Waist Belt?

[DR.TEX]

i would like to know how many people wear the belt when lifting? and what are the pros and cons of wearing it? I know people say that it will keep your waist tiny, because it dosent let you work the core muscles during any particular workout. Is this true? Or does it really matter? THANX

[Joe Dic]

I know several gyms up here do not allow you to use belts, they say it causes injuries cause your not using your lower back abs etc to stabalize a** they do not get worked out.

[doolo]

which muscles are these mysterious stabilizers or even core muscles for that matter? yah nobody can tell you what they are called cause there arnt any. Its the same as wrapping your knees, but its for your lower lumbar. It also gives your abs something to push against providing further support. Theres less bending of the spine aswell.

I dont know about anyone else but my belt doesnt have any muscles on it nor does it allow my muscles to work less. it simply keeps everything nice and compact and retains heat keeping me further from injury then without it. Alot of people keep the belt on loose so they can just tighten it when they need the support. I use it for Deadlists, squats and any bent over types of exercises like rows.

As for core muscles theres abs, obliques, intercostals and lower back. I think core stregth comes from lower back, hams and glutes more then anything.

[DR.TEX]

Nobody else on the board whears a belt?

[soulstealer]

Its the core muscles that become weak from overuse IE Obliques a**ominal wall and sub wall(whatever the hell its called) they all relax when wearing a tight belt so even if you can pull 600lb your core isnt ready to handle 600lbs and you risk an injury... I just dont use belt unless I were to go for the top end of a max out single...

[manwitplans]

I wear a belt.

Squatting
Deading
Benching
And curling actually.

I don`t keep it tight all the time, I loosen it when i`m not working out (between sets). And really tighten it to get real pressure in the body.

[jerseyboy]

I wear a belt when I go heavy. It gives support and helps prevent injury. As far as a gym not letting you wear a belt, well that's just plain ridiculous. I wouldn't go to that gym anymore that's for damn sure. I can't even imagine someone telling me I can't wear a belt doing squats.

[Ajc330]

i wear a belt for any overhead press movement, deads and squats, but then again i only use it if i use a weight where i can do 5 or less reps

[Joe Dic]

Its not my advice, just sayin what a few gyms have posted on walls and have been told by trainers. My lower back is ****ed from car accidents so no heavy back lifting with or sans belt. the closest I come to heavy lift is bent over barbell rows, no deads,etc..

[dwaynewade]

helps some depending on the lift... alot of it (IMO) is mental- your common placebo. And i also agree that you're limiting the function of stabalizer muscles...

Look at AJC330's avatar...

nice belt huh?

[passthetest]

Only wear one for bench and deads the cons for using them is you look like a ****ing idiot if no one else is wearing one.

[jerseyboy]

I don't care what I look like. If I'm going heavy and I feel I need the extra support I want the option of using my belt. Any gym that tells me I can't would be losing a member. What's next you can't wrap your knees or use wrist wraps? How bout no straps either. I know, maybe they should just limit how many plates you can put on the bar and take away all the dumbbells over 50 pounds.

[kaberle_15]

I wear a belt for a lot, arms theres no need everything else i will wear it and depending on the weight im lifting I will tighten it or keep it loose.

[Ajc330]

i hate it when i see guys walking around with belts on for fashion, it's so annoying, i'm sorry if anyone here does that but there is this one kid in my gym who thinks he is mr brolic and walks around with his chest out wearing a belt for every damn exercise, i'm maxing out on deads and i ask if i can borrow his belt, he's like sorry i'm using it, and he is doing hyperextensions..


anyway off rant, BTW my avatar is franco columbo, one of the best backs in history of body building, that lift is a peice of cake for him
belts are more of a safety issue when maxing out more then anything and if you are maxing out i would say it's fine to use a belt and you wouldn't be making your core muscles weak

[DR.TEX]

but they mean thing i really wanted to know is that does is shrink your waist or not?

[eviltang]

but they mean thing i really wanted to know is that does is shrink your waist or not?

I am not an expert, but.....does it shrink your waist? Yes and No. Yes, it could in theory constrict or displace the fat. In other words, it might not allow the fat to deposit/grow where ever the belt is applying pressure. But this does not mean it will prevent fat growth.

Think of a toothpaste tube. Squeeze it in the middle with a weight belt and it just makes the toothpaste bulge in different areas.

The only way to "shrink" your waist is diet properly.

As for the Muscle/Support/etc argument, I have heard both ways. I will keep my opinion to myself on that topic. *****cant resist****** think muscle atrophy! LOL!

Again, this is my poorly educated guess. I am sure there are a lot more qualified people to answer this question, it is just my $.02

[jerseyboy]

The point of a belt is not to shrink your waist or to lose fat. You don't wear it long enough to cause any kind of muscle atrophy. It's simply to provide some extra support for your back when lifting heavy. I use it for heavy benching and for heavy squats and some back work. I'm not worried about the stabilizer muscles during these few brief instances. It's not like I'm wearing my belt through every rep of every set of every workout.

[dwaynewade]

If you regularly lift weights, then you have probably been told that wearing a weight lifting belt will reduce your chance of suffering an injury. Although they are useful, they have a number of disadvantages. This article will discuss the disadvantages of weight lifting belts.

Dependence

The first disadvantage of a weight lifting belt is that you can become too dependent on it. Most people have a tendency to push out against the belt when they lift. When you're not wearing the belt, your body will continue to push out your a**ominal muscles instead of tightening them correctly. This will increase your risk of suffering a lower back injury.

Reduced Strength

Reduced strength is also a disadvantage of a weight lifting belt. Your back and a**ominal muscles are supposed to act as a natural belt that supports the lumbar spine. When you use a weight lifting belt, your lower back and a**ominal muscles are used even less because of the support provided by the belt. This has the opposite effect of what you're trying to achieve.

Blood Flow

Another disadvantage of weight lifting belts is their effect on your blood flow. These belts have to be tight to give you needed support, but this also has the effect on increasing your blood pressure. The belt also causes pressure to your a**omen which can increase your systolic blood pressure and obstruct the flow of blood to your heart.

Injury

One of the final disadvantages of a weight lifting belt is the increased risk of injury. These belts can slightly change your lifting style and put pressure on different parts of your body which may lead to injury. Some people tend to use weight lifting belts to cover up existing injuries just so they can continue to lift weights. This often causes the injuries to worsen. Weight lifting belts also increase a person's perception stability, so they often try to lift heavier weights than they should.

There are a few disadvantages of weight lifting belts that you should be aware of. It's possible to become too dependent on them them and increase your risk of injury whenever you're not wearing one. Your lower back and a**ominal muscles are also used less when you wear a weight lifting belt, so they will decrease in strength. These lifting belts can also raise your blood pressure and obstruct the flow of blood to your heart.

Written by D Swain