Thread: Train with a weight belt or not?

I've been taught that a belt should be used only with heavy weight.

One should be able to have enough will power and education to exercise with good form not only to move your appendages through a safe, effective range of motion but also to hold your posture to avoid injury as well as achieving the best results.

For example: some ortho doctors do not believe in leg braces. I tend to agree that the thick powerlifter belts and supportive belts are great for heavy power lifting exercises but not necessary to wear during your entire workout. The guy that wears the 6 inch belt to hold in his gut while he's doing bicep curls or getting water is a moron..lol

But that's my question. Should I use a weight belt for squats and dead lifts?

Lurking.... I'm wondering this too... when fatigue starts in I definitely can feel a pull in the back during bent over rows and romanian deadlifts, even though I think my form is OK, just the last couple reps. Not squats though, which I think is weird. ANYway.....

There seems to be a gray area regarding this topic.

I think that you should give it a shot. Worse comes to worst, you don't use it. You can always try it again at a later time, perhaps when you need to support heavier loads.

I use one, over body weight only and only on deads and squats.
Here's an interesting theory as to why you should wear a belt that makes allot of sense: 10 Overlooked And Misunderstood Facts About Ab Training (Part One)

hm. Good to know.

Us folks who have to notify the fire department when we get ready to light all the candles on our birthday cake need to take special precautions to protect our aching joints, the back especially. When folks say "use it for heavy lifts only" they're talking about the weight on the bar, not the movement. I'll use my leg day as an example. Just because I'm doing squats doesn't automatically mean I put on the belt. But when I move up in weight on the squats I'll definitely put it on. For instance, I warm up with 135 and don't use a belt. But when I move up to 225 and above, you betcha I've got my belt on. No sense risking my back just to try and prove to nobody that I'm tougher than a teenager. I'm NOT a teenager, I'm better.

Id say use it when your going heavy on deads and sqauts. Id try to avoid using it otherwise though, unless you got back problems or something

The irony is that, while belts are designed to keep you safe on heavy lifting for certain lifts, overuse of them is dangerous.

I would suggest using a belt for ONLY max attempts.

When you wear a belt on deads or squats you're basically giving certain core muscles and lower back (and I mean actual core muscles) a break so that your legs can push harder without fear of something going wrong in the centre of it all. However, if you take advantage of this luxury too much then you have what happens with overuse of machines happening to your core muscles: they become under-developed relative to the muscles they support.

Max attempts are an obvious instance where a belt is fine. You should generally perform max attempts only once in a while, and so there's nothing impractical about taking those core muscles out of the equation for a few sets on one training session. However, even in such intense rep ranges as low as 3 or 4 (definitely 5), albeit sub-maximal, you should be able to handle that load with proper form on your own. If your form is proper than you should be at no real risk.

I've never used a belt before, and I've gone for max lifts, too! I see belts in the same way as I see supplements. They're "supplements"; they should supplement an already-sound diet. Same thing with belts; they should supplement an already-conditioned core that can handle those heavy loads without it. It's an incidental...a safety bonus. It shouldn't be used as a day-to-day training tool.

We refrain from gloves to develop our grip. We refrain from BB pads to develop skin toughness on our upper traps. I just started using chalk, but only for one lift in the middle of my session, because at that point my grip has been ravaged from consecutive BB compounds and I need full focus on the target muscles when I do deadlifts as my fourth exercise. I consider that acceptable, but otherwise I go natural to develop my grip.

If you've properly (by which I mean gradually) progressed in your back-oriented compounds then you should have no problem (safety-wise, that is) handling sub-maximal loads without a belt.

..for heavy lifts only... belts are not a crutch, but a safety measure. Heavy deads, heavy squats, and heavy standing BB presses( what they were designed for).

Charles Glass admitted at one point, he wears them in the gym when he trains ppl and shows others exercises, as for him, it boosts confidence, and overall feeling of security. I respect what Charles Glass has to say, and could agree to a degree...... but for all the other ppl out here who are 130 pounds, benching 120,... I find it unnecessary to wear a belt, lol.

