In part 4 of the essential equipment series, we are going to discuss why a lifting belt is a good idea when training for strength and when to wear one. There are basically three views on belts and which one you take can be as divisive as partisan politics and religion. The first view believes belts are bad and make your back weak and so should be avoided. The second view believes belts act to support the low back when lifting and therefore are a necessary safety measure to be worn at all times – including on pee breaks between sets. The third view believes belts are an important accessory to strength training which enables the lifter to lift a bit heavier than without the belt and to do so more safely. In discussing these three views I hope to present you with the information necessary to make up your own mind as to which view to take.
Lifting Belts & Strength Training
To understand the proper implementation of a lifting belt, you must first understand the importance of how you are to breath when lifting. This is often news for most people – even those who have been training for a while. I find that knowing how and when to breath for strength training is poorly understood by most and therefore not taught well or at all. So, if you’ve never been told this, allow me to be the first; you should be holding your breath for each rep performed. When the breath is taken in, the diaphragm which is a large muscle located at the base of the lungs, moves downward toward the abdomen. This causes the lungs to expand and take in air. The diaphragm then moves upward again which causes the lungs to expel air. When the lungs are held full of air and the diaphragm is lowered toward the belly, you should be holding your breath against a closed glottis (the flap if you will, that covers your windpipe when you swallow). To check to see if you are holding your breath correctly, you should be able to keep your breath held with your mouth open. Now that you are holding your breath, the next step is to “push” with your abdominal wall. This will feel like the same thing you are doing when you are trying to pee really fast – as in I started taking a leak and realized the house is on fire and now I’m trying to get done in a hurry and bail out of here! What happens when you push with your belly in this manner is you are creating greater internal abdominal pressure. This internal pressure increases support around your spinal column, and this is a good thing that enables you to lift more efficiently and safely. A stiff rigid core transmits force better from the legs and hips up through the trunk of the body and into the bar. So, now let’s discuss the role the belt plays in this breath-holding scenario.
Wearing a Lifting Belt
When you wear a lifting belt properly, it will fit snuggly around your waist. This means the belt will cross you around the vicinity of your navel as it will be positioned somewhere at the bottom of your ribs and the top of the crest of your pelvis or what many call your hip bones. The belt should not be overly tight, thereby cinching your waist in too much. Rather, it should be a little bit more snug than you may prefer in order to breath comfortably. Now, as you prepare to initiate a lift, you will take in a big breath and hold it in. Then you will push with your abdominal wall against the belt. When you push against the belt, you will be able to increase the amount of intra-abdominal pressure more than you otherwise could without a belt. This means your spinal column is held more rigidly than it would be without the belt. This also means your abdominal muscles are able to contract harder than they could without the added resistance offered by the belt which means they too can become stronger. And this is how a belt functions to aid you when lifting and to offer protection or support to the lower back. By this method, each repetition of a set is performed with a newly taken and held breath. So, if you are completing five reps, each rep will be preceded with a full breath taken and then held before moving the weight. I say this just to be clear I am not proposing you hold your breath for an entire set.
Now that you are aware of this information about proper usage of a belt, I think you may be able to see that for a belt to be used properly, it need not be used for all your light warm up sets but reserved for your heavy warm up and work sets. I think you may also realize that the lifting belt is not an adequate external back brace that serves to protect the back against hyper-extension. Rather, the belt acts as a brace in that it enables you to generate greater internal pressure around your spine which, in turn, is what protects the back against excessive extension or flexion under load. You will hopefully also realize that for the belt to function correctly, it needs to be worn at a sufficient tightness to be effective. The belt is not a gym fashion accessory. When worn correctly, it is normal to want to loosen it or take it off altogether between sets in order to breath comfortably again. Finally, you may also now realize a good lifting belt will be made of a stiff material in order to provide the maximum assistance. Leather belts are stiffer than fabric belts however both are useful, just in varying degrees. Fabric/Velcro belts are usually more comfortable but leather belts with metal buckles are often preferred by those wanting the most support.
Weight Lifting Coach in Greensboro, NC
If you are serious about your training, I would recommend you invest in a quality leather belt that is 3 to 4 inches wide all the way around. A belt with a 4-inch width is most common, but smaller lifters may find the 3-inch width more comfortable – especially for deadlifts. Expect to pay $100-$150 dollars. Like good lifting shoes, the belt will last for many years, making it money well-spent. The best belts are made of a solid piece of leather and not multiple layers which have been stitched and glued together. The thickness may vary between 10 and 13 millimeters. Learn to use your belt with proper breathing and bracing. This will result in greater progress, which equals more fun. You will be a more efficient lifter and likely suffer fewer strains than if you choose to forego using a belt. In the end, lifting is similar to many sports in that the ones who make the best progress are the ones who train most consistently, and the ones training the most consistently are the ones who stay healthiest and get hurt the least.