Belts

Wearing a belt is REALLY personal – me? I love my belt and wear it for the main compound lifts with my FAVOURITE lift being the deadlift… Before we dive right in just remember that lifting weights can be dangerous if not done properly so if you are unsure or uncomfortable please speak with your doctor or coach to get tailored advice.  At a glance… Belts typically become useful when deadlifting around double your bodyweight You can still deadlift regularly and HEAVY without a belt – so don’t feel pressured to wear one if you don’t want to Belts are …

At what weight should I use a belt for deadlifts? Read More »

Do you have bruising on your abdomen caused by your weight belt? You are not alone. Many of us weightlifters have ended up with all manner of weird and wonderful bruises from our weight belts! Some more hardcore lifters wear them like a badge of honour – the rest of us tentatively try to avoid them! Here’s all you need to know about weight belt bruising. At a glance… Bruising from wearing a weightlifting belt is common It is usually caused by the belt being TOO TIGHT It can also be caused by the belt being TOO WIDE for the …

Weight belt bruising: the causes and CURES! Read More »

A lifting belt CAN be uncomfortable (particularly if new) and if you’re not used to wearing one it can hurt some your stomach area unintentionally! BUT the upshot is wearing a belt when weightlifting helps increase the intra-abdominal pressure when lifting. In English – you can get higher pressure in your core when lifting weights by providing a solid hoop (the belt) to hold your stomach in. So the reward for wearing a belt is generally higher weights lifted – the secret is knowing just WHAT is causing your stomach pain and fixing it so you can keep wearing the …

What if your weight lifting belt hurts your stomach? Read More »

Knowing when to use a weightlifting belt is the rung below rocket science in complexity terms… Just joking 🙂 I’ve been there though – knowing which exercises to wear a belt for and when to go without can be a tricky. Let’s dig in to it here. At a glance… Weight belts are best for powerlifting exercises or any others where achieving maximum weight on the bar is the goal A belt is less important where goals are not based on absolute weight lifted – hypertrophy for example A belt can still be helpful in this situations as another tool …

What exercises to use a weight belt for? Read More »

So you’ve seen people in the gym wearing a belt and they seem to be able to lift some serious weight… But just when did they START wearing a lifting belt?! I’ve been asked this several times now so lets explore when you should start wearing a weight lifting belt in the gym. At a glance… Beginners can start using a belt when they squat around 100kg and deadlift around 140kg Belts are best saved for heavy compound lifts – there is no need to wear them for accessories or light warm ups A good belt will help you increase …

When should I start wearing a weight lifting belt? Read More »

So you’ve got yourself an amazing belt… Now the real fun can start!  Your belt needs to be tight enough that you can fill your lungs and brace your trunk muscles (from your abdominals all the way around your lower back) WITHOUT being so tight that it hampers you gathering a deep breath. Why is that optimal? Let’s take a look… At a glance… We wear a belt to HELP us brace our core when lifting – it doesn’t replace our own efforts! The breathing technique we use to lift is the Valsalva manoeuvre If you can’t get a deep …

Exactly how tight should a weightlifting belt be? Read More »

10mm vs 13mm – just what difference can 3mm make? In terms of weightlifting belts, quite a lot it seems! After dropping some stubborn belly fat recently I had shrunk down to the smallest hole on my 10mm ZuluGlove belt (I still need to do a review on that belt). I was then hit with a conundrum – what exactly should I replace it with? I’ve ended up with a 13mm SBD lever belt to sit alongside my 10mm ZuluGlove but it wasn’t a straightforward decision, and the difference in the belts now I’ve got them both side by side …

Weight lifting belts: 10mm vs 13mm (+3 more tips) Read More »