I broke a cycle bench PR of 375, by 10 lbs while on cruise. Strength can be weird. My deadlift PR was also around the same time as the bench on on cruise. Same test used for blast and cruise. I was also a bit lighter on cruise. Strength can be weird like that.
Thats what im hoping for.
Im hoping to hold on to most of my weight(still a bit over 260lbs) and just work with it and become stronger while gradually taking off extra drugs. Nowdays in the gym i only care about BIG 4 lifts and Pull-Ups so as long as i can progress on those, i am happy and i would take the least amount of drugs just to keep progressing. If i could hold on to 250-260 and just become as strong as someone at this weight should be, i dont need extra drugs.
Anyways, im looking at 250-300mg test cruise dose for starters(i know 300mg is a lot but then again i am over 260lbs, soā¦ gotta start somewhere). I just gotta eat all my stanazolol cuz it goes bad this november 
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Squat
Bench
Deadliftā¦
Overhead press?
Yes. 531 for life, man.
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Nice, I think OHP is often overlooked in powerlifting
Yea, i think being able to lift things over your head is maybe more important than benchingā¦ in fact, bench is very unnatural exercise in āreal worldā.
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A belt is a tool just like a barbell that helps you get stronger. You will build no bigger dependency on using a belt than you would towards a loaded olympic barbell. A belt gives your abdominal muscles something to push against, which results in a tighter abdominal wall, and rigid spine, better form and finally will allow you to lift more weight and get stronger. Youāre abs will get stronger and bigger using a weightlifting belt just like any other muscle does under the stress-adaptation cycle. The belt keeping your spine in a rigid position under a heavy load means that the exercise can be performed more safely than you would without wearing one.
Hereās a great article by Rippetoe explaining it better than I ever could:
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Is there something about āsquatā and belt also? Cuz the article says that you need different belts, if i understand correct?
Most people of average height should use a 3 inch belt for deadlifting and 4 inch for squatting if their goal is perfecting their form which in return should maximize their strength gains, with all other things being equal. I personally use a 4 inch Inzer belt for both squatting and deadlifting because Iām 6ā2āā and I can get in the proper deadlift position wearing a 4 inch where as someone who is 5ā8 with a shorter torso may have trouble with since the belt would likely dig into their hips.
You could get away with squatting with a 3 inch belt since some support is better than none, but I would nevertheless recommend your first purchase be a good quality 4 inch belt. If youāre tall enough youāll likely be able to comfortably deadlift with it as well. If youāre unsure which belt to get, ask.
As for specific articles about the belt and the squat, I couldnāt find any. However there are countless pages written about proper use of a weightlifting belt. I would suggest you read the very popular strength training book by Mark Rippetoe which can be found by a quick Google search. Even though it may seemingly be aimed at novices, there is plenty of material that can be used by the intermediate and advanced athlete that wants to learn proper form when doing the main compound movements. You will also learn why you do what you do regarding strength training. It is very detailed and I find myself referring back to it time and again.
But could it be possible for someone to gain strenght and not get injured much, without ever using a belt?
Possible, sure. Optimal, no.
You can get strong using a shitty, rusty bar with no knurling instead of a quality olympic bar that would allow you to perform the lifts better, but why would you? You need to abandon the thought of the weightlifting belt being used as a shortcut or a crutch because itās not. It is a tool just like any other piece of gym equipment that you use to build muscle. I consider it to be an essential piece of equipment if you want to lift heavy weight as safely as possible.
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Do you believe that if you can deadlift 700lbs with belt, you would still be stronger beltless than someone who deads 650 beltless? My point is that if belt limits me to lifting with belt, wouldnt it be better for me to just never know what i can do with a belt?
Why would a belt not prevent injuries? It tightens your core, gives your abs something to push against, and improves your posture. All of these will help you not injure yourself.
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When you force your abs in putting pressure against your belt, this stabilizes your core muscles thus allowing you to lift more weight, safely. As a result your body gets stronger more effectively. When you take off your belt the strength will still be there because the belt is not a crutch; it is a piece of equipment, just like a heavy bar on your back, that helps make you stronger.
