Rating of the best weightlifting belts for 2022

Content

• 1 Athletic belt 1.1 “Natural belt”
• 1.2 Rules for working with the belt

Recovery after childbirth

After abdominal surgery or childbirth, many women, especially those with muscle diastasis (divergence of the rectus abdominis muscle to the sides due to pregnancy), wear corsets and bandages for a short time on the recommendation of a doctor. They support the abdominal cavity while the muscles recover. But they are quite soft and do not aim to make the postpartum waist thinner as quickly as possible, and do not interfere with breathing and digestion.

In the United States, most doctors and physical therapists do not recommend braces after pregnancy because it is important to train the core muscles to re-stabilize the spine and restore function to the pelvic floor and deep abdominal muscles. Mechanical tightening of the waist does not help this.

Athletic belt[edit | edit code]

How to use a weightlifting belt correctly

Currently, the athletic belt has become an indispensable element of equipment for a weightlifter or powerlifter. The equipment of a modern gym is incomplete without this accessory.[1]

Types of athletic belts. Belt type: upper - weightlifting; lower - powerlifting belt

Competitions in categories; squats with a barbell, bent-over barbell rows, deadlifts, and lifting the barbell overhead are extremely traumatic, primarily for the back area. Therefore, in such cases, it is necessary to use highly effective elements of equipment to stabilize this muscle group.

"Natural Belt"[edit | edit code]

The use of an athletic belt is not recommended when performing exercises with moderate to light weights. The human body already has a “nature-given belt” or “natural belt”. This “belt” is a system of deep stabilizers. This system includes: the transverse abdominis muscles, fibers of the oblique abdominal muscles, pelvic floor muscles, multifidus muscles and the diaphragm. The transversus muscle is a key element of the system responsible for changing pressure in the abdominal region. When this muscle contracts, the pressure inside the abdomen increases; The abdominal wall moves inward, pushing the internal organs up into the diaphragm and down into the pelvic floor. The accompanying lifting of the internal organs against the diaphragm, tense from holding the breath, creates a lifting force that is transmitted to the level of the lumbar vertebrae, which are the most vulnerable places of the spine. Thus, reduced compression helps stabilize the spine and protect the discs.

The human body is independently capable of providing the necessary stabilization of the body and protection of the spine. To do this, it will be enough to strengthen the muscles of the deep stabilizers through training. Thus, the athlete achieves a double result: on the one hand, a sculpted torso, and on the other, a healthy back.[2]

Rules for working with a belt[edit | edit code]

The belt achieves its “high efficiency” by increasing intra-abdominal pressure, which in turn increases the stability of the torso. General stabilization due to the belt allows you to lift more weight than without it. An athletic belt increases the stability of the torso, but in order for training to be successful and injury to be reduced to zero, several rules must be followed:

1. in between approaches, the belt must be removed;
2. application of a scheme with gradual weaning from the belt;
3. The use of a belt is only in extreme cases, when taking maximum weight.

It is noted that when working with a belt, the abdominal muscles gradually lose their tone, and the stomach begins to bulge over time. This should not be the case, since normally the muscles should be toned and actively working. When they are weakened, the quality of the exercises performed is lost and the level of achievement of high results falls. This increases the risk of injury.[3]

Tips for training with protective equipment

If you wear a weightlifting belt too often, your own muscles may stop functioning fully and lose tone. In this case, training without this attribute will no longer be complete. Getting used to it increases the risk of tearing your muscles even when working with minor loads. The use of this type of equipment should be moderate, preferably only when lifting heavy weights. It is advisable to lift the required load without fear of injury by training your back muscles and abs.

As an alternative, you can use a training regimen aimed at gradual withdrawal. The main goal of this program is to strengthen muscles and minimize wearing time with each subsequent workout. The equipment is used exclusively during the most difficult exercises.

Many athletes have noted one feature: if you do not wear this attribute while lifting weights, the tense abdominal muscles are retracted. When using the equipment, the stomach begins to “bulge” with these same muscles. The result of regular training with such a device is the weakening of muscles and their restructuring. Giving up the belt forces the athlete to re-learn the usual technique.

Review of weightlifting belts[edit | edit code]

Classic weightlifting belt made of genuine leather with a traditional clasp with two pins.

Belt type[edit | edit code]

1. Weightlifting

• Classical.
  The belt has different widths, the wider part is adjacent to the lower back, the narrower part is adjacent to the stomach. These belts are flexible enough and comfortable for exercises that require bending over. Often used in bodybuilding.

• Wide weightlifting belt
  . These are belts that are wider in their working (lumbar) part than regular ones. Their width reaches 15 cm. This feature is rather a disadvantage of the model since, due to its wide part, it fits tightly only to the edges of the lower back, leaving the physiological deflection of the back in the center unprotected.

• Fabric belt
  . This is a belt that is not made of leather or leatherette, but of thick fabric. Such a belt does not protect the lower back as reliably, since the fabric is always less rigid than leather. Therefore, this model is more suitable for smaller weights.

