HOLIDAY SHOPPING FOR THE MEATHEAD IN YOUR LIFE (2025)
By Shane Robert
The holiday season is fully upon us (again!). Everywhere you go, to paraphrase the song, there is a reminder that the big days are approaching fast, and you likely have some gifts to buy. If one of those gifts is intended for a meathead, it can be hard to find something that is affordable, depending on your definition of affordability, of course. Equipment, for example, is unlikely to be a gift that fits the definition unless you truly love the person. Except for products like the Agile Rack, most (big) equipment purchases will run you quite close to, or exceeding, $1000. That doesn’t mean gifting for these people is hopeless. Rather, most meatheads just lack imagination, and a good gift simply takes a little thought.
Below are my suggestions for good (and affordable) gifts for any lifters in your life with the iron flu.
BOOKS
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Iron in My Hands by Dave Draper: If you don’t know Dave Draper, aka the ‘Blond Bomber,’ you should. And this book, which is a collection of Draper’s writings over the years, will help with that. Something of a guide to the "musclehead gym," it is filled with tips on lifting, building muscle, and the mindset required for consistent training, while being an entertaining read. Draper is an excellent writer with the ability to paint a picture with the pen. You can almost feel the cold steel in your hands as you read along with his tales of hard training.
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Easy Strength by Dan John & Pavel Tsatsouline: Quite possibly the most important book I have ever read when it comes to training. Truly, this book changed a lot of how I thought about training, especially for the average person simply trying to get stronger and feel better. As with everything both of these authors write, this book is both informative and a straight how-to that you can follow along with. If nothing else, having Easy Strength knowledge is a powerful tool to have in your tool box.
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The System by Johnny Parker, Al Miller, & Rob Panariello: The Soviet system is infamous for the results it produced and for its complexity. At least, until this book came along. All three authors are highly experienced strength coaches who actually went to Russia to learn “the system.” They break it down into simple to understand language and give you the understanding to create your own longer term, Soviet style programs, whether you are trying to set a PR or work with a football team.
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The Purposeful Primitive by Marty Gallagher: If you have any interest in the early days of powerlifting, including the lifters themselves and their training, this is the book for you. Marty has been involved with powerlifting nearly since its inception and shares the history and training styles in ample detail.
EQUIPMENT
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Belt: I’m not one to push belts on people too soon, however, they can be very useful in pushing to new strength levels. Used correctly, a belt can add a LOT of weight to your lifts. No need to go crazy (if you don’t want), a simple velcro belt can be a great entry level option.
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Knee Sleeves: Knee sleeves are very much a nice to have piece of equipment. They keep your knees warm and can offer a little to a lot of support, depending on what you're looking for. Either way, they make your knees feel better while in the gym and the next day when you’re recovering. Any sleeve will be beneficial, but look for 5mm- 7mm offerings for the best (non-assisting) support. Verse has one that is arriving soon and will be available for purchase.
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Bench Grip Cover: Unless you have the Verse Folding Bench, it’s likely that you have to bench on slippery material. A bench grip cover is a simple cover that goes over the bench and provides a lot of friction to prevent you from sliding and injuring yourself. They are small and roll up to fit in most any gym bag.
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Landmine: A Landmine is a very versatile piece of equipment that is great for a home gym trainer. It allows you to do many movements that you otherwise would not be able to do with a barbell alone. Besides letting you work in different planes of movement, it can replace dumbbells in many instances. Look for a highly adjustable version from Verse very soon!
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Fat Gripz: A strong grip is both functional and cool. Fat Gripz simply goes over any bar you are using to make it thicker, which works your grip much harder. Doing a set of biceps curls with a thick bar will light your arms up like nothing you’ve done before.
Gift-giving for lifters can feel daunting to those who aren’t. In reality, there are many, many great, and cheap, options available. I, for one, always appreciate books but, if reading isn’t a pastime for your giftee, the equipment list is there to help guide you.
