When should you wear a weight belt?

[b fold the truth]

Hmmm...let me think. I did events today and the ONLY time I wore mine was when I did the log clean and press. I wear it loose and use the front as a shelf to help with the clean.

When I train...it is exactly that...training. I want to strengthen every single muscle on my body.

When do you wear a belt? When you compete.

B True

 

[FitnessFrk]

when you are suba diving !

 

[coolcolj]

When you wear a belt you can defienitly lift a bit more.

The thing is, if you wear a belt right from the start you rely on it.
If you start without and build up your strength up over a period of time without it, you never do need it. No matter how heavy, as you body has strengthen itself to the weights you use.

Like they say Rome wasn't built in one day, slow and easy does it. I find its the guys who hurry to add on weight to bar etc are the ones that usually wear a belt at my gym so far I've noticed.

 

[bignate73]

a belt teaches a faulty recruitment pattern for abdominal stabilization. the natural instinct we are born with is actually to draw in the umbilicus to segmentally stabilize the spine, by pushing out, yes you are creating intra abdominal pressure (against an apparatus) and creating gross stability for your spine BUT also creating a weakness functionally for the body to SEGMENTALLY support itself by deep postural stabilizers. knowing the relationship between the inner unit and outer unit, commonly referred to as the core would shed some light on the subject. core is often misused by powerlifters by just referring to abs and lower back or even midsection. the true definition of the core is a bit more intricate of a relationship between deep postural stabilizers and the outer unit.

 

[Welsh power house]

Guys, i have to admit, i have always worn a belt for deadlifts, squats and power cleans....reading this thread has made me realize that i should really loose it, but will i injure my self because my body has become dependant on it?
squats wil be my greatest challenge without a belt.

Advice?
bignate, you know this inside out what you think?

I am currently doing squats, leg presses, cleans, clean & presses, high pulls......i would have thought to use a belt....should i?

 

[FitnessFrk]

drop the weight on your working sets by 50% and start over. it's the only way to develop the weaks spot that you have created.

 

[aurelius]

drop the weight on your working sets by 50% and start over. it's the only way to develop the weaks spot that you have created.

I didn´t go that far back, but I did have to put the ego on the shelf when I got smart about weight belts.

I only use it when going 90% or heavier on squats. Never on deadlifts or anything else.(except on first dates)

 

[Blkout]

Damn near every pro bodybuilder wears a belt. It doesn't make you a man not to wear one, it just makes back injuries more succeptible. Wear a belt on squats and deadlifts if your doing any kind of serious weight.

 

[b fold the truth]

It doesn't make you a man not to wear one, it just makes back injuries more succeptible.

Really? How so?

B True

 

[bignate73]

Damn near every pro bodybuilder wears a belt.

It doesn't make you a man not to wear one, it just makes back injuries more succeptible.

Wear a belt on squats and deadlifts if your doing any kind of serious weight.

ah, the appeal to authority fallacy. pro bb'ers arent the epitome of form, technique, biomechanics or even good common sense in most training cases.

yes it does "not make you a man", how many men or people are born with weight belts on?

define serious weight. when do you draw the line and why? cause it feels heavy? because you cant control it properly withouth a belt? i think then you have your answer as to what to do....and it doesnt consist of strapping on a belt. time to exercise the ego and those arms and peel off some weight so you dont injure yourself.

retraining one's self to lift without a belt is the same as with straps and everything, you take a step back and then move forward again. learning proper core stabilization is the key.