Powerlifting belt made of genuine leather with carabiner
2. Belt for powerlifting

The belt, equally wide along its entire length, is designed for powerlifting. It should be worn as low as possible, close to the pelvic bones, the belt should fit tightly. Its width is usually 10 cm, such restrictions are set by the competition rules. The same width is needed so that the athlete can “rest” his stomach against it if his back hunches during a squat or deadlift. This belt is thicker, stronger and more massive. Many people refuse the lifting belt because of its high cost. This is explained by the manufacturer, since they are produced in the USA and the price is an order of magnitude higher than that of domestic analogues.[4]

3. Belt for kettlebell lifting

The belt for kettlebell lifting, despite the apparent similarity of this sport with the above, has a special design and performs special functions:

1. providing support for the elbows or forearms during rest between pushes and support when performing a push;
2. eliminating fatigue damage in the lower spine when standing between pushes, when the body leans strongly back.

According to the rules, the width of the belt is no more than 12 cm.

Belt size[edit | edit code]

Before purchasing a belt, it is advisable to measure your waist circumference with a measuring tape; this will make your task much easier. Ideally, in the fastened position, the buckle should be level with the middle row of fixation holes. To determine the appropriate length, you should tighten the belt as tightly as possible. Too much length will interfere and distract when performing exercises. If you make a purchase in an online store, be sure to check the size chart. There are often differences between manufacturers, which is worth taking into account.[5]

Material[edit | edit code]

Synthetic fabric belt with Velcro.
Currently, the main materials in the manufacture of athletic belts are: genuine leather, artificial leather, synthetic material. Each group has its own advantages and disadvantages. Thus, belts made of genuine leather are characterized by maximum service life and, as a result, high cost. Most of them have a traditional clasp with two pins. Leatherette belts are distinguished by their price flexibility and variety in the choice of fastening element. Synthetic analogues are suitable for medium weights. Most often, this group of belts has a Velcro fastener. Which explains their use in exercises with low loads.[6]

Belt flexibility[edit | edit code]

The flexibility of an athletic belt depends on the number of layers of material and the shape of the seams. A classic choice is leather belts with a zigzag pattern, which easily takes the desired shape of the body and is durable.[7]

Rate Instagram

irongenerationru

Good night ⠀ Lots of good stuff

Bring sports to the masses! Go ahead

The angle is just right ⠀ A bunch of good ones

Bring sports to the masses! Go ahead

Load more... Follow instructions on Instagram

Research[edit | edit code]

For the study[8], experienced athletes were selected who could squat with either at least 1.6 of their body weight (i.e., with their own weight of 100 kg they could squat with at least a barbell of 160 kg), or with a barbell of at least 125.5 kg for 8 reps.

However, during the study itself, many aspects of squats were measured: muscle activation, angles of inclination (to control for changes in technique), intra-abdominal pressure, exercise time. In the study, athletes squatted their pre-measured 8-rep max without a belt. With this weight, the subjects first did squats with a belt and then without it.

results

:

The technique of squats with and without a belt did not change among the subjects, the angles of inclination were the same within the error. No patterns or changes in the performance technique were identified. In general, during squats, there was an increase in intra-abdominal pressure by 25-40%, while, contrary to myths, there was no decrease in tension in the external oblique abdominal muscle during squats with a belt. At the same time, athletes who squat without a belt claim that such squats better load muscles such as the external oblique, internal oblique, rectus abdominis, and the transversus abdominis muscle. The reason for this statement, apparently, is that the listed muscles seem to have to tense more strongly to create intra-abdominal pressure without a belt. However, the study does not confirm this.

Wearing a belt reduces the time it takes to pass the “dead” point when squatting. The belt also helps increase tension in the quadriceps as you get past that sticking point, and also activates the hamstrings more throughout the set.

Even though subjects found it easier to do 8 reps with a belt than 8 reps without a belt with the same weight, the study found that squats with a belt were better at activating both the quadriceps and hamstrings. There was no difference in back muscle activation.

Conclusions and caveats

The study was not powered to determine the long-term effects of exercising with or without a belt. However, the one-day results suggest that the long-term effects of squats with a belt compared to squats without a belt may be better. However, this is just a guess.

The researchers also note that finding that the external oblique does not tighten more without a belt does not mean that squats without a belt have no effect on other abdominal muscles, since the activation of other muscles was not tested. However, attaching electrodes to the internal muscles to study them is very problematic and most likely painful, especially when doing squats with a barbell.

The study was not conducted on people with different strength abilities: perhaps the bodies of champions or, conversely, beginners, react to the load with/without a belt differently.

Finally, the study did not take into account exactly how the athletes trained before - with or without a belt. After all, it has been scientifically proven that athletes who trained on machines showed better results in the future, and those who trained with free weights were better at exercises with free weights.

It is quite possible that if the vast majority of subjects trained with a belt, then the results with the belt showed a better effect.

As a result, scientists note that more comprehensive studies are required, including long-term effects.

When not to wear

A belt can not only help prevent you from breaking in half, but also interfere with proper movement. If you feel discomfort or the amplitude has become smaller, then find a narrower belt or try not to use it. Still, you can’t pull off much in real life.

