How to choose a weightlifting belt? Athletic belt - tips for choosing How to put on a weightlifting belt correctly

There is an athletic belt for the back in every gym, where there are sure to be both opponents and fans of this attribute.

Why do you need a belt?

Most often it is worn while performing strength exercises with heavy weights. As a rule, it is used by professional bodybuilders and powerlifters. Squats with a barbell, bent-over barbell rows, deadlifts, lifting the barbell overhead - these exercises are quite traumatic and place a strong load on the spine, especially the lower back.

When putting on a belt, the athlete tightens it, thereby increasing intra-abdominal pressure ( pressure inside the abdomen), which fixes the spine and intervertebral discs of the lumbar region. That is, the belt helps stabilize the lower back muscles, which prevents possible injuries.

Each athlete decides for himself whether he needs a belt. But it should be noted that our body has its own natural “belt”, the role of which is played to a greater extent by the abdominal muscles and to a lesser extent by the lower back muscles. The transverse abdominis muscle is responsible for regulating intra-abdominal pressure, and therefore for protecting the lumbar vertebrae from stress. A strong, pumped-up abs can replace an athletic belt if you lift weights within reasonable limits and don’t want to jump “over your head.”

Features of training with a belt

When you constantly wear an athletic belt, your own muscles stop working fully, lose tone, and then it is possible that without the belt you will no longer be able to fully train. Once you get used to the belt, in the future there is a danger of overstraining even with light loads. Therefore, it is better to use it moderately, only for working with heavy weights. It is more advisable to train the abdominal and back muscles, which will allow you to lift the required weight without the risk of injury.
For those who are still afraid of injuring their back, a training scheme with gradual weaning from the belt is possible. The goal of this scheme is to strengthen your body, reduce the time you wear the belt with each workout, reduce it to a minimum, and leave the belt only for the heaviest exercises, where it will really be needed.

Some athletes note another nuance: when working without a belt, the abdominal muscles tense and retract, and when using a belt, these same muscles “stick out” the stomach. Thus, constant training with a belt not only weakens your “native” muscles, but also teaches them to work in a different way. When abandoning the belt, athletes have to relearn and return to normal technique.

Types of belts

There are two types of athletic belts:
#1. Weightlifting belt
The belt has different widths, the wider part is adjacent to the lower back, the narrower part is adjacent to the stomach. These belts are flexible enough and comfortable for exercises that require bending over. Often used in bodybuilding.

#2. Powerlifting belt
The belt, equally wide along its entire length, is designed for powerlifting. It should be worn as low as possible, close to the pelvic bones, the belt should fit tightly. Its width is usually 10 cm, such restrictions are set by the competition rules. This belt is thicker, stronger and more massive. Ideal for exercises where you need to keep your back straight.

How to choose

To choose the right athletic belt, you need to pay attention to the following parameters:
#1. material
The belt can be made of genuine leather, various leather substitutes or synthetic materials. An important factor when choosing a material is tensile strength. The most durable and reliable in this regard is a leather belt. Synthetic belts with Velcro are also suitable for working with light weights.
#2. size
It is very good to try on a belt when purchasing, or at least remove the marks using a measuring tape. If, when fastened, the belt buckle falls on the middle fastening holes, this size will be ideal. Over time, your body weight and size may change and you may need to tighten or loosen the belt a few notches. Typically, for a waist of 62-80 cm, you need to choose a belt size S, for a waist of 72-90 cm, size M is suitable, L is suitable for a waist of 82-100 cm, XL - for 92-110 cm, XXL - for 102-120 cm But there are manufacturers who have their own size chart, so before purchasing, carefully read the packaging or consult the seller.
#3. clasp
This can be a traditional buckle, a snap buckle or a Velcro buckle. As noted above, Velcro belts are suitable for moderate weights. In other cases, it is better to choose a regular buckle or carabiner. Some athletes consider the latter more convenient and reliable, others do not trust automatic fasteners.

In addition, the athletic belt can be additionally equipped with a chain for weights.

Cost of belts

Belts can be found at many sporting goods manufacturers: Mad Max, Ironman, Jet Sport, Grizzly and many others. A good belt is not a cheap pleasure. But if you are a beginner or work with light weights, you can find belts at an affordable price.
So, a synthetic belt with Velcro from Torneo can be bought for 600-700 rubles.

Intense training can lead to serious injury if some exercises are performed incorrectly. And some professional and amateur athletes use various devices to avoid injury. One of them is a weightlifting belt. Is it really needed? And how to choose it?

What it is?

