Are Weight Belts a Meme?

you can't learn proper form when you use a belt from day 1

Yes, that pisses me off the most. Seeing guys wearing belts the entire time at the gym without even doing heavy movements is my trigger.

Belts should just help to keep from snabbing your back up during heavy shit. Rest of the shit aids in the actual lift, but belts just increase the intra abdominal preasure. Only needed when going heavy. You wouldn't know tho since its nearly impossible to get a lower back injury with your lmao1.5pl8 max squat...

wrong.

You're actually retarded if you think that's what belts and sleeves do.

belts are lame, but gloves are aust for anything above 3pl8.

wrong.

Use a belt for all of your working sets at >75% and just don't neglect your core work.

You'll get stronger, period. Increased load for all working sets means more weight, more volume, and more progress.

It doesn't really change the form at all? It pretty much just changes how you should breathe lmao. Gotta pay less attention to keeping your core real tight with one. Keep blaming the belt for your shit form causing you to injure yourself

it does, a belt limits the amount of movement that you can do, especially during deadlifts.

I was saying heavier lifts as in there is no need for a belt if you can't even squat lmao2pl8. There is very little risk in lighter weight like that, so just don't use one and strengthen your core that way.

Belts and sleeves are a fucking cheat you fucking idiot.
They help you lift weight that you normally couldn't.

Why do you think they exist? As a fucking fashion accessory?

Well desu my hands get super wet whenever i'm lifting and for my main lifts I always use gloves cuz I'm scared of slipping the bar due to my drenched palms

Oh... I see the issue. You have been using a fucking 8 inch belt or something like a mongaloid. 4 inch belts DO NOT limit mobility at ALL.

t. someone who used to wear belts, but haven't in 6 months after someone took mine from my locker

I think you mean chalk.

I feel much more comfortable using a belt. I can squat 4pl8 and deadlift 5pl8 without one, but the rep is grindy and frankly I'm paranoid about injury. A belt alleviates that issue and I can just focus on the lift without any worries.

>t. brainlet belt user

try liquid grip, I love that stuff.

are you faggots for real? gloves are really bad for your grip strength. Get some fucking chalk, dummies.

I saw a kid use a belt to do bench press

When do I start using a belt? I'm at 2pl8lmao squat for reps now. I was thinking about waiting until 3pl8 to start

All I know is if I fail a 1rm beltless on deads I just toss a belt on to pick up the remains of my shattered ego and then I can just barely grind out the rep.

Belts are only useful when maxing out, if you lose stability regularly on your 80% work sets then either do the occasional cable crunch or hyper-extension or whatever - or unfuck your technique.

And if you're just training for strength or looks, who the fuck cares if your dead is 455 unbelted or 475 belted if the training effect is the same.

Belts only make sense if you're competing in a meet or if your core is temporarily unbalanced and you don't want to slow down your main lifts - but even then there are faster and safer alternatives.

I honestly think they're only okay if the weight's really heavy and you're a powerlifter testing a one rep max

I see too many DYELs wearing them

>youtube.com/watch?v=B9OppAye78s

>if your core is temporarily unbalanced and you don't want to slow down your main lifts
Why in the fuck would you sacrifice your health to ego lift?
If you can't fucking do the lift that day then don't do the fucking lift.
Figure out the problem, do what you can, rest up, try your max again when you're healthy.

Human bodies don't fucking work like machines dude.

Exactly, that's why I said "- but even then there are faster and safer alternatives." Maybe try reading posts or at least sentences to completion before replying.

When you're unable to brace without it.

my gym doesn't allow chalk tho.

Then use a sponge, or liquid chalk.

i do 3x5 160kg squats without belt, but when i was a novice i used it for "heavy" lifts

my younger brother who's more of a novice and has a much smaller frame likes using belt for heavy squats

Why not?

You lift the same way whether you're wearing a belt or not. The belt gives your abs / obliques something to push against and thus allows them to contract harder it doesn't move the weight for you and it provides no benefit if used incorrectly so worst case scenario: you suck anyway.

>I'm dyel tho
Why trip?

Not a meme but you're fine without one

>wearing a belt during bp
Is this a meme?

I use one whenever I'm deadlifting or squatting three plates or more.
If I'm OHPing body weight I'll use one as well.

If you're extremely weak sure, if you have back or previous hernias sure, if you're lifting heavy sure.

They aren't a meme, I have a soft belt just to keep my lower warm and loose when I work out. I strap in when I'm 75% or higher and always for my top sets. I don't wear one for bench or most accessories (really useful on rows though) but I do for all my main lifts. They're also super helpful for moving events

>if you have back or previous hernias

>if you have a hernia, just deadlift heavy anyways - but use a belt so you can brace extra hard and really get that intra-abdominal pressure going

>If you're extremely weak sure
Kinda agree with this one, a lot of people say noobs shouldn't use belts. But they can give you a sense of what proper bracing feels like.

if this is any indication

my beltless front squat PR is 165kg

with my thick inzer belt I had to use cause the thinner front squat belts were all taken, I front squatted 165.5kg for 2, despite it being a test session at the end of a 3 day training camp where I trained 6 times in 48 hours, so I was mega fatigued but got a weight and rep PR at the same time

belts help a shit ton if you know how to use them

Sure, but why use them if you're not chasing a pr or preparing for a meet? It's like choosing between horizontal and 45deg leg-press - the numbers will be different, but the effect is about the same for the same intensity and volume.

