[quote]kpsnap wrote:
Especially for those heavy DLs.[/quote]
I’d get one for DL’s and Squats but I really have no idea which sort of belt would be best. There are a surprising amount of belts available.[/quote]
Any 4-inch 13mm belt will do. People rave about the lever belts - and they are easier to work with - but a cheap one-prong undecorated leather one (which is what I have) works just as well.[/quote]
I have an Inzer 10mm dual prong and and Inzer lever belt. For meets I like the lever because you just flip it shut when the bar is loaded for you and the clock is ticking. However, it is a pain in the ass to adjust and requires a screw driver. I have mine set to fit well when I’m in gear with my straps up. Otherwise I use my old fallback dual prong and prefer it for training.
I’d get a single prong though. The nice thing about the old school buckle belts is that they are easily adjustable if you’re training after a huge egg and bean dinner. I’ve had a few days that took two to three tries to get the lever shut and I swear I blow something in my head when I do it.
[quote]kpsnap wrote:
You must wear your belt super damn tight, O. Mine is decently snug, but I’ve never blown any brain cells fastening the lever. Just get the belt, Joe.[/quote]
I don’t like it super tight but the forever belt needs a screw driver to change it. I often train right after dinner and beans and stuff can make me ‘thick’ in the mid section That’s when I like the regular one.
back pain = no bueno. I have no pains and aches yet except for regulay doms, hence why I’m putting off the belt until I’ve reaches a point where I feel I need it to “cue my brain and core”
Inzer Lever 13mm lever. Its awesome. Hard to adjust? Its two fucking screws. Chicks just don’t like screwdrivers for some reason. Shit, keep a Makita in your bag and you could have that sucker changed in under 30 seconds, but a little stubby screwdriver works just fine. And O is right on about its ease of use once it is adjusted. You can leave it on and unbuckled till you are ready to go–then click–and you are done. No messing around with trying to get the prong or prongs where you want them when you are thinking about your lift. And you can use the belt in open position when you want it on to feel some support but don’t want to crank it down.
Joe, I totally understand losing focus on the money set. That happened to me yesterday on my deadlift money set when my new sports watch kept getting caught on my leg and beeping. Totally screwed with ma head!
I am a recent belt purchaser. So far, it has made me feel safer pulling max weights. I doubt its made much difference in the amount of weight I can lift, though I am still learning to work with it. All in all, its a relatively cheap purchase and worth a try, IMHO.
I only use my belt when the reps are 3 or lower. In other words, max pulls. Hard to say whether I get a poundage gain, but I do get a safety gain. And that counts for a lot.
I agree with Jumpin’ Jack on adjusting the lever style. First of all, I rarely need to change mine. But when I have, it takes me about 1 minute with the screwdriver and is WAY worth it in terms of the ease with latching/unlatching during training.
I should mention that I’m not mechanically inclined. If I can do it, a three year old can.
[quote]jjackkrash wrote:
Inzer Lever 13mm lever. Its awesome. Hard to adjust? Its two fucking screws. Chicks just don’t like screwdrivers for some reason. Shit, keep a Makita in your bag and you could have that sucker changed in under 30 seconds, but a little stubby screwdriver works just fine. And O is right on about its ease of use once it is adjusted. You can leave it on and unbuckled till you are ready to go–then click–and you are done. No messing around with trying to get the prong or prongs where you want them when you are thinking about your lift. And you can use the belt in open position when you want it on to feel some support but don’t want to crank it down.[/quote]
Well my back is a fair bit less stiff today. It seems that it is worse in the morning and gets better as the day goes on. I have purchased a belt and this week is deload so I’m going to go very light on the deload and just let my aches and pains heal up.
So despite my intentions of taking it easy I broke out my armor and and went out and met a bunch of friends at fighter practice. Despite the twisting, turning and moving around my back felt okay this morning, a little stiff but okay.
I did end up with a eight inch long by by two inch wide deep purple bruise on my ribs but I had a blast.
That’s when I like the regular one.
What did they hit you with, a 2x4?