A weightlifting belt looks like a regular belt, but has more impressive dimensions. This device is actively used by bodybuilders, as well as ordinary people who perform strength exercises with weights. It is believed that such belts began to be used in ancient times, but there is no exact evidence of this.

Why do you need a weightlifting belt?

What is a weightlifting belt for? The fact is that when performing strength exercises with weights, a huge load falls on the spine, and this may well lead to injury. But the spinal column has natural support provided by muscles.

At the back it is supported and fixed by the muscles of the back, and at the front - by the abdominal cavity, or rather by the pressure inside it. This pressure increases sharply with muscle contraction. But often when lifting heavy objects (the same barbell), a person directs all his strength to completing the task and forgets about everything else.

As a result, the stomach and along with it the abdominal muscles relax, the pressure drops, and the spine remains without support from the front. So, the weightlifting belt is designed precisely to artificially create increased pressure inside the abdominal cavity and thereby maintain the spinal column in a normal position.

Who needs it and in what cases?

A weightlifting belt is required for beginners seeking quick results. If you increase the weight of the weight too quickly, the muscles and spine will not have time to get used to such loads, which can lead to injury. And in this case, a belt will come to the rescue.

A weightlifting belt will come in handy when performing exercises that involve lifting weights, such as deadlifts, squats, and so on. It is these exercises that require full support of the spine and tension of the abdominal muscles.

Another case in which it would be appropriate to use a belt is training with maximum weight. A large mass places a huge load on the spine, and therefore it requires additional support. It is worth wearing a belt when you are working with a mass that is approximately 85-90% of the maximum (that is, the one that you can lift).

Those who do not pay due attention to working out their abdominal muscles should also pay attention to such a device. If the press is weak, then it simply will not cope with its tasks. If your muscles are well developed and can handle the load, then you won’t need a belt.

How to wear it correctly?

How to use a weightlifting belt? It’s worth noting right away that you definitely shouldn’t put it on constantly and wear it throughout the entire workout, this will negatively affect muscle function. Firstly, they will stop working normally and, with constant wearing of the belt, can gradually atrophy.

In this case, if you suddenly abandon the belt, you will certainly get a spinal injury. Secondly, the muscles work differently in the waist. If without it they contract to pull in the stomach, then in the belt you, on the contrary, will tend to stick out the stomach. As a result, after abandoning the device, you will not be able to perform exercises with weights correctly.

A few rules for using a belt:

Wear the belt before performing exercises that involve holding weights overhead or those that involve standing with weights.
After the exercise, be sure to remove the belt.
When using such a device, pay special attention to additional training of the abdominal muscles.
You should not perform more than 5-10 repetitions in the belt. You can perform one set of the belt with the maximum weight, then remove it and reduce the weight.
Once you can lift heavy weights and get used to it, begin to gradually abandon the belt, reducing the number of repetitions performed in it.

Which belt to choose?

How to choose a weightlifting belt? The most important points to pay attention to when purchasing:

As for gender differences, there are no belts for women or men; they are all universal.
Pay attention to the shape of the belt and its width. The belt, narrow in the front and wide in the back, will provide additional support to the lower back and will reliably protect against injuries. In addition, it is very convenient to use when performing exercises that involve bending forward. Such devices are widely used in bodybuilding. But a belt that has the same width along its entire length is usually more durable, massive and strong. It should be placed in the lower abdomen, closer to the pelvis. This device is usually used in powerlifting. But bending exercises are inconvenient to perform in this belt.
Be sure to check the belt clasp when purchasing. There are several options: a regular buckle, Velcro or a carabiner. Velcro is the most unreliable option, which is only suitable for lifting a minimum weight. But such a fastener is quick and easy to unfasten and fasten. But over time it will certainly become unusable. The classic buckle is quite strong, but if it is heavily weighted, the holes can stretch, become damaged and tear. It will be better if such holes are equipped with metal rivets. The most reliable, strong and durable option is a belt with a carabiner. It is quite easy to fasten and unfasten, it cannot unfasten on its own and will last a long time.
The material from which the weightlifting belt is made is important. Today in sports equipment stores you can find belts made of leather, leatherette and various synthetic materials. The best option is leather. It is strong, but at the same time flexible and therefore stretches and adapts to changes in the volume of the abdomen. Synthetic materials, as a rule, are not flexible, although they are often durable.
Pay attention to the sewing of the belt. A multilayer product, additionally reinforced with zigzag or figured stitching, will be more durable.
It is important to determine your size. When purchasing in a store, it is better to try it on. When purchasing a belt in an online store, carefully study the manufacturer’s size chart. But remember that the volume of the abdomen can change, so choose models with the ability to change the position of the clasp.
The price of a quality weightlifting belt cannot be too low. The cost usually varies from 1 to 3-5 thousand rubles.

