Wearing a belt, yes or no?

[wrenchhands]

Ok I've searched the site about wearing a belt. I've read the threads, and now I've got a guy on Reddit telling me I need to wear a belt unless I want to injure myself when my weight gets up there.

So what's the deal? Will I injure myself without? How many of you wear one? Who doesn't?

[DaveT]

I think if you're sensible about how much you're increasing your deadlift (i.e. don't increase the weight unless your form is perfect), then you won't injure yourself. If you need to use a belt to help you deadlift (and I'm talking as a beginner here, obviously this isn't aimed at advanced lifters), then the weight is too much and you should deload. The only way you can DL more is by building the core muscles, and if you're using a belt to do the work, then the muscles aren't doing the work and they won't develop.

I don't use a belt. I might consider it if and when I moved onto an intermediate program such as Texas, where I was testing 1RMs. Then you're attempting weights that may be out of your range and there would be a danger of injury.

[wrenchhands]

Shit i keep getting like, bullied into one, as if I'm gonna injure the shit out of myself right away.

[DaveT]

It's simple - people injure their backs because they are a) lifting too much weight or b) lifting with poor form, or more likely a combination of the two. Wearing a belt does not solve either of these problems in the long term (it may do in the short term).

Check out Mouse, Holvoetn, RobCosimo or Buffalo150's log. They're all lifting in excess of 330lbs, hoping to reach 440lbs by the end of the year, all while not wearing a belt. Why can they do this? Because they have always trained without a belt and built a rock solid core. This means they are able to DL with great form. If the form slips, the weight drops, it's that simple. This way you're always pushing yourself, but within the limits of what your body is capable of doing.

As long as you don't allow the ego to take over, which in reality is what buying a belt is all about as it allows you to lift weights that are heavier than your body is ready for, then you should be fine.

What does this guy on Reddit think about squatting below parallel? Is that going to damage your knees/back as well?

[dylanamus]

All of the following is based on the assumption that the reader has no history of injury.

I don't use a belt for anything and I agree with DaveT on its potential usefulness as a once off (or for dudes lifting so much weight that blinking an eyelash could cause them to snap in half).

Although, truth be told, if you have been lifting long enough to justify shooting for a 1RM, be it for personal reasons (goal setting, strength feedback) or as a part of a program (TM), then you should know enough about your body and your limits and be able to make weight increases that reflect this wisdom.
Therefore if you're ready to do a 1RM then you will probably only ever overshoot your actual max by 5kg or less, which is unlikely to cause injury because you've learnt correct failure technique by this stage.

Like DaveT has been saying, if you leave your ego at the door and you listen to your body, you will do better to pretend belts don't exist. Excludes dipping belts of course

[holvoetn]

No belt for me.
Don't need it, don't want it.

For me the weakest link during deadlift is my grip, next thing I need to do is use straps then, I assume ?
Last week a guy at my gym recommended straps when I told him I was aiming for 200kg/440lbs by end of the year. "No way" I said. I want to be able to do this raw.

BTW belts can also be used for squat.
Don't need it there either ...

[Bluegreyhound]

To each their own. Use a belt. Don't use a belt. I don't really think it matters. There are plenty of guys who are very strong and who lift with good technique, with / without a belt. Whatever make you happy and lift safely.

[muddy]

To each their own. Use a belt. Don't use a belt. I don't really think it matters. There are plenty of guys who are very strong and who lift with good technique, with / without a belt. Whatever make you happy and lift safely.

^^^^^^^^^
Yeah, that.

Using a belt for heavy (1-3RM max) attempts is not at all equivalent to using straps, wearing a bench shirt, or using a squat suit, and I really wonder if people who think so have actually tried a belt for any length of time to make an informed opinion. Barring actual injury concerns, the only reason people lift more with a belt is because their form is not as good as it should be otherwise, in which case, yes, they are masking a problem that should be fixed. This is not a good reason to wear a belt, any more than squatting a lot of weight but not breaking parallel is a good way to squat. Just because there is a wrong way to do it and most people do it wrong does not mean all ways of doing it are wrong.

If you can squat X pounds with a belt, you should be able to do the same without a belt. The primary value of a belt is it serves as a reminder during heavier lifts to keep the core tight, and hence there's no value in wearing it for sub-maximal lifts. That's really it. It's a reminder, and a source of constant feedback, during heavy lifts only. There's no magic jetpack in the back of the belt that will lift the weight for you. And if using a belt suddenly adds 40 lbs to your squat, I think you need to reevaluate your beltless squat form.

Wrenchhands, you are not going to hurt yourself without a belt. I would wager the person telling you you have to use one is someone who is using a belt wrong. I'll be more insulting and say I'd wager they're also not squatting to parallel. If you do you a belt, god will not kill a kitten, the sun will rise tomorrow, and unless your form is already bad, your squat 1RM will not rise tomorrow.

[atypical1]

There's no magic jetpack in the back of the belt that will lift the weight for you.

OK, so this statement is truly disappointing to me. If it's not in the belt then where can I get that magic jetpack at as I'm really feeling that I need it for my squats...

james

[Bluegreyhound]

There's no magic jetpack in the back of the belt that will lift the weight for you.

