Question About Belts

You’ve been given a lot of good, sound advice here. The only thing for you to decided now is what are your goals. You said you want to compete. I assume that means you want to win or place as high as you can against other lifters.

The next decision you will have to make is what federation you want to compete in and that’s a whole other thread altogether. If you want to use single-ply gear and desire to compete in a drug tested federation I highly recommend the USAPL.

There are a few federations that offer a “raw” category which means the lifter is not allowed to wear supportive gear. However, even in those federations A BELT IS STILL ALLOWED. A belt will give you an advantage over those that don’t wear one in most cases because the belt is a form of supportive gear and will give you a higher total.

If you want to be competitive with other lifters in your category, you want to win or place in the top 3, you’re a new lifter who desires some awards to have around the house to show your friends (trophies, plaques, medals) and if you have the desire to go to the top such as national or international meets (the IPF) that allow gear to be worn then you will certainly need to buy a belt and learn how to use it. Should you not decide to go with a belt then understand what your up against and don’t complain about it later.

There is so much debate and static regarding the use of gear and raw lifting. If you’re interested you can read the last installment of this debate on a title called “Raw Powerlifting” that was a week or so ago on this forum and you’ll see what I am talking about.

You’ve got many choices even within powerlifting on what path you want to go down. It’s all a matter of what you want. After a few years you can change things up or go a different direction in powerlifting to make it more interesting should you desire. Good luck with your training!

[quote]Raw Power wrote:
You’ve been given a lot of good, sound advice here. The only thing for you to decided now is what are your goals. You said you want to compete. I assume that means you want to win or place as high as you can against other lifters.

The next decision you will have to make is what federation you want to compete in and that’s a whole other thread altogether. If you want to use single-ply gear and desire to compete in a drug tested federation I highly recommend the USAPL.

There are a few federations that offer a “raw” category which means the lifter is not allowed to wear supportive gear. However, even in those federations A BELT IS STILL ALLOWED. A belt will give you an advantage over those that don’t wear one in most cases because the belt is a form of supportive gear and will give you a higher total.

If you want to be competitive with other lifters in your category, you want to win or place in the top 3, you’re a new lifter who desires some awards to have around the house to show your friends (trophies, plaques, medals) and if you have the desire to go to the top such as national or international meets (the IPF) that allow gear to be worn then you will certainly need to buy a belt and learn how to use it. Should you not decide to go with a belt then understand what your up against and don’t complain about it later.

There is so much debate and static regarding the use of gear and raw lifting. If you’re interested you can read the last installment of this debate on a title called “Raw Powerlifting” that was a week or so ago on this forum and you’ll see what I am talking about.

You’ve got many choices even within powerlifting on what path you want to go down. It’s all a matter of what you want. After a few years you can change things up or go a different direction in powerlifting to make it more interesting should you desire. Good luck with your training![/quote]

I’ve looked into the different federations and requirements a little and the USAPL sounded interesting. I like that there is a raw category and they do drug testing. As of right now, I am not interested in other equipment cause, well, its expensive and I’m inexperienced.

In March, there will be a USAPL meet in my hometown and it’s probably the stupidest idea ever, but I would love to go. Just for the experience, not to win or set any records, of course. But that too is a whole other thing to debate.

I’ll definitely read through the raw powerlifting thread. I’ve skimmed through a few posts but haven’t kept up with it.

The retro belt from eliteFTS is what I was thinking about. From what I have seen, it�??s pretty cheap and I�??ve never heard anything bad about eliteFTS. I think I will get one and do it soon. It says it takes about 3 weeks to order and as Malinda said, breaking it in will take a while as well.

I’m thinking it will be a black, single prong one in a small. Though, I’m not totally sure about the size (yes, i looked at the chart measurements) I’m between the xsmall and small. Does it make a difference if it is single or double prong?

buckeye girl,

Something to consider when buying a belt: some of the smaller female lifters I’ve seen at meets use a competition belt with a tapered front. It’s regulation size all around the back to the sides, where it tapers down to a shorter width to the buckle. A lady that competes on our team mentioned the worst thing about wearing the belt is that it cuts into her ribs and hips. She switched to the tapered belt which made it much more comfortable for her. I think Titan and Inzer make them.

David

[quote]buckeye girl wrote:
By the way buckeye girl, EliteFTS.com is having a belt sale as we speak. Their retro belt, which is what I have, is on sale for about 40 bucks. It’s more than enough belt for me (455 squat/455 deadlift as of now) so it should definitely be good enough to use for years to come. Buy one!

The retro belt from eliteFTS is what I was thinking about. From what I have seen, it�??s pretty cheap and I�??ve never heard anything bad about eliteFTS. I think I will get one and do it soon. It says it takes about 3 weeks to order and as Malinda said, breaking it in will take a while as well.

I’m thinking it will be a black, single prong one in a small. Though, I’m not totally sure about the size (yes, i looked at the chart measurements) I’m between the xsmall and small. Does it make a difference if it is single or double prong?[/quote]
Double prong belts are more difficult to get buckled/unbuckled and don’t have any upside. Email EliteFTS if you’re not sure about the sizing.

Hanley and I tend to agree on most things lifting related, and this is no exception. I love my belts, and wouldn’t lift without them. They DO in fact need to be learned, and just throwing one on does not guarantee that you’ll lift more weight. Without the IAP that Pemdas mentioned (it’s intra buddy, not inter) a belt would be useless. You have to force your abs out against the belt as hard as you can. This gives you the strongest base of support possible.

I have one belt I use for SQ/DL, and a different belt I use for BP. My SQ/DL belt is from INZER, my BP belt is a Big Bench Belt from Oxsportz. Love em…

[quote]ChaseT wrote:

Double prong belts are more difficult to get buckled/unbuckled and don’t have any upside. Email EliteFTS if you’re not sure about the sizing.
[/quote]

That’s incorrect.

A single prong belt allows the belt to swivel. A double prong belt is always going to be stiffer and more effective in particular for a larger lifter.

Personnally, I don’t recommend anybody buy a single prong. It’s not that big of a deal to buckle.

For you, consider a EFS Training belt. At tour size its more likely to be comfortable and not dig into your ribs.

Basically what drdgmuro said.

I would go with the size up if you are in between. I went with the size it recommend and it fits, but I am on the last notch. The leeway is on the tighter side of the belt. So if it says 32-34 the belt has extra notches that would allow someone with a 30 inch waist to use the belt, but not someone with a 35-36.

Just call them and ask what size. Nobody there bites except Jim, and I don’t think he’ll be able to sink his chompers into you through the phone.

Too bad you didn’t order by last Friday, they also had free shipping. I bought the 13mm super cheater special, $72 to my door.