Lifting weights in skate shoes might seem like an odd choice but the flat-soled responsive nature of board-ready boots means you can centre your balance easily during big lifts and ensure you're pushing through your heels. With their cushioning foam insole and breathable mesh interior, the Galaxies also protect your soles during box jumps and stop your feet from stinking. They're also excellent for their primary purpose too – skateboarding – thanks to the tough suede upper, a high lacing system that doesn't gear torn up by grip tape and lots of flex so you can throw all manner of technical board-based shapes with ease.
When the wind gets up, a conventional hoodie is normally too gappy to keep out the gale. That's not the case with this well thought out top, however. Its high collar works like a protective facemask and, when up, the hood wraps around your face balaclava-style. It's also got longer cuffs with thumb holes that work a bit like fingerless mittens and a kangaroo pocket at the front in case your fingers (or wallaby) gets cold. If you're planning to exercise in it, reinforced seams in high wear areas will stop it from opening up like an overstuffed bin liner.
Compression tops have the annoying habit of riding up while you're training so you end up wearing the kind of crop top that would look damn fine on Beyonce, but less so on a pale, hairy British man in his mid 30s (we're talking about us here). Whether intentionally or not, Legacy have got round this problem by making this long-sleeve top out of a thicker polyester and elastene mix that most compression brands use, meaning it's heavy enough to stay in place, while still being light enough to not hinder your movement in any way. We've been wearing nothing more than this and a t-shirt up top during outdoor winter training sessions and have felt plenty warm enough during even the coldest runs. Where the science is concerned, there's still much debate as to how effective compression actually is at boosting recovery time – which it's meant to do so by improving blood flow to muscles – but if it keeps you warm and makes you feel light and mobile while you run, and stops you looking like a drag queen, it's already proved its worth in our book.
If you're not squatting and deadlifting in a belt you're doing your strength gains and your back health a massive disservice. A good weight belt will protect your spine by keeping your core muscles tight and your lower back straight so you're forced to use the right muscle groups to perform heavy lifts. And by improving your form you'll be able to go heavier with more confidence that you're not about to muller yourself. This one from Rogue is one of the best we've used. Chunky and supportive enough to offer you real protection, and featuring a quick-release single buckle locking system that means you don't use up entire rest periods trying to get it on and off, we've used this to put 15kg on our deadlift and 10kg on our squat over the past month. It's handmade from ultra durable, water resistant vegetable tanned leather so will last for years and can be used in any environment. A real game-changer for your lifting.
Winter. It's the best time to run. Not only do you not have to share trails and roads with the fair-weather set, you're far less likely to overheat, which can be a real speed killer. If you're spending any time trail running this winter and have a neutral gait, you need these running shoes in your life. The synthetic TPU upper offers a snug, fit with a plump outer layer around the toe to protect you from stubbings. The grip is – as the name suggests – talon-like, thanks to deep clawing lugs, and will keep you upright and in control on even the steepest, muddiest hill descents. A stiff sole means your delicate metatarsals and toe ligaments never get overly stressed while on the flip side, the small drop from heel to forefoot – 6mm – makes the shoe feel responsive to what's going on beneath your feet. Mesh lining on the upper also means they drain quickly after you've run through puddles. If you're planning to take on an obstacle race in 2015, the Talon will get you to the finish line with a lots less slipping and sliding than pretty much any other trail shoe on the market.
When we first got the Inferno we were a bit unsure as to how it would actually cope with winter. It's super light and flimsy feeling, packs down in nothing in a backpack and doesn't look in any way water resistant. But after wearing it just once, we can now see how it would handle genuine mountain conditions with ease. The recycled polyester Pyrotec insulation (200g/m2 in the body, 160 in the arms and hood) means you don't feel the wind, even though the jacket isn't much thicker than the air attacking it. A durable Pertex outer feels like you could rip it apart with a pair of chopsticks but it's stayed in one piece even though we've snagged it multiple times over the past few weeks. It's also water resistant enough to keep you dry during everything but the most vicious of deluges and the hood is designed to turn with your neck so you never end up talking into your hood when you're twisting to speak to someone next to you in cold weather. The relaxed fit offers excellent freedom of movements and two big chest pockets will comfortably fit oversized phones or training diaries.
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