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Whats your view on a belt? I was just about to order myself a new belt and came across this on a fitness trainer website.
Today’s Fitness Fact Or Fiction is a great topic!
When I first became serious about weight training, I was taught all of the ‘big’ lifts by a competitive power lifter. In addition to specific form, I was also introduced to the world of weight lifting accessories; wrist and knee wraps and of course, a weight belt. These were considered essentials in fact. I mean what serious trainee didn’t have a bag with all the goodies in it. In fact I think I still have my fathers 35 year old leather belt lying around somewhere. Many people swear by use of a weight belt, while others say they’re no good and can potentially cause injuries. But who’s right?
So here’s the real deal! The truth is a weight belt DOES make you stronger and the reason is simple – a belt is an external way of adding strength to your core. So in exercises like squats, deadlifts and even on the bench press, where a super stiff core is desirable to target a muscle group, they’re a good thing. I have to once again look to the pros on this one. You’d never see a competitive power or Olympic lifter compete without a belt on. Plus in addition to providing a helping hand in the strength department when it comes to extremely heavy loads, weight belts may also protect against a potential hernia, by guarding against a tear in the abdominal wall.
But I’ve got to be honest. For 99% of you I think weight belts are a total waste of time and will do more harm than good. How’s that possible you ask? Again the answer is super simple. If you wear a belt during your heavy lifts, your strength in your low back and abdominal / core area won’t develop as it should. The belt is basically doing a lot of the work for yoyu. So it’s very common to see people who can squat hundreds of pounds but who don’t have core / low back strength to back it up – without a belt that is. Think about it – if you wear an external belt to boost your strength, then it follows that your own body won’t need to be as strong. The belt is essentially replacing the strength that you should have. You follow?
It kills me when I see people in the gym training arms and wearing a belt. If you ask them, they’ll say they’re wearing it for support! Support for what? In fact that’s a main sales pitch of many belt manufactures. But how does a belt actually ‘support’ you? It doesn’t, unless it’s the kind with metal rods and serious bracing using to correct posture abnormalities and following spinal surgery. Your run of the mill neoprene belt isn’t doing jack for you except slimming your wallet down a bit.
It’s really interesting. If you look at the anatomy of your midsection, you’ll see that the human body already has a ‘belt’ in place. The way you stabilize the spine is by training the low back muscles, core work that involves rotation, and of course specific abdominal and oblique exercises. Not by wearing a belt. You already have everything you need permanently affixed to your waist to develop strength in the big lifts. And the great thing about having strength without use of accessories such as a belt is that your risk for injury is lower and your muscle groups will most likely be more proportioned.
As for me, I ditched the belt, wraps, gloves and all of it 15 years ago. In my heyday I was quite strong on my own merit, without a belt. And you can be too! So while belts can help lift bigger weights, I believe ultimately they do more harm than good and promote reliance on their use.
Today’s Fitness Fact Or Fiction is a great topic!
When I first became serious about weight training, I was taught all of the ‘big’ lifts by a competitive power lifter. In addition to specific form, I was also introduced to the world of weight lifting accessories; wrist and knee wraps and of course, a weight belt. These were considered essentials in fact. I mean what serious trainee didn’t have a bag with all the goodies in it. In fact I think I still have my fathers 35 year old leather belt lying around somewhere. Many people swear by use of a weight belt, while others say they’re no good and can potentially cause injuries. But who’s right?
So here’s the real deal! The truth is a weight belt DOES make you stronger and the reason is simple – a belt is an external way of adding strength to your core. So in exercises like squats, deadlifts and even on the bench press, where a super stiff core is desirable to target a muscle group, they’re a good thing. I have to once again look to the pros on this one. You’d never see a competitive power or Olympic lifter compete without a belt on. Plus in addition to providing a helping hand in the strength department when it comes to extremely heavy loads, weight belts may also protect against a potential hernia, by guarding against a tear in the abdominal wall.
But I’ve got to be honest. For 99% of you I think weight belts are a total waste of time and will do more harm than good. How’s that possible you ask? Again the answer is super simple. If you wear a belt during your heavy lifts, your strength in your low back and abdominal / core area won’t develop as it should. The belt is basically doing a lot of the work for yoyu. So it’s very common to see people who can squat hundreds of pounds but who don’t have core / low back strength to back it up – without a belt that is. Think about it – if you wear an external belt to boost your strength, then it follows that your own body won’t need to be as strong. The belt is essentially replacing the strength that you should have. You follow?
It kills me when I see people in the gym training arms and wearing a belt. If you ask them, they’ll say they’re wearing it for support! Support for what? In fact that’s a main sales pitch of many belt manufactures. But how does a belt actually ‘support’ you? It doesn’t, unless it’s the kind with metal rods and serious bracing using to correct posture abnormalities and following spinal surgery. Your run of the mill neoprene belt isn’t doing jack for you except slimming your wallet down a bit.
It’s really interesting. If you look at the anatomy of your midsection, you’ll see that the human body already has a ‘belt’ in place. The way you stabilize the spine is by training the low back muscles, core work that involves rotation, and of course specific abdominal and oblique exercises. Not by wearing a belt. You already have everything you need permanently affixed to your waist to develop strength in the big lifts. And the great thing about having strength without use of accessories such as a belt is that your risk for injury is lower and your muscle groups will most likely be more proportioned.
As for me, I ditched the belt, wraps, gloves and all of it 15 years ago. In my heyday I was quite strong on my own merit, without a belt. And you can be too! So while belts can help lift bigger weights, I believe ultimately they do more harm than good and promote reliance on their use.
