Belt

[oldtimer1]

I stopped using a belt over ten years ago. I have never looked back. When I was young everyone had a weightlifting belt. It was just accepted that it prevented injury. Then I reached a point where I would just use it for the big lifts like cleans, deads and squats. Watching world class elite Olympic weightlifters I noticed more and more of them weren't wearing them. Would a belt really help prevent injury? If they could lift a 400lbs barbell from the ground to over head and do rock bottom squats without one why do I need one? 

I stopped using a belt and first it felt like I was naked.  It just felt weird squatting without one. It was almost like a security blanket. Soon I realized it was doing nothing for me.  Maybe a powerlifter needs it do his hip lock half squat with all the support gear but a bodybuilder?  After lifting for years without one I finally walked up to my belt and threw in the garbage.

[Wez]

Never wear one either. Only heavy DLs....and I rarely do them anymore.

[Kurt]

I gave up my training belt years ago as well.
Maybe if I had one of those snazzy personalized Valeo belts, I
would have kept using it longer....

[trapz101]

i only wear belt when i'm trying for new pr in my dl and squats
proper form and you will never need a belt

[jpm101]

Trapz101 makes a good point about proper style/form.

See a few people wearing a lifting belt, though the belt thing seems to come and go over the years. Do whatever you believe is best for you. Some will cinch up the buckles  to draw in the waist and give the illusion of a "V" taper their whole time in the gym...not that BB'ers are vain or anything like that.

A well designed belt can act as a semi brace, if wore the right way, and assist in lifts. Some more expensive belts are custom made, for the most part, to fit the curve of the lower back/spine and obliques and are measured for the proper height......assuring proper support. If you do have a belt that you like (but not custom made) than might suggest putting a folded up towel against the lower back and the belt, to whatever thickness you wish, and tighten it up that way. Can give much better support for most guy's.

Lifting belts, in serious training, are usually only required for lower rep efforts; like 1 to 3 reps. . Lifting belts, to get the most out of them, need to be extremely tight, which in return can cause cutting off of blood circulation and impaired breathing. A few lifters have blacked out from this affect. May also raise the  the blood pressure to a higher degree.

Working the ab's strongly, with added weight and lower reps, can do much to assist the all around strength of the lower back. If guy's worked the ab's as strongly as the back, belts may  be a thing of the past.  But than agin, that would be personal choice for you.  Good Luck.

[Donny]

I have a Belt but i hate it .. just the Feeling of tightness. Remember reading Gironda advised wearing one because without it during heavy Training you will get an over developed waist line...load of Bollocks. I think if your diet is spot on the heavy lifts will Train your abs without ever doing a crunch. I do however Think a bit of direct ab Training is good.

[Yev33]

I use a weight belt. It's a simple Valeo leather belt that I bought ten years ago. I use it only when necessary and only for one exercise per workout. For example my last workout I did bent over rows, dips, and front squats. I used the belt only for my heaviest set of barbell rows and put it back in my gym bag.

IMO it is very important to get your midsection and lower back stronger without using a belt, but so is not limiting the weight that you can use on an exercise by not wearing one. So I pick my battles, I will pick one exercise per workout and really try to push the weights whether it's in the 8-12, 6-9, or 4-6 rep range and that is the only movement that the belt will be used for and only on my heaviest sets. Everything else no belt, no straps, no matter what the exercise is.

A weight belt is a great training tool that has been used for decades and I will continue to use it as such.

[oldtimer1]

I use a weight belt. It's a simple Valeo leather belt that I bought ten years ago. I use it only when necessary and only for one exercise per workout. For example my last workout I did bent over rows, dips, and front squats. I used the belt only for my heaviest set of barbell rows and put it back in my gym bag.

IMO it is very important to get your midsection and lower back stronger without using a belt, but so is not limiting the weight that you can use on an exercise by not wearing one. So I pick my battles, I will pick one exercise per workout and really try to push the weights whether it's in the 8-12, 6-9, or 4-6 rep range and that is the only movement that the belt will be used for and only on my heaviest sets. Everything else no belt, no straps, no matter what the exercise is.

A weight belt is a great training tool that has been used for decades and I will continue to use it as such.

I can't agree with your rhetoric because it's based on the conclusion that you can lift more weight with a belt. I say if you do it's psychological.  The strongest and fastest men in the Iron sports are the Olympic lifters. They are allowed to use one. If it increased their lift they would use it. If a guy my weight can lift 400lbs over head from the floor with out a belt why am I using a belt to knock out reps in the deadlift with 400lbs?

[Yev33]

I can't agree with your rhetoric because it's based on the conclusion that you can lift more weight with a belt. I say if you do it's psychological.  The strongest and fastest men in the Iron sports are the Olympic lifters. They are allowed to use one. If it increased their lift they would use it. If a guy my weight can lift 400lbs over head from the floor with out a belt why am I using a belt to knock out reps in the deadlift with 400lbs?

I can say without a doubt that I can lift more with a belt. If I had to estimate, the difference is around 5-10% but closer to 5%. Is some of it psychological? Perhaps. But I do know that my lower back feels a lot more stable with the belt on especially if I am using weights around 90% of 1rm or taking a higher rep set to failure or very close to it.

I am not 100% sure if weight belts are even allowed in Olympic weightlifting. Weight belts also limit your movement to some degree which is not ideal especially in the starting positions of the snatch and the clean and jerk.

I don't consider a weight belt a necessity especially if the person does not feel like they get very much out of it. But if someone has used it and saw a benefit there is no reason why it shouldn't be used as a tool in training (not a crutch).

