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blood_drinker
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I know this has gone over before vaguely. But now, here goes in detail for the ones in doubt:
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Weight belts appear to be counterproductive.
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Wearing a weightlifting belt during a work out does not necessarily improve performance, according to Dr. Sohail Ahmad, of the Albany Medical Center in Albany, N.Y. In fact, the end result of belt use may be underuse of abdominal muscles and increased strain on the back.
Ahmad looked at 50 weightlifters, aged 18 to 50, who worked out for 1-1.5 hours a day in a local gym. Half the men wore a weightlifting belt and all the men performed the same exercise regimen. The researcher looked at their strength gains and their abdominal and back strength throughout the study, according to a report presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Ahmad found that the strength gains in both groups were essentially the same.
"Most people had increased strength with exercise on a chest machine and that's what I used to evaluate them," Ahmad said in an interview with Reuters. "However, those patients who did not use the weightlifting belt had better abdominal and back strength, as evidenced by the ability to do more repetitions in two exercises, called the abdominal crunches and the hyperextensions."
Though this study is a little misguided in terms of real world usefulness of a weight belt it does demonstrate that the dependency on a weight belt can impede muscular and strength development in certain areas.
The belt works by increasing intra-abdominal pressure and helping the athlete lift more weight above his head. In effect, it makes people use less of their muscles and more of this intra-abdominal pressure to help lift the weight, Ahmad discovered.
"My theory is that without using the weightlifting belt and using your body mechanics and posturing, you are able to recruit more of your muscles in your abdomen and back to help you lift the weight. In effect, you are getting a better exercise load on your back and abdomen," says Ahmad.
A person does not need a weightlifting belt if they use the proper form and technique, Ahmad believes. However, competitors or power lifters are better off using a weightlifting belt for those heavy, maximum lifts. But even for those individuals, Ahmad would not recommend use of a weightlifting belt all the time.
"It affects performance in that you are able to lift heavier weights, but I think it detracts from your strength gains in the abdomen and back if you do use a belt all the time," Ahmad said. "Your strength gains are better without the belt."
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Weight belts appear to be counterproductive.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wearing a weightlifting belt during a work out does not necessarily improve performance, according to Dr. Sohail Ahmad, of the Albany Medical Center in Albany, N.Y. In fact, the end result of belt use may be underuse of abdominal muscles and increased strain on the back.
Ahmad looked at 50 weightlifters, aged 18 to 50, who worked out for 1-1.5 hours a day in a local gym. Half the men wore a weightlifting belt and all the men performed the same exercise regimen. The researcher looked at their strength gains and their abdominal and back strength throughout the study, according to a report presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Ahmad found that the strength gains in both groups were essentially the same.
"Most people had increased strength with exercise on a chest machine and that's what I used to evaluate them," Ahmad said in an interview with Reuters. "However, those patients who did not use the weightlifting belt had better abdominal and back strength, as evidenced by the ability to do more repetitions in two exercises, called the abdominal crunches and the hyperextensions."
Though this study is a little misguided in terms of real world usefulness of a weight belt it does demonstrate that the dependency on a weight belt can impede muscular and strength development in certain areas.
The belt works by increasing intra-abdominal pressure and helping the athlete lift more weight above his head. In effect, it makes people use less of their muscles and more of this intra-abdominal pressure to help lift the weight, Ahmad discovered.
"My theory is that without using the weightlifting belt and using your body mechanics and posturing, you are able to recruit more of your muscles in your abdomen and back to help you lift the weight. In effect, you are getting a better exercise load on your back and abdomen," says Ahmad.
A person does not need a weightlifting belt if they use the proper form and technique, Ahmad believes. However, competitors or power lifters are better off using a weightlifting belt for those heavy, maximum lifts. But even for those individuals, Ahmad would not recommend use of a weightlifting belt all the time.
"It affects performance in that you are able to lift heavier weights, but I think it detracts from your strength gains in the abdomen and back if you do use a belt all the time," Ahmad said. "Your strength gains are better without the belt."
