Weightlifting Belt Recommendations (for my husband)

devilwhiterose

Looking to get my husband a weightlifting belt because "nothing says I love you like getting swole at the gym and not hurting your back" for Valentine's Day.

What's a good brand... what should I be looking for? Or...is this something that he really has to try on himself? I know nothing about them.

Thanks!

lisalsd1

My husband bought mine for my birthday. I have an Inzer; he had to call the company for their advice on sizing.

SonyaCele

there are different kinds for different purposes, you might wanna check with him what he wants. I have a inzer 10m single prong belt. I think Inzer is slow to ship, you probalby wouldn't get it in time by valentines day especially if you pick a custom color. but my opinion its worth the wait for a real belt. Dont bother with a cheap one from a sporting good store.

BabyBearFrigon

I'm a competitive power lifter. I use Inzer because they're incredible durable and lon lasting. They run large though. I'm a 38" waist and I can pull I it to the last hole.

ROBOTFOOD

Another vote for Inzer. Great belt! I have a size M 10mm single prong. Waist is currently 33 (still holes left) and it still fit back when I was a 30.

AshetteKetchum

The brand label on mine seemed to have came off, but I use a thinner fabric one as opposed to a thick plastic/leather one. I found that the really thick ones usually would dig into my skin and be uncomfortable when trying to do a full squat.

jacklifts

The problem with Inzer is you might have to weight 6-8 weeks for your belt. Go to bodybuilding.com forums, equipment section, and you'll see a bunch of threads talking about it.

I have a belt from Bestbelts.net that is awesome, 10mm single prong. Turn around time was quick, and they'll make custom belts. There are a couple of other places like that (Strengthshop, others I can't recall). I would email/call Bestbelts.net and see if they can get you the belt in time for Valentine's.

devilwhiterose

ROBOTFOOD wrote: »

Another vote for Inzer. Great belt! I have a size M 10mm single prong. Waist is currently 33 (still holes left) and it still fit back when I was a 30.

Thanks for that. He's a 36 and it sounds like they run large so a Medium should be good. Sounds like single prong is the way to go based on comments...what's the difference in single/double?

ovidnine

I bought the EliteFTS P2 6.5mm belt and it works great for me. They're a great company to buy from.

The Inzer stuff looks really nice also.

With a double prong you have 2 prongs to wrestle into their wholes. I'm not sure the theory on why they even exist, but I'd suggest a single.

JoRocka

You know that a lifting belt isn't for your back right?

Carlos_421

I'm a big fan of General Leathercraft (https://generalleathercraft.com/ and @pioneer_fit on instagram).
Their quality is on par with Inzer and their customer service is unmatched. Awesome company making awesome belts.
They are less expensive than Inzer with better customer service. Each belt is custom made and it should arrive within a week of ordering. They also have a lifetime warranty.

Things to know:
-A belt serves as a brace for your abs to press against during lifts (this creates pressure in the core to stablize the spine). It's not a support for the spine itself.
-That said, the belts with big wide backs and small fronts are less functional for this purpose than straight belts.
-A leather belt will have less stretch than a fabric/nylon belt and thus provide much better support.
-For most lifts, a 4" wide belt will be ideal. A 3" may be better for deadlifts based on build and/or how you wear it but for squats, etc. a 4" belt is good. 4" works fine for me on deadlifts as well.
-If you're lifting elite level weights, you may prefer a 13mm thick belt. For most recreational lifters, 10mm is plenty. Mine is 10mm (6mm of leather with 2mm of suede on either side).
-Buckle style is mostly up to preference. IMO though, the double prong buckle is unnecessary hassle. I prefer single prong buckle.

devilwhiterose

JoRocka wrote: »

You know that a lifting belt isn't for your back right?

No I did not. All that aside, he's hinted around getting one for quite a while. He has lower back issues so I made the assumption that that may have been the reason. I never asked and he didn't say.

JoRocka

devilwhiterose wrote: »

JoRocka wrote: »

You know that a lifting belt isn't for your back right?

No I did not. All that aside, he's hinted around getting one for quite a while. He has lower back issues so I made the assumption that that may have been the reason. I never asked and he didn't say.

@Carlos_421 answered this nicely

Things to know:
-A belt serves as a brace for your abs to press against during lifts (this creates pressure in the core to stablize the spine). It's not a support for the spine itself.
-That said, the belts with big wide backs and small fronts are less functional for this purpose than straight belts.
-A leather belt will have less stretch than a fabric/nylon belt and thus provide much better support.
-For most lifts, a 4" wide belt will be ideal. A 3" may be better for deadlifts based on build and/or how you wear it but for squats, etc. a 4" belt is good. 4" works fine for me on deadlifts as well.
-If you're lifting elite level weights, you may prefer a 13mm thick belt. For most recreational lifters, 10mm is plenty. Mine is 10mm (6mm of leather with 2mm of suede on either side).
-Buckle style is mostly up to preference. IMO though, the double prong buckle is unnecessary hassle. I prefer single prong buckle.

SonyaCele

Most people in the gym are using belts for the wrong reason and use them incorrectly. like jo said they aren't for your back, They are for core support which kinda indirectly supports your back but they are tool that weight lifters use. they aren't just a thing you strap on for support. If he has a bad back, he needs to address that issue, a belt isnt gonna help him and may even hurt him once he feels the power the belt gives him and accidentally pushes himself into a back injury. And i dont know about others, but only put my belt on for a few heavy compound lifts. I dont wear it for the majority of my lifting, for all the smaller lifts and accessory work. These big thick inzer belts are for power lifts, they are big and uncomfortable and have to be tight. They can take months to break in. You should really talk to your husband about what he wants.