[oldtimer1]

Yes they are allowed in Olympic lifting. A few started competing without the belt which was unheard of. Slowly almost everyone stop using one. There is still a percentage of Olympic lifters using it but is gets smaller every year.

[Lartinos]

I stopped using a belt over ten years ago. I have never looked back. When I was young everyone had a weightlifting belt. It was just accepted that it prevented injury. Then I reached a point where I would just use it for the big lifts like cleans, deads and squats. Watching world class elite Olympic weightlifters I noticed more and more of them weren't wearing them. Would a belt really help prevent injury? If they could lift a 400lbs barbell from the ground to over head and do rock bottom squats without one why do I need one? 

I stopped using a belt and first it felt like I was naked.  It just felt weird squatting without one. It was almost like a security blanket. Soon I realized it was doing nothing for me.  Maybe a powerlifter needs it do his hip lock half squat with all the support gear but a bodybuilder?  After lifting for years without one I finally walked up to my belt and threw in the garbage.

Still not wearing a belt?
They are helpful for me.

[oldtimer1]

Still not wearing a belt?
They are helpful for me.

Only to keep baggy pants up. Haven't used one in many years. I noticed not too many guys use one in the gyms anymore. Use to be a very common sight and now it's rare. 

[Donny]

Bump..

still not wore a belt in years & i was even doing one arm DB side bends yesterday as i believe it trains the erectors very well along with the Obliques.
Everyone says it will widen your waist but i donīt think so if your diet is good.
same as wearing a Belt, let your core muscles work with Squats & save the weird "core exercises"

[SweetDaddySiki]

i haven't used a belt in years because I didn't think it really protected me and I've had no injuries related to not wearing a belt.
I was in Dick's Sporting Goods over the weekend and noticed their belts. The belts were velcro! I only saw 2 that had the traditional belt lock at the ends. I guess the velcro's will stay closed...   

[Donny]

i haven't used a belt in years because I didn't think it really protected me and I've had no injuries related to not wearing a belt.
I was in Dick's Sporting Goods over the weekend and noticed their belts. The belts were velcro! I only saw 2 that had the traditional belt lock at the ends. I guess the velcro's will stay closed...   

Think it was Vince Gironda that said without a belt on certain exercises you can widen your waist, absolute Hogwash i say !
The waist muscles & lower back need to be strong not held upright by leather or as you said Velcro.. there are people who have problems in the lower back or abdomen who might need a belt but for most itīs not needed.
I hardly see anyone wearing a belt nowadays.

Even the cross-fitters donīt wear them.

[IroNat]

I've gone back to wearing a belt for standing presses, barbell rows, upright rows.

Haven't worn one for years.

Always wore one in my younger days.

Gives you something to create pressure against.  May prevent a hernia.

At this stage of my life if it prevents an injury by any chance it's worth wearing.

[Donny]

I've gone back to wearing a belt for standing presses, barbell rows, upright rows.

Haven't worn one for years.

Always wore one in my younger days.

Gives you something to create pressure against.  May prevent a hernia.

At this stage of my life if it prevents an injury by any chance it's worth wearing.

If you need it wear one, I use straps on heavy lifts such as DB Rows.

[wes]

Back in the day everyone wore one usually through their entire workout.....even on benches,pulldowns,curls,pressdowns and other such exercises where they were usually not needed.......they were just a part of your everyday workout attire.

I never wear one now unless squatting,rowing,possibly/usually on heavy presses and deadlifts which I never did enough of.

[Donny]

what i never see now is any direct neck training

[wes]

what i never see now is any direct neck training

I always do/did some weekly.

[falco]

The belt works as a exoskeleton, and yes it prevent the spine disks from bulging. More important than a belt is to have very strong abs and know when to contract them during lifts.

[Donny]

The belt works as a exoskeleton, and yes it prevent the spine disks from bulging. More important than a belt is to have very strong abs and know when to contract them during lifts.

Well put...

[Grape Ape]

I abandoned the belt years ago for everything, squats, deads, OHP, everything.

My back adapted nicely and I never felt it necessary.

However, as I've gotten a bit older, I've added it for any time I deadlift over 315, or squat with anything over 200.

It just gives me a bit more confidence and stability.  I don't feel I'm losing anything by using it and at this point, I have nobody I care to impress.

Heck, I even use the pussy pad on the squat.  It stabilizes the bar, feels better, and actually makes it more comfortable on my shoulder (slap labrum tear) because I don't have to rotate as much to hold it.  I've done my time with the back bruises and scrapes anyway.

[Donny]

I abandoned the belt years ago for everything, squats, deads, OHP, everything.

My back adapted nicely and I never felt it necessary.

However, as I've gotten a bit older, I've added it for any time I deadlift over 315, or squat with anything over 200.

It just gives me a bit more confidence and stability.  I don't feel I'm losing anything by using it and at this point, I have nobody I care to impress.

Heck, I even use the pussy pad on the squat.  It stabilizes the bar, feels better, and actually makes it more comfortable on my shoulder (slap labrum tear) because I don't have to rotate as much to hold it.  I've done my time with the back bruises and scrapes anyway.

you are being sensible 

[oldtimer1]

When I was a teenager I had my weight lifting belt in hand and my sister said you're not wearing that thing, are you?  She thought is was some kind of strange fashion thing.  I should have told her it was the new pirate craze. It looks cool to wear it.

Like I said before I used a belt for decades then watching some elite Olympic lifters I noticed half didn't wear a belt. When I first stopped wearing it I thought how can I lift without it?  Now it would be strange to put one on for me. 

If you think it assists with injury prevention and lifting more I can see your point.  For me I think it was just psychological and in the end offered no benefit.