Belt for Deadlifting for Fat Guys

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerlifting & Strength Sports
1

I purchased a new belt a while ago, the 13mm Inzer lever, it’s awesome for squat and bench, but for dead, I can’t bend over. I’m a fat guy, so it just pushes it all around, and does not allow me to bend over. I can still dead, but I can’t get anywhere near the mobility I need.

My old belt I use for deadlifting, just some regular leather belt I picked up a year ago. It works, but the holes are starting to tear, so it needs to be replaced. I don’t know the thickness, but it is probably about 1/4 the thickness of my current belt.

So, for fat, tall guys that dead conventional, what belt should I use?

2

Just move the belt up bit.

3

[quote]Reed wrote:
Just move the belt up bit. [/quote]

I’ve done that, doesn’t help. My form, good or bad, takes me all the way to the ground to pick it up. I can’t do that with the belt, it hits all kinds of parts on my body, arms, hips, etc.

That is a video of my last DL session First set had the inzer belt on, rest had my junk Grizzley where the holes are half ripped. It’s really hard for me to grip the bar with the inzer on.

4

Is that the closest you can bring in your stance? I think the wideness of your feet placement is part of the issue. I deadlift with an inzer 13mm, but I don’t have the abdominal circumference issues you are contending with.

5

Get a Spud Inc belt. That’s what I use. Well worth it.

6

[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
Is that the closest you can bring in your stance? I think the wideness of your feet placement is part of the issue. I deadlift with an inzer 13mm, but I don’t have the abdominal circumference issues you are contending with.[/quote]

This^ either bring your feet in or you arms in and pull sumo. I am fatter than you, use a 13mm lever belt with no issues.

7

I’ve tried sumo. I have the mobility for it, but not the strength. It may be just that I’ve never trained it and it’s time to bite the bullet and switch / commit, but just not sure. It doesn’t feel right.

The bar is over about 1/2 of my foot. I can go in, but only about 2 inches. I like your description of abdominal circumference issues, gentle way of saying your belly isnt’ as big as mine, made me laugh.

My feet are fairly wide for conventional, a tad wider than shoulder width. Kind of like if you were to do a snatch pull. Like I said, good or bad, it’s how I can pull the most, but that’s probably just bad.

For my current belt, I can pull sumo with. Sumo is a natural “no brainer” conversion for me, just doesn’t feel natural. Like, when I pull a weight I can’t do, I can’t even budge it, it’s glued to the floor. For conventional, I get it up a couple inches at least.

I like the looks of the spud belt, looks to be perfect for me pulling conventional. So, it just comes down to, do I buy a new belt and keep pulling conventional? Or, do I encompass the help of the community here to show me how to pull sumo correctly? hrmm, thoughts?

For reference, I squat mid low to mid 500’s with a wide stance, pulled 475 conventional a while ago, but have been decreasing , partly due to trying to switch to sumo once already, and figure out a better stance. Bench is pathetic, and doesnt’ have much to do with this. When I do bent over rows, I’ll typically do anywhere from 225 to 275 for sets of 5-10 or so, if that matters.

8

I sumo-ed for a while and I also squat wide. You’re right, you’re basically doing snatch grip pulls which are harder head to toe. The combo week in and week out killed my hip flexors. The trick to sumo IMHO beyond just getting used to it, is to sink your hips as low as you can, build tension in your hips, legs, back, etc., by pulling yourself into position and then…pull like hell. Theres a great Dan Green vid on sumo cues.
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Btw, I switched to conventional this year becuase my hips were always sore and I completely stopped making progress. I made the switch in march/april, got my first DL PR in June. I dont test often but the bar comes up faster every week. You can switvh and make progress. You might get humbled temporarily, but you come out stronger in the end.

9

I did a DL session just now. Sorry for the lack of video editing on this one, I just combined them and uploaded them, it was over my lunch and I was already late.

You will notice that on one set my crap belt literally flies off, that was a first, but shows why I need to figure something out.

I did 4 sets of 6 at 375. First set video angle from the side. My first 2 reps I tried closing my legs in closer, to a width about 18" apart. It was hard, so I went to my regular pulls.

Second set is sumo with crap belt.

3rd set is regular with a front view with crap belt

4th set is sumo with big belt.

I can definitely get into better positioning with my crap belt on sumo than my big belt, or so it looks and felt. However, I may have been fatigued though too. I couldn’t finish the last 2 reps on the 4th set, I have learned not to push it when my form falls, and it was going to be some ugly reps, plus a blister popped.

I will say this, though, today’s session while sumoing felt a lot easier than it had in the past. I drift forward right at the beginning though, which if I do the switch, I will work on.

So, seeing my two styles, what are everyone’s recommendations for a belt? Switch to sumo, keep the belt I have, or stay conventional and purchase another one, or switch to sumo and buy another one?

Sorry for the naked baby.

10

I angle my belt, slightly higher in back, slightly lower in the front. You could also use a 10mm belt rather than a 13.

11

[quote]JonathanByrd wrote:
I angle my belt, slightly higher in back, slightly lower in the front. You could also use a 10mm belt rather than a 13. [/quote]

I’ve done that before with my smaller belts, big belt I can’t do it with. I think after watching my videos closer I need to really work on my form, get that nailed down, then decide on a belt. I thought I fixed my form a while ago, but these last videos look like there is room for improvement. I’ll start a new thread for form check, but I’ll leave this one going for belt ideas for other “circumference challenged” individuals.

12

[quote]dzirkelb wrote:

[quote]JonathanByrd wrote:
I angle my belt, slightly higher in back, slightly lower in the front. You could also use a 10mm belt rather than a 13. [/quote]

I’ve done that before with my smaller belts, big belt I can’t do it with. I think after watching my videos closer I need to really work on my form, get that nailed down, then decide on a belt. I thought I fixed my form a while ago, but these last videos look like there is room for improvement. I’ll start a new thread for form check, but I’ll leave this one going for belt ideas for other “circumference challenged” individuals.[/quote]

I will say this, you should always be focusing on developing form. That is what I specifically work on my deload weeks.

13

the deadlift thread really opened my eyes to how off my form is on deads. I’m not going to make any belt decisions until I get form fixed. This belt should work fine if I am doing form correctly, and that will be my sort of motivation.

14

Those cheap skinny belts can actually be perfect for deadlift. There was actually an article here on Tnation about deadlift belts some months ago.

However, my advice is… Don’t use a belt. I don’t consider wearing a belt on Deadlift until I’m over 600#.

My form advice to you is about the same I tell everyone else. Your hips are late and lazy. Your hips and knees should finish extension at roughly the same time. Don’t finish pulling with your back… you finish the pull by pushing your hips forward.

Also… learn how to set up. I’m so tight with my proper setup that anything under a couple hundred pounds lifts off the floor before I even start my lift.