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Training with a belt
MrGonzo05
Posts: 1,120 Member
So I signed up for an upcoming meet. I'm in way over my head, but I'm excited to test the waters. I'm allowed a belt, knee sleeves, and wrist wraps, even though I'm competing in the raw division.
I have never lifted in a belt; in fact, I don't even own one. But I realize a meet is about demonstrating strength, and I'll be leaving serious pounds off my total if I go sans equipment. Any advice for getting started with a belt? The only thing I've ever bought specifically for lifting is my shoes, so any tip you give me is more than I currently know. LOL
I have never lifted in a belt; in fact, I don't even own one. But I realize a meet is about demonstrating strength, and I'll be leaving serious pounds off my total if I go sans equipment. Any advice for getting started with a belt? The only thing I've ever bought specifically for lifting is my shoes, so any tip you give me is more than I currently know. LOL
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I ended up getting my belt in preparation for my first meet. I got a 10mm Inzer lever in white and I lurrrrrrve it. I only had 8 or 10 weeks to break it and actually get used to lifting with it. To do this I recommend wearing it for everything for the first 2-3 weeks. After that you can switch to wearing it at anything over 70% of max (or whatever you feel comfortable with.)0
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I've got an Inzer 10mm single prong, and I love it. Get it worked in really good before you use it at a meet :-)0
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im to the point that i am seriously contemplating a belt also. i usually train and compete raw, no belt no wraps. now that my squat and deadlift are both nearing 500lbs i am wondering as to how much a belt may benefit me. plus im starting to develop "squatters gut". core continues to get thicker and thicker and i know a belt will actually slow this down greatly. i like the Inzer belts, but im really looking hard at the EliteFTS lever and single prong.0
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I have an Inzer 10mm Lever and a Titan Toro 13mm single prong belt. The Inzer is more convenient as it's easy to get in and out of bu the Toro is tougher and provides more support. I use the 10mm for strongman events and work weights but when I go for a big PR I always pull out the trusty ole' Toro. If I could only have 1 belt I'd have to go with the toro.0
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I'm a big fan of lever belts. A bit harder to adjust on the fly, but very quick on and off. Advice for starting out with one? Two things:
1) It's going to be uncomfortable until you get used to it. It may give you bruises for a while.
2) Understand how a belt works so you can utilize it fully. Intra-abdominal spinal bracing-- You're pushing your abs outward against the belt in order to create internal pressure. This stabilizes your spine from the inside.0 -
I have a tapered Inzer 10mm lever and an APT tapered single prong. I can't use a 4in belt because I don't exactly have much of a belly and it digs into my ribs (bruised a rib once doing squats). Some prefer one over the other but a recent article by Rippetoe covers belts and deadlifts:
http://www.t-nation.com/training/the-belt-and-the-deadlift
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I appreciate the tips, everyone!0
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That was an interesting article, but his entire premise for getting a smaller width belt doesn't really seem to apply to women even though proportionately we tend to have shorter torsos and longer legs than men. I think it would be impossible for my thighs to touch my belt. My belt won't go over any part of my hips unless I loosened it several notches. I'm not particularly hour glassy either. When I first bought my belt I was actually toying with the idea of getting a 3" Best belt. I preferred a lever so I got a 4." I don't really have too much wiggle room in positioning though. I had it a smidge too high once and bruised my rib on what felt like the side of it near my obliques. Now I make sure it's as low as possible and haven' t had any issues.0
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I did my first meet without a belt. I wanted to make sure I enjoyed the sport before spending the money. I have a 4 inch single prong EliteFTS belt. I wear the same one for squat and DL but I adjust the position differently--for DL it is higher and turned so the buckle is between my belly button and hip bone; for squat I push it as low on my abs as possible (up against my hip bones which is fairly uncomfortable) and the buckle is sort of centered but not exactly.
I train to brace my core hard and do a lot of core work/activation. Then I put the belt on 4-5 weeks before the meet for my heaviest sets.0
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