers.
Water bottle range from $10-50, depending on how fancy you want to get.
Shaker Bottle
No list of gifts for powerlifters would be complete without mentioning shaker bottles. A shaker bottle, as mentioned above, is great for mixing drink ingredients for pre-, peri-, and post-workout. Avid gym lovers might already have a stash of shaker bottles, but can always use a new and fresh one.
This Blender Bottle is a classic. I guarantee you’ve seen these. I have so many of these that I have extra shaker balls rolling around my kitchen.
Pro tip: if you forget and leave a shake bottle of protein in your car in Austin in the summer, it’s game over. Don’t open it, just throw it away. You’ll only make this mistake once.
Shaker bottles run $8-$30+.
Protein Snacks
Protein snacks make great stocking stuffers! Throw some beef sticks in with all the chocolate. It’s called *balance*. In all seriousness though, maintaining protein through holiday eating is a very simple and effective way to continue eating well and not go overboard. There are tons of high protein snacks, meat sticks, and baked goods now, so these are fun and easy treats for your powerlifting friend. Get yourself some too!
These Epic beef sea salt and pepper bars are 10 grams of protein per serving. They are easy to transport and don’t require refrigeration.
Protein snacks can range from single serving sizes at $3 or so, all the way up as much as you’d like to spend.
Protein Powders
Protein powders are a great option for a gift, too. These usually come in jugs that are too big to stuff in a stocking, but they’ll be much appreciated and enjoyed if wrapped under the tree. There are many different kinds of protein powders: whey protein, casein, and egg. There are vegan options such as pea and hemp protein as well.
Expect to spend $25 – 35 for a bag or tub of protein.
Serious Gifts for Powerlifters
And by serious, I mean expensive. We all know exercise equipment can add up. If you buy quality, it’ll last a lifetime, though. If you are looking to make a big investment in your powerlifting gift, check out the following suggestions of weights, barbells and other equipment.
Heavy Weights
I know I could have just said “weights” but “heavy weights” sounds so much cooler! If your powerlifting boo has a home gym, there’s a good chance he or she would love some more weight plates, or heavier weights.
From tiny fractional plates to large kilo plates, you can spend up to hundreds of dollars here, so be sure this is something that will go to good use before purchasing.
I have several of these bumper plates from Fringe in my home gym. I love metal plates, but these are really friendly on my garage floor, and of course you can do some Olympic lifts with them too.
Barbells
You can never have too many barbells. With all the specialty barbells out there, there’s always another that would look great in your garage. There are dedicated powerlifting barbells, squat bars, and deadlift bars. Barbells are necessary though, because you can’t do the heavy lifts without them. Again, this is a big purchase which will likely be $250+, up to near $700 for some really high quality bearing barbells, so do some appropriate “wish list” snooping before buying.
I LOVE Fringe and their headquarters are here in Austin. Their Wonder Bar is a high quality bar that you can pick up in store or here via Amazon.
I currently have 4 barbells and my favorite is the the Original Texas Power bar.
Squat Rack
For the serious lifter or fitness fanatic, a home squat rack is freedom. I started with freestanding squat stands, which retail about $150 and up. I upgraded to a Sorinex power cage, but occasionally use my first squat stands. York is a reputable brand with a pair of free standing stands around $150.
For squat racks and power cages, you can spend well into the thousands. Make sure to know your space available and other specs to be sure this is a good fit for your powerlifter. If it is, look at Sorinex, Hammer Strength, Fringe, Dynamic Fitness & Strength, Rogue, and other brands.
This compact set up from Fringe is really great! This gives you a lot more space than a rack like mine, which is a behemoth. They both serve their purpose, but for space reasons, I’d recommend one like this at home.
Adjustable Dumbbell Set
While we’re talking about big gifts, let’s discuss adjustable dumbbell sets. These are big time space savers, and while they are pricey, they are cheaper than buying a large set of dumbbells and a rack. Bowflex, Power Block and more recently Nuobell are the major brands of adjustable dumbbells. These would be amazing gifts for powerlifters who do home workouts, but be prepared to spend $200 or more on these.
Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are great accessories for strength training. They are some of the best gift ideas for those who will be sharing with a family member or training partner, as they come in a variety of strengths and different sizes. I prefer the flat bands instead of tubing, but you may prefer the handles that typically come standard with tubing.
Resistance bands run $10 and up.
Powerlifting Accessories as Gifts
The sport of powerlifting comes with many many accessories. From sleeves, belts, and wraps, to bags and gear, there are many accessories that would make a powerlifter happy to unwrap on Christmas morning. These range from stocking stuffer type to personalized and sentimental. At least I find my belt sentimental. haha
Knee Sleeves
Knee sleeves provide compression and support for lower body movements. Knee sleeves just feel so good! You’ll want to size this right, so maybe you can sneakily measure your friend’s knee? These really are a great Christmas gift, but on second though, perhaps you can drop a hint and get some input on the sizing. I have used a pair of STrong knee sleeves for years, and I love them. Other good brands are SBD, Rehband, and Rogue.
Knee sleeves for powerlifting will be around $45-85.
Weight Belt
Belts are the most fun accessory in powerlifting! Powerlifting belts come in more varieties than you can imagine: width, thickness, material, length, color, accessory decor, and level/prong. I have a lever belt and a prong. My all time favorite is my Inzer prong belt. Inzer calls their belts forever belts because they are guaranteed forever. (This is not an ad.)
