Whenever I do deadlifts, power cleans, etc. I always use a belt. I was just thinking though, I never know what a belt does exactly. I’ve always just been told to wear one. I know its supposed to protect me from injury, but I’m unsure how it works exactly. Can anyone help me out and explain it?
Most recent research suggests they don’t work at all. Toss your belt. Wake up with stronger abs and lower back.
I agree.
They can be used during max effort lifts, but use sparingly, if at all. If you have been using it for a long time, I would slowly come “off.” Somin’ like this…
Don’t use the belt for your low/moderate weights, use for heavy weight. Once you feel comforatable w/ that…don’t use for moderate/heavy weight, only use for real heavy weight…after comfortable w/ that, ditch it.
GL,
Danny
RIght now I pretty much just use one for dead lifts, power cleans, and hang cleans. On my power cleans and hang clean I do 3 sets of 8. I throw on a lot of weight and do the reps very quickly. I don’t worry about form too much just as long as i get the weight up. So what your saying is I pretty much should never use a belt unless I’m doing something like a 1-2 rep max?
Yeah, that’s pretty much what I am saying. But there is a ton of research out there and still a ton being done, so maybe you don’t even need to use it all. BUT, why are you not worrying about form? Besides reducing the risk of injury, proper form should help you hit BIGGER numbers w/ your lifts. Especially on explosive lifts like cleans/snatches.
Danny
Playboy,
I asked this same question about six months ago, and based upon the advice of several members of this site, I tossed my belt. At first it wasn’t easy to drop the weights down to where I could lift without the worry of injury, but the benifits far outweigh my bruised ego.
Not using the belt forced me to use good form, thus recruiting more core muscles into each lift and making me stronger overall. That little increase in core strength has helped skyrocket my training and strength to new levels.
Not to mention that I’m now lifting more weight than ever before in the squat and deadlift.
For what it’s worth, I have never used a belt and I lift as heavy as I can with DLs and squats. But as others have mentioned, form is most important.
[quote]chez1850 wrote:
For what it’s worth, I have never used a belt and I lift as heavy as I can with DLs and squats. But as others have mentioned, form is most important.[/quote]
Same here…I’ve never used a belt, and there are numerous people at my gym who tell me I should when I"m doing deadlifts, good mornings, squats, etc. Oddly, though, when I ask them WHY I need a belt, all they can say is “so you don’t hurt yourself.” These are the same people who use a belt to do curls, so it’s hard not to laugh. 
[quote]BuckeyeGirl01 wrote:
chez1850 wrote:
Oddly, though, when I ask them WHY I need a belt, all they can say is “so you don’t hurt yourself.” . :)[/quote]
No, you should simply where a belt b/c you are a girl! Ha. But knowing many commercial gyms, these guys probably think you should be wearing one b/c females are so “fragile.”
Danny
Your core (abs/obliques/erector spinae) should be stabilizing you, not a piece of cow hide.