The Final Answer: Do You Need a Weightliftig Belt And Is It A Cruch
A lot of people are wondering if they should use a weightlifting belt when lifting in order to prevent back injuries. In my opinion the belt is a crutch and should be used only when you have a history of back problems. I know that many of you will disagree and that's why I will try to prove my point by criticizing the famous article on 70sbig.com regarding the use of weightlifting belts.
"The belt’s purpose is to constrict the abdominals to give them something to contract against. This contraction of the abdominals with an appropriately tightened belt is like trying to increase the volume in a non-expansible container - it increases the pressure even more. Not only is it helping to increase the intra-abdominal and thoracic pressure more than without the belt, but the abdominals also contract harder into the belt to do so. More pressure is more support which means more strength to do the task at hand."
Yeah...right. First your abdominals do not need to contract against anything in order to contract hard. They will contract as hard as they need to in order to complete the lift. Yes, the belt might increase the intra-abdominal and thoracic pressure but it also offers an enormous support for the lower back.
Think of the weightlifting belt as a wrist wrap. I don't care who you are but if you try to bench press with with wrist support a lot of the stress on that joint will be reduced while minimizing the work of the stabilizing musles. Same with the belt. You wrap yourself and the stress on the trunk is reduced but also the stabilizing requirements. That call for a weak spine if the use of belts is excessive.
It blows my mind every time I read stupid statements like the one from 70sbig.com. If it is a knee wrap, wrist wrap, elbow wrap it's considered a support but suddenly when you wrap your trunk with a belt it's not considered a wrap because pushing with the abs fixes everything. Fuck off.
The first time I tried a belt on squats I felt solid as fuck. Especially solid from side to side. In other words the work of the obliques was reduced. Walking out the weight felt so easier. And not because of added pressure. Because the fucking belt is acting like a support.
"Before addressing other belt related topics, I want to make a bold, clarifying statement. If your goal is to get stronger (and you have been lifting longer than two months) and you refuse to wear a belt, you are a fucking idiot. I’m sorry I’m not sorry. Look, not only are the abdominals working harder, but the pressure is increased within the trunk which stabilizes and strengthens the spine. This makes you stronger, and it is usable strength. The first time someone wears their belt in a serious training session (especially when pressing and deadlifting), their abs get sore. Not to mention the work sets are handled easier than without the belt. The belt is not something that you use to “bust out of a training rut”, it is a tool that you use to get stronger, and if you aren't wearing one, then you aren’t serious about your training."
Are you serious? Belt for a two month newbie? How about checking your ingredients before overdose? Nowbody who lifts weights for two months will need a belt. Nobody. You simply won't be lifting that demanding weights and certainly don't need to wrap yourself.
Who cares if your abs get sore when using a belt? Also wearing a belt cannot be considered a good ab exercise because at some point your abs will get used to pressing against that belt. You can't keep making it tighter and tighter. Doesn't make sense. Lifting more weight is what will make your abs stronger not pressing against a stupid belt.
"Not to mention the work sets are handled easier than without the belt. The belt is not something that you use to “bust out of a training rut”, it is a tool that you use to get stronger, and if you aren’t wearing one, then you aren’t serious about your training."
No..kidding bro. Of course the work sets will feel easier when you wrap one of the biggest stress point during a deadlift - the lower back. I don't care who you are but almost everyone will be able to lift more weight to the bar after getting used to a belt and it's because your torso is more stable but that stability is caused by an outside force rather than muscular force production.
No to mention the fact that the lower back ligaments will be become weaker because of the added support. It's not only muscle we are trying to get stronger. It's joints too.
"Ok. Bro...but how come all big guys are using it ? "
First, not all big guys are using belts. The below paragraph is an excerpt from Ed Coan interview on T-Nation (link to interview)
Q: Do you have your workouts all planned out ahead of time?
Coan: Sure, I know what I'm going to do that day and for the next so many weeks. The assistance exercises can vary, but I generally have it all written down. In the off season what I like to do is not to wear equipment, deadlift off a block, do pause squats, and change stuff around like that. You want to find out where your weak points are or where you need to get stronger. Just don't wear equipment when you squat or deadlift. You'll find at weak point really fast; you'll find out by how fast you bend over. Some peoples' noses will be touching the ground.
There was a powerlifter by the name of Uri Splinoff from the Ukraine. He had a big gut, but it wasn't fat; it was like a big muscle belly. I saw him squat 947 without a belt and he stood straight up. He didn't even bend forward. He did a squatting type of good morning with over 800 pounds. I asked him about wearing a belt and he just laughed, tapped his belly, and said, "We build our own belt."
Note: The name of the lifter is NOT Uri Spinoff. It's Yuri Spinov. T-Nation show some respect.
Conclusion: The use of weightlifting belt is beneficial only if you have a back injury that is protected to some degree by the belts. In all other case the belt act as a crutch while artificially increasing the bood pressure and very often giving a false sense of security.
Weightlifting belt is like weightlifting straps and wraps - they can be useful when used correctly but otherwise they will leave you with the grip of a teenage girl in depression and the back of an old lady with drinking problems.
"Where's their belt? They must be crazy. What about the Valsava maneuver? What about flexing the abs against the belt?"
