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In your quest to lift ever-heavier amounts of weight, you’ll likely come across all manner of supportive gear, like weightlifting belts, weightlifting shoes, knee wraps, and weightlifting gloves (to name but a few). And if you venture deep enough down that rabbit hole, you’ll eventually encounter the pinnacle of heavy-lifting apparel: the squat suit.

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Resembling a wrestling singlet, squat suits are made of two to three layers of synthetic material (typically a form of polyester) and are designed to provide the tightest fit possible. Indeed, they’re notoriously uncomfortable. But that snugness is the key to their effectiveness: By compressing the body and helping to keep the hips in alignment, the suits can help you squat massive loads.

There’s even evidence that a squat suit can directly increase the force, velocity, and power with which you lift—a benefit that likely comes from the suit contributing its stored elastic energy every time you drive out of the bottom of the exercise, a.k.a the sticking point. So the question is, should you use one?

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Your move: Don’t use one—not unless you’re a powerlifter (the primary wearer of this performance-enhancing torture device), and even then, you’ll likely only wear one during competition. They’re that uncomfortable.

They can also be relatively expensive, and unless you belong to a powerlifting gym, they’ll make you stand out for the wrong reason (kind of like the guy who grunts while doing leg curls). Plus, they likely won’t help you build greater strength; they’ll only help you lift heavier loads when it’s go-time. So instead of using a squat suit, focus instead on optimizing your squatting performance by mastering proper form.

Trevor Thieme C.S.C.S. Trevor Thieme is a Los Angeles-based writer and strength coach, and a former fitness editor at Men’s Health.

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