You’ll be able to do muscle-strengthening and endurance exercises based on those you already know. Let’s take a look at what street lifting actually involves.
What is street lifting?
A variant of street workout, street lifting involves performing bodyweight exercises with increasing difficulty. Pull-ups, push-ups, squats and dips are performed with extra weight. The result is a combination of strength and endurance training.
By pulling or pushing a load greater than your body weight, you will be working to increase your strength. For optimum results, work with your maximum load.
By repeating several different exercises as quickly as possible, you’ll build up your endurance.
Like street workout, street lifting can be practised outdoors, with very little equipment. To start practising, all you need is a weight belt. This will allow you to gradually increase the weight with which you work on your exercises.
To progress more quickly, you need to fully master the basic exercises. Exercises and movements must first be properly performed using bodyweight. Adding extra weight when the movement is not being performed correctly can lead to injury.
Why street lifting?
To increase your maximum strength
Increasing the amount of weight lifted during the exercises will enable you to increase your maximum strength. It’s important to build up gradually to avoid any risk of injury. Decreasing the amount of weight you use, but increasing the number of repetitions of your movements, will help you build up your endurance.
To complement another physical activity
Street lifting can complement any other physical activity. In particular, street lifting can help you strengthen your joints. They will be better protected and the risk of injury will be reduced.
To increase muscle mass
Street workout allows you to work on your muscular strength. But by using bodyweight alone, you’ll quickly reach a limit that you won’t be able to go beyond. The exercises will seem easier. You won’t be increasing your strength, but by repeating the exercises you’ll be improving your endurance.
The only way to increase your muscular strength beyond its usual limits is to increase the weight you work with.
What equipment should I use for street lifting?
Street lifting requires very little equipment. It can easily be carried in a sports bag, such as a Karkoa Smartbag or Tepee.
A weight belt
The weight belt is the basic piece of street lifting equipment. It’s the simplest way of adding weight and increasing the effectiveness of your exercises. It takes up very little space, is easy to attach and allows you to gradually increase the workload.
Wrist and elbow pads
When you’re working with extra weight, your joints are under a lot of strain. Wrist guards and elbow pads can give your joints stability. This will protect them and allow you to concentrate on your muscles. The risk of injury will be greatly reduced.
Resistance bands
Elastic bands increase the difficulty of an exercise by increasing the resistance of the movements. There are bands with different levels of resistance. You can use them especially when you can’t add weights.
Potholders and chalk
Potholders such as magnesia help to ensure you have a better grip and don’t slip, for example when you’re doing pull-ups on a bar. Liquid chalk is easy to transport and wash off after training. Potholders also have the advantage of preventing calluses or injuries to the hands.
How do I start street lifting?
So to start street lifting, you first need to master the street workout exercises. You can then add additional loads without risk.
Add weight gradually and carry out the usual exercises. Do series of exercises, remembering to allow time for recovery between each one.
Street lifting competitions are regularly organised. It’s a great opportunity to discover this discipline, meet other practitioners and pick up some valuable tips.
Example of a Street lifting programme
To conclude on street lifting
If you’ve mastered street workout exercises and want to increase your margin of progression in terms of strength and endurance, street lifting is for you. The artificial addition of weight allows you to push back your limits and increase your maximum strength. The Karkoa sports bags from the Smartbag and Tepee ranges will enable you to carry your street lifting equipment easily in their many pockets and storage compartments.