If you want to take your core out of the equations why even do squats or deads?

I use one for deads and squats else I get quite bad lower back pain. Theyre a tool

technically you can justify it in saying that due to your core stability not being as much of an issue you can train your legs with heavier loads and this can be beneficial whether you are doing it for strength or hypertrophy

the strength is obvious

but imagine you are going for hypertrophy and you have the following scenario

10x5 100kg squat

or

10x5 110kg squat

what do you think will stimulate muscle growth more?

To your final point, if you are purely training to look good then you dont NEED to do squats or deadlifts as there are better isolation exercises you can do

but lifting for aesthetics makes you gay so you lose either way

I see some guy doing dumbbell curls and incline BP with a belt.
Nobody else.

But if you physically can't actually use that strength in a real world scenario and you simply do not give a fuck about strengthening your body...then it's just base masturbation.

And let's be honest about something. Basically every straight teen male lifts to look good for women.
Men who lift to get strong just to impress other men in a gym? They're probably looking for some dick or "boipussy".

>Belts and sleeves are a fucking cheat you fucking idiot.

They are explicitly allowed in competition, so they are NOT cheats you fucking idiot

I have a bulging disc (L4/L5) when that shit flares up I can barely walk. This is why on leg day for squatting movements I always use a belt. It protects my lower back from breaking form as easy and definitely adds stability.
Belts have there place! I will be the first to admit though, there is nothing more annoying than that assclown who does EVERYTHING with his fkn belt on... thats just dumb.

I use them because I'm afraid to hurt myself on DL

90% of the posters in this thread should read this

strongerbyscience.com/the-belt-bible/

So are squat suits you fucking idiot.

Power lifting isn't about strength and making yourself healthy.
It's about doing any stupid goddamned bullshit you can get away with to move the most weight.

That's it.
That's all

It goes counter to the spirit of physical fitness and true strength.

What's the motherfucking point in wearing fucking belts and wraps and straps and other fucking shit?

To ego lift up weight that you physically can't handle just to jack yourself off over your own apparent strength.

Some background info. I lifted for about 5 years without a belt, then 4 years training for powerlifting specifically then took 3 years off from the gym due to life and a knee injury and I'm just getting back into lifting again.

When I was training to compete, I used a belt for all my heavy sets. IE for deadlift day I'd warm up without a belt but as soon as I got up over 495, I'd wear a belt for every set.

Now that I'm getting back into lifting, I'm pretty dyel and fat compared to what I used to be. The belt doesn't feel right on me when I'm lifting so I haven't started wearing it again yet. I do think this is mostly due to the extra fat on my midsection. Although I'm only able to deadlift 315 for 4x6-10 right now.

>And if you're just training for strength or looks, who the fuck cares if your dead is 455 unbelted or 475 belted if the training effect is the same.
I wish more people understood this.

powerlifters btfo

Mine doesn't either but I get away with it. I keep it in a Tupperware inside my duffelbag and don't let chalk get anywhere other than my hands and the bar. I talked to management and they're fine with it. The only reason they don't allow chalk is because of people that make a huge mess and get it everywhere.

Forgot pic

find a new gym

Don’t use them until you are lifting quite heavy weights and have some experience. The basic idea is that they support your lumbar and give your abdominals something to press against when you tighten your core for a lift.

Minimum 3pl8. Your own ab pressure will be enough before that.

They can be used if you know how to use them.
That sounds silly right.

But most people just put ye belt on tight and lift and now think they are safe from injury.Nope

It's basically like a guide to make sure you tense your back and. stomach properly.

You know you are doing this right when you feel it very tense on the belt.

>technically you can justify it in saying that due to your core stability not being as much of an issue you can train your legs with heavier loads and this can be beneficial whether you are doing it for strength or hypertrophy
Fair enough, but then you are training to be out of proportion to the demands of the lift. It makes sense as sport specific training or if you just want the biggest legs possible. But then why not do leg presses? It's kinda the same as only doing the bottom portion of OHP - it makes sense if you compete in BB or just want huge delts - but then most people are just better served doing shit like lateral raises for that.

And why stop there, why not use wraps to get out of the hole easier or sleeves so your patella stops being as much as a factor or lifting shoes so you have better leverage and your ankle flexibility is no longer an issue. It just seems to me like equipped powerlifting is taking compounds and adding shit to them until they turn into an elaborate leg press or machine chest-press.

>lifting for aesthetics makes you gay so you lose either way
Bigot.

then why do you trip lmao gottem

the flaw in your thinking is that you believe a belt makes your core weaker. it doesn't. it allows you to brace harder, which makes your core stronger in the long run. it's not comparable to wraps or suits because those actually produce force for you, while a belt allows you to produce more force. huge difference.

They're not a meme. I use a belt for everything from deadlifts to lateral raises.

>It goes counter to the spirit of physical fitness and true strength.
>He says as strongmen use straps hitch the fuck out of deadlifts and wear belts
>He says as oly lifters use belts

THIS

everyone in the thread has vastly misunderstood the use of a belt

you still get stronger core muscles and you still work your core, it just provides a stronger/safer brace.

Do you happen to go to Club Fitness in Missouri?

If so then the skinny dyel using a belt to deadlift 1pl8 was me

sorry

>unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article folder/weightbelt.html

Belts increase intra-abdominal pressure, but your core muscles don't work any harder.