Among other things, the use of an athletic belt is contraindicated if you have any heart disease. This is because when the stomach is pulled with a belt, the pressure increases significantly and can provoke bad consequences. It is recommended to consult with a specialist first, but you are better off asking on the Internet. The guys there won’t recommend bullshit, you understand.

Weightlifting belt: to use or not? [edit | edit code]

By the belt

:

• Possibly helps prevent lower back injuries when lifting heavy weights.
• May increase exercise performance.

Against the belt

:

• Possibly impairs motor learning of abdominal muscles.
• The lower back may not receive enough load.

Do I need to wear a weightlifting belt? Arguments for[edit | edit code]

The basis for wearing a belt is the idea of ​​intra-abdominal pressure. A study by Miyamoto, et al. found that "...using a maximal isometric effort straining belt during weight lifting significantly increases spinal extensor support via intra-abdominal pressure." In short, if you increase the pressure in your abdomen, you will better stabilize the entire region, which will create a safer environment for your spine and may increase your ability to lift weights.

In another experiment, Kingma et al. showed that “... when lifting a weight while inhaling, a dense, rigid back belt reduces the load on the spine. This is due to the torque created by the belt, not intra-abdominal pressure,” an additional reason to wear a belt.

Let's look at the three types of belts that are most widely used and the possible benefits of each.

Powerlifting belt[edit | edit code]

Powerlifters wear belts like the InzerForeverBelt because it allows them to squat and lift more weight. Possible safety benefits are secondary. Belts designed for powerlifting competitions are durable, rigid and uniform in circumference. In fact, the large area of ​​the abdomen in contact with the belt, combined with a buckle that allows you to tighten the belt as tight as you want without impeding movement, allows you to create significant internal pressure.

More pressure means more stability and more weight. It's really very simple.

Velcro belts[edit | edit code]

Velcro belts like the Harbinger have a different purpose. They are usually made from synthetic materials. Since the Velcro depends on how firmly it stays on your body, there is a limit to how much pressure you can apply before your belt will “float” and become loose. Much less intra-abdominal pressure is generated. You may have some protection from injury, but you won't get a significant increase in exercise performance.

Belts for bodybuilding or traditional[edit | edit code]

These are belts like the Bodybuilding.comversion, made of leather with an extension at the back. At the front they are the same width as your trouser belt. They have a buckle similar to powerlifting belts, they just aren't as strong. This means that they provide less internal pressure than powerlifting belts, but more pressure than a Velcro belt (because they are fastened tighter).

Do I need to wear a weightlifting belt? Arguments against[edit | edit code]

There are two main arguments against using a belt.

The belt interferes with learning movements.

The first doubts relate to the possibility of interfering with movement learning. Many of the best gym exercises require proper recruitment of the abdominal muscles (including the obliques and transverse muscles). When lifting significant weights, a weightlifting belt prevents beginners from contracting their abdominal muscles sufficiently in the desired direction. The belt simply takes over these functions.

The issue is easily resolved if you have a good coach or pay attention to it. You should not use a belt when training your core muscles, stabilization, and technique. But it should be obvious.

The belt will make your lower back weak.

The second problem is that wearing a belt will make your lower back weaker than it would be without it. Why? Because the belt removes the load from the back, which would lead to the necessary adaptation.

Let's think a little. All the strongest powerlifters on the planet wear a belt during training and competitions. Do you really think they have a weak lower back due to constant use of the belt? Wearing a belt may reduce some of the stress on your lower back, but this difference is more than made up for by the extra weight you lift through increased internal pressure or simply the psychological support you receive when you feel safer. The correlation between those who use the belt and those who are extremely strong is very high.

Conclusion[edit | edit code]

If you decide to use a belt, choose a simple Velcro belt. Avoid hard leather options. It looks cooler, but I'm against using belts to improve performance unless you're a competitive powerlifter.

A Velcro belt will give you an increase in results, but it will be relatively small. The basis for deciding to wear a belt or not is the belief that it will give you stability and reduce the likelihood of injury.

The decision to wear a belt is a very personal one, but it should not be taken too seriously. If you feel more confident in a belt, wear it! If you feel awkward and uncomfortable, don't wear it. The main thing that matters is never let anyone decide for you.

Terms of use

To make training with this type of equipment safer and more effective, there are professional recommendations that must be followed:

• you should put on such equipment immediately before approaching a sports equipment held above your head or used to increase the load during an exercise in a standing position;
• when the approach is completed, the protective attribute must be removed;
• if the device is regularly used, it is necessary to constantly maintain the tone of the abdominal muscles;
• at one time you can perform no more than ten repetitions of approaches with a belt on;
• When the abdominal muscles are developed and get used to the sports equipment, you need to gradually begin to wean yourself off.

Benefits of a biceps blaster

• It is an affordable and simple alternative to Scott exercise machines for fixing the elbows.
• Can be easily used at home.
• Isolates the shoulder muscles, preventing sway and assistance from other muscles.
• Allows you to best load your muscles by performing movements in a concentrated manner.
• Easy to transport and convenient to store. The trainer is also wear-resistant and will last a long time.
• It is universal, as it allows you to perform exercises with any equipment, as well as with your own weight.