Belts or Raw?

[themondtster]

Do yall use belts when lifting heavy? I've heard mixed reviews about it. I personally feel uncomfortable wearing one.

From My Droid!

 

[machine23]

Max outs yea I wear one.. But 99% of the time I go raw. Depends tho.

 

[brad1224]

when i go heavy on squats yea but not on deads...i feel like it defeats the purpose. but im also a bber not a power lifter so i want to strengthin the core as much as possible

 

[moya]

i use a belt for moderate-heavy squats and deadlifts @90%+ of my 1RM...
belt dosnt do any lifting for you... it adds leverage and gives stability, but the core muscles still have to perform...

 

[stevesmi]

only for max'outs which i rarely do.

i would not encourage you go around the gym wearing a belt for everything you do, i'm sure you know that and your question was 'lifting heavy'

 

[chaos13]

i only use a belt for 1rm deadlifts and almost anytime i do heavy overheard shoulder presses

 

[Judo Tom]

havent used it in years. I got my core silly strong and if my abs are a weak point then so be it. ill keep training them to catch up. I recently had to focus on my lower abs as I was improving my deadlift.

You need to know your body and limitations though. I train my core a lot and have done so for years.

I dont use wraps, gloves, straps and im barefoot half the time when i do military presses, squats, etc etc.

dont just jump into this get hurt then blame me. this is not the way to go for most people IMO

 

[stevesmi]

^^^barefoot is the way to go but unfortunately gyms do not allow it.

I always enjoyed running barefoot that is the proper way to run, our ancestors did not wear shoes when they ran

 

[Judo Tom]

its my gym just one of the perks. You could always lift in minimalist shoes or water socks. ghetto but 98% the same as vibrams.

I run in them too and it changed everything about running for me. I used to get shin splints, knee pain, hip pain and back pain. After transitioning to minimalist shoes I can run miles without pain now. Definitely makes staying lean much easier.

 

[stevesmi]

^^^ minimalist shoes ... where do you get those from?

do they protect you if you step on anything on a trail?