In the fitness community, the only group that rivals runners when it comes to the amount of swag worn and used before, during, and after working out is….
Yup, you guessed it. CrossFitters.
From neon socks, to neon shoes, to neon tanks, to neon knee sleeves, you need to make sure the CrossFitters in your life are swagged out in the essential gear.
Once the essentials are covered, you can move on to the next level swag that’ll take your CrossFitters fitness to the next level. Finally, I’ll end with a quick list of gear that’ll do the job of letting everybody know they do, in fact, CrossFit.
The Essentials
Shoes
Let’s start with your feet. When it comes to CrossFit and shoes, you’ve got two types to consider: your metcon shoes and your Olympic Lifting shoes.
The shoes you wear for your metcon are absolutely essential to any CrossFitters repertoire. Your Olympic Lifting shoes aren’t essential, but they’re great to have when you’re O-lifting, especially if your flexibility is not very good. I’ll talk about O-Lifting shoes later in this post.
The right metcon shoe should meet a few standard requirements.
Minimal heel-to-forefoot drop. This’ll make sure you stay back on your heels while working out.
Enough cushion to protect your feet but not enough that you can’t grip the ground Too much cushion will prevent you from using your feet to properly generate torque during squats or deadlifts.
Look badass. This is self explanatory.
All the shoes listed below meet the above requirements. I’ve also put them in order of (IMO) the coolest looking ones.
Nike Metcon 1
Reebok CrossFit Nano 5.0
Inov-8 F-Lite (the lower the number, the lower the drop)
Mobility Tools
Giving any or all of the simple mobility tools mentioned below will keep your CrossFitters joints happy and help them speed up their recovery from hard metcons. I recommend buying a few and putting them together to make a “holiday mobility tool kit”.
Becoming A Supple Leopard 2nd Edition - If I could recommend just one book to any CrossFitter, this would be it. Becoming A Supple Leopard will change the way you approach your workouts and teach you everything you need to know about resolving pain, preventing injury, and optimizing your performance.
Lacrosse Ball - A very simple tool, this and a foam roller should be mainstays in any CrossFitters positional based warm-up. If you want to step it up a notch, get them the MobilityWOD SuperNova 2.0. This is a lacrosse ball on steroids.
Monster Bands - The uses for these are endless. From mobility work, to pre-hab strengthening, to even assisting in pull-ups, resistance bands are a must-have. No CrossFit gym will be without them, but they’re great to have at home or when traveling.
VooDoo Floss Band - This is an absolute essential (hence on the list) performance and recovery tool. From tack and flossing, improving range of motion, to helping remove swelling, this is one of the tools your CrossFitter will have no clue how she lived without it.
Equipment
While any affiliate should cover the basics (barbells, medicine balls, kettlebells), there are a couple pieces of equipment I think any CrossFitter serious about their fitness should personally own:
Speed Rope - Lightweight, easily adjustable, and portable, a speed rope is a must-have for any CrossFitter looking to master double unders. Also, a speed rope is a great piece of equipment to have on the road when looking to get in a quick workout.
Parallettes - A very versatile piece of equipment, parallettes can be used by beginners working on push-ups or L-sits, to intermediates working on handstands, to the most advanced CrossFitter working on perfecting a planche.
Next Level Gear
Once you’ve got the basics covered, the items below will step the game up to another level:
Weight belt - When used properly, a weight belt can add ~10% to lifts, plus help protect your low back.
Knee sleeves - A must-have for the O-Lift lover. A good pair of knee sleeves will keep your knees warm, add some support, and provide some elasticity out of the hole during snatches and cleans.
Wrist wraps - Same as above. Wrist wraps will help take the stress off any overhead movements with a barbell.
Olympic Lifting Shoes - I mentioned these briefly a bit earlier in this post. While not essential, if your CrossFitter is serious about her snatch or clean, she'll going to want to own a good pair of O-Lifting shoes.
Besides the one linked above, other good options for Olympic Lifting Shoes include:
Adidas Adipower Weightlifting Shoes
Reebok CrossFit Lifter 2.0
Non-Essential, Kick-Ass Gear
Finally, I’m going to end this CrossFit gift giving guide with a few non-essential, but super swaggy items your CrossFitter will love.
For The Ladies:
Free To Be Wild Sports Bra - My girlfriend (who’s a CrossFit coach) insisted I put this on the list. I trust her judgement.
Caffeine & Kilos Tank
For The Gentlemen:
Rogue Neon Fight Shorts - Comfy, stretchy, and breathable, these shorts are sure to become your “go to” shorts in rotation.
Caffeine & Kilos Shirt
For Everybody:
Shin Guards - To protect from getting all chaffed up during rope climbs.
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Did I miss anything? Hit me up on Twitter -- @rkoebke -- and I’ll add your items to the list.
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