*** The 2013 Gym Rats Thread ***

Dem belt gainz. I bought one, wore it to lift, didn't like how it felt, don't use it anymore and now it resides on the floor in my bedroom gathering dust.

True story that.
 
Syla5 said:
Training with a belt is less about requiring the belt to train and more about being comfortable with the belt. You dont just want to throw it on when your at your limit at a meet.

I am happy to do unbelted training but with a long term goal of giong to meets I need to be comfortable in a belt while lifting, this will only come with extra practice. Also making sure that form is not impacted by the wearing of a belt is also important. Its pointless to put the belt on to gain an extra few KG if the belt pulls your form out - or more likely in my case highlights issues that are less easily seen sans belt.

There is also the argument that you can push your core harder with a belt as well so your actually training harder with one on but thats a whole other discussion.

The focus for my unbelted training has been to improve my core strength which i have been doing, but i also know that with wearing a belt i can maintain form, brace more effectively and add kg's to the lift due to this improved bracing.

I was never saying that a belt is a prerequisite to powerlifting, "a belt is a posative advantage for competing in powerlifting and is not something that should be thrown on just before max efforts" is probably a better way of putting it.

Far from starting from a faulty presumption.
Click to expand...



That's cool, and absolutely fine by me... :)
 
mrthingyx said:
I think you're starting from a faulty presumption: that you NEED a belt to be a powerlifter.

You don't.

They might help a lifter push that much harder once your form starts to break, but the question is: do you really want to push past the limit of your body's ability to brace?

If you're competing with lifts where you know your going to compromise your bracing at some point in either a deadlift or squat, then a belt can help maintain a degree of thoracic pressure over unbelted. But that is way up the intensity scale to where you should be training on a day-in, day-out basis. IMHO.
Click to expand...
Completely disagree.

Phaggot oly lifter.

:D
 
I been going gym for 3 months now 3-4 times a week doing 3x8-10 mainly except on squats/benchpress i do 3x6 but i am having an issue which i can't understand why so thought i would ask here.

Every few weeks my lifting amount on each exercise is increasing a steady stable rate but when it comes to benchpress the amount is going up very slowly....yet i am lifting fairly well on arm/chest/shoulder exercises and my technique seems to be good for it.

So:

1.Would it be best for me to do maybe weight increases on each set for benchpress? or is there some other exercises which will help me improve for it?

2.My left arm is fairly weaker than right due to my broken fingers so my grip isn't as good yet it's improved a fair amount i guess using dumbells for a few months will help a great deal?
 
Last edited:
Sycho said:
I been going gym for 3 months now 3-4 times a week doing 3x8-10 mainly except on squats/benchpress i do 3x6 but i am having an issue which i can't understand why so thought i would ask here.

Every few weeks my lifting amount on each exercise is increasing a steady stable rate but when it comes to benchpress the amount is going up very slowly....yet i am lifting fairly well on arm/chest/shoulder exercises and my technique seems to be good for it.

So:

1.Would it be best for me to do maybe weight increases on each set for benchpress? or is there some other exercises which will help me improve for it?

2.My left arm is fairly weaker than right due to my broken fingers so my grip isn't as good yet it's improved a fair amount i guess using dumbells for a few months will help a great deal?
Click to expand...


Bench and OHP tend to be a sticking point for a lot of lifters myself included. All I can say is that I dealt with OHP by swapping to push press with heavier weights and Bench wise I've just let it run its course and battle through it... It will go up, you just have to persevere and accept that it will take longer. You could always try some heavier singles/triples on bench? If you've got a spotter even better. I like to squeeze out that rep I wouldn't have been able to do myself by using that tiny bit of assistance from my spotter.

That's just my 10p. A more experienced beast will be along shortly to elaborate im sure. :D:)
 
i've found an awesome new way to loose weight, be unable to eat due to multiple mouth ulcers!

i;ve lost a stone i na week so far, and ive never been more hungry, i keep looking at the fridge full of Christmas goodies and thinking "soooon"
 
Tefal said:
i've found an awesome new way to loose weight, be unable to eat due to multiple mouth ulcers!

i;ve lost a stone i na week so far, and ive never been more hungry, i keep looking at the fridge full of Christmas goodies and thinking "soooon"
Click to expand...

You've just made me appreciate the fact I haven't had any for at least two month.. I used to get at least once a month so very good for me aha! At least if you have only one you can eat tilting your head to one side and just about manage :p
 
Swifty123 said:
You've just made me appreciate the fact I haven't had any for at least two month.. I used to get at least once a month so very good for me aha! At least if you have only one you can eat tilting your head to one side and just about manage :p
Click to expand...

i even have one on the dangely thing at the back of your throat :(
 
There are a lot of mixed views on belts.

My take (make of it what you will) is use once when you feel you need to and only if there is actually a perceived benefit. If you stick one on and find that there is no (warranted) difference then is it really necessary.

I was helping a lad at the gym with his deadlift and he kept wanting to stick his belt on all the time. He didn't need it at the weight he was using and didn't seem to be able to understand this.

Also I don't think you can realistically say when you start lifting 'X - KG wear a belt'. The amount of weight an individual will require a belt is totally subjective and 'X-KG' will represent a different %RM for each individual. Neither does not wearing a belt mean that your strength gains are going to be non-existent. Could they have been greater with a belt? who knows.

Belts have their place and I don't think any differently of anyone that uses them but using them merely as a fashion accessory boils my ****.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom