How to Find the Best Weightlifting Belt for You

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How to Find the Best Weightlifting Belt for You
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(No Transcript)
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• What does a weightlifting belt do? How do you
  wear a weightlifting belt? And how do you find
  the best weightlifting belt for you?
• All good questions, and youll learn the answers
  in this article. 
• Some folks claim weightlifting belts are
  essential for avoiding injuryalmost like wearing
  a seatbelt while driving. 
• Others say that the safety benefits are overblown
  and the primary reason to wear a belt is that it
  helps you lift more weight. 

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What Is a Weightlifting Belt?

• A weightlifting belt is a thick belt that you
  wear around your waist while lifting weights.
• There are many different types of weightlifting
  belts, but theyre typically three-to-four inches
  wide (though some are wider at the back than they
  are at the front), made of thick, stiff material
  such as leather or woven nylon, and have a large
  buckle that secures the belt in place and helps
  to cinch it tightly around your abdomen.

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What Does a Weightlifting Belt Do?

• When you lift weights (or anything heavy, for
  that matter), its important to trap air in your
  lungs and create pressure in your abdomen, known
  as intra-abdominal pressure.
• This stabilizes your torso and prevents your
  spine from bending, which enables you to lift
  heavier weights safely.

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• A weightlifting belt buttresses your belly so
  that when you take a deep breath of air into
  your stomach, your abs are pushed against the
  belt. This increases intra-abdominal pressure by
  15-to-40 beyond what you can achieve without a
  belt, boosting your performance on exercises like
  the squat and deadlift.

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How to Wear a Weightlifting Belt

• In order for a weightlifting belt to help you
  lift heavier weights, you need to wear it
  properly. Heres how 
• Position the belt around your waist so that the
  bottom of the belt is just above the height of
  your iliac crests (the bony protrusions at the
  front of your hip bones). Be prepared for this to
  feel uncomfortable and leave some bruises until
  the belt is properly broken in and you find the
  right tightness for you.

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• Adjust the tightness of the belt. Use the
  tightest notch that still allows you to take a
  full breath without having to raise your
  shoulders. Sometimes the ideal tightness is
  between two notches. My general recommendation
  for scenarios like these is to use the tighter
  option for the squat, bench press, and overhead
  press, and the looser option for the deadlift.
  That said, you should ultimately use whatever you
  find improves your performance the most. 

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• Before you begin a set (and between reps as
  necessary), take a deep belly breath of about
  80 of your maximum lung capacity. As you breathe
  in, imagine your stomach inflating to the front,
  sides, and back. Your entire torso should feel
  full of air, but not so much that you have to
  struggle to keep your mouth closed.

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• Press your tongue against the roof of your mouth,
  and without letting any air escape, try to
  breathe out. At the same time, press your abs
  against the belt as hard as you can. Then begin
  your rep.
• Once youre past the sticking point, or the
  most difficult part of the rep, breathe out as
  you finish the rep.

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How to Find the Best Weightlifting Belt for You

• Size
• The two most important measurements to look at
  when buying a belt are its width and thickness
• Width Most weightlifting belts come in one of
  three widths 4, 3, and 2.5 inches. Four-inch
  belts offer the most support, so theyre the best
  option for most people. That said, a 3-inch
  weightlifting belt might be better if you have a
  short torso because its less likely to dig into
  your ribs (many women prefer a 3-inch
  weightlifting belt because they tend to be
  shorter than men, for example).

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• Thickness Most weightlifting belts are 9-to-13
  millimeters thick. Thinner belts are more supple
  and break in faster, which makes them more
  comfortable, but thicker belts offer more support
  and are more durable.

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Material

• Weightlifting belts are typically made of leather
  or nylon (you may also find cheap Amazon
  weightlifting belts made of other synthetic
  fabrics, but I dont recommend these).
• Leather weightlifting belts are more rigid and
  durable than nylon belts and therefore offer more
  support. Some leather weightlifting belts are
  also finished with a layer of suede, which is
  naturally anti-slip, so the belt doesnt move
  out of position as easily during a set.