OK, so this statement is truly disappointing to me. If it's not in the belt then where can I get that magic jetpack at as I'm really feeling that I need it for my squats...

james

Just shove a pogo stick up where the sun don't shine and you'll be repping that 200kg baby. Ah, now I'm beginning to see why Frank Yang was doing those squats in that Sumo wrestler loin cloth. At first, I thought he was nuts. But now I see that's how to prove that he was lifting 100% RAW.. no gimmicks, no jet-pack, no anti-gravity belt, no pogo-stick..

[eLvarouza]

From what I understand wearing a belt can add minimal weight (5-10kg, I've also seen claims of up to 20kg) to your squat or deadlift, simply because it keeps everything tighter. I've read this a lot on powerlifting forums. Rip also said somewhere that the belt can help with the squat because squatting against a very tight core is a more secure feeling, or something like that.

Does it come down to form issues? Maybe. But the belt further increases intra-abdominal pressure (IAP), which results in your lower back maintaining extension easier. Even if your abs are super-strong, the belt still adds some IAP.

All that said, the notion that you "won't develop your core musculature" if you use a belt is ridiculous. It's not like the muscles turn off if you're wearing a belt. However, you shouldn't become overly dependent on the belt either.

[Barry06GT]

Coach Rippetoe has been quoted in the past by saying that you should only wear a belt if it matches your purse. But in his video, one of the lifters puts on a belt, and Coach Rippetoe explained the benefits and reasons for using a belt - so he is not so against it as his quotes might seem to be.

.

[muddy]

Reading over what I wrote, my apologies, I didn't mean to come off so sarcastic. This topic has come up a lot on e.g. the crossfit board, and the discussion tends to readily jump into this alleged purist "don't do it" mode, without seemingly offering any rationale for the strongly held position, and in spite of some real evidence that implies it is not the bad thing it is sometimes touted to be.

If it really adds weight to one's DL/SQ, then this is something I've not experienced personally. I wonder why not, and I wonder if I am alone in that experience? Maybe this poundage boost with a belt only comes into play for people putting up big numbers for squats and deadlifts. I really don't know.

I have tried heavy (for me) lifts both with and without the belt, and I simply cannot see how a belt would help me lift something I otherwise couldn't lift. What I have experienced is the "reminder effect", where in a very intense effort, it serves as a tactile reminder to keep things from collapsing.

People talk about becoming dependent on the belt, but what does that mean, and how does one avoid it [with one clear option: never use a belt]? To me, if a person really can become dependent, it seems to imply the belt really is doing more than advertised to help with the lift, and again, that just runs counter to my experience. My experience is just me, and limited at that, but it still makes me wonder.

Not wearing a belt for submaximal lifts (<90-95% 1RM) tends to be the standard recommendation, which makes some kind of sense. It would seem the reason here is to make sure you retain your feel for DL/SQ without a belt. I see it as similar to squatting without a box and developing a sense for hitting depth in lieu of a spotter to check you.

If I really thought a belt was somehow bad for training, or made it seem like I was stronger than I really was, I wouldn't use one. I'm open to the possibility I am completely wrong about this, and so I am really interested in a discussion that points out actual flaws in using a belt that go beyond a purist approach. I don't think much of the purist approach, because really, where does that stop? Chalk? Certain kinds of knurling? Shoes? These allow you to apply a stronger stress, but are they "cheating"? Just because you don't have your Chucks or Do-Wins on, just because you haven't done your roller warm-ups, and just because you're not chalked up, does that mean you're really less strong in a given situation? Or does that stuff allow you to apply a better stress, and hence become stronger? Is the belt, then, really in a different category?

[muddy]

There's no magic jetpack in the back of the belt that will lift the weight for you.

OK, so this statement is truly disappointing to me. If it's not in the belt then where can I get that magic jetpack at as I'm really feeling that I need it for my squats...

james

I've been trying to find these too. I think they may be standard in some of the new 10-ply squat suits?

[eLvarouza]

Coach Rippetoe has been quoted in the past by saying that you should only wear a belt if it matches your purse.

He said that about gloves, not a belt.

Reading over what I wrote, my apologies, I didn't mean to come off so sarcastic. This topic has come up a lot on e.g. the crossfit board, and the discussion tends to readily jump into this alleged purist "don't do it" mode, without seemingly offering any rationale for the strongly held position, and in spite of some real evidence that implies it is not the bad thing it is sometimes touted to be.

I think the people saying "never use one" have never tried squatting or deadlifting a maximal load with a belt, or even used a belt properly if at all.

If it really adds weight to one's DL/SQ, then this is something I've not experienced personally. I wonder why not, and I wonder if I am alone in that experience? Maybe this poundage boost with a belt only comes into play for people putting up big numbers for squats and deadlifts. I really don't know.

My squat feels better with a belt, since it keeps me tighter as I go into the hole, and tighter on the way up. My belt is probably too loose as well. It just feels better when you come up out of the hole and push out against the belt.

I have tried heavy (for me) lifts both with and without the belt, and I simply cannot see how a belt would help me lift something I otherwise couldn't lift. What I have experienced is the "reminder effect", where in a very intense effort, it serves as a tactile reminder to keep things from collapsing.

This is probably another reason a belt helps. It's easier to lock out a deadlift with a straight back for example. If your back is rounding you have to devote energy to straightening it at some point, and locking out a deadlift with a rounded lower back sucks.

Even if the belt helps you lift more I feel the safety aspect outweighs the "cheating" aspect.