[quote]ouroboro_s wrote:
[quote]Babypowerlifter wrote:
[quote]Powerpuff wrote:
Hey over here. I’ve noticed you don’t wear a belt for DLs and Squats. I’ve never had one. Just wondered about your thoughts? Belt in competition?[/quote]
I like lifting weights without any assistance. It feels more pure. You can definitely lift more with a belt, but that puts you on a slippery slope. If a belt helps you lift more, what’s the difference between that and using knee wraps, a lifting suit, etc.?
I may get a lot of flack for that viewpoint because people rationalize a belt as protecting your spine. I just train my back and core super hard and it seems to protect me. I would recommend that if you decide to use a belt, only do so in competition or when trying to hit a really heavy single. By not wearing a belt during training, you will better develop your lower back muscles. I think it can be a crutch for a lot of people. [/quote]
Hi there. I’ve just been reading through your log. There’s a lot of great lifting going on in here.
I agree that a belt can been seen as a crutch by people at times. However, I would caution against only using one in competition. Regardless of what some people say, belts help you put up bigger numbers. The name of the game in a competition, is to put up the biggest numbers, thereby winning. The best way to use a tool most effectively is to practice with it, thereby getting the most out of it when it counts; on the platform.
In addition, regardless of your stance on equipped vs. unequipped, I’d also caution against comparing a belt (wraps, suit, etc.) to a gateway drug from which it’s difficult to turn back and recover without counseling 
Many of us swing both ways and merely treat them like the competition tools that they are in the contest in which we compete.
Again, you’ve got really impressive numbers. Nice job.
[/quote]
Other people can do what they want to do, but I’m going to use my body and my body alone to lift the weight. Regardless of if it’s from extra support or elastic tension, belts, suits and wraps all allow people to lift more weight than if they weren’t using them. Yes, I probably could lift more with a belt or knee wraps or a squat suit, but I wouldn’t be lifting those weights by myself. On the same note, I could be more competitive if I cut my squat depth or arched my back severely on the bench, but that feels wrong to me. I’ve struggled with this for a while, trying to decide if I wanted to work on lifting “more like a powerlifter.” It just isn’t worth it to me.
The other thing is that I think that it’s better for overall strength, muscle development and joint health to lift through a full range of motion and without supportive equipment. Now, you could say that you could still train in a “powerlifting way” when you get close to competition, but this also feels wrong to me to have days specifically dedicated to cutting squat depth and not using my lower back muscles as much (with a belt) or by cutting the range of motion on a bench press. Either way, to each their own. I still have enormous respect for powerlifters, even those who use a belt. I know that there are a lot of brutally strong people who do use supportive equipment, but it’s just not for me.
Thank you though for stopping in and for the compliment. I’m not trying to be a jerk, I just come at lifting from a different viewpoint.
4/20/15 BW: 162.0
Mobility work:
Squat Isos 2 x 30 seconds @ 22 lbs
Lunge Isos 2 x 30 seconds @ 16 lbs
Jefferson curls 2 x 30 seconds @ 16 lbs
Single Leg DL Iso 1 x 30 seconds @ 16 lbs
Ring Fallout 1 x 30 seconds @ BW on knees
Dip Isos 2 x 15 seconds @ BW
Around the clock lunges 2 @ BW
Duck walks - forward, backward, side to side
Hops
Strength
Bench Press w/ feet on bench 4 x 10 @ 100, 110, 120, 110, 1 x 20 @ 100 lbs
Low Row Machine 5 x 15 @ 50, 70, 90, 70, 50 lbs
Lateral Raises dropset
Conditioning
Mile run - 6.0 m/hr
Still taking it super easy and fairly light. My bodyweight has been slowly going down, so that’s good. It’s a combination of watching my diet more and with the lack of heavy lifting, my appetite is not what it usually is so it’s been pretty easy to drop weight. My lifting numbers are still good so I don’t think my muscle mass or strength levels have been affected by dieting. I’d really like to get down to 155ish. I feel like I’d be pretty lean at that weight and it’ll give me wiggle room when it comes time to compete. There’s a meet at the end of August that I might do. It’s still a little early to tell.
I guess I just never want to wonder if I hit depth. And I try to go as fast as possible so that I’m not hanging out at the bottom, losing power.