A weightlifting belt is different than a powerlifting belt, so be sure of your competitor’s sport and belt needs. This might be a gift that you let them choose, and then purchase for them. Belts are a great idea though, so keep it in your back pocket.
The belt just like mine, the Inzer Forever 10mm, is currently selling for $129. (November 2023). Again, belts exist in a wide variety, so expect a variety of prices too.
Squat Shoes
Squat shoes are pretty crucial for the very specific training needs of competitive powerlifters. Squat shoes come in different heel heights, different widths. There are powerlifting shoes, shoes for Olympic weightlifting, shoes for the “crossover” athlete who doesn’t want to carry a gym bag with 3 pairs of shoes like the rest of us. Anyway, these would be a great gift, and even better if you have some input from the lifter. Maybe don’t surprise them with these.
Squat shoes typically run $100-200. These Adidas lifting shoes are the classics. Heads up, I haven’t lifted in these. I’ve long been a Chuck Taylor kinda girl. You don’t need lifted shoes for deadlifting, but for Olympic lifting, they will be really helpful.
Gym Bag
A gym bag is a highly practical gift for a powerlifting friend. While some gym bags have a lot of specific compartments, these are not nearly as important to get perfectly specced as say, shoes and a belt. This would be a great mid-priced surprise as a powerlifting gift. Expect to spend $40-80, unless you want to drop over $200 at Lululemon. But really, every serious powerlifter has a shocking collection of wraps, straps, sleeves, towels, chalk, and shoes. Gym bags are a must!
Here’s a cute cute Puma gym bag for a fraction of the expensive ones.
Barbell Collars
Barbell collars are a great stocking stuffer type powerlifting gift. You can pick different colors, different brands, and they just have to work. You don’t have to pick a particular size, and you won’t get it wrong. These are fantastic gifts for powerlifters with a home gym. While not as inexpensive as other stocking stuffers, they’re small enough to be easily wrapped and transported, unlike a squat rack.
I have about 3 pairs of these Lock Jaw collars and I love them.
Expect to spend $12 – 50 on a pair of barbell collars.
Personal Training Sessions with a Great Personal Trainer
If you’re more into gifting experiences and education than gifts, you can gift some training sessions with a personal trainer who coaches the power lifts. I am biased, but I think if the person you are gifting this to is on board, this is one of the best gift ideas. Personal trainers can help save time, energy, and accelerate results by helping you find your best lifts sooner. With a trainer, you can work on learning what is proper form in general, what is the best form specifically for you, and what are the best options for training programs.
A trainer can also spot you when you are lifting heavier weights, and help answer questions in the future.
If you are in a big city, expect to spend at least $100 a session.
If you are interested in training, or gifting someone training, I am happy to help talk about options. You can see my 1:1 training details, programs, and plans here.
Fitness Trackers
I’m mentioning these because fitness trackers and collectible data are hot hot right now. I would LOVE to be proven wrong, but from my experience, and what I see from my clients, most data trackers do a better job with running, cardiovascular activities, heart rate data collection, and lifestyle tracking. Fitness trackers for lifting just don’t work that well.
I highly recommend tracking your own data, but I’d suggest an app like TrainHeroic where you input your data. Trainheroic is free as an athlete, and you can input and track your data, like sets x reps, weight, and changes in your lifts over time.
There are expertly programs available for purchase in TrainHeroic, which are priced from $15 up. In lieu of purchasing a Fitbit, tell your powerlifting friend about TrainHeroic! This is a really good gift, and if you are reading this, I think you’d love it too!
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Chalk
Chalk is crucial for heavier lifts in powerlifting. Chalk helps with grip, and is a staple at any powerlifting gym. Not all gyms have chalk though, so some lifters, including home garage gym lifters, have to buy their own chalk. Liquid chalk is an option, as it is easier to clean up. I’ve heard* it’s easier to sneak into gyms that don’t allow chalk (although gyms not allowing chalk shouldn’t be allowed) since you can be a little more incognito.
Chalk is $8-15 dollars, approximately.
*Just kidding about hearing it. I’m the problem, it’s me. 🙂
Specialty Gifts for Powerlifters
If you want to get really specific into strongman and grip training, there are a variety of apparel options like lifting gear and bar grip shirts. There are specially built handgrip tools and barbell and cable attachments too. These range from $30 to over $100.
Recovery Tools
One last category of useful gifts is recovery tools. Foam rollers, triggerpoint grid foam rollers, massage guns like the Theragun, and are typically useful and portable gadgets. Massage tools, rollers and lacrosse balls are in this category too. These products and prices can vary widely from simple and inexpensive to a couple hundred dollars for some massage guns.
It’s almost the new year! Read here about how to make new year fitness resolutions and keep them.
Powerlifting Gifts for 2024
There you have it! My exhaustive list of what to buy the powerlifter in your life for Christmas 2024. I hope something on this list has helped you find the perfect gift, in the perfect price range. If you have any questions or want a more specific suggestion, I always have opinions. 🙂 Email me! Kathryn (at) kathrynalexander.com.
And what’s the 1 thing not to buy them? Gloves! Just don’t buy them gloves.
About the author
Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.
