I’m keen to hear from strength coaches, powerlifters, athletes, exercise physiologists, sports physiotherapists, and experienced gym owners. What do you see as the single most important piece of lifting gear for strength training, and why?

For me, the single most important bit of lifting gear is a basic barbell. It may look old-school, but trust me, it loads up the entire body with real, honest resistance that you can actually scale. A barbell lets you do compound lifts that work strength, balance, and coordination all at the same time. Squats, presses and pulls are all winners when you're using a barbell - they build muscle fast, without you needing to mess around with all those fancy machines. People can take a page from my book by mastering the basics with a barbell before adding any accessories. One solid barbell routine beats out all the fancy gear, saves you time, and gives you real, measurable strength gains week in and week out.