I had the same question as you a few days ago and just recently bought a weight belt after doing some extensive research on it. What I concluded based on what I read and heard is that I will only be using it during my heaviest lifts for deads and squats only. I will not use it until I'm approaching my heaviest set or two and then throw it on. I have read that it's not good practice to wear a belt for too long and for every exercise because a) it elevates blood pressure (especially in older men) and b) it halts mid section development as the body becomes use to non-stop support during all lifts. On the other hand, I have heard that its good practice to wear a belt during your heaviest lifts (deads/squats/shoulder press) because a) it adds supports and helps prevent hyper extension, and b) wearing a belt makes you aware of your movement more while doing heavy lifts and allows you to correct yourself based on the pressure points you get from wearing it while lifting. With that I got it only for my heaviest sets and I'll see how it works.

Wouldn't be a bad investment for your heaviest lifts, especially heavy standing BB presses if you suffer from APT. And would only be used when going for maxes. If your back isn't strong enough to do the exercise then train your back to be

Originally Posted by jacob126

heyI appreciate the concern which is been Exercises . The things need to be sorted out because it is about the individual but it can be with everyone.

What?

Personally, I've never liked to use belts.
If I need a belt for deads or squats, then the weight is probably too heavy.
However, I will sometimes use a belt for standing military presses.

Originally Posted by lucifuge

However, I will sometimes use a belt for standing military presses.

I don't mean to be a dick, but I see this all the time and need to correct it: a standing military press IS a military pres; that's what the movement is. It's a standing shoulder press. If it's done seated then it's a shoulder press.

Personnally, i never use a belt.What's the purpose??To stabilize your core,then just train it to be stronger.For me it's the same than doing back movements with straps,if your wrists can handle the weight maybe it's time for you to hit them harder in the gym!By the wrists i did mean the forearms.

Well, I use a belt, and I use straps - but neither all the time. For very heavy squats (for me, this is 185 lbs and over), it helps me keep my form while I push the heavy stuff. All my warmups and lighter work, I do unbelted.

I use straps for very heavy RDLs (for me, ALSO 185 lbs and over) because my grip will never be as strong as my back. For one, I have a herniated disk that's pinching the medial nerves in my hands. For another, I really don't care how strong my grip is - and I hate to have my form deteriorate on deads because I'm focusing on my hands.

I use them and straps only when I'm super tired or when doing maximal or close to max lifts. Including Bench. I'm right in there with built's logic as well. Deadlifts and rack pulls are not a grip exercise for me.

Originally Posted by fredlabrute

Personnally, i never use a belt.What's the purpose??To stabilize your core,then just train it to be stronger.For me it's the same than doing back movements with straps,if your wrists can handle the weight maybe it's time for you to hit them harder in the gym!By the wrists i did mean the forearms.

So you don't wear shoes either?

I've got a bad back so I don't use belts. I'm over the bad back and over a quarter ton for reps.

I'm very methodical in my lifting due to brain, experience, and fear of personal destruction. A belt does not fit in here.

Originally Posted by Merkaba

So you don't wear shoes either?

Sorry Merkaba, you did mean foot is a muscle???
If your back is lagging far behind and you're doing shows use the straps.Personnally i did know that my grip was the problem for not being able to handle all the weight.After having done lots of specialize training for it, now have big forearms and the grip to handle that 600 lbs on the deadlifts!!!!!!Now for weight belts, i don't like them and feels like it don't allow me to breathe normally!

Originally Posted by fredlabrute

Sorry Merkaba, you did mean foot is a muscle???
If your back is lagging far behind and you're doing shows use the straps.Personnally i did know that my grip was the problem for not being able to handle all the weight.After having done lots of specialize training for it, now have big forearms and the grip to handle that 600 lbs on the deadlifts!!!!!!Now for weight belts, i don't like them and feels like it don't allow me to breathe normally!

No it's a group of muscles, etc, that perfom a task, like "back" and "core" or "stomach" or "wrist". Why not condition your feet so that you don't need to wear shoes when youre out and about or running, you know unless in a place that they are required.

I'm playing devils advocate, obviously, to your logic.

Actually Merkaba, there are many very good reasons to avoid wearing shoes - especially for marathon and ultramarathon running. Seems many of the injuries distance athletes tend to suffer just don't happen to barefoot runners.