Dende Arts
Training Equipment
Recommended Capoeira footwear
This is the high end version of Capoeira training shoes. A strictly minimalist shoe that appeals to people who train bodyweight calisthenics and other movement arts.
The grip on the sole is just right. The shoe is also very durable. I’ve used mine for almost 2 years before I bought my second pair. Last is the large toe box, which gives your toes space, and the super light material makes it a breeze (not a burden) to train with.
Overall, this is the best shoes you can buy for Capoeira on the market today.
Pull-up bar
Pull-up bar drill required – carries up to 300lbs
Pull-up bar no drill needed – carries up to 300lbs
You might have noticed that in capoeira there are very few pulling motions. You can offset this by purchasing a pull-up bar. Pull-up bars are a great ways balance out your body and work on muscle groups that don’t get enough work. If you have a small door frame, you can buy a bar that does not require any drills. This is the best option, but in some cases you door frame will be too large and you will need to buy a pull-up bar that is drilled into the door frame. I used to have a non-drilling pull-up bar, but when I moved I had to switch. Both bars are great and both support up to 300lbs!
Gymnastic Rings
The gymnastics rings are the kings of working out your upper body. I can’t recommend these enough and love training with them. Don’t be intimidated, there are plenty of exercises you can do to slowly introduce yourself to the rings. If you don’t have anywhere to put this up in your room/house/apartment, then you can pair this with the pull-up bar and hang it like I do on my door frame. They only take a couple minutes to set up so, but the benefits you receive from training on these outweighs any inconvenience. Officially, ring girth should be around 1inch, but if you’re a lot bigger than the average gymnast, then the 1.25inch version should do the trick.
Gymnastic rings – The linked rings are fairly cheap. That’s because rings are simple to make and shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg.
Jump Rope
Nothing fancy here. You want to work on cardio and your calves, there is an awesome device that will get the job done Here is my favorite pair of jump rope, though these things are not complicated and can be bought just about anywhere for a good price.
Adjustable jump rope – I picked this jump rope because its steel wire wrapped in a mesh, meaning this will last for a good while. Also, it’s adjustable so your height shouldn’t have you thinking twice about which jump is best.
Rehab Equipment
Light resistance Bands
Light resistance bands was a game changer for me. They help stretch, they also help you rehab any parts of the body that might hurt. The band provides low resistance while you do whatever strengthening or eccentric exercises to rehab parts of your body that hurt. I can’t stress enough how much these light rubber hands have helped me. Also, these are not like the physio-therapy bands that look like paper and break just as easily. These are made form thick plastic and generally last really long. Also, they’re SUPER cheap and well worth the expense. Light
Resistance bands – Extremely versatile and cheap!
Lacross Ball
Some people like foam rollers, but I’m not one of those people. The lacross ball and the peanut (two lacross balls stuck together) take advantage of their small size and target the weight you put on it into a single point. As opposed to the foam roller, they’re much more versatile and can be used against the wall for example or stepped on to target the feet. If you’re into foam rolling, I highly suggesting getting these lacrosse balls. They’re travel friendly, inexpensive, more effective, and more useful.
Lacross ball – Simple, travel friendly, and effective
Knee Brace
Knee sleeve – Great sleeve that provides protection to the ACL and Meniscus. Allows for greater range of motion than other heavier duty braces. Movement.
Tendon Knee Brace – Minimal knee brace for people with pain in the patella tendon.
Caution: Do not think that having a knee brace will “fix” any dysfunction you have. Any brace should be thought of as a last resort that helps in the short term and not a long term strategy. I’ve seen many people who start wearing any kind of brace and never take it off because they never tried to solve the root of the problem. If youhave a problem with you knee, your first priority should be to go to the doctor or physical therapist and get it rehabbed. This is why my favorite kneed braces as you will see are more minimal. If you have a bionic leg, you might want to think about rehabbing before starting to train.
Wrist Brace
If you’re looking to continue training, then you want a wrist WRAP. Do not purchase a wrist brace that immobilizes your wrist. In Capoeira we need to touch the floor and put our hands into extension. Immobilizers will not allow you to do that. Here is my top wrist wrap that I use from time to time.
BraceUP wrist support – Supports the wrist while keeping range of motion.