One of the most common accessories found in the gym for weight lifting is a lifting belt. These are mostly used for heavy lifting, but can be seen applied in a few different ways. Many people ask if they should be using a belt. To avoid a classic case of “plumber’s crack” I say a resounding yes! Oh, for weightlifting? Well, maybe. Of those who choose to train with a belt, many do not really know how to use it properly to keep them safe and improve their strength. Let's discuss some reasons why you should or should not use a lifting belt as well as how to do so properly.
What exactly does a lifting belt do? To put it simply, it helps increase your ability to create tension to stabilize your low back. This can be helpful when lifting heavy and is most commonly used during squatting, deadlift, and at times olympic lifts like the snatch or clean and jerk. Our body essentially uses air pressure to stabilize the spine, so when you are picking up something heavy or bracing for a punch to the gut, you are creating pressure to keep your body stable. The same thing is done when lifting. A lifting belt gives your stomach something to push against to create pressure to increase the stability of your spine. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. In this case, the force your body exerts on the belt is also exerted on you helping create increased circumferential pressure around your back.
What does a lifting belt not do? Lifting belts do not prevent you from injury. While no one would outright say that a belt can prevent injury, I find it is often a subconscious belief that people have. In regards to this belief, you should not wear a lifting belt to mask or cover up any pain. A lifting belt is there to augment the strength you already have, not to help you lift through pain. If you are having pain while lifting, there is either a problem with your body or how you are lifting. A belt will make you feel stronger and can possibly help cover the pain up for a little while, but lifting through pain will only make things worse and will actually inhibit your progress.
Another reason to not wear a lifting belt is wearing one simply because you are performing a lift that uses your back. As mentioned previously, lifting belts are often worn with lifts that put pressure and stress on the spine. There is nothing wrong with using a belt at certain times with these lifts, but just because you are squatting or deadlift does not mean you need to wear a belt. Your body is made to move and lift heavy things and do so safely. It is completely appropriate to learn to lift heavy things without relying on a lifting belt to stabilize you. Without wearing a belt, you will find you cannot be as lazy with your technique and have to be very intentional about properly engaging your core and glutes. You will be forced to maintain proper position and make sure you are braced for the entirety of the lift. Many people actually see an increase in their strength and feel better when they do some beltless lifting to teach their body how to stabilize without assistance from a belt. It also forces you to use lighter weights and focus more on your technique.
Now that you know why not to use a lifting belt, let's discuss why you may consider using one. The first main reason to wear a belt is if you are training heavy lifts for strength. The belt can allow you to train your body with higher intensities while helping you maintain proper positioning doing so. Now it is still important to not overuse a belt. Increase you r core strength by taking some time to train throughout the year without a belt. Even on days you plan to lift heavy with a belt, you should start warming up without one. As the weights get progressively heavier you can start wearing it. There is no hard and fast rule when to put it on, but a simple rule I would recommend is that if you are doing singles (one rep at a time), you should not put your belt on before you reach 80% of your max. I personally, when lifting heavy doing 1-3 reps, do not put a belt on until I reach 85-90% of my max.
Similar to the first, another reason to wear a belt is when you are training in higher rep ranges and want the added stability for your back while being able to challenge your legs more. When training for pure strength, we often train in lower rep ranges. There are however several reasons why a person would train in the higher rep ranges doing 8 or more reps per set. If your goal is to really challenge your legs then it would be advantageous to use a lifting belt in this situation. The belt will help keep you stable longer so you can get more reps in without your back or core being the limiting factor. This is beneficial if you are doing more volume in a strength block or are training more for hypertrophy (muscle size).
Using a lifting belt is a powerful tool, but one that should be used wisely and done so in conjunction with proper movement and programming. As Uncle Ben said in Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility.” If you are dealing with pain or unsure if what you are doing in your training is correct, I would love to help you develop a plan and get you set on a path towards reaching your goals!