Think of the belt as a weight for your abs - pushing against it causes resistance therefore causing stress and adaptation to occur. Get the thought of the belt being used as a crutch out of your mind. It doesnāt make things easier; it allows for better abdominal activation (your abs are working harder) thus allowing you to lift more weight. When you take off the belt you will be stronger. I recommend you try it for 6 months and see for yourself. Perhaps youāll get rid of that nagging back pain which is likely caused by good mornings and poor form.
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Not to poo-poo on the docās article (which is actually taken from his good book and sort of out of context here) butā¦
He basically writes a disclaimer in the first sentence:
āScientific studies regarding the use of belts for athletic endeavours is scarce. The relevant information from occupational usage is discussed in this article and is blended with the limited work on athletic/performance use.ā
The rest of the article talks about occupational belt use and everything regarding athletic use of the weightlifting belt are his assumptions from studies done on occupational workers wearing belts. I think the belt mechanics for a middle aged overweight female with a bad back lifting clunky boxes in Home Depot can hardly be linked to the mechanics involved where an Olympic lifter wearing a proper weightlifting belt hoists a perfectly aligned, symmetrical 300lb barbell from the floor over his head.
The doc although surely an expert in his field, is missing the relevant scientific evidence pertaining to strength athletes that lift weights. He doesnāt even offer any anecdotal evidence. The fact that, as he states, the belt āencumbersā oneās golf swing because it produces joint stability from muscle activation may not be something desirable for improving your golf game but itās exactly what we are looking for when safely executing a heavy barbell movement.
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I was looking into some belts and they cost a lot(i live in a 3rd world country so even chicken is expensive in my eyes) - are there some things i should take into consideration to not buy something extremely crappy?
So 4 inch is ok, if im 6ā2 for squats and deads, yes? Anything else?
I definetly cant afford the SDB one with that clip in front for 150usdā¦
So do I. I buy homegrown chicken out in the country which is cheaper and tastes better.
Belts arenāt that complicated. In most cases you get what you pay for. The problem for us Europeans is the lack of choice and most quality belts are more expensive than in the USA since they are imported.
What you donāt want to do is buy a cheap belt, especially a velcro one. Youāll end up spending more money on cheap belts that give out than you would if you just saved up for a high quality belt.
I bought my Inzer about 9 years ago after the shitty velcro belt I was using gave out in the middle of a heavy deadlift. Thatās when I said āfuck it, itās time to buy a real beltā.
The Inzer still serves me well for all my lifts like it did from day one. There is barely any wear and tear noticable.
If I were you I would look at the Inzer forever 10mm 4" single prong or the Rogue premium Ohio belt 10mm thickness 4" width.
If I lived in the US and could choose which belt I wanted I would buy a Dominion belt. Alas, the high initial cost and cost of shipping and import duties prevent me from buying one.
However, both the Inzer and the Rogue mentioned above will serve you well for many years and are both available for purchase within Europe on their European websites.
Itāll probably fit you just fine for both squats and the deadlift. Youāll likely see it improve your overhead press as well as itāll allow you to brace your core better.
The original SBD lever belt costs about $240. Never heard of SDB though. Make sure you donāt buy a counterfeit.
It doesnāt need to be super expensive.
The materials do need to be good, leather and nubuck rather than anything nylon or similar
Lever and buckle are both viable, its preference and price.
If you go for a buckle, two prongs isnāt better than one, the only difference is a two prong belt is harder to put on and get off.
If there is a difference in price between 10mm thick and 13mm thick, just get 10. 13mm might last longer before it stretches, but youāre talking the difference between lasting one lifte-time or two.
Get a 4" belt
Get one thats 4" the whole way around, not one of these thick at the back and tapers things.
for reference, a StrengthShop 4" 10mm belt is Ā£49.99 for single prong, more for the lever (Ā£70). The stats and style on those are what you are looking for in terms of construction and material. I got mine maybe 4 years ago now and with heavy use its still good as new.
At what point should one consider a belt? If you handle X amount of weight?
I tend to refrain from using them because I feel as if they detract from allowing myself to concentrate on bracing my core. Do they only need to be worn for heavy squats and deadlifts? Or are they important when weight on OHP/bench, rows go up too