Thread: Bodybuilding Belts

I quit using mine around a year ago.

I don't feel that the belts are necessary

If have problems, make sure that you are doing sufficient ab work. When I started doing heavy deadlifting without a belt that was a problem for me.

I only use it for a few select exercises to force me to keep my body vertically aligned and not get bad form. After pulling a muscle one time due to sloppy form when I became tired I started using it for:
1)Bicep and tricep work to prevent pumping the body and cheating
2)Standing calf raises (when lifting heavy) to prevent me from leaning forward and using my back
3) Heavy behind back barbell shrugs so I dont torque out my back

That's about it - they bind me up too much when doing power squats etc.

Some here don't advocate using them for anything.

what do you mean by pumping the body and cheating for biceps??? If you are talking about dynamic inertia then this is something that should happen and will prevent an injury because you will have less compression on your lumbar spine.

P-funk, I found that if I wear a belt for biceps work that I tend to have better form and am less prone to using the back to yank the weight up. The belt amplifies the feeliing and gives me feedback if I start cheating. It also tends to give me support from the cantilever forces present when I tuck my elbows in close to my sides and pump the weight. I also find that if I don not wear the belt I tend to lean forward or back more than I do without it. So it makes for a great feedback mechanism in my opinion since I can immediately feel the tension in the belt if I start getting out of plane.

What i am saying is that there should be a little bit of movement in the body when you are curling the wieght. Not when you begin the curl because that is cheating, there should be no trunk flexion here. But when your forearms are parallel with the ground there should be a slight leaning back (trunk extension) because at this point your resistance arm is at its greatest length. It is here that the movment is most difficult and gravity is at its greatest resitance. because the weight is farthest infront of us gravity tends to pull us forward a bit and our bodies knee jerk reaction is to lean a little backward to solve for equalibrium and bring its center of gravity backwards. if you don't give a little and obey the laws of inertia then what you get is compression in the lumbar spine which will most defenitly lead to back problems. So in short it is okay if you have a slight bit of sway backwards when the weight is being lifted out infron of your body in order to save your lower back and give in to Newton's 1st law of inertia.

I only use it when I do VERY heavy squats and or heavy deads, usually my last two sets. Thats it. It should not be used for other lifting unless you powerlift. nuff said

belts should not be used They could weaken the abdominal wall if you use them all the time. try strengthening your abs!

They have there place, like in extremely heavy lifts, otherwise I agree with you. When i was hurt i did not touch it for 8 months.

I only use a belt when I am using heavier weights in a certain lift than I have been, and when I am going to failure. I definately try to use it sparingly. I disagree that you should never use it though oak, they have their use.

what kind of lift?squat?

By Steve Infanti
Scripps Howard News Service

Q: Should I be using weightlifting belts at the health club?

A: Only if you're having problems keeping up your gym trunks. Weightlifting belts have gone from being a must-have accessory at the gym to unnecessary for most, if not all. In fact, they have become a topic of controversy.

At one time, weightlifters and recreational trainees swore by their belt, believing this magical piece of leather or "space-age fiber" was preventing numerous back injuries.

"I would compare this to the well-documented placebo effect we see with many supplements. If you believe in something strongly enough your mind will probably create some effect," says Rob Oshinskie, a certified trainer and owner of Victory Sports Performance in State College, Pennsylvania. Most people, Oshinskie notes, believe that lifting belts support or brace back muscles. "This is not accurate. What they actually do is increase intra-abdominal pressure. This means that the belt compresses the abdominal cavity and creates a cushioning effect around the spine. This can be a positive thing for someone attempting very heavy loads. However, for most people, persistent use of a belt will most likely create an altering of the nervous system patterns which control the stabilizing mechanisms in the muscles of the back," says Oshinskie, who had spine surgery 11 years ago and no longer trains with a belt.

The general rule of thumb from trainers is if you need the belt, you're probably lifting too much. In addition, while the belt can provide some aid for heavy overhead presses, squats and deadlifts, a belt offers no support when you lie on your back. Lifting without a belt allows you to develop the supporting muscles of the lower back and abdominals.

I agree that it is used 2 much Oak, I only use it when going really heavy on the squat, just a set or too even. I used it at the end of my deadlift cycle, when I was working with lower reps. The stabilizing muscles are very important and shouldn't be neglected.

I've had many pulled muscles and other various back
injuries over the years, and after a few years of layoff,
I injured a muscle in the lumbar region, after much
stretching, I decided to not use a belt anymore, the
lower back has never felt better. I was careful in
the beginning and didn't go heavy, my back would
hurt for a couple of days, stretching helped, and eventually
I was able to start adding the weight. I think the supporting
muscles became weak after all the years using a belt, with squats
and deadlifts. When you are young you can get away without
having a lot of injuries, but when you get older those weak links
are going to break. Just my opinion.

Here's my advice. Use it if you want to. There are no right or wrong answers here despite what the self proclaimed experts say.

I have tried belts in the past for heavy squats and I don`t like the way they feel, therefore I feel my back is stronger because of no belt.

My job requires a fair amount of heavy lifting and I`m sure if I wore a belt in the gym I would have a few back injuries lifting outside the gym.

I believe a belt is not needed, if your tired or not up to par on a certain day maybe you shouldn`t do that last heavy set to risk injury because of bad form.

Originally posted by Rob_NC
Here's my advice. Use it if you want to. There are no right or wrong answers here despite what the self proclaimed experts say.

Sometimes there is a right or wrong answer IMO.

Originally posted by Mudge
Sometimes there is a right or wrong answer IMO.

That is true in most cases, however, without knowing this individuals complete background as well as medical history, it is not the business of any of us to tell him what or what not to do. That should be left to a professional. We can only make recommendations.

It has been my experience, if given advice from another, that a personal evaluation of said advice is necessary in order to make up one's own mind as to whether or not to continue with it.

I am not a believer in using belts...unless of course you're interested in weakening the core and eventually sustaining an injury...hehe

My primary use of a belt is heavy squatting.

Sometimes I use it for exercises like skull crushers where I have to lift the weight from the floor first standing, then lay down on the bench (I work-out alone).

Also, if I go heavy on standing bicep curls I put my belt on.

I put a leg forward with standing curls and it works fine (for me). I never curl more than 125 though.

When doing triceps I dont do them standing, I just lean over while sitting on the bench and flip it up, I use around 125 for those also at most.

Originally posted by Mudge
I quit using mine around a year ago.

Ditto.