5 Mistakes You Might Be Making With Your Weightlifting Belt

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5 Mistakes You Might Be Making With Your
Weightlifting Belt
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(No Transcript)
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• Ask half a dozen seasoned lifters about what belt
  they wear and why, and you will probably get back
  just as many different answers. In fact, you will
  probably get back more answers than the questions
  you asked, as many lifters will have more than
  one belt to cater to different lifts and
  situations.

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• The belt for lifting are a personal preference,
  and the purpose of this article is not to talk
  about the pros and cons of various types of
  belt. Instead, we will spend our time looking at
  how to make the best use of this simple but very
  effective training aid.

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• I would like to trust that you all believe in
  wearing a belt, but in reality, I know that some
  of you may need a little more convincing. Lets
  try this line of reasoning. To get better (at
  anything your sport, your life, your lifting)
  you need to get stronger.

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1. How to use your lifting belt effectively

• Lets clear up a misconception here. A belts
  primary function is not one of supporting your
  back per se, as commonly believed. Instead, it
  aids you to increase intra-abdominal pressure,
  which in turn acts as a brace to support and
  strengthen your spine.

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2. When to wear a weight lifting belt

• When the going gets tough, the tough wear a belt.
  Im not suggesting you wear a belt for all your
  warm-ups sets.
• But when it starts to get hairy, add the belt. In
  fact, I would advocate wearing the belt prior to
  the sets that matter. Breathing hard against the
  belt is a skill that needs to be practiced,
  especially when performing continuous
  repetitions.

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3. How tight should a lifting belt be tightened

• As we have discussed, a good lifting belt is
  designed to increase intra-abdominal pressure and
  stabilize your whole midsection.
• To create this pressure you need to contract your
  abs against the belt. To make this possible, wear
  your belt one hole looser than as-tight-as-it-can-
  go. A good rule of thumb is that you should be
  able to get your hand between your belly and the
  belt.

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4. How do you position a lifting belt on your body

• The basic answer to this is, where it does not
  impede your lift. The bottom of the belt should
  not get wedged into your hips when they are
  flexed.
• Neither should the top of the belt push against
  your ribs. Wear it in a position that is
  comfortable, whilst allowing you to create the
  necessary pressure against it. You may find this
  position is slightly higher when pulling from the
  floor

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5. When is the best time to use a lifting belt

• In terms of movements, we are talking about the
  big compound lifts (squats, deadlifts, and
  presses), and also the Olympic lifts along with
  strongman exercises such as the yoke and farmers
  walks.
• All these movements are fundamental to building
  strength. Any movements that can be classified as
  such, as we have seen, are best performed with a
  belt for maximum weight and maximum benefit.