*** The 2018 Gym Rats Thread ***

13mm is fine, just usually takes a bit of time to break it in and it'll give you some lovely bruises whilst it breaks in :D for that reason I recommend most people get the 10mm one
 
GiraffePencils said:
When do people decide they need a belt?
I've never worn one, but don't lift very heavy so never thought about it really
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That is a good question. I get zero lower back pain, but I also know that it wouldn’t take much to damage my back. I would also like to push my deadlifts a little more whilst keeping my lower back safe. I can also feel my lower back fatiguing near the end of my deadlift session. I also see every single lifter using one these days. I will just keep it for 80-90% plus lifts of my 1RM.
 
if you low bar squat you will need a belt (or 99.99% of the population will)

Asides from that it's not 100% necessary for strength (imo) but it does allow people to more easily generate more intra-abdominal pressure which allows them to enjoy a more stable spine when used properly :)
 
GiraffePencils said:
When do people decide they need a belt?
I've never worn one, but don't lift very heavy so never thought about it really
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It might be all in my head, but I use a belt quite a lot as I seem to able to lift a lot heavier with one.

use it for squats, deadlifts, OHP, continental cleans , yolk , farmers walk

I plateau'd for a long time on OHP added the belt and boom weight went up :D I do train at a strongman gym though so wearing sleeves & belt is seen as essential in a lot of the lifts
 
Don't you reduce the amount of tension on your abs/core when using a belt? I've barely used mine as I have a weak core and assumed doing beltless squats etc would involve more core engagement and thus making them stronger.
 
Kris_90 said:
Don't you reduce the amount of tension on your abs/core when using a belt? I've barely used mine as I have a weak core and assumed doing beltless squats etc would involve more core engagement and thus making them stronger.
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True, for me my core is big/strong enough at the moment. Plus I want to lift more without risking my back tbh.

A lot of places I have read say that squats don’t do much for core (abs) anyway and that you should strengthen that with other exercises, not sure how true this is. Squats certainly tire my core if I then go to exercise it in other ways.

kaptainmarc said:
It might be all in my head, but I use a belt quite a lot as I seem to able to lift a lot heavier with one.

use it for squats, deadlifts, OHP, continental cleans , yolk , farmers walk

I plateau'd for a long time on OHP added the belt and boom weight went up :D I do train at a strongman gym though so wearing sleeves & belt is seen as essential in a lot of the lifts
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I may try it for OHP too.
 
From strongerbyscience:

Abdominals

This is the piece most people have probably been waiting for, since the common objection is that “belts make your core weak.”

Starting with the deadlift, one study utilizing a maximal isometric back-dominant lift in untrained people found slight (nonsignificant) increases in rectus abdominis (“six pack”) activity and decreases in external oblique activation when wearing a belt.

Another study utilizing D-1 football players lifting 12rm loads had the same findings, except that the differences did reach significance.So, wearing a belt probably increases rectus abdominis activation slightly and decreases external oblique activation slightly, relative to deadlifting beltless.

Moving on to the squat, one study utilizing a maximal isometric leg-dominant lift in untrained people found significantly (54%) higher rectus abdominis activity, and slightly (14%, nonsignificant) lower external oblique activation when wearing a belt.

Two studies in well-trained lifters (lifting 8rm loads or 90% 1rm loads) found no significant differences in external oblique activation.

So, taken as a whole, wearing a belt may increase rectus abdominis activation (although, to be honest, I’m not going to put a ton of faith in a single study on untrained lifters performing an isometric lift) and probably doesn’t affect external oblique activation.

It is very unlikely that squatting and deadlift with a belt “makes your core weak” or hinders gains in torso strength.
 
Have never used a belt.l and never had a session where I thought my core was a limiting factor (other than front squats for sets of 12, and then I just wanted to vomit). Based on the theory, I don't see the need to belt up, either.

But I haven't lifted heavy in two years, so...
 
In many lifts you are supposed to belly breathe and push your abdomen outwards and downwards to tighten your core and stop your lower back flexing under load.

The belt just acts as something to brace against helping to further stabilize your core, the belt itself will not prevent injury or provide additional support if your form is bad or you don't know how to correctly breathe/brace.

It helps with heavy lifts and in my experience it helps me get out of the hole when squatting. You shouldn't neglect beltless work however for obvious reasons.
 
mrthingyx said:
Have never used a belt.l and never had a session where I thought my core was a limiting factor (other than front squats for sets of 12, and then I just wanted to vomit). Based on the theory, I don't see the need to belt up, either.

But I haven't lifted heavy in two years, so...
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But if you did use a belt, would you have been able to lift more weight?
 
Used a belt for the first time today! Can definitely feel the extra support - will take some getting used to though and will keep it for my heaviest lifts. The lever system is fantastic between sets. Considering I am jet lagged today I did pretty well with my deadlift sets!
 
So once again I get back from a holiday and my squat goes to hell. Literally lose 20kg plus of my lift. Everything else progresses or maintains. I am sure in a couple of weeks it will start to improve again. Bizarre.
 
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