A weightlifting belt primarily supports your abs, not (directly) your back. It sounds backwards, but this is why: the belt acts as a second set of abs to prepare your entire body for lifting heavy loads.

To prepare for those super heavy lifts, you need to take deep breaths with your belly and hold it, a “breathing” method called the Valsalva maneuver. The Valsalva maneuver helps create intra-abdominal pressure that cushions and supports the spine. And that’s where a weightlifting belt bestows its powers. With a lifting belt, you do your deep belly breath on the belt, pushing it back against your abs. This amplifies the effects of that intra-abdominal pressure, and in turn, helps protect your back and allows you to handle the stress of heavier loads even better. Weightlifting straps are a secure way to secure the bar in place and prevent it from slipping.

Wearing a belt alone will not automatically increase your strength and lifting ability. There is a learning curve to using it and lifting while wearing it (just like there is a learning curve to being able to correctly apply intra-abdominal pressure and lifting). Sure, some may reap the benefits right away, but it will take longer before things work out.

When you put on a belt and use it correctly, the skies open up, the birds sing, and your deadlift or squats (or both) get a noticeable boost. Greg Nuckols of Strengtheory.com found that well-trained belt users can generally move 5-15% more weight for the same sets and reps, be able to do a couple of extra reps with the same weight, or lift the same weight for the same weight. same weight. same number of repetitions with less effort. That is quite significant!

We can take this to suggest that training with a belt over time will likely make you stronger than training without a belt. This makes sense in the context of being able to do more general “work” (ie, lift more weight and do more reps) and continually push your body to improve, a process called progressive overload. In the long term, you can gain more muscle size and strength.

A weight lifting belt can be used for squats, pulls, and deadlifts. Experienced lifters strap on for near-maximum efforts and remove it for regular workouts and warm-ups. Generally, “near maximum” is a weight that is 80% or more of your maximum lift. The exact percentage is usually arbitrary, so use it when you think you really need extra support in big elevators.

How to wear a weightlifting belt?

1) Breathe (hold on)

2) Put the belt in position and hold the abdominal wall

3) Stretch the belt tight enough to slightly restrict your reinforced abdominal position for maximum benefit

Weightlifting belts will be uncomfortable for a while, especially when you are learning to get used to one. However, once you are comfortable with your belt, you can begin to experiment by changing the position of the belt on your torso. For example, Omar Isuf, a strength and performance coach, says that experienced belt users tend to wear the belt higher on the torso during a deadlift than during a squat. More specifically, in a deadlift, using it around the middle of the stomach may be more comfortable. During a squat, you may like it above the iliac crest.

You also want your belt to be snug enough to stay in the same place as you lift it, but not so tight that it interrupts full, deep breathing or circulation. The clothes you wear and even the amount of water in your hand could influence how hard you should pull on the belt. If you’re just learning it, it’s okay to wear it a little looser until you learn to love his not-so-cuddly hug. Finally, keep in mind that your new belt needs to break in the same way that a shoe does.

Happy lifting!