[quote]johnnytang24 wrote:
[quote]Gman9272 wrote:
I used a belt for competition in high school it hindered the development of my stabilizer muscles in my core for a long time I don’t believe in belts that’s all I’m trying to say if they work for you great if not oh well[/quote]
How exactly does a belt ‘hinder the development of the stabilizer muscles in the core?’[/quote]
He’s probably not a MD, and neither am I, and I’m sure(?) you’re just trolling and that you really do understand, but still wants to ask for the sake of asking.
So let me put it this way: Will the muscles in your midsection, ie. lower back, obliques, and stomach muscles work the same way and be stressed equally when doing a 1.) Heavy belted squats and 2.) heavy non-belted squats? For this discussion I’d say that everything more than 440lbs qualify as heavy. Every man lifting seriously should at least do 440lbs as his 1RM in the squat. That’s doable for most healthy adult men given a few years worth of training.
I do not think we need any scientific research to conclude that we have different situations in a.) and b.). Anyone who has not already tried it can go to the gym, and try around 80% of their max with and without a belt, and feel the difference.
Not saying that using a belt for the heaviest lifts are wrong. Actually for a peak performance, ie. a competition squat, using a belt will give an advantage, and as such should be used. On the other side, not using a belt will not set your back strengthwise or hamper your strength. The only thing it will affect is the amount of weight you will be able to lift. The same amount of force will equal a larger weight given that you use a belt. There is no question about that fact. The intra abdominal pressure is increased, and as such, with a tighter core, the rest of your muscles are able to produce more force. So it would only be stupid to enter a raw powerlifting meet where you want to compete against others and then select not to wear a belt. However if the competition is purely against yourself, it does not matter that much. Not every lifter needs that 20lbs+ weight a belt gives to become satisfied.
The use of a belt is more common than the use of kneewraps and a powerlifting suit. You will see a lot of people use a belt, some of them will also use knee wraps, and some of them will also have a liking for a squat suit, be it single ply or multi ply.
So all pieces of gear helps a little bit on how much you can lift in the end. For the enthusiastic lifter, the differences and knowledge about approx. how much the different pieces of gear will add to a lift is interesting to know.
Here’s what I believe the different accesories can give you in extra weight lifted. Percentages would be better to use, and a larger scientific experiment would of course be the best, but I guess noone would ever do that kind of scientific investigation, there’s no point really.
Neoprene knee sleeves: From 0 pounds to a few pounds. Depending on their tightness.
A powerlifting belt: From 10 pounds pounds to 22 lbs +
Knee wraps: From 22 lbs to 55 lbs + (depending on how tight they are)
A belt and kneewraps: From 32 lbs to 66 lbs +
Full PL gear IPF, single ply, including belt and knee wraps: 66 lbs to 220 lbs +
Then of course cheating a little bit on the depth will add extra weight in all categories.
I think participating in a forum is all about sharing knowledge, and becoming wiser, it’s not about who’s right and who’s wrong imo. There will always be differences in opinion.
Here you have a lift of Pat Mendez doing 363kg with no belt:
It’s not a rigid PL bar as some PLers will complain about, but at least it still shows it is possible to lift heavy with no belt. I was tempted to add one of my own videos to give credibility to this post, but I believe I don’t have a need for the self plots that often. However those curious could check out the latest videos from the channel kraftsportNO on youtube.
Personally, my opinion is that using a belt is somewhat ok, given that it is not used too much. But the notion that maxing out without a belt is dangerous is not correct. It is a matter of building up to it over time, then the body will adapt. However, if you are used to wearing a belt all the time, and then suddenly are doing heavy singles without, then you can be setting yourself up for a surprise.
Belt is another crutch, and most people would be better of without. Not wearing a belt also somewhat limits the amount of weight you can lift, and for beginners that can be good to avoid injury. Personally I would always advice not to use a belt if possible, as you will be used to lifting without and your midsection muscles will thank you.
There will be people on this board that disagree, and that’s okay with me, esp. if those are lifters that have lifted for years and years and are very strong. Those with limited experience are also entitled to their opinion, but I don’t listen to them so much. That’s often the problem with forums like these that unless you know who others are behind their nick names, you do not know if you are talking to a 16 year old troll, or a medical doctor with 20 years of PL experience. Sometimes you can read between the lines to see who someone is, and what kind of experience he has, but very often you can not.
I value and have big respect for the opinion from lifters that are strong and experienced. From lifters that are just starting out and think they know everything, that’s another matter entirely.
This message is directed at noone specifically. 
– Stallion
