*** The 2019 Gym Rats Thread ***

Soldato
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Birmingham
@Somnambulist thanks for that video. I think i must be quite inflexible because I can only get to knee level doing that without my back starting to round. I am proportionally long legged and short torso'd. My deadlift starts with my back almost horizontal to the ground.

On another topic - belts. I am looking for a 3" belt because my 4" belt digs into my ribs on deadlifts. Ive searched google and there isn't a lot of choice in the UK.

* strengthshop 13mm synthetic leather belt £50 https://www.strengthshop.co.uk/belts/strengthshop-13mm-single-prong-buckle-belt-3inch-wide.html
* modifit c.8mm real leather belt £60 https://mobilitytools.co.uk/products/modifit-retro-3-powerlifting-belt-hand-made-in-uk?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google Shopping&cmp_id=1691757776&adg_id=69522388314&kwd=&device=c&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8qGSqt-O4wIVzLztCh0tFg19EAYYCCABEgIH0vD_BwE&variant=20115155648612

Or do I spend the extra few quid to get one imported from best belts in the US. http://www.bestbelts.net/Powerlifting-Belts/The-3-Inch-Belt.aspx
$100 plus shipping and import taxes.

Edit - shipping of the best belt is over £50 extra. Belt is already most expensive. I think thats too much money :(
 
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Man of Honour
Joined
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Cambridge
@Somnambulist thanks for that video. I think i must be quite inflexible because I can only get to knee level doing that without my back starting to round. I am proportionally long legged and short torso'd. My deadlift starts with my back almost horizontal to the ground.

On another topic - belts. I am looking for a 3" belt because my 4" belt digs into my ribs on deadlifts. Ive searched google and there isn't a lot of choice in the UK.

* strengthshop 13mm synthetic leather belt £50 https://www.strengthshop.co.uk/belts/strengthshop-13mm-single-prong-buckle-belt-3inch-wide.html
* modifit c.8mm real leather belt £60 https://mobilitytools.co.uk/products/modifit-retro-3-powerlifting-belt-hand-made-in-uk?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google Shopping&cmp_id=1691757776&adg_id=69522388314&kwd=&device=c&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8qGSqt-O4wIVzLztCh0tFg19EAYYCCABEgIH0vD_BwE&variant=20115155648612

Or do I spend the extra few quid to get one imported from best belts in the US. http://www.bestbelts.net/Powerlifting-Belts/The-3-Inch-Belt.aspx
$100 plus shipping and import taxes.

Edit - shipping of the best belt is over £50 extra. Belt is already most expensive. I think thats too much money :(

How tall are you, and how much are you lifting?
 
Soldato
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14 Jul 2005
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Birmingham
@mrthingyx Im 5'10 but have long legs, short and very narrow torso so I struggle with fit. My waist narrows in above my pelvis and my ribcage is also narrow.

Only just started up lifting again after a few years break due to knee problems so currently working my way up. Dont need a belt just yet but from previous lifting I struggled using the 4" belt for deadlifts.
 
Soldato
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Narrowed it down to three 3" belts now as importing from US is too expensive.

Modifit retro at £51 after discount code. This is handmade in Wales from 2x3.5mm leather layers with no suede outer layers so is about 7mm thick. Problem here is the sizing. I am right between boundaries, needing 32" and the offerings are M (25-33") and L (32-40"). I could really do with something like 28-36 to give me adjustability both sides.

Retro_3_Belt_v2_large.jpg


Or the Pioneer powercut at £115. This is an approx 7mm leather inner with suede coverings inside and out. Sizing is spot on with the S covering 27-36" and it has the 1/2" hole spacing for good adjustability. a lot of money though.
Pioneer_Cut_3__Rust_grande.JPG


Or actually this one as well. Its another Pioneer powercut but 10mm of solid leather this time rather than suede covered so will be stiffer. This one is £131. At that price I'm still a good £30 lower than what it would cost to import one from the US.
Pioneer_Cut_Treated_Leather_3_grande.jpg
 
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Man of Honour
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21 Nov 2004
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44,881
I don't need my belt for most of my lifts, but at the same time I do feel more secure when lifting with one. That said, I am lifting at 2.5-3 times my body weight.

I saw the best ego lifting today. A guy grabs a 34kg dumbbell to curl on the curling platform. He manages 6 inches of movement, at best. I'm hammer curling and just going through my program and he obviously felt threatened and switches to a 40kg dumbbell. This time he manages at best 2 inches :D. He looks like at some point he was decently strong and I think in his head he is clinging onto this. It looked quite scary at times. It then gets worse when he starts giving advice to one of the women in there :eek:
 
Man of Honour
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Location
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They are strongly recommended, even required, by the Starting Strength program.

Because Starting Strength is about - eventually - lifting heavy. I would quite happily disagree with Mr. Ripptoe on this, simply because most (if not all) novice lifters have weak core muscles and don't know how to brace their core. He does make a useful point about belts helping proprioception, but that's like saying brushing your hair against a low ceiling helps you avoid it: very true, but probably better to use your eyes.