Happy and safe training to you!

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Should I use an athletic belt or not? You can get completely different answers to this question. The security forces will say a categorical “yes!”, CrossFit fans will be proud that they never wear it, and bodybuilders will simply be divided into those who use it and those who do not believe in it. Does a weightlifting belt keep you safe and improve your performance, or can wearing it cause injury in the long run? More on this below.

About using an athletic belt

Should I wear a weightlifting belt?

The main idea in wearing a belt is to increase intra-abdominal pressure. Research conducted by Miyamoto has shown that using a lifting belt under tension with maximum isometric force during a heavy lift greatly increases the stability of the spinal extensor muscles by increasing intra-abdominal pressure.

The more pressure in the abdomen, the more stability there is in this area in terms of safety for the spine. Your ability to lift more weight will increase. Another reason to wear a belt is the conclusion of Kingma's experiment. It says that while lifting weights while inhaling, a moment is created by the belt, which reduces the negative load on the spine. Those. the positive effect is created not by intra-abdominal pressure, but by the moment that arises.

Wearing a weightlifting belt adds stability by increasing internal pressure

Thus, additional stabilization of the lumbar spine will help prevent injuries during lifting of significant weights and burdens. In addition, a more rigid frame in the lower back will provide some increase in your strength.

Types of belts

There are several types of athletic belts. They all have their purpose, their advantages and disadvantages.

Weightlifting belt for powerlifting

Belt Inzer Forever Belt

Security forces wear belts that are wide along the entire length, similar to the Inzer Forever Belt. It gives them the ability to squat and lift heavy weights. And this is the primary reason for wearing it. The expected benefit in reducing the load on the lower back fades into the background. Competition belts are tough and wear-resistant. Due to the larger contact surface of the belt with the body and the ability to tighten the buckle as tightly as you want, significant intra-abdominal pressure is created. The logic is simple: more internal pressure, more stability, more weight.

Weightlifting belt- a piece of sports equipment that is used when performing strength exercises. Lifting a barbell over your head, bent-over barbell rows, and squats with a barbell put a serious load on the spine and lower back. The natural “belt” in the body is the muscles of the back and abdomen. The transverse abdominis muscle regulates intra-abdominal pressure and relieves stress on the lumbar vertebrae. When lifting weights, the athlete is focused on results, forgetting to tense his abs. The pressure inside the abdomen drops, the spine remains without support. The weightlifting belt artificially creates increased intra-abdominal pressure, maintains the spinal column in a normal position, and prevents injuries. Accessories are universal for men and women.

Criterias of choice

Material. Synthetic materials, artificial leather, genuine leather. The tensile strength of the leather belt is reliable and durable. Synthetic products are suitable for training with light weights.

Clasp.

Size. Before purchasing, try on the belt so that the product is fastened to the middle fixation holes. Body volume changes, choose a model with a margin to tighten or loosen the belt. If fitting is not possible, find out your waist size. Size S for waist up to 80 cm, M up to 90 cm, L up to 100 cm, XL 92-110 cm. Check out the size chart of the selected manufacturer - this will help you more accurately determine the parameters of the product.

Same product width. Placed in the lower abdomen.
Narrow belt in the front and widened in the back. Additional lumbar support. Used when bending forward.

Multi-layering gives flexibility to the belt.

Wearing rules

Constantly wearing a belt weakens your own muscles. The press loses tone, and the risk of injury increases with light loads. A weightlifting belt is not suitable for training with light weights. If your body is accustomed to the weightlifting belt, choose a gradual weaning pattern. The goal is to strengthen the back and abdominal muscles, reducing the time of wearing the belt to a minimum.

Exercising without a belt causes the abdominal muscles to tense and retract. When using additional sports equipment, the muscles “stick out” the stomach. When returning to natural technique, athletes have to relearn.

Wear the belt when performing weight-bearing exercises in a standing position while holding the weight overhead.
Pay attention to working out your abs.
As you get used to the weight, reduce the number of approaches using the belt.

When is a weightlifting belt necessary?

Athletes striving for results in a short time do not have time to strengthen the muscles of the back and abdomen to reliably support the spinal column. Increasing the weight without a belt will lead to injury.
Exercises with lifting weights - squats with a barbell, deadlifts.
Exercises with a weight of 80-90% of the mass that the athlete lifts.