Most people squat without any proper instruction, often meaning they squat badly and are focusing on the wrong things. I am not again belts for 85%+ lifting (I know they can help... If used properly), but to compensate for issues arising from poor form or other weaknesses, I very much am.

I'd also add that when my press got heavy (relatively speaking of course) a belt helped stop my back from hyper extending.

This is an example of poor form and "other" weakness, I am afraid. :)

I would very strongly advise you to fix your coreand quite possibly your should mobility because this really shouldn't be happening.
 
Caporegime
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8 Nov 2008
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28,997
I saw the best ego lifting today. A guy grabs a 34kg dumbbell to curl on the curling platform. He manages 6 inches of movement, at best. I'm hammer curling and just going through my program and he obviously felt threatened and switches to a 40kg dumbbell. This time he manages at best 2 inches :D. He looks like at some point he was decently strong and I think in his head he is clinging onto this. It looked quite scary at times. It then gets worse when he starts giving advice to one of the women in there :eek:

The thing that I've observed which I don't like is when someone picks the dumbells they want from the rack and then proceeds to stand very close to it, resulting in other people not being able to access or put back the weights that they wish to use. Bugs the hell out of me. :D
 
Soldato
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Because Starting Strength is about - eventually - lifting heavy. I would quite happily disagree with Mr. Ripptoe on this, simply because most (if not all) novice lifters have weak core muscles and don't know how to brace their core. He does make a useful point about belts helping proprioception, but that's like saying brushing your hair against a low ceiling helps you avoid it: very true, but probably better to use your eyes

If by proprioception you mean that the belt makes you aware of any bracing you're doing then absolutely. I hadn't really been aware of it until I started wearing a belt again. Starting Strength recommends you use them on your last warm up set and then your full proper set. Whether it compensates for poor form or not, I don't know. Their argument would also be that using the belt you can lift more than you could without, increasing your rate of progress.
 
Man of Honour
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44,881
The thing that I've observed which I don't like is when someone picks the dumbells they want from the rack and then proceeds to stand very close to it, resulting in other people not being able to access or put back the weights that they wish to use. Bugs the hell out of me. :D

Happens to me on a regular basis. Very annoying.
 
Soldato
Joined
13 Feb 2012
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5,761
On another topic - belts. I am looking for a 3" belt because my 4" belt digs into my ribs on deadlifts. Ive searched google and there isn't a lot of choice in the UK.

* strengthshop 13mm synthetic leather belt £50 https://www.strengthshop.co.uk/belts/strengthshop-13mm-single-prong-buckle-belt-3inch-wide.html
* modifit c.8mm real leather belt £60 https://mobilitytools.co.uk/products/modifit-retro-3-powerlifting-belt-hand-made-in-uk?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google Shopping&cmp_id=1691757776&adg_id=69522388314&kwd=&device=c&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8qGSqt-O4wIVzLztCh0tFg19EAYYCCABEgIH0vD_BwE&variant=20115155648612

Or do I spend the extra few quid to get one imported from best belts in the US. http://www.bestbelts.net/Powerlifting-Belts/The-3-Inch-Belt.aspx
$100 plus shipping and import taxes.

Edit - shipping of the best belt is over £50 extra. Belt is already most expensive. I think thats too much money :(

You don't need a 13mm, something like this will more then do.

https://www.strengthshop.co.uk/belt...hop-10mm-double-prong-buckle-belt-3-wide.html
or this if you want a lever
https://www.strengthshop.co.uk/belts/lever-buckle-belts/strengthshop-10mm-lever-belt-3-wide.html

I am just a short ass and have had issues with my 4" belt for years pulling me out of position due to it digging in to hips/ribs on deadlifts so I will be picking up a 3" lever belt from strength shop shortly.

What is this fascination with belts (not just danlightbulb)?

I am still not convinced that any of you lifting less than 2.5/3*BW need them.

Honestly they can make quite a big difference, especially with maintaining form while fatigued, which is what I focus the use of mine towards. They have to be used correctly though, if your form sucks ass they wont help, in fact they will give a false sense of doing things correctly when really not and snap city is not far off.
 
Man of Honour
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Honestly they can make quite a big difference, especially with maintaining form while fatigued, which is what I focus the use of mine towards. They have to be used correctly though, if your form sucks ass they wont help, in fact they will give a false sense of doing things correctly when really not and snap city is not far off.

Indeed, and I know how you train. ;)
 
Permabanned
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25 Jan 2013
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Being on this new upper lower split has forced me to strip the weight down a bit on the compound movements and focus more on my form. I figured that's likely why I've reached a bit of a plateau that I haven't been able to get past, seeing as everything else is in order (food, sleep etc.). Enjoying the new program a lot, but I hate that I've had to reduce the days from 5 to 4.
 
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